From M&S to Duolingo: banter between brands on social media gets people buying – but there’s a catch

The owl that came back from the dead. daily_creativity/Shutterstock

The line between entertainment and advertising is increasingly blurred thanks to social media. People no longer just consume content, they experience it – laughing, sharing and commenting. And brands have caught on.

The days when people sat through a 30-second TV ad because they had no choice are long gone. Now they can quickly swipe past anything that feels too much like selling.