Katie Hicks

Senior Reporter, Marketing Brew

Katie Hicks is a senior reporter for Marketing Brew covering culture, social media, and influencer marketing. Previously, Katie worked at Vox and Axios in Washington, DC. She is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

A graphic showcasing a Labubu blind box, a woman angrily looking at her phone, an AI image of a shark in sneakers
Social & Influencers

The social marketing trends that took over our feeds in 2025

From rage-inducing discourse to Labubu unboxings, this year was one full of surprises.

Katie Hicks
Two business hands shaking with money in between falling out. (Credit: Illustration: Anna Kim, Photos: Adobe Stock)
Social & Influencers

This holiday season, more brands are mixing affiliate arrangements into their creator deals

For a safer bet, marketers are experimenting with commission-based structures over flat fees and tracking metrics that “actually show success.”

Katie Hicks
Gif of TikTok logo on multiple phones turning off and another phone screen turning blue. Credit: Illustration: Anna Kim, Photo: Adobe Stock.
Social & Influencers

What’s happening with social media bans?

The latest on the US TikTok ban and Australia’s world-first social media restrictions for kids under age 16.

Katie Hicks
@frankiesbikinis and @marianna_hewitt on Instagram pose with colorful Erewhon smoothies in clear plastic cups
Brand Strategy

Blended and branded: The business behind Erewhon smoothie collabs

Some brands are paying to be on the gourmet grocer’s monthly drink menu to boost brand awareness and offer product samples.

Katie Hicks
a collage of screenshots from Taco Bell's social media accounts, including the exterior of a Taco Bell restaurant with an overlay commenting on the beauty of the Northern Lights, and a Taco Bell bag seat-belt-buckled into a car, with the text overlay "mommy?"
Social & Influencers

The secret sauce behind Taco Bell’s sustained social engagement

Nicole Weltman, head of social and PR at Taco Bell, shared how the brand listens to and delivers on what its fans want online.

Katie Hicks
A robot Customer Service AI Assistant typing on laptop
Brand Strategy

Will bots end social listening as we know it?

AI-driven bot networks are growing and weighing in on everything from Cracker Barrel to Tylenol, forcing marketers to parse real consumer insights from fake.

Katie Hicks, Kristina Monllos
A screenshot from a Tower 28 TikTok video advertising a "Sensitive Skin Casting Call," next to a still image of four women in a wood-paneled room waiting for a casting call, and anothr image of a person holding a New York Times featuring a Tower 28 ad advertising a casting call for "Your (Sensitive) Face Here"
Social & Influencers

How Tower 28 is using scripted comedy to break through on social

Alex Kalatzis, director of marketing and communications at Tower 28, shared how the beauty brand strategically uses skits to drive results.

Katie Hicks
A collage containing images of a hand with red fingernails holding a champagne glass, a navy blue Carbone Fine Foods sweatshirt, and a cream-colored Hotel Lobby brand candle collaboration with Josh Cellars
Brand Strategy

It’s not a brand. It’s a lifestyle

As customers cut spending, brands are increasingly positioning their products as part of an aspirational-yet-accessible way of life.

Katie Hicks
Sephora logo being clicked by a mouse pointer with money emerging from the 'O'
Social & Influencers

Sephora now has 1,000 creator storefronts. What does that mean for affiliate marketing?

We spoke with Brent Mitchell, VP of social media and influencer marketing at Sephora, about why the brand is going all-in on affiliate.

Katie Hicks
screenshots from Cava's Instagram series, "Bowlmates."
Social & Influencers

How Cava is building brand love (and real love) on Instagram

Andrew Downing, director of social media at Cava, shared the strategy behind the brand’s newest social series, “Bowlmates.”

Katie Hicks