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A new online scam is exploiting fears surrounding immigration raids. If your “For You” page on TikTok has recently shown videos of alleged former Target or Walmart employees claiming they were firedor even deportedby Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), its a scam. These viral clips, which often rack up millions of views, typically feature young people in retail uniforms and carry clickbait captions like ICE deportations at Target and Fired from Walmart. Others make similar claims about popular chains like Taco Bell, Lululemon, McDonalds, and Crumbl Cookies. However, a recent investigation by the Daily Dot revealed that these videos are part of a coordinated effort to harvest users personal data. One post reads: Target really had ICE waiting after my shift. They just fired me like I was nothing. The post continues: So heres everything I wasnt supposed to say. What are the supposed secrets these accounts are exposing? Many feature bizarre or nonsensical claims. One video says: Were forced to listen to Walmart Radio every shift. Most of us hide our AirPods, but if you get caught, youre in big trouble. Everyone knows about the Walmart Groove. Look it up. @jaydenoughh Target called ICE and got me deported. Yeah you heard that right. TARGET. #target #targetfinds #ice #fyp original sound – jayden If youre confused, thats the point. The Daily Dot suggests these may be AI-generated hallucinations, possibly inspired by the Walmart Shuffle, a song commissioned by Walmart in 2019. The scam doesnt stop at fabricated stories; it also involves stolen identities. Creator @mama_mia016, who regularly films her real-life shifts at Target, confirmed to the Daily Dot that shes still employed and not behind the viral video using her likeness. Upon closer inspection, many of these videos include voice-overs or captions promoting free products, discounts, or gift cards in exchange for completing a customer survey on a separate website. This is a classic phishing scam. The goal is to extract personal dataemail addresses, phone numbers, home addresses, even payment informationoften under the pretense of charging shipping fees. Victims rarely receive the promised rewards and may instead face identity theft or unauthorized charges. Theres no evidence to support the employment or deportation claims. Major retailers like Target and Walmart have issued no statements indicating mass firings or collaboration with ICE. By playing on fears about immigration enforcement, scammers are baiting concerned users with alarming viral content. While TikTok has removed many of the flagged links since the Daily Dots report, new ones continue to appear. (Fast Company has reached out to TikTok for comment.) If you encounter one of these scams, do not engage and do not click on any links. Report the account, and keep scrolling.
Category:
E-Commerce
Traditional advertising, as we know it, will be dead by 2030. A harsh prediction, maybe, but the truth is that todays modern buyer has evolved and so must our industry. Now, more than ever, we are witnessing a signficiant shift from passive exposure to performance-based engagement, from reach to relevance, and from assumptions to intelligence. Traditional marketing and its old model built on impressions, eyeballs, and generalized awareness, is out. Performance marketing is in, as the go-to marketing approach. Heres how well continue to see this evolution take shape. Move from just a tactic to a mindset Lets clear up an incorrect assumption: Performance marketing is not a bottom-of-funnel activity focused on lead generation, paid media, or last-click conversions. Its also not about chasing clicks. Its about driving business outcomes using data to make smarter decisions, engaging accounts with the right message at the right time, and constantly refining the approach based on whats working and whats not. And its doing all of this while still building the brand. When approached this way, performance marketing transforms from a tactic to an operating system and mindset for driving growth by empowering marketers to prove value, accelerate outcomes, and align every effort to business performance. Prioritize precision and personalization at scale If youve been in this industry for decades like I have, youll have seen a number of performance marketing versions, e.g. database, direct, and one-to-one marketing. And although the name has changed, the core of performance marketing has not. It has, and always will be, about efficiency and about getting the most return for every dollar spent. However, effiency doesnt necessarily mean automation for automations sake. In the age of intent data, AI, and multi-channel orchestration, it means smarter targeting, more relevant messaging, and engagement that actually resonates. This is important in todays performance-driven world where relevance is also vital for todays buyer. When orchestrated and implemented correctly, the highest-performing marketing programs: Use real-time data to prioritize in-market accounts Personalize content messaging to real-time behaviors Reach all buying group members across trusted touchpoints Measure influence at the account and buying group levelnot just the lead level When done right, performance marketing allows brands to scale without sacrificing precision and deliver the kind of high-value experiences that build trust and moves business forward. Its how we move from noise to relevanceand from campaigns to conversations. Remember that brand still matters, but it must perform In this evolved model, performance marketing isnt about chasing the lowest cost per leadits about driving full-funnel impact. Brand and performance are no longer separate. Brand creates demand and performance captures it. This is also known as branded response. Every piece of thought leadership, every display impression, every awareness ad must ladder up to a larger objective: building momentum with the right audience. Every communication both builds the brand and elicits a response. A strong brand strategy helps open doors, but performance marketing ensures those doors lead somewhere. Its not just about being memorable; its about being measurable. Great branded response campaigns can, and should, be evaluated based on their ability to influence pipeline, move buyers through the funnel, and ultimately impact revenue. The marketers who understand this will be the ones who future-proof their programs. They wont treat brand as a top-of-funnel checkbox, but as a foundational layer that supports and amplifies performance across the entire journey. Brand done right fuels performance. Performance done right amplifies brand. Measuring without context is misleading Were swimming in data, but too often its disconnected from real outcomes. A spike in engagement means nothing if it doesnt translate to progress. A lead isnt a measurement of success if the buying group never converts. We can no longer afford to celebrate empty signals. Effective marketing requires aligning performance metrics to business outcomes, not just channel-level outputs. True performance marketing moves beyond vanity metrics with attribution models that reflect how buying decisions are made: collaboratively, over time, and across multiple touchpoints. The future belongs to performance-first marketers Marketers today are under more pressure than ever to prove their value. But that pressure also presents an opportunity to reframe performance not as a siloed function, but as a strategic lever for growth. As B2B buying continues to evolve, the marketers who succeed wont be those chasing the lowest cost per lead. Theyll be the ones building intelligent, data-driven programs that connect, convert, and contribute to real business outcomes. Thats why traditional advertising as we know it wont survive. The future belongs to performance-first strategies that deliver relevance, speed, and ROI in real time. Marketers who embrace this shift wont just survive the next decadetheyll define it. Lets stop chasing clicks and start delivering outcomes. Real performance marketing is just beginning. Keith Turco is CEO of Madison Logic.
Category:
E-Commerce
Live music is booming. According to Goldman Sachs Music in the Air report, the global live music market is estimate to reach $38.2 billion this year and is projected to nearly double by 2035. People crave real-world experiences and theyre willing to pay for them, whether theyre close to home or in faraway cities. Forward-thinking municipal governments are taking notice. If theyre not already, they should be. For 21st century cities, music isnt just entertainmentits civic infrastructure. When designed intentionally, music venues can drive economic growth, foster social connection, boost local culture, and reflect a citys identity. More than a stage: The Orions civic role Doubling as a premier music venue and vital community hub, The Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama was recently named Billboards 2024 Top East Coast Amphitheater and atop-10 venue in Pollstars 2025 Midyear Worldwide Amphitheater Rankings in tickets sold and gross sales. Since opening, the citys $55 million investment has yielded an estimated $85 million in annual economic impact. Half the venues visitors come from outside the region, filling hotels, restaurants, and local shops. The Orions ripple effect extends well beyond show nights. The City of Huntsville also invested $45 million in infrastructure and public space around the venue, transforming the MidCity District into a thriving place where people live, work, gather, and experience their favorite artists on stage. Civic stagecraft: How programming builds community The Orions calendar goes far beyond marquee names like Stevie Nicks, Billy Strings, Lil Wayne, and Luke Bryan. Events include local artist showcases, sourdough-making workshops, Juneteenth and Disability Pride celebrations, art galleries, book clubs, and a variety of other community-driven events throughout the year. These diverse offerings create a space where everyone sees themselves represented on stage. Events like the recently held Trap Democracy Festival blend music with civic education, offering fresh ways to engage the community and reimagine what a music event can be. Local musicians are central to this mission. Each year, 80 to 100 local and regional acts perform across the venues campus during community events like Pupapalooza, the Cigar Box Guitar Festival, and the Taste of Soul Family Festival. Local artists and bands also regularly perform pre- and post-show sets on major concert nights, encouraging attendees to arrive early and extend their experience. The venue is designed to be a public resourceopen and accessible. Apollo Park, adjacent to the amphitheater, remains open year-round as a gathering space where patrons can spend time before or after a concert, or anytime they wish. As a city-owned property, its important for residents to feel ownership and pride: This is their venue. Public-private partnership as a culture lab The Orion Amphitheater is the result of a visionary partnership between Mayor Tommy Battle, tvg Hospitality CEO Ben Lovett (a founding member of Mumford & Sons), and RCP Properties, developers of MidCity District. Huntsvilles collaborative approach exemplifies a new model of artist-informed urban development. Lovett put it plainly when The Orion opened: The success of the venue will rely heavily on an open relationship with the people of Huntsvilleknowledge, assistance, energy, and passion will drive the venue forward. So far, that collaborative energy is paying off. Huntsvilles broader investment in the creative economy, anchored by The Orion, has helped generate more than 46,000 new jobs and attract over $7 billion in private investment. A playbook for other cities Concert venues are often seen solely as entertainment infrastructure. But when designed with community in mind, they become multifunctional platforms for connection. Cities hoping to replicate Huntsvilles success should build spaces that serve both headliners and hometown heroes. When cities and developers cocreate through a culture-first lens as a strategy for place-making, the ROI includes stronger identity, deeper engagement, and talent retention. Huntsvilles model is still evolving, but its already offering a new kind of blueprint for cities seeking inclusive, culture-driven growth. As more communities explore the intersections of space, sound, and story, one truth rings clear. When cities make room for music, they make room for everyone. In Huntsville, the stage isnt just for performanceits for possibility. Matt Mandrella is music officer for the City of Huntsville, Alabama.
Category:
E-Commerce
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