Contestants on reality shows like Love Island and The Bachelor are supposed to be there to find love, so when drama emerges, they’re often asking: Is this person here for the right reasons?

The better question might be: Have the right reasons evolved?

For many reality show contestants, the biggest benefit of appearing on unscripted television isn’t to walk away a winner, but rather to use their raised profiles as a launchpad for their personal brand, according to Tamika Rose, director of campaign management at talent agency Kensington Grey.

“I don’t know if everyone will find love on a [reality show], so there has to be some form of understanding that you will have additional benefits of being on a show like this,” Rose told us. “Approaching it that way is normal at this point. I think people should capitalize on the opportunity that they’re getting.”

And capitalize they are. Hannah Brown, who first competed on Season 23 of The Bachelor, is the most followed former contestant from the Bachelor franchise, reaching 2.7 million people on Instagram; an AT&T Savings report from 2020, after Brown starred in her own season of The Bachelorette, estimated that she averaged between $5,260 and $8,767 per sponsored Instagram post. Meanwhile, Love Island USA’s Leah Kateb boasts 4.6 million Instagram followers; according to an estimate from creator platform Hafi.pro, she brings in more than $100,000 a month from sponsored social content.

Rose, who has worked with former Love Island contestants like Season 1’s Aïssata Diallo and Season 2’s Justine Joy Ndiba, has helped create social media careers lasting beyond the immediate hype wave of a season and connected brands to creators for years after the bombshell leaves the villa. While she said that crafting a resonant personal narrative is key, there’s a lot more to it, she told us. Here’s how she gets it done.

Continue reading here.—JN

Peacock is stuck in a rut, at least when it comes to subscribers.

The streamer stayed flat with 41 million subscribers in Q2, the same number it reported in Q1, according to parent company Comcast’s Q2 earnings call last week.

However, Peacock narrowed its losses to $101 million for the quarter, down from $348 million in the same period last year. In July, it hiked monthly subscription prices by $3 across its Premium Monthly and Premium Plus Monthly tiers. It also made up almost a third of the NBCU upfront commitments in a record cycle for the company spurred by its upcoming live sports portfolio.

Revenue for the streamer grew 18% in the quarter to $1.2 billion, despite Comcast’s media division, NBCU, seeing an overall domestic advertising revenue decline of 7%. (In its earnings report, the company said that this drop was “primarily due to lower revenue at our networks, partially offset by an increase in revenue at Peacock.”) And besides Comcast’s upcoming spin-off of its cable channels into a new company called Versant, which Mike Cavanagh, Comcast’s president, said on the call would likely happen later this year or early next, there may be further change afoot at NBCU’s other media properties, he hinted.

As the consumer trend of “moving from the linear ecosystem to the streaming ecosystem continues...we’ll have the chance to rebalance various programming commitments for Peacock and NBC at large,” he said. “It’s also a set of properties and assets that is going to be extremely attractive to the consumer and very well-designed to participate in any of the possible re-bundling of and re-aggregation of streaming services.”

Read more here.—JS

Each week, we spotlight Marketing Brew readers in our Coworking series. If you’d like to be featured, introduce yourself here.

Mayte Alquicira is marketing and operations manager, loyalty, at Cinépolis Cinemas USA, a luxury theater brand. She’s also worked as the brand’s guest experience manager and supported the brand’s expansion into international markets.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in marketing? I help create emotional connections between moviegoers and our brand. My role is all about designing the journeys, from first visit to lifelong loyalty, that make people feel seen, valued, and excited to come back. It’s part storytelling, part strategy, and part data detective work.

Favorite project you’ve worked on? Redesigning and upgrading our Cinépolis Rewards program. We took a deeply customer-centric approach grounded in data but brought to life through storytelling and emotional connection. It wasn’t just about points and perks; it was about building a loyalty experience that felt personal, rewarding, and human. The most fulfilling part? Seeing members reengage because the program finally spoke to what they actually value.

What’s your favorite ad campaign? The e.l.f. x Chipotle collab. It’s such a bold example of creative crossover: two seemingly unrelated brands coming together in a way that just works. That kind of surprise-and-delight moment is the best proof that when you understand your audience and have a smart creative team, the possibilities are endless. It’s the ultimate flex of efficient, unexpected brand synergy.

Continue reading here.

From exclusive perks to powerful personalization, Sephora’s loyalty program is a masterclass in customer connection. On September 10 at the Marketing Brew Summit, hear how Emmy Brown Berlind, SVP and GM of Loyalty, brings beauty fans back again and again. Discover what it takes to build a brand community that lasts. Register now.

Mergers and acquisitions, company partnerships, and more.

• Disney announced that six brands, including Ulta Beauty and PNC Bank, will be integrated into this season of Project Runway.
• Chase Freedom is the presenting partner of this year’s WWE SummerSlam event.
• Publicis upped its medical comms practice with the acquisition of P-Value Group.
• Actum, a global consultancy, acquired comms and creative marketing agency Skai Blue Media.