Breakups are often inevitable—even for consumer packaged goods giants.

Kraft Heinz is reportedly on the brink of consciously uncoupling after a decade together. The purveyors of Kraft Mac & Cheese and Heinz Ketchup, among other brands that dominate the grocery aisles, were mashed together in 2015 under a deal arranged by investors 3G Capital and Warren Buffett. Ten years later, the grocery landscape has changed considerably, with many consumers focused on how processed their food is and an FDA seeking to “make America healthy again”—and the company is set to undergo another structural shift. This time, some of the Kraft grocery brands may move under a separate company that could be worth up to $20 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal, while keeping condiment-aisle staples like the titular ketchup and Grey Poupon under the same roof.

“As announced in May, Kraft Heinz has been evaluating potential strategic transactions to unlock shareholder value,” Lynsey Elve, a Kraft Heinz spokesperson, wrote in a statement to Marketing Brew. “Beyond that, we do not comment on rumors or speculation.”

Should Kraft Heinz truly decouple, a move that will likely take years to be fully fleshed out, brand consultants and ad agency execs told Marketing Brew that the move stands to play a major role in the futures of the vast portfolio of CPG brands, as well as affect their approaches to advertising under new corporate structures.

“Where a brand goes to the next company can change whether it’s a jewel or not,” Greg Silverman, global director of brand economics at brand consultancy Interbrand, said. “If there are synergies, whether supply-chain synergies, brand management synergies, distribution synergies, that give[s] a lot of power and maybe even customer overlap. That can change the prospect of something that doesn’t look so successful now because it’s in a new context with different meanings or capabilities. It can become very powerful.”

Continue reading here.—KM

It wasn’t long ago that a new app asked users to BeReal. Now, that same platform is hoping to BeRelevant again.

The app, in which users post one front-facing and back-facing photo per day, peaked in popularity around 2022. After it was acquired by French mobile games publisher Voodoo last year, Voodoo has been quietly building what Ben Moore, managing director of US operations, describes as “BeReal 2.0,” fixing bugs and UI issues while adding features like video and chat in the hopes of enticing a new set of users.

“We’ve been able to prevent churn, patch stability, we’re seeing new users come to the platform for the first time, and the OG users that have been loyal from 2021 [and] 2022 are still around,” Moore told Marketing Brew. In April of this year, the platform said it had around 40 million monthly active users. (Instagram, for comparison, had more than 2 billion monthly active users as of January, according to Sensor Tower data cited by TheWrap.)

As BeReal has courted new users, it’s also been courting advertisers in the US since April, when it first introduced sponsored content on the platform. So far, that strategy has included making a debut appearance at Cannes Lions, where BeReal hosted a party for nearly 500 attendees and left with the plan to return next year with an “even bigger presence,” Moore said.

BeReal has also recently rolled out cost-per-click-based insertion orders and paid amplification on organic posts. There are also new sections of the app, like Nearby, where users can see public posts from people around them as well as a feed called Friends of Friends that displays content from followers’ followers, both of which also offer new places for brands to advertise, Moore said.

Even with new features, the question remains whether BeReal can carve out a lasting space beside its endless-scroll competition—or whether the appetite for a slower, more intentional online experience is indeed growing.

Read more here.—KH

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

Nada Arnot is EVP of marketing at The Economist. She has also served in senior positions at the streaming service Britbox, AMC Networks, and Hearst.

What’s your favorite ad campaign? Always’s #LikeAGirl that started in 2014 really stands out for its emotional resonance, cultural relevance, and brand consistency. It took a common insult and reframed it, turning “like a girl” into a statement of strength—timely, meaningful, and perfectly aligned with Always’s mission to empower young women.

One thing we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile: You probably wouldn’t have guessed that I’m both an avid swimmer (swimming at least one mile several times a week) and an avid traveler (having visited 39 countries, many several times, and another 26 on my immediate must-travel list).

Continue reading here.

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Mergers and acquisitions, company partnerships, and more.

• Athletic Brewing Company, the non-alcoholic beer brand, and Arsenal Football Club announced a multi-year partnership extension.
• Criteo, an ad-tech company, and Mirakl, an online marketplace software company, partnered on a retail marketplace tool.
• Clash of Clans, a mobile game from Supercell, signed a deal with Jacksonville Jaguars rookie and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
• Old Spice inked a deal to serve as the front-of-kit sponsor for MLS’s All-Star Game.