The Agora

The official MktSoc blog and content page

Founded by Camille Rochaix '22

Fall 2025 issue directed by: Eva Zhong & Sonakshi Gupta

The Story of the Great PopMart Craze

December 10, 2025 By: Fay Hong Courtesy of PopMart If you’ve been anywhere on the internet in the past year, you’ve probably heard of PopMart. And if you somehow haven’t, you’ve almost certainly seen their most popular line, Labubu. Whether you stumbled into Blindbox-Unboxing-Tok, heard the vocal-stim-core Labubu theme song somewhere, or spotted someone walking around with a PopMart charm dangling from their bag (Hi!), the odds that this brand has crossed your path are high.

Marketing Society

Dec 106 min read

The NBA’s Next Face: A Data-Driven Look at the League’s Most Marketable Players

December 8, 2025 By: Neil Zhou (Special E-board Feature) "No one had to market Michael Jordan. I marketed myself by what I did on the court. What I did on the floor drove the marketing, not the other way around. The Jordan Brand was driven by what I did every night playing the game.” – Michael Jordan. As an avid NBA fan, I’ve seen my fair share of ads featuring basketball players. It started with binge-watching endless Footlocker and H.E.B. ad compilations back in middle scho

Marketing Society

Dec 811 min read

Did We Get You? A Statistical Analysis of the Marketing Scheme of the “Apple Ecosystem”

December 5, 2025 By Kaiden Vo and Sabrina Roach In the wild of the technological landscape, the Apple ecosystem reigns supreme. Colloquially, the term “Apple ecosystem” spawns the image of a student hard at work, surrounded by Apple products too numerous to name. Apple iPhones lead to Apple iPads lead to AirPods. It is a marketing scheme that has drifted into pop culture. Through a well-crafted campaign, Apple has made sure the consumer never stops at just one. Yet, accordin

Marketing Society

Dec 55 min read

The Power of Controversy: How Brands Stay Culturally Visible

December 1, 2025 By Brady Shea Courtesy of Claudio Schwarz via Unsplash Today, digital trends disappear in an instant, and brands face a scary reality: cultural visibility is fleeting. A viral moment today can become irrelevant tomorrow. And yet, there’s one eternal force that seems to guarantee attention – controversy . If handled correctly, a controversy isn’t always destructive to a brand; sometimes, it can reframe or even humanize it. From Virality to Cultural Imprint I

Marketing Society

Dec 13 min read

Beyond the Digital: Energy Drinks and the Revival of On-the-Ground Marketing

December 1, 2025 By: Kaiden Vo Courtesy of Garv Chaplot via Unsplash In a world where digital marketing is at an all-time high and only continuing to grow, it becomes easy to overlook the power of in-person strategies. One example of in-person marketing that still persists strongly is on-the-ground marketing, specifically on college campuses, where brand representatives stand at booths, hand out samples, and interact directly with potential consumers. Across university and co

Marketing Society

Dec 14 min read

The ALO Lifestyle Edition: Where Luxury Meets Movement

By Elina Lee, Maya Shah & Julia Zhou ' Welcome to our special magazine edition on ALO’s evolution from activewear staple to luxury lifestyle brand. This digital issue blends deep dives, visual storytelling, and cultural analysis, told through three distinct perspectives from women with different priorities, featuring visuals captured by our own writers.

Marketing Society

Nov 231 min read

Beyond Posters and Slogans: Propaganda’s Modern Digital Evolution

November 20, 2025 By: Sabrina Roach In case you haven’t noticed, the world is in the midst of a technological revolution. A box in your house is always listening to you . You can live out your dreams of recording people without their consent with the new Meta smart glasses . And of course, AI: there are AI-generated and AI-centric ads galore, from the subway to your television screen . We are truly emerging into a new golden age. But maybe you haven’t noticed the world is ch

Marketing Society

Nov 204 min read

The Allure of London’s Department Stores and the Psychology Behind Their Charm

November 11, 2025 By: Amanda Wang (Study Abroad Special) Courtesy of the author After living in London for a little over two months, I’ve found myself spending my fair share of time wandering around the city’s many department stores. From Harrods and Selfridges to Liberty and Fortnum & Mason, these glamorous, curated centerpieces are home to endless displays of trinkets, clothes, food, and so much more. They are some of the city’s most magnetic places. Even on a quiet weekday

Marketing Society

Nov 116 min read

Shopping, Streamed: How Selling Went Live and Got Inside Our Heads

October 28, 2025 By: Fay Hong Courtesy of Mark König via Unsplash.com Jolly ‘ol gifts galore As the few trees left in the heart of New York City turn sunset orange and acorn brown, and the temperature dips into the fifties, it can only mean one thing… the holiday season is near. But beyond the colorful lights and flying reindeer, this time of year is defined by giving. Buying and giving loved ones gifts is a pillar of the holiday season, as much of the population, myself incl

Marketing Society

Oct 285 min read