Social media trends: Things left up in the air

Each week, Marketing Brew recaps what people are talking about on social media, the trends that took over our feeds, and how marketers are responding.

Gone girl? Conspiracies and concerns about Kate Middleton’s whereabouts are consuming social media—and providing a pretty good example of how not to do PR. Kensington Palace has maintained that the princess has been recovering from abdominal surgery, but decided to release a Mother’s Day photo of her with her kids (that Will apparently took). Once people noticed that the photo had been edited and after various outlets and platforms retracted or marked the image as “altered,” speculation only seemed to intensify. In a post on the official @KensingtonRoyal X account, Middleton took responsibility for the Photoshop job, which had some people groaning—and others laughing. (What’s more believable: the prince taking a family portrait or the princess overseeing the palace’s graphic design?)

Now, some people online are wondering if a recent image of Middleton in a car could have been doctored as well. This whole saga is a reminder that some people on the internet never forget.

“If it’s Boeing, I ain’t going”: The unexpected death of a former Boeing quality manager turned whistleblower, as well as recent incidents involving Boeing planes—including a “technical event” that left about 50 people on board a flight to New Zealand injured—are causing a stir. Some travelers are sharing resources for ways to avoid booking flights on Boeing planes, others are woefully joking about the seeming newfound dangers of flying and wondering if Boeing will ground its planes. On Tuesday, Boeing responded to the findings of an FAA audit, saying in a statement that it is working on “a comprehensive action plan to strengthen safety and quality, and build the confidence of our customers and their passengers.”

Undo send: Is anyone okay this week? QVC was called out after it sent a marketing email with a racially insensitive subject line on Friday. The company sent a follow-up email from its president to recipients later that day, apologizing for using “derogatory language that is offensive, particularly to the Asian community and women.”

Read that back: If the phrase “Sneeboer bulb dipper” makes you feel like you’re reading something from a Dr. Seuss book, you’re not alone. One TikToker’s video about an Anthropologie Instagram ad for the item, which is apparently used for gardening, left many in the comments scratching their heads.

Thnks fr th mmrs? As people mull the possibility of a national TikTok ban, they’re sharing their favorite videos from the platform, like SpongeBob character impressions or the guy who tried boba tea for the first time.