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Weekly Brief: March 16, 2026
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Spring Break travel season, and almost-end-of Q1.
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Marketing Briefs
Did You Know?
Trending news, marketing news, and reports:
Why Replying to Google Reviews is One of the Highest-ROI Things You Can Do // Buffer
Meta is testing clickable links in Instagram captions for verified subscribers // Engadget
Google Marketing Live 2026 Scheduled for May 20 // PPC News Feed
Instagram, LinkedIn and Threads engagement declined in 2025 // Social Media Today
Influencer pay lacks transparency: Here’s what the numbers say // Marketing Dive
McKinsey’s ‘Organize to Value’ a blueprint for evolving to positionless marketing // Search Engine Land
AI assistants now equal 56% of global search engine volume: Study // Search Engine Land
Google adds automatic end screens to video ads // Search Engine Land
Ask Maps: How we’re reimagining Maps with Gemini // Google
Introducing Magic Layers, bringing creative control to AI content // Canva
Retail and grocery brands dominate ChatGPT ads // Social Media Today
TikTok launches TikTok Radio and Podcasts with iHeartMedia // Mashable
The Trade Desk Says It's Testing AI Campaign Creation With Claude // Ad Week
Meta acquires AI-driven social network Moltbook // Social Media Today
How AI Automation Turns Static Travel Pages Into Living Content & Experiences // Search Engine Land
Keep your eyes on:
A case for making cancellation simple: Adobe settles DOJ cancellation fee lawsuit, will pay $75 million penalty // Ars Technica
How secure are your AI agents: An AI Agent Broke Into McKinsey’s Internal Chatbot and Accessed Millions of Records in Just 2 Hours // Inc
Spring Break Travel Delays: More airport disruptions expected as TSA agents quit amid first weekend without full pay // CNN
Travel Outlook: Higher gas prices unlikely to deter travel, but cost-of-living concerns might // CoStar
Hospitality AI Initiatives:
Hilton launches Hilton AI Planner, a generative AI-powered digital concierge // The Points Guy
Mastercard introduces ‘Lifestyle Navigator’, its global AIpowered concierge, in collaboration with MakeMyTrip’s Myra // Economic Times
Programming & Activations
The World’s Greatest Places of 2026 // Time
Inside Long Lane: The UK’s first sober members’ club and hotel // Rume
Hiking Hotels With Trails that Start at Your Doorstep // NY Times
Brits swap lads' holidays for 'mum trips' as new travel trend emerges // Mirror
Burberry Unveils Aspen Winter Retreat Pop-Up at Hotel Jerome // Modern Luxury
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Industry Updates
Agency News
King & Partners named branding agency for Fouquet’s Miami
GV Public Relations named PR agency of record for The Rittenhouse Philadelphia, The Whinteny Hotel Boston, and Juniper Preserve, Golf & Wellness Resort in Bend, Oregon
Laura Davidson Public Relations named PR agency of record for Exclusive Resorts, onefinestay, and Inspirato
P-22 Agency named PR agency of record for Four Seasons at Chao Phraya River
Job Postings & Career News
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What is the 5.15
Leading luxury hotel marketing across resorts and task force marketing roles over the past 15+ years led me to begin publishing The Hotel Marketing 5.15 in 2025 as a way to help keep clients up to date on hospitality marketing news and activations. I am always available for coffee chats, networking, and to discuss project-based assignments.
Based on a communication method developed by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, the 5.15 is a weekly format designed to synthesize key insights in 15 minutes or less and be read in five minutes. This newsletter applies the same principle to hotel marketing: concise, actionable trends and opportunities curated for industry professionals.
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