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In today’s crowded digital landscape and with marketing budgets tighter than ever, brands are looking for fresh, innovative ways to connect with younger audiences. One emerging frontier? K-12 schools. These classrooms are no longer just hubs of learning—they’re evolving into powerful spaces where brands can make a meaningful impact while building long-term affinity.

Whoa… you mean vending machines for soft drinks and chips?

No.

From sponsoring STEM programs to supporting arts initiatives and even helping address teacher burnout, brands are finding creative, value-driven ways to engage.

But how can marketers navigate this opportunity ethically, ensuring their efforts genuinely support students and educators? Let’s explore how to strike the right balance in this delicate but promising space.

Listen For
6:45 Kleenex’s “Heroes of the Classroom” Campaign
9:12 Key Metrics and Emotional Engagement
12:16 Core Principles: Jersey Mike’s Community Engagement
19:16 Recognition Programs: Kroger’s High School Initiative
21.42 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Frank Strong

Guest: Karl Mawhinney

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Campaigns Karl mentioned

• Costco/Kleenex
• Big 5 Sporting Goods
• CM Facebook

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Wikipedia is one of the top the most-visited websites in the world. Additionally, it has influence. The information on Wikipedia is also disseminated across the web on Google’s Knowledge Graph and associated search page components, quick summaries of topics on Siri and Alexa, and even into news articles, podcast discussions, and government websites.

Wikipedia is also of interest for SEO practitioners, heavily influencing Google search results and now impacting outputs from generative AI software like Chat-GPT.

Everyone from journalists, investors, and your customers are using Wikipedia to understand your company. Do you understand how it works and what you can do about it?

Guest: Rhiannon Ruff
Email | LinkedIn | Lumino Digital’s website | Rhiannon’s book Managing a Crisis on Wikipedia

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Time to explore predictions for the coming year in public relations, marketing, and the evolving role of AI. There are conflicting views on AI's future, its role in content generation, and whether the hype has peaked or we're still climbing the AI rollercoaster.

But there’s no arguing with the importance of transparency and authenticity rising to the challenges of disinformation. Frank Strong of Sword and Script conducted an industry survey and shares the results with us.

Listen For
6:43 Is the Future of AI Utopian or Dystopian?
9:31 Tough of Disillusionment: Are we There Yet?
10:06 Transparency as a Competitive Advantage
12:12 Why Differentiation Matters in an AI World
17:21 Trust in Influencers: Hollywood vs Niche Experts
21:22 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Brian Porter

Guest: Frank Strong, Sword and the Script Media LLC
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Read the survey results
Subscribe to Frank’s blog

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