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toth shop trends: may 2025
- toth shop
- May 8
- 4 min read
[this month's why]
because summer is right around the corner
loading: toth shop’s summer playlist**
Let’s just say it - summer is basically here. It’s really easy to fall into the “it’s-only-May” trap. That trap can leave you panicky & unsure how best to spend the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Because the thing is that no one spends their summer tackling that huge, expensive, time-consuming project like a complete website rebuild. In the summer, things are (usually) a little quieter, clients (& your team) are on vacation, inboxes aren’t overflowing.
That makes it the PERFECT time to tackle those smaller, bite-sized projects that usually get pushed to “later.” Think: fall content prep; refreshing social strategy; updating team bios; hiring team toth shop to do an audit of your website, messaging strategy or social media for you.
So, it’s time to queue up your summer playlist & get to work.
**in case you’re wondering: our summer playlist starts with “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift & ends with “Someday” by the Strokes.
[this month's data]
save $36+ annually
Is your organization watching marketing costs this year?
We ran the numbers.
The average cost of hiring a full-time, mid-level marketing manager (which includes: salary + benefits + costs of hiring/training) ranges between $75,000-$130,000. (For our Queens city friends, you’re looking at an average cost of $114,562 for salary + benefits + costs of hiring/training.)
What if you could get everything that’s included in a full-time marketing manager - experience, agility & creativity - at a fraction of the cost AND without the overhead costs of hiring and training? toth shop’s Designated Creative Officer (DCO) program is that cost-effective solution you’ve been looking for.
On average, clients save $36,562 annually with us as their DCO versus hiring a mid-level, in house Marketing Manager.
HOT TIP: Summer is the PERFECT season to start the DCO, so your team has content & creativity on lockload BEFORE everyone on your internal team is in-and-out on vacations.
[this month's reminder]
keep content strong this summer
Brands often let their social or content strategy slip in the summer. Team schedules shift with vacation plans or intern management, priorities blur “until after Labor Day when everyone is back”, and the myth that “no one’s paying attention in the summer” takes hold.
BUT – consistent storytelling is how trust is built, attention is earned, and relevance is sustained – and going quiet means giving up space you’ve already claimed.
So, if there is one project we recommend pushing to the top of your list so you stand out this summer, it’s your content prep.
The good news? It’s as easy as 1-2-3:
Block out time on your calendar. Call it “Summer Content Prep” and don’t make it for Friday afternoon at 3pm.
Organize content by buckets. The foundational pieces we recommend are blogs, social content, and email. Keep it simple. Think about where your audience already is and where you interact most with them.
Brainstorm content ideas for each bucket. Since it’s summer, consider what timely events (re: holidays) are happening & where your sales cycle is during that time. This is also an opportunity to repurpose content - take a look back at last year. What were you talking about? What needs just a little zhush & love but can be reused again?
bonus challenge: Once you have the content ideas for each bucket, just finish the race & map out your content calendar, including topics, who is in charge of what, and deadlines.
[this month's tactical move]
a little brand tlc
As we’ve said, summer is not the time to dive into major projects; however, it is the perfect time to assess the current state of your brand and what big projects might need to be added come fall.
We call this a ‘brand audit’ - basically, a high-level assessment of what's working, what needs some love, and what opportunities exist for you down the line. It is full of notes, observations, insights to power your future messaging, content, and an overall brand feel.
By the time September rolls around, this audit turns into a roadmap of what you need to tackle and how (as well as offering the quick-fix things you can take cover while still operating at summer speed).
a good read
May 20, 2025 marks 20 years since David Foster Wallace delivered his famous “This is Water” commencement address at Kenyon College. Read the transcript via the link below. (Courtesy of Meg, a Kenyon owl who was present that day and heard this live.)
upcoming event
Join us this Friday, 5/9 at 10am ET for the next Build a Better Brand webinar, featuring Daniel Lippincott - an audio pro with 25 years of experience - talking all things podcasting. Hosted by The Global Chamber and toth shop, and co-led by Daniel and Meg.
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upcoming story opportunities
Mother’s Day (May 11th)
Mental Health Awareness Month (May)
National Small Business Month (May)
Father’s Day (June 15th)
Pride Month (June)
a recent toth shop case study
Pineapple Consulting Firm needed to convey their data expertise to small business owners; they needed a marketing and comms mindset. toth shop stepped in as a strategic consultant & coach on website copy and branding best practices.
Jack Tompkins
Owner, Pineapple Consulting Firm
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