Hi NoGoodies,
We get it, you’re busy. So here’s our weekly digest to catch you up on all of the marketing news you may have missed this past week...
YouTube lets viewers build their own feeds with a prompt.
At Made On 2026, YouTube expanded custom feeds, which let viewers type what they’re in the mood for, like “evening wind down with long documentaries,” and save the result as a separate feed. The feature has been in testing since May and is now rolling out more widely in the U.S. This highlights the algorithm fatigue many people are feeling and points to a shift toward discovery driven by viewers’ own words rather than guesses based on watch history. That makes clear titles, descriptions and topic signals matter more, much like AEO.
Meta gives its Muse agent a body with the Muse Charm
At Connect, Zuckerberg unveiled the Muse Charm, a keychain-sized gadget with an animated avatar that lets people talk to their Muse agent without unlocking a phone. It ships in December, but Meta hasn’t announced a price. Reactions have been mixed with many noting the dangling form factor is squarely on-trend, tapping into Gen Z’s post-Labubu love of bag charms and retro tech as fashion.
LinkedIn tests a “Network” feed of only your connections and follows
CPO Hari Srinivasan announced a trial Network tab that sits alongside the main feed. LinkedIn is positioning it as part of a push against engagement pods and AI-generated clutter.
Wendy’s drops a real emo album
The chain released a six-track album, “Songs to Listen to in the Wendy’s Parking Lot,” on all major streaming platforms, featuring vocalists from the emo scene. Wendy’s made a point of saying the tracks were made by real musicians rather than generated by AI, with Matt Squire producing and singers from Memphis May Fire, Silverstein, State Champs and others.
McDonald’s launches a media network, aiming for a $1B ad business
At its investor day, McDonald’s unveiled McDonald’s Media Network, which will sell ads in its app and on kiosks using its customer data. Global CMO Morgan Flatley set a $1 billion revenue goal.
Goop moves its newsletter roots to Substack
Gwyneth Paltrow framed the launch as a return to the scrappy spirit of the original goop newsletter, starting with exclusive recipes, with the team and friends contributing and a mix of free and paid-subscriber posts.
Any other news we may have missed? Let us know in the comments!
