by: Candyd Casidsid
Jul 03, 2025
 
3 min read

The Monthly Pulse Newsletter: July 2025

🥪 Pudding or posh sarnie? Brits weigh in. Plus what’s going on with Aldeh and the shift in influencer trust? Get the insights here!

Between the heatwaves, OOO replies, and iced coffee on repeat, summer might feel like the slow season, but consumer expectations? Not taking a summer break.

In the latest edition of The Marketing Pulse, we unpacked two trends you can’t afford to ignore.

Quick reads, actionable insights, and a little shade from the sun. Let’s go.


The Marketing Pulse

Here’s how consumers are reacting to the latest brand moves.

🤳 Influencer marketing is having a trust issue.

Once the front-runners for brand authenticity, influencers are now under fire. Our latest Pulse reveals that 65% of Brits see influencers as “ads in disguise” and only 10% still view them as aspirational.

So… what happened?We dug into why consumers are switching off, what’s turning them away, and what they actually want from influencer content in 2025.

👉 Read the full blog to find out what’s driving the shift, and how smart brands are rethinking influence.

📼 Over in the US, nostalgia is everywhere.

When the world feels a bit overwhelming, familiar things feel… good. That’s why brands are pulling from the past to reconnect with today’s consumers. And it’s working! More than half of consumers smiled at Instacart’s retro summer ad, and Olipop’s nostalgic motel campaign? 52% said it was fun, and 25% called it the coolest thing they’ve seen.

But it’s more than clever references.

So… what makes a throwback actually resonate in 2025?

👉 Read the full blog to see what’s working, what’s not, and how to use nostalgia the 2025 way.


The News Pulse

In other news, here’s how Brits are reacting to the latest headlines. 

🥪🍓 Sandwich or dessert?
M&S’s strawberries and cream “sandwich” has sparked a sweet debate and possibly a tax one. 48% say it’s a dessert, 29% call it a sandwich and 23% are simply lost for words.

🏬 River Island’s retail reality check
33 stores are closing, 1,000+ jobs at risk, and more could follow, 90% say their high street’s looking emptier these days.

🎸 Aldeh?
To mark Oasis’s homecoming gigs, Aldi renamed a Manchester store Aldeh and dropped limited-edition Supernova Champagne and Wonderwall Lager. 1 in 2 say they’d make a detour just to check it out.

🍪 Fancy a pink biscuit?
McVitie’s dropped a limited-edition Raspberry & Cream Pink Digestive. 3 in 5 said the colour alone would tempt them to try it.

 📉 Standard of living? Still struggling
A new report says the second half of the 2020s could feel just as tough financially as the start. 84% say their standard of living hasn’t improved since 2020.

🧬 Would you want to know your baby’s DNA?
The NHS plans to roll out whole genome sequencing for newborns, 42% say they’d feel relieved knowing genetic risks early, others feel it’s a lot to process.

🎤 Lewis Capaldi’s comeback strikes a chord
After two years out of the spotlight, “Survive” is already climbing the chart and his surprise Glasto set hit home. 67% say they feel more connected to artists who open up about their health struggles.

💸 Weddings are getting seriously spendy (for guests too!)
With the average guest shelling out £451, it’s no surprise 19% say they’ve gone into debt or used savings just to attend.

Why wait to hear what your customer is thinking?