Every weekday, PR Daily associate editor Alan Pearcy highlights the day’s most compelling stories and amusing marginalia on the Web in this, #TheDailySpin.

They’ve caused schools to withhold students’ diplomas, proved that “Madam Secretary” Hillary Clinton has a pretty awesome sense of humor, provided one “ridiculously photogenic guy” his 15 minutes, and made countless others look like fools. But what does the unpredictable marvel that is an Internet meme mean for your brand? First and foremost, their marketing power shouldn’t be underestimated, reports Businessweek.

[Read: How brands can avoid the dreaded ‘Streisand Effect’]

Just look to any Tumblr account and you’ll see the powers of another online sensation, the GIF. But you might be surprised to find out that this seemingly young sprout is actually a Web veteran, having recently turned 25 years old. Happy Quarter of a Century!

[Read: Tumblr for brands: Simple ways to use this powerful platform]

Aside from harnessing the latest trend sweeping the Web, brands could help their own cause by not referring to themselves as such. According to Advertising Age, “brand” and “branding” are two terms marketers should consider dropping from their vocabularies before they abuse them any further.

Wonder if Jason Spero, Google’s head of global mobile sales and strategy, knows that he had better cut the “B-word” from his vernacular. After all, he did just top Business Insider’s “18 Most Important People in Mobile Advertising.” He ought to know better.

Some probably feel Sweden ought to have known that turning over its Twitter handle to the people wasn’t such a grand idea, especially after last week’s slight disaster. Nevertheless, the people of New York City have spoken, or better yet, make that tweeted. Reports The New York Times, city dwellers would like a shot at voicing the Big Apple’s Twitter account.

Twitter was abuzz over the weekend with the sad news that author and former fashion publicist Erica Kennedy passed away at the young age of 42. Tweeted Roger Ebert on the matter: “The world is a lesser place.”

On a more upbeat note, the Cannes Lions International Festival is underway. See who made both the PR and Press shortlists before the winners are announced June 19 and June 21, respectively.

We can thank YouTube for many of the popular spots and film entries at Cannes in recent years, but as “investment in commercials continue to dwindle” we can also thank the video platform a push toward more product placement in online content.

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