Coca-Cola’s new flavor is ‘experience points’ for gamers

Welcome to the nearly weekend. And if you’re experiencing the apocalyptic air on the East coast, we hope it clears up soon.

Coca-Cola and Riot Games Launch a Flavor for League of Legends

In yet another brand partnership between a gaming company and Big Soda, Coca-Cola and Riot Games have created a flavor especially for League players—flavored like “experience points.” What that means, no one is sure, as of yet. The limited-edition drinks come with QR codes to a Coca-Cola Creations Hub that lets drinkers use a new League of Legends Instagram filter.

Spotify Cuts Podcasts as PRX & Sonic Union Join Forces in the Space

Citing a “podcast strategy shift,” Spotify has laid off 200 employees and canceled six shows. Meanwhile, the nonprofit public media company PRX has teamed up with audio production company Sonic Union to launch branded podcasts. “Entertainment as a form of marketing has seen a big push, especially this past year, so we think that we’re offering something collectively that doesn’t exist right now,” the executive creative director of Sonic Union, Halle Petro, told Marketing Brew.

TikTok Shifts Long-form Monetization to Subscriptions

Now, TikTok’s longer-length video offering, ‘Series,’ allows creators to paywall content. This means TikTok is shifting its long-form monetization model away from ad purchasing to subscriptions. Although ads will still display in the main short-form feed, if consumers are paying subscriptions for a creator’s long-form content, they won’t be surfaced ads.

Keurig and The Rolling Stones Collaborate on Iced Coffee

Keurig and the seminal rock band The Rolling Stones are releasing an iced coffee product. The limited-edition "Start Me Up" iced coffee kit is positioned to help everyone “turn up their summer” with a “custom-designed K-Iced™ Brewer, matching tumbler, and a "Start Me Up" K-Cup® pod coffee blend, co-created with the band.”

Around the Web

• Walmart Connect handles an influx of in-person shoppers with in-store ads.

• Despite a new CEO taking charge, Elon Musk keeps altering Twitter.

• The Trade Desk vies for ad dollars against Walled Gardens.

• LinkedIn now allows Company Pages to send and receive DMs.

• Apple is getting personal for iOS 17.

• MarketerHire is offering an exclusive Summer Special Promo, providing a 15% discount on all new Expert Marketer or Expert Assistant hires, billed through August 31, 2023. There’s only one catch, you need to act fast! This offer is only valid if you sign a contract and kick off your project by June 30, 2023. Learn more.*

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Just Can’t Get Enough

Seals sneezing. Yep, that’s it—sometimes we just need wholesome content.

• They sound like farts.

• And we can’t get enough.

These days, it seems like all of the video games and musicians are thirsty. Which other video game brand or classic rock band do you think will release a beverage next? Will we get a “Comfortably Numb” kava concoction from Pink Floyd? Reply and let us know which beverage collaboration you’re looking forward to the most—it can be hypothetical!

Thanks for joining us, and we’ll see you Tuesday!