Edition 81.

From automated DMs, well-timed lists, and the two-word cue of the season, brand timing is everything.

So, ready, set, go!

Here are five brand bytes to elevate, inform, and inspire you this week:

1. Two words. One blitz.

The “Queen of Christmas” locked in at least one brand contract early.

Just after the clock struck midnight on November 1, Mariah Carey stepped out with a major retailer and her signature cue:

“It’s time.” 🎶

She teamed up with Sephora and turned a fan-favorite two-word tradition into a glammed-out, big-budget brand moment.

Think angel wings, a rogue elf, and a CGI’d reindeer scene through NYC.

The spot racked up more than 100 million views across social.

And it’s the first time Mariah has tied her iconic phrase to a brand.

Another organic moment turned into strategic monetization.

​Remember what Dunkin did?​

For a phrase born as a playful nod to the season, “It’s time” now lands with real commercial weight.

Thank Sephora and their marketing blitz for that.

Use those timely words to cue your customer.

They signal the natural shift from fall to winter and holiday.

No need to outsmart what already hums through pop culture.

Exhibit A:

And consider this: underground cues that start in fandom rarely remain untouched.

Brands eventually join the party.

2. List season. Is *yours* ready?

Next up? The unofficial queen of lists.

Oprah dropped her 2025 picks, and brands are already flashing the badge to signal their spot on this year’s in-demand roster.

The “O” badge, that is.

In the earliest days of Oprah’s “Favorite Things,” a placement meant major headlines, sell-outs, and the kind of overnight spike that could make or break a business.

Yes, too much attention can be a bad thing.

But! The list has evolved.

It now lives with a stronger digital backbone.

Less on-air theatrics and live studio chaos.

More strategic online tie-ins, especially with Amazon.

Oprah Daily earns *significant* affiliate commissions, and the media brand still releases a signature badge each year that companies (likely) license once they make the cut.

While small businesses still get love, there is no ignoring the Amazon integrations and the celebrity-backed brands sprinkled throughout.

Fun fact: I’ve pitched Spoken Flames before and missed the cutoff.

They select early in the year, usually early summer.

So while my brand has never made the main list (just a Gifts Under $50 holiday listicle once), I’ve been part delusional and part strategic enough to create my own Favorite Things.

And here’s why:

Curated lists and guides online are common and, arguably, expected.

Brands of every size turn their product catalog into gift guides each year.

You can too — whether you sell products, offer services, or simply create content.

P.S. This can become a year-round List, not necessarily tied to the holidays.

Here are some of my favorite “favorites” lists from product- and service-based businesses (including a photographer who turned their location into an advantage for a *local* gift guide):

• Brightland Olive Oil - The Gift List​
• Spoken Flames - The Holiday Shop​
• Samantha Ruble - Local Tulsa Gift Guide​
• Our Place Cookware - Gift Guides​
• Shavaun’s Favorite Things (Example of a year-round list; not holiday-specific)

Moral of the story: Oprah’s list still influences conversations, but in a digital-first way that prioritizes online browsing over televised spectacle.

Now, no one needs a TV show.

Just a digital presence.

Inspired to make your own Favorite Things list?

Consider curating a guide that reflects what you genuinely love.

If you have an audience or customer base, they trust your taste.

If you sell products, turn your SKUs into a Holiday Guide to make shopping seamless.

If you sell services, or are a creator — turn your tools, recommendations, and even local favorites into a content gift for your audience. 🎁

‘Tis the season to share recommendations, tell the stories behind your picks, and maximize your digital affiliate revenue in a way that feels aligned, helpful, and true to your (brand) voice.

3. This test showed I *got* more when I *gave* more.

Since we’re in a season of giving, here’s how giving more shifted my own growth.

I tested this with The Brand Bloc.

And I got more when I gave more.

Here’s what happened.

By being part of the Kit ecosystem, this newsletter appears in the platform’s Creator Network.

It is a catalog-like network designed to help other Kit members and readers “discover like-minded creators and accelerate your audience growth.”

When I “gated” my newsletter content, leads were slow.

Meaning, people had to subscribe to read any newsletter edition in full.

But in the past few weeks, after opening “ungated” access to all Brand Bloc newsletters released in 2025, I have seen double-digit growth in sign-ups compared to the two weeks prior.

While this test is still early, the math is the math.

And the test of whether gated content creates enough intrigue for people to subscribe, appears to be losing to the reality that free content shows readers what to expect, which encourages them to sign up.

So far, so good.

It has been a valuable test, and I am keeping the “gates” open.

What is the last thing *you* tested in your marketing funnel or business?

Pro tip: Always be testing.

4. From “follow” to first move: this new automation scales 1:1 connection.

ManyChat, a popular platform for conversational AI and social automation, just introduced a new feature.

Still in beta mode, it is called Follow to DM.

“Automatically greet every new follower,” promises this feature.

It also claims to be “the fastest ‘hey’ on the Internet” — and “automation that sounds like you.”

Make of that what you will.

Follow to DM is designed to spark connection by capturing engagement at the moment someone taps “follow” on your page.

The payoff, according to ManyChat:

• Capitalize on peak interest: turn follows into conversations before attention drops.
• Build trust faster: break the ice instantly and on-brand, with messages that sound like you.
• Drive meaningful outcomes: guide people to the content, offers, or paths that actually move numbers.
• Stay consistent without the grind: every follower gets a timely touchpoint, even when you're offline.

The Meta-approved tool triggers a customizable welcome message the *instant* a new follower arrives.

Talk about a fast follow-up.

You can personalize the DM, add prompts for email capture, and link to resources like articles, giveaways or discounts.

“Follow to DM ends the era of silent follows,” says ManyChat.

My advice?

If your auto-message is generic or sales-y, it may fall flat.

If it’s genuine and strategic, automated connection at scale *could* be a smart unlock.

Pro tip: Automate with intention.

5. 2026 prediction: storytelling will rule.

In the era of AI and automated DMs, the near future of content and conversions will be less about “10 ways to start a business” and more “My purpose was born at rock bottom” or “the 8 o’clock stare down” that started it all.

Story-driven.

Ownable.

Unique and specific.

It’s a narrative that paints a picture of your lived, human experience and proves that you, not AI, wrote it *and* gave life to the idea that shaped your product or service.

Genuine.

2026 will be the year of the story.

A year where we discover new brands, people, and services through what shaped them.

Not through checklists, discounts, and download-able freebies.

Stuck on what *your* story is?

Well, I am of the mindset that you can spin anything.

Not as a lie, but as a seed — of engagement and genuine lead generation.

There is something you have experienced, good or bad, that can drive interest, connection, or sign-ups.

Candid storytelling is the new top of funnel.

Because AI can’t draft it.

Only you can. 🫵

More brand bytes next Sunday at 5!