📰 Your Weekly Marketing Fix (4/15/2025)

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Skip the Commercials. Be in the Content. 🎭

Hey Nerds! 🎉 Welcome back to The Ad Nerd—where marketing feels less like rocket science and more like your cool friend spilling the secrets.

Let’s dive into this week’s treasure chest of marketing wisdom

In The News 🗞️

Tariffs, Transparency, and Trust

President Trump’s new tariffs are here—and they’re no joke. With a 10% base tax on all imports and some Chinese goods now seeing tariffs up to 145%, small businesses are feeling the heat. Some are tacking “Trump tariff” surcharges onto receipts to explain rising costs, while others are highlighting locally made products to reassure customers.

Marketing move: Communicate clearly. If you raise prices, explain why. Transparency builds trust. And hey, if your stuff is made in the U.S., now’s the time to shout that from the rooftops.

Read more →

Blue Origin’s All-Female Crew Takes Flight

Blue Origin launched its first-ever all-female space crew—a historic mission that’s already making headlines and inspiring marketers everywhere. The crew includes scientists, engineers, and STEM icons, and the internet is loving it.

Why marketers should care: Purpose-driven storytelling matters. If your brand supports women, science, or empowerment, don’t miss the moment. Celebrate by spotlighting women in your business, sharing your commitment to inclusion, or simply joining the convo in a genuine way.

Read more →

Nerd Tip of the Week 🎯

How to Hack Product Placement Without a Hollywood Budget

Think product placement is only for billion-dollar brands? Think again.

What is it?
Product placement is when your product appears organically in content—like a mug in a YouTube video or a snack on a podcast table.

Why it matters:
It feels more like a recommendation than an ad. It builds trust. And when done right, it sticks in people’s brains.

Here’s how to get started:

Find micro-influencers – Look for YouTubers, podcasters, or TikTokers in your niche.

Offer product, not cash – Many creators are happy to feature your item in exchange for the product itself.

Keep it natural – Work with the creator to make sure the placement fits the vibe. No awkward hard sells!

Start local – Think community theater, indie films, student projects, or local news demos.

Bonus: You don’t need to scream “Look at my product!” A casual mention or visual appearance can do wonders.

Real-World Example 🔎

Zillow in “Never Have I Ever”

In Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, a teen says, “I Zillowed his house.” Boom—Zillow becomes a verb. That’s product placement magic.

Why it worked:

Fit the characters and scene.

Felt totally natural.

Reinforced brand identity without feeling salesy.

The Lesson: You don’t need a massive audience. You need the right audience—and content where your product fits naturally.

Tool of the Week 🛠️

Looka

Today's sponsor is Looka, an AI-powered logo maker offering entrepreneurs a quick and affordable way to build a standout brand. Generate hundreds of custom, non-templated logos instantly, then easily customize fonts, colors, and symbols using Looka’s intuitive editor. You'll get full commercial rights, plus unlimited logo revisions for 72 hours after purchase.

Right now, Looka is offering 50% off brand kit subscriptions!

Check it Out →

Recommendation of the Week

Sell Your Smarts!

with John Meese

Get a crash course in how to sell your smarts without losing your soul from John Meese, bestselling author of Serve to Sell, Always Be Teaching, & Survive and Thrive.

Marketing Mythbuster 🧠

“ Product placement is only for huge brands with huge budgets.”

Truth bomb: 95% of placements don’t involve money changing hands.

That’s right—most deals are just trades: your product for exposure. Indie creators, student filmmakers, even local news segments are all looking for props and authentic content. If your product fits, you're in.

So nope, you don’t need to be Coca-Cola. You just need creativity and a little hustle.

Just for Fun 😂

Fun Fact:

The first movie product placement happened in 1896—Sunlight Soap starred in a silent film by the Lumière brothers. Yes, product placement is older than Mickey Mouse.

Everything old is new again… especially in marketing. 😎

That’s all for this week, Nerds! 🤓

Keep building, experimenting, and having fun with your marketing. Got questions or tips to share? Hit reply and let me know—I might feature you next week!

PS: Don’t forget to share The Ad Nerd with a friend who needs some quick marketing magic!

Keep learning and growing,