From Fruit Stand to Frontlines: The Unexpected Journey of the Watermelon Emoji

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July 25, 2024

But first, a disclaimer: My name is Rivi, and I’m a proud Zionist (I believe in the Jews’ right to self-determine in their ancestral homeland).

In recent years, while immersed in the online world of Hasbara, I’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges of representing Israel’s narrative in a vast digital landscape. With Jews comprising just 0.2% of the global population, our voice can easily be drowned out in the maelstrom of social media.

This blog post examines a fascinating case study in digital activism: how a simple fruit emoji became a battleground for narrative control. We’ll explore the marketing strategies at play and their implications for Israel’s online presence. While we analyze these tactics objectively, our goal is to empower pro-Israeli voices in this ever-evolving digital dialogue.

At the end of this blog, you’ll find actionable recommendations on supporting content creators who are amplifying Israel’s perspective in the online world.

The Roots of a Symbol

As we approach National Watermelon Day on August 3rd, let’s slice into a juicy marketing tale that’s more complex than meets the eye. It’s the story of how a simple fruit emoji became a powerful symbol in one of the world’s most enduring conflicts.
The roots of this story begin back in the 1960s, when the watermelon, with its colors reminiscent of the Palestinian flag, became a covert symbol of Palestinian identity. Palestinian activists used the watermelon imagery in graffiti and posters, primarily because in 1967, Israel passed a law prohibiting the raising or display of Palestinian flags (which had been canceled, during the Oslo Accords in the 1990s). The watermelon became a symbol of political resistance, and if we fast-forward to today’s digital age, this symbol has found new life as an emoji, skillfully wielded by pro-Palestinian activists in their online narratives.

A Clever Marketing Strategy

But here’s where it gets interesting from a marketing perspective: the use of the watermelon emoji isn’t just a random choice. It’s a clever strategy that serves multiple purposes:

  1. Bypassing Algorithms: By using an innocuous fruit emoji, activists can often fly under the radar of content moderation systems. It’s a digital sleight of hand that marketers call “Algospeak.”
  2. Viral Potential: Emojis are the universal language of the internet. They’re easy to use, easy to share, and can convey complex emotions and ideas in a single character. It’s virality in its purest form.
  3. Continuity of Message: By adapting a historical symbol to modern digital platforms, the pro-Palestinian movement maintains a consistent narrative across generations. It’s brand continuity at its finest.

OZ_Blog_Watermelon_Israeli prespective

The Israeli Perspective

Yet every story has another side. In Israel, where watermelons are a staple of hot summers and where the country produces a whopping 140,000 tons annually, this digital co-opting hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Enter the counter-narrative: Pro-Israeli social media users have begun their own campaign to reclaim the watermelon emoji. It’s not about fruit anymore; it’s about identity, representation, and the power of symbols in the digital age.

Some Israeli users have started adding emojis of the Israeli flag, watermelon, and yellow ribbon (for the hostages) to their usernames, while others are creating actual content around watermelons: recipe videos, which are inherently popular on social media, featuring watermelons with the Israeli flag proudly displayed in the background. Other users (typically younger ones) are simply riding existing trends, adding watermelon eating to dances, trendy sounds, and more. Some have gone as far as creating simple online games centered around watermelons, while pro-Israeli creators are directly addressing the appropriation of the watermelon as a Palestinian symbol, calling it an unfounded act.

OZ_Blog_Watermelon_marketing insights

Marketing Insights from the Emoji Wars
This digital tug-of-war offers fascinating insights for marketers:

  1. The Power of Symbols: Who knew a fruit could carry so much meaning? It reminds us that in the right context, even the simplest symbols can convey complex messages.
  2. The Importance of Proactive Strategies: The pro-Israeli response underscores the need for brands to be vigilant about their symbols and ready to reclaim them if necessary.
  3. Authenticity Matters: The most effective responses are those rooted in genuine cultural connections. Israel’s agricultural tie to watermelons provides an authentic base for their counter-narrative.
  4. David vs. Goliath in the Digital Age: The pro-Palestinian digital presence significantly outnumbers the pro-Israeli one. It’s a reminder that in the world of digital marketing, it’s not always about who’s loudest, yet sometimes it is.

OZ_Blog_Watermelon_beyond emojis

Beyond Emojis: The Real-World Impact

While we engage in digital discourse, let’s not forget the real-world stakes. Our brave soldiers are fighting daily to protect our nation and bring our hostages home. This online ‘battle’ is more than just emojis and trends; it’s our way of supporting Israel’s narrative on the global stage. As we participate in these digital efforts, we stand united with those on the front lines, showcasing the resilience and spirit of the Israeli people. Every post, every share, is a small act of solidarity that contributes to our national strength and resolve. In this digital age, we all have a role to play in supporting our country and its values.

OZ_Blog_Watermelon_the power of digital symbols

Conclusion: The Power of Digital Symbols

This National Watermelon Day, as we enjoy this summer fruit, let’s also appreciate the complex world of digital symbolism it represents. It’s a world where marketers, activists, and everyday users are constantly innovating, adapting, and yes, sometimes battling, in the ever-evolving landscape of online communication.
After all, in the grand fruit bowl of digital marketing, the watermelon has proven it’s not just a seasonal favorite – it’s a year-round player in the game of global narratives.

 

Join the Digital Movement
Want to show some love to Israeli content creators this Watermelon Day? Here are a few ways you can contribute:

1. Follow prominent Pro-Israeli content creators:
Adiel –
TikTok
Instagram
Montana Tucker –
Instagram
TikTok
Baby Ariel –
TikTok
Instagram
Michael Rapaport –
Instagram
Tiktok
Daniel Ryan Spaulding –
Instagram
TikTok
Mia –
TikTok
Instagram
Stop antisemitism –
TikTok

2. Like and share posts featuring the “Hebrew Watermelon”:
instagram
instagram
tiktok
tiktoK
tiktok
tiktok
tiktok
tiktok
tiktok

3. Feeling creative? Use this trending TikTok sound to make your own Watermelon Day video:
Tiktok

 

Remember, this upcoming Watermelon Day might see increased pro-Palestinian activity on social media. For those of us who are pro-Israel and want to contribute, the methods mentioned above are a great way to start. Every like, share, and post counts in this digital age of narrative shaping. Let’s make our voices heard while remembering the real battles being fought and the importance of standing united for Israel.

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OZ Global b2b

Let’s Talk About the Cheetah in the Room

By 
Nirit Elyovich, MBA
, 26/08/2025

Is your marketing sprinting in the right direction? A simple five-step process keeps focus on what drives real business results.

min read
Why a cheetah and not an elephant? Because an elephant doesn’t run anywhere - but a cheetah does. Blink, and the year may sprint past you before you’ve managed to focus your marketing on what truly matters for your business. You’ve finally closed your business strategy. The executive team is aligned and committed to the decisions and ambitious goals that were set. Until now, everything fit neatly into the Excel sheet. From this point forward, it’s up to the leadership team to prove execution. Each executive must ensure their function contributes directly to reaching those goals. You return to the office energized - yet not always clear on what this means in practice. How do you turn strategy into action? How do you transform ambition into results? Marketing owns the revenue side of the business. Which means it must be directly tied to business decisions. In our view, any marketing initiative that doesn’t move the needle on company performance - whether short or long term - is irrelevant. As one frustrated CMO once told me: “Unfortunately, whoever shouts loudest wins my attention.” Too often, urgent matters push aside the truly important ones. There are many reasons behind this frustration, which often prevents CMOs from focusing marketing efforts on the company’s core business anchors - prioritizing initiatives with deep impact on business results long before other requests land on their desks. As a company that leads Israeli B2B companies to success in the global market, we’ve developed a structured five-step process to ensure marketing directly advances the company’s business decisions.
  1. Translate business decisions into marketing initiatives Take a disciplined look at your strategy through a marketing lens and identify which decisions can be transformed into marketing moves. Not every business decision needs to land on the marketing desk - that’s exactly why you have multiple executives around the table. The CEO ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
  2. Prioritize five key initiatives Establish clear criteria and select the marketing initiatives with the greatest potential to impact business performance. Keep the list realistic and aligned with budget and leadership attention.
  3. Deep-dive into the chosen initiatives Define success metrics, risks, internal stakeholders, milestones, and timelines for each initiative. This thorough review will also help you reassess whether the initiative you’ve chosen truly has a meaningful impact on business results.
  4. Win executive approval Confirm these are the most meaningful initiatives and gain budget approval. This stage is also an opportunity to sync with fellow executives.
  5. Build the annual marketing plan Break each initiative down into specific actions, map them across the year, and create a logical, effective flow of execution.
From here, it’s all about consistent management - making sure the team works according to plan, monitors results, and improves along the way. The beauty of this process lies in its clarity. Every marketing effort is measured by its direct contribution to the business. If it’s not in the plan, there’s a reason. It may sound simple - and it is - but it requires you to pause, plan, and sometimes partner with an external professional. Someone who will hold you accountable, challenge your thinking, and keep you focused. Someone who’s done this many times before and knows how to steer the process. The cheetah doesn’t wait - and the year won’t either. Now is the time to focus your marketing on what truly matters for your business and drive real impact. We’re here to help.
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1250X600

Your Growth Engine for 2026 and Beyond: No, It’s not Paid. It’s Organic Marketing

By 
Liat Shaaf
, 17/08/2025

Is paid marketing enough in today’s digital chaos? How do B2B buyers really decide? Discover why organic drives trust, growth, and long-term results, while paid only accelerates.

min read
Growth Engine is the big question in today’s fast-changing digital world, where algorithms decide what we see. B2B companies keep asking: is organic digital marketing still worth it, or is paid the better way to hit business goals? It’s a fair question. Ad costs keep rising, buyers are harder to reach, and AI and privacy changes are shifting the rules on all of us. Both organic and paid have their strengths. But if we’re talking about long-term, sustainable results, organic is strongly becoming a key driver of real business results, 2025, 2026, and beyond.

1. Organic fits how B2B buyers actually make decisions

Every marketer understands that the B2B buyer’s journey isn’t a straight line. It’s a maze - multiple stakeholders, long evaluation cycles, and endless rounds of research before anyone ever talks to sales.

Where do buyers spend that time? On search engines, LinkedIn, industry forums, and reading trusted publications, not clicking random banner ads. That’s where organic channels like SEO, thought leadership, organic social, PR coverage, and influencer mentions come in.

When you’re showing up in those places early, you’re shaping their perception before they even start shortlisting vendors. You’re educating them on your value, building familiarity, and making it easier for them to say “yes” later.

You see, paid ads can put you in front of them fast, but organic keeps you in their line of sight throughout the entire journey, which supports business goals like higher lead quality, bigger deal sizes, and shorter sales cycles.

Here’s an example for you: I worked with an industrial equipment manufacturer that leaned into SEO and highly technical content. They started getting engagement from engineers months before RFQs were even issued. Those early touchpoints turned into warmer, more qualified leads down the line.

 

2. Organic builds the kind of trust you can’t buy

In B2B, trust isn’t just nice to have. It’s the currency deals run on. These aren’t impulse purchases; they’re multi-year contracts or mission-critical tools.

Sure, paid ads can grab attention. But buyers know they’re ads. That awareness puts a ceiling on how much trust you can build with them.

Now, organic content, whether it’s a deep-dive whitepaper, a webinar, or a mention in a respected industry journal, positions you as a credible authority. That credibility is often the deciding factor when procurement teams are weighing similar proposals.

The result? Bigger deals, higher win rates, and customers who stick around longer.

 

3. Organic content keeps working even after you’ve paid for it

IHere’s something paid will rarely give you: compounding returns.

When a paid campaign stops, so does the traffic and the leads. But a great piece of organic content can keep attracting and nurturing prospects for months, even years.

That means the budget you put into organic keeps paying you back, without needing constant top-ups. Over time, that makes your pipeline more predictable and your cost per lead lower.

 

4. AI, Privacy, and Platform changes are making organic even more critical

The way people find and consume information is shifting fast.

AI-driven search tools like Google’s AI Overviews and Microsoft Copilot are pulling answers from trusted, authoritative sources. If your content isn’t seen as credible, you’re invisible in those results.

Add to that the privacy changes - cookie deprecation, tighter ad targeting rules - and paid ads are getting more expensive and less precise.

Meanwhile, organic channels help you collect first-party data (subscribers, event signups, community engagement) you actually own. That’s gold for account-based marketing, personalized outreach, and nurturing high-value deals.

 

5. Paid Still Has a Role, Just Not as the Foundation

Don’t get me wrong: paid still matters.

If you’re promoting a product launch, driving event signups, or retargeting high-intent prospects, paid can deliver quick wins. But when paid is your only engine, your costs rise every quarter just to maintain results.

The smarter play? Build an organic foundation that runs 24/7, then use paid strategically to boost your best content and accelerate deals already in motion. That way, you get both speed and staying power.

  So, you see, in B2B, where the landscape is only getting more complex: longer sales cycles, more decision-makers, new tech shaping how people discover solutions, organic marketing isn’t just about “free” traffic. It’s about meeting core business goals: generating high-quality pipeline, shortening sales cycles, increasing deal sizes, and building trust that keeps customers coming back. Paid promotion is a great accelerator. But organic? That’s your foundation for sustainable growth in 2025–2026 and beyond. Build it now, and it will keep paying you back long after the latest ad campaign ends.  
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seo to geo

From SEO to GEO: How to Make Sure Your Content Shows Up in AI Engines

By 
Einat Talal-Cohen
, 29/06/2025

Your brand is more than just a logo - it’s a powerful strategic tool. Discover how CEOs can leverage branding to build trust, differentiate, and drive business growth.

min read

SEO to GEO marks a new phase in online success. For years, success online meant ranking high on Google. And that’s still true - but search itself is expanding. Today, visibility doesn’t stop with search engines.

It also means showing up in AI-generated answers from tools like GPT-4o, Gemini, and Claude.

Here are some facts you need to know:

  • 67% of technical queries never make it to Google
  • They’re being answered instantly by ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity
  • Google’s AI Overviews now appear in ~13% of all searches - up from 6.5% in January 2025
 

If your brand isn’t part of those answers, you’re invisible to a growing share of your market.

Search behavior is evolving:

  • Queries are longer (23 words on average, not 4)
  • Sessions are deeper (lasting around 6 minutes)
  • And AI engines don’t just search - they remember, reason, and respond with personalized, conversational synthesis

SEO still matters. But it’s no longer enough on its own. That’s where GEO - Generative Engine Optimization - comes in: the next evolution in making sure your content gets seen wherever people search for answers.

Here’s how to start positioning your content to show up where it matters most:

5 Ways to Optimize Your Content for AI Engines

1. Build Topical Authority, Not Just Keyword Lists SEO taught us to chase keywords. GEO rewards expertise. AI engines prefer trusted sources that consistently publish valuable content on specific subjects. What to do: Create content clusters. Go beyond isolated blog posts and build topic ecosystems: guides, FAQs, thought leadership pieces, and deep dives.   2. Write Like You’re Explaining It to a Smart Friend AI engines favor content written in a natural, conversational tone. If it reads like stiff marketing jargon, it’s likely to be ignored by LLMs. What to do: Break down complex topics clearly and simply. Use questions, summaries, and direct answers. Write to inform, not impress.   3. Format for Easy Extraction AI engines love content that’s easy to lift, quote, and summarize. Dense paragraphs are ignored - clarity wins. What to do:
  • Use H2s and H3s properly
  • Add bullet points and numbered lists Start with a TL;DR or summary whenever possible Think: Could ChatGPT easily use this paragraph in an answer?
  4. Build Trust with Credibility Signals AI models look for trustworthy, well-sourced content to avoid hallucinations or misinformation. What to do: Use expert bylines, cite credible sources, include data, and showcase expertise. Think “thought leader,” not “content farm.”   5. Optimize for Zero-Click Visibility People may not click anymore - they may just read the AI’s answer. Your goal is brand visibility in the answer itself. What to do: Include brand mentions, URL citations, or phrases like:“According to [YourBrand].com…” Help the AI connect your expertise to your name.

Final Thought: Be Part of the Answer

SEO isn’t dead. It’s evolving.  GEO is the next layer, giving your brand the power to show up not just in search engines but in the AI-generated answers people increasingly trust.
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