A creator can deliver every asset on the brief, smash performance benchmarks, spark lively comment threads, and still leave your PR team holding an empty hand.

That doesn’t mean the engagement was a bust. It simply means earned media was treated as a hopeful afterthought rather than built into the foundation of the work. We have all sat in that planning room where someone invariably asks right before wrap-up: “Can we get some press out of this?”

That question needs to be in the room on day one.

If earned media is truly part of the remit, an influencer strategy cannot begin and end with message delivery. It has to focus on narrative substance. That means looking for voices who can help uncover an untold story, bring genuine lived experience to an issue, or frame a conversation so compellingly that editors actually want to dig in. The goal is never just paying an influential voice to champion a logo. It is crafting something that holds its own weight long after the sponsored post scrolls off the screen.

Start with the Story, Not the Shortlist

Before anyone opens a spreadsheet of follower counts or starts horse-trading over deliverable tiers, pause and ask a fundamental question: What makes this interesting to someone who has never heard of the brand and does not follow the creator?

A splashy partnership announcement might occasionally make the rounds, but staking an earned media plan on a signature on a contract is a gamble at best.

A far sturdier foundation is an authentic audience friction point, an unexpected industry shift, or a tangible cultural insight that warrants a closer look. The creator’s role is to sharpen that narrative, not serve as a proxy for the lack of one.

Look at the editorial landscape. In Cision’s survey of more than 3,000 journalists globally, 86% noted they instantly pass on pitches that do not directly serve their beat or readership. A verified handle does not magically create relevance.

Here is a simple test before locking the brief: write the dream headline without using “partners with,” “teams up with,” or “taps creator.”

Strip those away. What is left?

If the story collapses without the transaction, you have an ad, not an editorial hook. That distinction separates what a brand wants to announce from what an audience will voluntarily read.

Choose Someone Who Adds Substance, Not Just Footprint

When earned coverage is on the table, vetting creators solely by reach is an easy trap. The real calculation is what they bring to the table as a subject-matter voice.

Can they break down a nuanced operational headache? Do they possess deep, credible roots in the discipline? Could an editor interview them about the broader industry landscape without them constantly glancing down at brand-approved talking points?

This is where public relations and creator strategy need to align. Organizations like PRSA have consistently pointed out that creators bring the most enduring communications value when treated as long-form storytellers, subject sources, and dynamic event speakers. Their contribution does not need to expire after a 24-hour story cycle.

Consider the contrast between paying someone to say a piece of software saved their workday versus partnering with a seasoned operator who can articulate the systemic inefficiencies plaguing their trade. The former provides an endorsement. The latter gives a reporter a credible source, a compelling human case study, and an actual reason to investigate.

That changes how we vet. Brand affinity and safety screenings are non-negotiable baselines, but we also have to evaluate whether a partner’s background withstands scrutiny. Being charismatic on camera does not make someone an authority. Credibility requires expertise, an intuitive feel for audience dynamics, and the poise to handle nuanced conversations.

Build Something an Editor Can Actually Use

Consider a B2B platform partnering with a creator who owns and runs an independent neighborhood restaurant.

A standard marketing brief asks for a slick walkthrough showing the owner balancing books on an iPad before dinner service. That is fine for a paid social campaign.

An earned-media brief pushes deeper: What does this person’s day-to-day reveal about the invisible labor required to keep a local establishment solvent?

Imagine the restaurateur chronicles the administrative grind that starts after the kitchen lights go down at midnight. The brand commissions a robust, methodologically sound study surveying independent operators on that exact administrative burden. The creator provides the tangible, human perspective; the research establishes the broader macro trend.

Suddenly, an editor has a legitimate story about the unvarnished realities of the small-business economy, backed by credible data, an articulate interview subject, and compelling visuals.

The brand has an authentic, defensible place in the conversation, but it does not need to force its way into every paragraph to make the effort worthwhile.

A word of caution on rigor: a handful of passionate comments on a sponsored post do not constitute an empirical trend. Anecdotes spark curiosity, but they are not representative data. Methodologies and funding must be transparent, and findings should never be massaged to fit a talking point.

Furthermore, the mechanics must be buttoned up before pitching begins. That means confirmed interview availability, clear photo assets, and transparent commercial disclosures. An editor’s interest evaporates fast if basic access requires a week of approvals. Make the story frictionless to report, not just easy to share.

And let’s be unequivocal about labels: a paid partnership does not transform into earned media simply because the aesthetic feels candid. Earned media is coverage an editor chooses to assign on editorial merit. Full stop. A creator can serve as an articulate expert, but they cannot be positioned as an unattached bystander, and regulatory guidelines on commercial disclosures must be ironclad. The integrity of the program relies on total transparency.

Measure the Outcomes Beyond the Feed

When earned visibility is an explicit campaign goal, evaluating the work requires distinct scorecards for creator metrics and PR outcomes.

Engagement rates, reach, and video completion rates assess content resonance. For earned outcomes, the lens must shift to where the story landed, who read it, and whether the strategic context was preserved.

Returning to the restaurant example: the benchmark for earned success is not the creator’s view count. It is whether coverage in a respected industry trade reached actual operators, prompted meaningful site traffic, or sparked conversations around the core business challenge. A passing mention in an advertising trade about a “creative activation” is a vastly different and far less durable outcome than an in-depth feature in a business publication examining the problem you set out to solve.

Look at the downstream impact: Did the piece bring qualified traffic? Did it drive informed inbound interest? Did it shift the way prospective clients understand the operational challenge?

This mindset mirrors AMEC’s framework for outcome-based measurement. The objective is to understand whether the narrative moved the needle on a real priority, rather than cataloging vanity metrics and declaring victory.

Give the Work Room to Travel

Earned media can never be promised as a guaranteed rider on an influencer agreement. But what we can do as strategists is build the work so thoughtfully that the story commands attention on its own terms.

Bring communications into the room early. Choose partners who contribute hard-earned perspective. Back claims with research that holds up to scrutiny. Give reporters unfettered access to articulate voices without trying to dictate the resulting column inches.

The sponsored post is simply the asset you bought. The earned media is the enduring narrative you built around it. When designed with intention, a partnership doesn’t have to choose between driving immediate brand visibility and contributing something substantive to the broader industry dialogue. It can easily do both.

Rapid execution has become a new baseline for PR practitioners. AI has made it possible for teams of any size and budget to draft press releases, generate pitches, and synthesize information in seconds. The result is a flood of competent but interchangeable output. As AI equalizes access to speed and execution, the thinking behind those outputs is increasingly serving as the primary point of differentiation. Human insight, rooted in perspective, originality, and cultural awareness, can help brands to create distinct, compelling narratives that resonate with audiences and drive impact.

Differentiating With Deep Insight

Deep insight reflects an ability to interpret what’s happening beneath the surface and translate that understanding into meaningful action. It connects signals across culture, audience behavior, and industry dynamics to answer two critical questions: why does this matter, and what should we do about it?

Insight-driven differentiation requires discipline. It depends on continuous analysis, critical thinking, and a willingness to challenge default approaches. In practice, that means leaning into a set of insight-first methods.

Deepen Audience Understanding

Insight-driven approaches focus on behavior, intent and tension over demographics and broad audience personas. Analyze what audiences are struggling with, what motivates them to engage and what language resonates. Messaging should reflect those realities to drive higher relevance and stronger responses.

Expand Narrative Intelligence

Analyze how narratives evolve over time, who is shaping them and where they are heading next. Map storylines across outlets, identify inflection points and understand what is driving shifts. Teams that detect repositioning early can adjust messaging before the narrative becomes saturated.

Identify Whitespace

AI tends to reinforce existing patterns because it is trained on historical data. Review what angles dominate a topic and look for gaps in coverage and perspective. A brand that utilizes an underrepresented angle faces less competition for attention and can deliver more value to journalists.

Synthesize Insights Across Datasets

Approaches for answering specific questions are often confined to a single dataset or channel. Deeper insights come from connecting signals across sources. For example, link shifts in search behavior with media coverage and social discussion to identify emerging priorities. Cross-platform synthesis reveals patterns that isolated analyses miss and supports more confident decision making.

Connect to a Larger Story

Many announcements default to product features or company milestones. Reframe these events through broader themes that matter to external audiences, such as changing consumer behaviors or economic pressures. This shift increases relevance and expands the potential for coverage.

Personalize Outreach

Generic outreach fails because it ignores the specific interests of each journalist or creator. Analyze recent work, identify gaps or unanswered questions and tailor pitches accordingly. This approach positions your brand as a contributor versus an interruption.

Evolve Measurement Beyond Outputs

Track how different narratives influence perception and behavior. Check messaging for alignment with emerging themes and evaluate how coverage contributes to longer-term positioning goals. This approach creates connective tissue between PR activity and business outcomes.

AI can support this process by accelerating data collection and summarization, but without deeper thinking, it offers uniformity. Teams that invest in analytical capability and building domain expertise will outperform those that rely on AI-generated suggestions. Strong thinking shapes stronger stories, and stronger stories earn attention.

PR is changing quickly, with AI reshaping daily workflows, new questions emerging around Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and increased pressure to prove business impact.

Muck Rack, a PR and communications platform used by thousands of companies (including Double Forte) for media relations monitoring and measurement, surveyed 1,115 PR professionals to gather insights for its 2026 State of PR Report. The final report reflects input from participants across agencies, brands, non-profits, consulting firms, and other organizations.

Below are five key takeaways from the 2026 report that stood out to our team.

1. AI Has Officially Become Part of the Standard PR Toolkit

Generative AI has moved firmly into everyday workflows across industries. 80% of PR professionals now use it regularly, up from 77% last year. Another 8% plan to explore it, leaving only a small share of the PR industry without any plans to adopt this technology.

AI and automation also remain the top area expected to grow in importance over the next five years, selected by 61% of respondents. For PR teams, the focus is shifting from whether to use AI to how to apply it responsibly, improve efficiency, and protect the quality and accuracy of communications work.

Double Forte also strongly urges professionals and agencies to deploy clear policies, protocols, and training around AI in the workplace to ensure these tools are being used ethically and maximizing the team’s capabilities rather than hindering them.

2. GEO is Gaining Traction

Nearly 73% of respondents consider GEO at least somewhat important to their communications strategy. Still, many organizations still lack a clear structure for managing it, with 29% reporting no one owns GEO within their organization, while another 13% are unsure who does.

PR and communications teams are most commonly named as the owners, but only at a rate of 24%. We know that earned media results (owned by PR teams) and owned website content (no dominant owner) are the key drivers of GEO results.  This points to a need for closer coordination across communications, marketing, SEO, and content teams as organizations determine how to manage AI visibility, content authority, and measurement.

3. Thought Leadership Continues to Grow

While media relations remains the foundation of PR, with 84% of respondents saying it accounts for at least a quarter of their job, thought leadership now ranks second at 51%, up six percentage points from last year.

This growth reflects the expanding role PR teams play in shaping executive platforms, developing expert perspectives, and translating company knowledge into relevant commentary. Strong thought leadership also supports media relations, owned content, executive visibility, and broader reputation goals.

4. Measurable Results Remain the Strongest Proof of PR’s Value

Nearly 70% of respondents reported that producing measurable results is the most effective way to demonstrate PR’s value to clients and company leadership. Other approaches, including improving executive visibility and delivering creative solutions, ranked significantly behind.

This reinforces the importance of defining success at the start of a program. Beyond impressions, PR teams now have access to an array of measures such as sentiment, message pull-through, share of voice, search visibility, and audience engagement. The strongest reporting connects these factors to business and communications goals.

5. Authority is Becoming Part of AI Visibility Strategy

PR teams are increasingly treating credibility as a key part of their AI strategy. 55% are securing coverage in high-authority publications to improve visibility in AI-generated responses. Half are also creating more authoritative or data-driven content, while 50% are optimizing content specifically for AI searchability.

This gives earned media an added role beyond reaching readers in the moment. Coverage in respected national, regional, trade, and niche publications can also help establish a stronger body of credible information about a brand for AI search engines to pull from. For many organizations, smaller industry outlets hold significant value because of their subject-matter expertise and relevance.

Want to hear more about the current state of PR and how to use these learnings to your company’s advantage? Reach out to the Double Forte team to learn more.

By: Doug Cipriani

Public relations moves at a rapid pace. Suddenly half the year is already in the rear-view mirror and discussions about the back half of the year are upon us. But before just moving forward on the back half plans you developed over six months ago, take pause to reflect on the first half of the year. Midyear is the perfect time to take a look at what’s working, what’s not working, how the year’s efforts are tracking, and what is best to prioritize through the rest of the year. When doing a midyear analysis, asking the right questions is essential to make the exercise successful. Answer these four thought starters to help guide any 1H check in.

1. How are the year-to-date results tracking against goals and KPIs?

Start analyzing the results driven year-to-date by looking back through all of the coverage highlights, social posts, media interviews, activations, and anything else done during the first part of the year. Then, take the time to analyze how this stacks up against the goals and/or KPIs set for the year.

  • Are you on track to meet the goal?
  • Have you already exceeded the KPI?
  • Do you need to step up efforts to get on track to meet the goal?
  • Are you reaching your priority outlets?
  • What sources are the most/best results coming from?
  • What got in your way? Or helped propel better performance than you planned?

By taking this introspective step, you’ll get a clear view on your results to-date for the year while there’s still plenty of time to course correct, redistribute efforts or adjust KPIs. It’s also helpful to take the time to understand the “why” behind all of these questions. Perhaps there was a major story in the news cycle that overshadowed an announcement or a competitor stole the interest. Whatever it is, taking the time to identify not just where you’re at for the year, but the “why you’re here” is essential to making the rest of the year successful.

2. How is the client and/or brand relationship?

Aside from results, the relationships with client contacts, leaders and decision makers at partner brands is an important ingredient in any working partnership. When analyzing these connections, think about:

  • How is the overall relationship with the client and brand?
  • Is there anyone we should be in contact with more or less often?
  • Do we regularly have the right people in the room?
  • What can we do to foster these relationships further?
  • What questions should we have asked earlier?
  • How can we improve the process for 2H?

A strong, positive relationship with effective ways of working makes for a successful partnership, so taking a beat to make sure these relationships are up to par will net both a positive and insightful workflow moving forward.

3. What are our key learnings so far this year?

With six months of work on campaigns, activations, media outreach, influencer partnerships, and everything else comes both successes and hiccups. Turning those experiences into future actions is key to smoother experiences. When thinking about key learnings to apply to the second half of the year, think about:

  • What went well that we should replicate or amplify?
  • What programs ran into bumps?
  • How could we avoid those bumps in the future?

The name of the game is to find both areas of strength and weakness and learn from them. Identifying successful and non-successful programs, ways of working, projects and tasks will be the way to home in on the good for the remaining six months of the year.

4. Where do we need to focus for the back half of the year?

Now apply your findings and insights to the work slated for the remainder of the year. By identifying programs that may need stronger efforts around them or relationships that need nurturing, time, resources, and efforts can be dedicated to having even an even stronger report when looking back at the end of the year.

Double Forte takes a strategic approach, working through all of the above on a regular basis to ensure fruitful and positive partnerships. Reach out to the team to learn more about how Double Forte can bring this approach to your business.

By Ava Lund

For decades, earned media followed a familiar formula. Secure coverage in a respected publication, reach the right audience, and build credibility through third-party validation.

That formula still works. The “traditional” media landscape does not.

Audiences no longer rely solely on newspapers, trade publications, or broadcast outlets to stay informed. Now they turn to podcasts during their commute, newsletters in their inbox, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram creators they trust, and industry experts who have built media brands of their own.

This shift changes more than where stories appear. It changes where influence lives. As audiences spread their attention across more channels, PR teams need to rethink how they define media, build relationships, and measure success.

Journalist Influence No Longer Lives Exclusively in Traditional Media

The definition of earned media has expanded far beyond the newsroom.

Podcasts, newsletters, and creator-led platforms now shape industry conversations alongside traditional publications. Many attract highly engaged audiences that rival established media outlets within specific sectors.

The shift reflects a broader change in audience behavior. People no longer wait for editors, producers, or algorithms to decide what deserves attention. Instead, they choose the voices they trust and follow those experts across multiple platforms.

For brands, media opportunities now extend well beyond a reporter interview or a feature article. The most effective communications strategies recognize influence wherever audiences seek information.

Attention Matters More Than Reach

Audience size still matters, but attention has become dramatically more valuable.

Podcasts illustrate this shift clearly. According to Edison Research’s Infinite Dial 2025 report, 55% of Americans age 12 and older listen to podcasts each month, the highest level on record.

The appeal goes beyond convenience. Audiences seek context, expertise, and conversation, qualities that short-form content often struggles to deliver. Podcasts give leaders room to explain ideas, challenge assumptions, and share experiences in their words. Listeners gain a fuller picture than they would from a quote in an article or a social media post.

That depth creates a powerful advantage. While social content competes for seconds of attention, podcast audiences often spend 30 minutes or more with a single episode. Those extended conversations build credibility, strengthen trust, and create stronger audience connections.

Newsletters offer a similar advantage. Publishers have doubled down on one channel they can fully control: what they send to your inbox.  Newsletters have evolved from a supporting product into a core part of many media strategies, giving publishers a direct line to readers without relying on algorithms or shifting platform rules. 

Reuters Institute research shows that media organizations continue to invest in products that strengthen direct audience relationships as traffic from search and social platforms becomes less predictable.

A mention in a respected industry newsletter may generate less reach than a national headline, but it often reaches the exact audience a brand wants to influence. In a fragmented media environment, relevance carries as much weight as scale.

Trust Has Shifted From Institutions to Individuals

One of the most significant changes in earned media involves who owns the audience.

Journalists, analysts, and industry experts increasingly build independent media brands through newsletters, podcasts, YouTube channels, and paid communities. Many attract loyal audiences that rival traditional media outlets within specific industries.

These creators succeed because audiences trust individuals whose expertise they value and whose perspectives they understand. Trust often begins with the person behind the content rather than the institution that publishes it.

This shift expands the scope of media relations. Strong relationships with reporters remain essential, but independent creators now shape industry conversations, influence opinions, and drive awareness across highly engaged communities.

The Future of Earned Media Runs on Trust

The future of earned media is not about replacing traditional publications. It is about recognizing that influence now exists across a much broader ecosystem.

Traditional outlets continue to provide authority and credibility, while podcasts offer depth, newsletters create direct audience relationships, and independent creators build trust within highly engaged communities.

The strongest PR strategies will combine these channels rather than treat them as separate opportunities.

As media habits evolve, earned media success will depend less on where a story appears and more on whether audiences trust the source behind it. Brands that adapt first will earn attention in the places that matter most and build credibility with the audiences that shape their future.

By Ava Stepanian

What Gen Z is Craving

Not long ago, the quintessential drink for young adults was an espresso martini or spicy margarita. On weekends, most young people went out to bars or clubs, dancing until closing time with a mixed drink in hand.  

Today, due largely to rising costs and a growing desire for meaningful social connections, young adults are ditching the clubs (at least some of the time), and instead hosting intimate, at-home gatherings with close friends and a bottle of wine. While 15% of people in their twenties still report partying every weekend, a clear trend is emerging, with much of the younger generation craving more personal and cost-conscious social experiences. Compounded by the rise of digital fatigue, this shift has resulted in wine representing more than just a beverage; it has become associated with a certain lifestyle that much of Gen Z, which includes people born between the years 1996 and 2007, is craving.

The Decline of Party Culture And Rise of Intimate Gatherings at Home

Gen Z has become known as the “dry generation,” with 61% of people globally between ages 18 and 30 reporting that they are going out to bars and clubs less frequently. Financial stress, wellness culture, and mental health awareness have influenced what younger consumers are drinking and how they are consuming. When Gen Z does choose to drink, there is often an emphasis placed on prioritizing cost, moderation, and mindfulness.

According to WellPower, there are plenty of reasons why Gen Z doesn’t feel fulfilled by clubbing culture, unlike their older counterparts. With the cost of living rising faster than wages, many people in their twenties are skipping clubs to avoid the financial hangover that often comes with a night out. Between cover charges, drinks, and rideshare fees, the average person spends between $55 and $120 on a night out at a high-end club. Hosting friends at home offers a more affordable way to socialize without sacrificing the experience. TimeOut shared one 22-year-old’s story, who was quoted as saying, “I […] cannot afford to be a party girl right now.”  

Emphasizing mental and financial wellbeing, there is a desire among younger consumers for:

  • Low cost social activities
  • Quieter, more conversational environments 
  • Curated experiences 
  • Social settings focused on connection 

Gen Z craves a sense of community and searches for events and settings where they can have more intimate experiences. For a generation constantly overwhelmed by endless streams of information and digital stimulation, these meaningful and mindful experiences are exactly what many Gen Z-ers are seeking. The appeal of wine often lies in the social experience it creates for younger consumers, rather than the alcohol content. A bottle of wine shared with friends at happy hour or at home creates an intentional experience. 

How Social Media is Inspiring At-Home Wine Tastings

Young adults are increasingly choosing to socialize at home rather than spend money on expensive nights out. As a result, wine has become a centerpiece for hosting at home gatherings, offering an affordable way to elevate the experience and bring people together without elevating the price. These trends reflect a broader shift in how younger consumers are approaching wine, a shift that is amplified through social media, with at-home gatherings becoming a major source of inspiration for Gen Z.

On platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, wine content increasingly focuses on shared experiences, group gatherings, and community-driven recommendations rather than traditional tasting rules. Viral videos such as at-home wine tastings, wine-centered dinner parties, and aesthetic lifestyle videos showcasing wine have gained significant traction across social media. Content creators are helping reshape wine culture by presenting wine as an accessible, social beverage, encouraging young consumers to focus less on etiquette and more on enjoyment and connection. 

These platforms have also become hubs for experimentation, with Gen Z users creating wine cocktails and sharing unexpected food pairings. Rather than focusing on formal etiquette or individual preferences, young adults are using wine as a social experience that brings people together. According to a Food & Wine article, Lois Cho notes that “[Gen Z] ask which bottles work across a whole table rather than for a single pairing,” highlighting the generation’s preference for connection, inclusivity, and shared enjoyment. As this sentiment spreads across social media content, wine culture is evolving to become more accessible, social, and centered on shared experiences.

Ultimately, wine’s rise among Gen Z is about more than just a beverage preference. It reflects a cultural shift toward quality over quantity, intentionality over excess, and purposeful experiences. As this generation continues to redefine food and beverage culture, wine has emerged at the center as a symbol of a more thoughtful and connected way of gathering.

AI seems to have taken over our screens with generated images, captions, ads, emails, and customer service responses. Consumers are fed up. Recent resentment towards AI isn’t necessarily aimed at technology itself. The sentiment stems from a deeper-rooted human need for connection. 

As more brand communication starts to look and sound the same (*read, boring and  soulless*), people are looking for proof that there are real humans behind the message. 

For brands, this presents a clear opportunity: create moments that spark human connection. Here are three ways to do so. 

1. Let personality shine through on socials

Polished content has its place. But in the AI era, perfect feels suspicious. A recent Accenture report shows that 45% of consumers distrust AI-generated content that lacks personability. In contrast, less polished social media content allows brands to say, “We’re human, too.” Sharing a quick phone video, a raw conversation, a behind-the-scenes moment, or a clear point of view will make a bigger impression than an overproduced asset. 

Importantly, unpolished doesn’t equate to lowered standards. It means leaning into authenticity and personality to build trust with your audience. 

Taco Bell does this well. Their Instagram shares unfiltered content, frequently reposting fan-created content  that feels spontaneous, imperfect and entertaining. By embracing user generated content (UGC in the biz), Taco Bell allows its personality to come through while engaging its existing community. And personality gives viewers something to connect with and relate to. 

2. Put real people at the center

The most effective brands make their people visible. Instead of relying solely on product shots or carefully scripted campaigns, they highlight founders, employees, customers, and experts.

That might look like a founder filming a quick video explaining why they created the product. An employee sharing how they use it in their daily life. Or a brand taking its product into the real world with a pop-up and capturing unscripted reactions from people interacting with it for the first time.

People help audiences understand not only what a brand is, but also who’s behind it and why it matters. 

Aerie, a popular intimate apparel, loungewear, and activewear brand, offers a strong example. The brand pledged not to use AI-generated bodies or people in its ads. The move aligned with its long-running commitment to real, untouched imagery, and became its most-liked Instagram post in the last year.

3. Be a catalyst for community

We’re in the midst of a what theAmerican Psychological Association calls a “connection crisis.”  Brands can show up by creating spaces where people feel seen, welcomed and part of something larger than a transaction.

Community can take shape in person: weekly mahjong nights at a local restaurant, local clothing swaps, a dedicated tech-free “analog” zone at a cafe, and interactive pop-ups. It can also happen online through social content designed to spark conversation, customer groups, ambassador programs or forums where people share ideas and recommendations.

At Sonoma’s Dutcher Crossing Winery, community is second nature. The winery brings people together through regular local events that feel like family gatherings. The proprietor and winemakers are often part of the experience, grilling, talking with wine club members, and on occasion giving guests vineyard tours by pedicab. (Full disclosure: DCW is a long-time Double Forte client.)

Heineken executed on a similar idea with a simple billboard statement: “The best way to make a friend is over a beer.” The message works because it focuses on the human moment around the product, not the product alone.

AI can help brands move faster, yet trust still comes from humans. Are you looking to strengthen your brand’s community? We can help with that. 

By Ava Lund

Social media marketing is evolving faster than ever. AI tools are accelerating content creation, platforms keep changing, and audiences are quicker than ever to scroll past content that feels generic or forced.

Our team attended Social Media Marketing World 2026 to see how marketers are adapting in real time. Across sessions on AI, LinkedIn, Instagram, podcasting, and community building, one theme stood out: stronger marketing starts with a stronger human connection.

What made this year’s conference especially interesting was how practical the conversations felt. Speakers focused less on predictions and more on what marketers are doing right now to build trust, improve performance, and keep audiences engaged in a crowded digital environment.

Here are the biggest takeaways we brought back from the event.

Takeaway #1: Human Connection Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage

As AI-generated content floods social feeds, audiences are craving content that feels real.

People at the conference kept returning to the same challenge. Consumers still expect brands to participate in online culture, but they quickly tune out content that feels forced or trend-driven solely for visibility.

That conversation mirrored what we’re seeing with clients. The brands getting the most engagement right now are building trust instead of chasing every trend.

We explored this recently in our Double Forte blog on trend jacking, where we shared how brands can participate in trends without losing authenticity or credibility. The strongest social strategies balance relevance with a clear brand voice and audience understanding.

Community building also surfaced across the event. Brands creating conversations and meaningful interaction continue to outperform brands focused only on publishing volume.

Takeaway #2: AI Is Reshaping Marketing, but Strategy Still Leads

This year’s AI conversation felt different.

Marketers are no longer debating whether to use AI. They’re figuring out how to apply it strategically across workflows. Speakers shared examples of teams using AI for research, campaign planning, analytics, content ideation, and audience insights.

According to Pew Research Center, 21% of U.S. workers say AI now handles at least part of their responsibilities.

Even with those advances, strategy still depends on people. AI helps teams move faster, but marketers continue shaping positioning, messaging, creativity, and editorial judgment.

Some of the strongest conversations focused less on shortcuts and more on building systems around brand voice, customer insight, and thought leadership. That shift reflects where marketing teams are heading as AI becomes part of everyday operations.

Takeaway #3: Simplicity and Sustainability Are Replacing Content Overload

Several speakers challenged the long-standing belief that higher content volume leads to stronger performance.

Instead of pushing constant production, marketers discussed building sustainable content systems. Teams shared strategies around repurposing top-performing content, creating evergreen libraries, and batch production workflows that reduce pressure without sacrificing quality.

There was also a noticeable shift toward simpler, more conversational formats. Founder-led storytelling, behind-the-scenes content, and lo-fi video often feel more trustworthy and relatable than heavily produced campaigns.

Audiences are responding to content that feels useful, direct, and human.

Final Thoughts

Social Media Marketing World 2026 reinforced something we think about often at Double Forte. Marketing works best when brands communicate clearly, build trust, and stay connected to the people they want to reach.

AI and emerging technologies will keep changing how brands create and distribute content. Our team helps clients navigate those shifts while keeping messaging authentic, strategic, and audience-focused.

The brands rising to the top right now are building real relationships and creating content people genuinely want to engage with.

There’s been a lot of doom and gloom in the wine industry lately. But one surprising bright spot has emerged, and it’s not organic wines, canned wines or Rosé. Surprisingly (or not surprising if you keep reading), it’s flavored wine. That is, wine infused with natural flavoring made from non-grape materials, as opposed to traditional wine, which gets its flavors from grapes and winemaking techniques.

In a beverage category that is so closely tied with tradition, history and terroir, the very thought of flavored wine will make many wine enthusiasts and critics stick their nose up. With the wine industry’s overall decline, however, we can’t ignore what’s working. According to The Drinks Business and Nielsen IQ data, flavored RTD wine cocktails grew 15% year over year, along with wines with higher alcohol by volume (around 16%), which grew 8.9%. Comparatively, still wines declined -5.8% overall.

What is interesting about flavored wine is what it says about today’s consumer. Its rise reflects a broader shift in consumer behavior towards prioritizing clarity, familiarity, convenience, and immediate gratification when purchasing beverages. Below we explore what’s behind the growing popularity in flavored wine and why it’s important to consider when marketing to today’s consumer.

Flavor is Trending Across the Beverage Category

Late last year, in our 2026 Food & Drink Trend Forecast blog post, we predicted that 2026 would take flavor trends to new levels, and that prediction has certainly proven true across the beverage space. It’s not just flavored wine that’s trending. According to CSP Daily News and Nielsen IQ data, “flavored alcohol beverages—including flavored malt beverages (FMBs), hard seltzers, prepared cocktails and wine-based cocktails—accounted for roughly 21% of total beer, wine and spirits sales in U.S. convenience stores in the year through April 18.”

As we look to bring new consumers into wine, producers must consider that flavor is key to influencing younger legal drinking age (LDA) consumers’ purchasing decisions. Beyond traditional wine and beer, younger consumers have many more beverage options than ever before. Fruity or easy-to-understand flavor profiles dominate alternative beverage categories, so it’s not surprising to see Gen Z and Millennial consumers looking for similar flavor profiles when it comes to wine. Considering the myriad of choices, flavored wine could very well serve as a gateway to bring more members of this younger demographic into the category.

Flavor is Straightforward

Wine can be confusing. Wine labels can quickly become overwhelming to anyone walking the wine aisle. According to research from Wine Market Council (WMC) and Quini, “24% of wine drinkers say label information rarely helps them choose a wine,” as reported by Wine Business Monthly. Similarly, 34% of these wine drinkers “report buying a bottle they expected to match a flavor or style they liked—only to be disappointed.”

Because flavors are often familiar and easy to understand, flavored wines simplify the wine shopping experience by stating more directly what consumers can expect when they take their first sip. This kind of clear communication and marketing may be especially important for younger consumers who are newer to wine and approach it in a different way than previous generations. Rather than relying on centuries of tradition and prestige to appeal to wine consumers, it is important for marketers and brands to meet consumers where they are and understand their needs and wants. In an industry facing declining consumption and headwinds, innovation will be essential to wine’s future.

Value Matters More Than Ever

In today’s unpredictable economy, value matters. Consumers want confidence that what they are purchasing will deliver the value and flavor they expect. As consumers become more selective about where they spend their money, some want products that pack a bigger punch, as alcohol also factors into a perception of value for their purchase. The Wine Group is innovating to reach this higher alcohol wine consumer. In a recent interview, CMO Helen Kurtz told The Drinks Business “People looking for a serious kick with their wine tend to also want ‘high fruit and flavor cues, so we introduced several new lines, like MAD DOG by MD 20/20, FUEL by Franzia, and the new Dulce Sol Spiked Aguas Frescas line.’”. This is just one example of the many ways wine companies are providing innovative products for flavor-conscious consumers.

Whether flavored wine becomes a lasting segment or not, its growth reflects a broader shift in how consumers approach beverage purchasing. Today’s drinkers increasingly value clarity, familiarity, and accessibility over tradition alone. As presented in a recent blog post on agility in food & beverage marketing, emerging trends are highly important for marketers to understand in order to appeal to current consumer preferences. For wine marketers, understanding this shift in consumer behavior will be critical to attracting the next generation of wine drinkers.

Launching a new wine brand? Reach out to our team to discuss how we can help you build a strategy that appeals to your target consumer.

By Alexis Dowling