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Welcome back to The Brief by Kuro House, where we break down the latest and most compelling stories in marketing, media, and brand strategy. Today, we’ve got a lineup that dives into the evolving world of influencer marketing, streaming wars, and some big moves in agency leadership. Let’s get right into it.

First up, American Eagle is making a bold play for Gen Z attention with the launch of its AE Creator Community. According to Adweek, this isn’t just another influencer program—it’s a reimagined approach that prioritizes scale and authentic connections. The retailer is opening its doors wide, requiring only that creators be at least 18, live in the U.S., and have a minimum of 1,000 followers on any social platform. The point? To build a massive network of micro-influencers instead of relying on a handful of big names. The program gamifies participation: creators earn points for posting about American Eagle, completing monthly challenges, and even for things like haul videos—1,500 points for showing off new purchases, for example. Every 1,000 points nets a dollar’s worth of product, and there’s a chatroom for direct communication with brand reps. Since the February 2 launch, 911 creators have joined, with more than 200 migrating from the previous program. American Eagle’s VP of marketing, Ashley Schapiro, says the goal is both community and acquisition—plus, by owning the platform, the brand secures rights to the content for its own marketing. It’s a response to the growing power of affiliate marketing, which eMarketer says drove $210 billion in U.S. ecommerce sales last year. And with the brand’s recent campaigns—some controversial, like the Sydney Sweeney partnership, and others with sports and country music stars—American Eagle is clearly intent on staying at the center of Gen Z conversation.

Switching gears to the streaming world, Nielsen’s latest Top 10 Overall Streaming chart for the week of January 12, as reported by Adweek, shows a major shakeup. Netflix’s miniseries His & Hers, led by Tessa Thompson, unseated Stranger Things after its nine-week reign, racking up a staggering 2.244 billion viewing minutes. Notably, Adults 35-64 made up 55% of that audience, and Black viewers contributed over 26% of the watch time—a testament to the show’s broad appeal and cultural resonance. Stranger Things slid to second with 1.912 billion minutes, while Paramount+’s Landman hit a personal best at third, thanks in part to its finale, which accounted for 35% of the show’s total viewing. The Rip, a Netflix crime thriller starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, took fourth place with 1.393 billion minutes, drawing a slightly male-skewed audience and strong Hispanic and Black viewership. HBO Max’s The Pitt rounded out the top five, with Women 18+ making up 58% of its audience. The rest of the chart featured a mix of genres and platforms, from sci-fi thrillers to animated hits like Bluey, highlighting the fragmented yet vibrant streaming landscape.

Now, let’s talk agency leadership. Lerma, the Dallas-based agency, is making moves to formalize its C-suite and signal a new era of growth. According to Adweek, Omar Quiñones has been named Lerma’s first Chief Strategy Officer, capping off a recent hiring spree that also brought in Paco Conde as Chief Creative Officer and Josh Archer as SVP of Data. Quiñones comes from Messianu/Edelman/Lerma, where he held the same role, and boasts experience at heavyweights like Anomaly, CP+B, and YETI. His expertise lies in guiding brands through cultural inflection points—a skill Lerma hopes will help them own more of those moments in the future. This shift away from a flat structure and toward a more traditional leadership model suggests Lerma is gearing up for bigger, more complex campaigns and a stronger competitive stance in the agency world.

That’s it for today’s Brief. Whether it’s brands rethinking influencer relationships, streamers battling for your attention, or agencies building powerhouse teams, the marketing world is moving fast—and we’re here to keep you ahead of the curve. Thanks for listening, and we’ll catch you tomorrow with more insights to keep your strategy sharp.