What happened in marketing: 30 Days of TikTok, Ads on Threads and Reddit vs X
This week: Trump organises a TikTok Coup, Threads is getting Ads and Reddit is abandoning X due to Elon Musk.
Less chaos than last week but more chaos than most weeks. Enjoy the read with great podcasts episodes on culture, media and politics.
If you like my work and want to receive the best of marketing every week, You can join my paid newsletter to support the work + get access to our discord & WhatsApp & archive.
Top 6 Updates of the Week
Trump discussing TikTok purchase with multiple people, decision in 30 days. (AR)
Trump denies working with Oracle and others on a TikTok deal.
Meta starts testing ads on Threads with selected brands in the US and Japan. (CT)
OpenAI’s ‘Operator’ Agent can buy grocers, file expense reports. (read)
Everyone is feeling different about TikTok. The platform changed after 14-hour ban.
Students will benefit from fewer distractions in the classroom': Pinterest CEO supports phone-free schools. (NB)
More than 50 subreddits ban X links to protest Elon Musk.
Other side of the story: Many users and mods are also abandoning X because the platform requires users to login to view tweets. X isn’t alone, the same story with IG. That’s why sub-reddits are moving to screenshots as posts and pinned comments with the link as sources.
Trending 🗞️
AI leaders clash over safety and US’s $100M Stargate project.
Elon Musk clashes with OpenAI's Sam Altman over Stargate AI data centre project.
Jubilee Is Like Gen Z's ‘Jerry Springer Show’ - The Atlantic.
Netflix, clearing 300 million subscribers, plans another price hike in the US. (read)
Bluesky & X roll out TikTok-style vertical video feeds. (read)
Willy Chavarria just brought out an all-star cast for his big Paris debut Menswear. (AK)
Martin Sorrell predicts the END of the Big Six HoldCos: Who will survive the shake-up? (read)
IKEA reviving old social media trends like Harlem Shake to promote their refreshed loyalty program. (watch)
Microsoft's LinkedIn sued over using DMs to train AI. (SP)
Retail chain WHSmith brings first airport ad network into the specialty retail media race. (CN)
Pinterest launches a mini-site to highlight their ad tools and incentives.
Glassdoor’s Best places to work 2025: Bain & Company, Crew Carwash, In-N-Out Burger, NVIDIA, Eli Lilly and Company, Microsoft, eXp Realty, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, RLI and Mathworks.
Snapchat launches reward program for AR creators, discounts Spectacles. (TR)
Uber Eats partners with The Home Depot for delivery services. (CL)
Hiding in Plain Sight: The Ad-supported piracy ring driving over a billion monthly visit. (AK)
Anthropic CEO Says AI Could Surpass Human Intelligence by 2027. (AX)
Trade Desk buys ad data firm Sincera as brands seek objective insights. (TG)
What is the viral ‘hyperpigmentation’ trend on TikTok? (NS)
Substack Advertising is turning writers into Part-Time Sales Reps. (DK)
The Second Trump Presidency, Brought to You by YouTubers. (read)
Omnicom and IPG chiefs visit UK to sell merger to staff and pitch consultants.
Also, Trending
Kellogg’s poster celebrates the ‘OG’ with creative art direction. (FC)
SZA to join Kendrick Lamar at Apple Music’s Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show.
Supreme Court case on age limits for porn sites could affect 19 states. (view)
Substack is spending $20 million to court TikTokers. (TR)
Gen Z and the rebirth of the London supper club. (Read)
Spanx launches Spanxsculpt ReDefine Denim Collection with Lycra FitSense Technology. (RT)
Nearly 10 years later, Tumblr TV launches to all as a TikTok alternative. (TF)
More Americans, Risking ruin, drop their Home Insurance. (BF)
Amazon Prime Video shifts focus to live sports to boost profits, The Information reports. (WD)
Burger King is hiring a “Whopperologist” and it’s a burger-lover’s dream. (DX)
Japan’s loneliness epidemic is so bad that elderly women are committing crimes to find friends and health care in prison. (WT)
Adidas is bouncing back after a tough few years; Nike isn’t. (GV)
KIND Snacks celebrates Gen-Z brainrotting in ‘Good and Good For You’ ad spot (AP)
More teens report using ChatGPT for schoolwork, despite the tech’s faults. (TC)
Influencer Startup ShopMy raises $77.5 million to expand into new ad categories. (BN)
Sensor Tower shares State of Mobile 2025 report. (read)
KFC launches new ‘speciality’ drinks range to target Gen Z customers.
CNN lays off about 200 employees in shift to digital model.
TikTok 🎶
The TikTok outage caused TikTok Shop sales to spike, not sink.
MrBeast is officially bidding for TikTok.
TikTok ad performance dips following 14-hour shut down. (AR)
IPA and TikTok announce return of talent initiative. (read)
ByteDance plans $20 billion capex in 2025, mostly on AI, sources say. (DW)
TikTok Shop UK introduces GMV Max to automate ad campaigns for sellers. (read)
Addison Rae took over TikTok, now she’s coming for Pop. (read)
Is TikTok’s Parent Company Buying $12B Worth of AI Chips? (DT)
‘The vibes are off’: How half a day without TikTok changed everything. (read)
Duetti report explores per-stream rates and the TikTok effect.
TikTok says It’s not censoring ‘Free Palestine’ comments. Users see something different.
Flip, the TikTok Shop rival, launches a creator fund that grants up to $100M of equity value.
Instagram & Threads 🗂️
ICYMI: Instagram is launching a CapCut-competitor, Edits.
Adam Mosseri has started a new series sharing how IG algorithm works.
Threads launches scheduling and post analytics in Insights on Mobile and Web. (AM)
Creators are getting thousands of new followers by posting Trial Reels. Was that Instagram’s plan all along? (TF)
Threads adds markup option to re-shared posts. (AT)
Instagram and Facebook blocked and hid abortion pill providers’ posts. (ST)
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Meta 😅
Mark Zuckerberg announces $60 billion investment in Meta AI. (FB)
TikTokers offered $5,000 to join Facebook and Instagram.
Meta will soon let you link your WhatsApp account with Instagram and Facebook.
Meta pushes back on claims that it's boosting Trump on Facebook and Instagram. (read)
Meta, WhatsApp win relief as India tribunal suspends data sharing ban.
Meta Hardware Plans: Oakley and AR-Like Glasses, Apple Watch and AirPods Rivals.
NCLAT to rule on Meta's appeal against CCI's ₹213.14 penalty on January 23. (TC)
WhatsApp is working on multi-account support for iOS.
Meta to run Super Bowl commercial with Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt.
WhatsApp's music integration for Status Updates starts landing for some.
Meta ad spend up 15% last quarter as TikTok sees sharp drop.
X (Twitter)
X sees a jump in consumer spending on mobile, despite decline in daily active users. (DS)
X 'barely breaking even,' Musk reportedly emailed staff. Elon denies sending the email. (ST)
X shares 2025 Marketing Calendar. (TC)
X is now rolling out a Web visual update. (TG)
X Web is getting a Grok quick access button.
Youtube & Snapchat 🕹️
YouTube launches speed controls and high-quality audio tests for Premium users. (FT)
Snapchat and Reddit offer advertisers incentives as TikTok uncertainty swirls. (OT)
Snapchat shares new report on creator-brand partnerships: Creators’ opinions are relevant during the consideration (71%) and purchase (70%) phases of their shopping journeys.
YouTube premium discount coming to Google One.
Aspire.io launches YouTube Shorts Integration.
Google
Google Ads introduces Advanced Targeting for Performance Max. (SJ)
Google Search Quality raters guidelines gain 11 new pages.
Google expands AI overviews in AI circle to Search. (ST)
Google removes Breadcrumb from Mobile Search Results Snippets. (SL)
Google Analytics 4 rolls out cross-property report copying.
Google expands Performance Max asset/search term reporting capabilities.
Vidhya Srinivasan expands role, now overseeing Google’s ads and commerce.
Google Ads revealing low-volume search terms as ‘Private’. (SL)
Google sunsets Maximum CPV strategy for Video View campaigns.
Google Ads feature spotted: Asset History. (SL)
Google Ads PMax Search Terms Insights gains Source Data. (ST)
Assessing the most likely outcomes of Google’s pivotal ad tech antitrust trial.
Google Ads Search Max – new match type spotted. (ST)
Google agrees to crack down on fake reviews for UK businesses. (CB)
AI 🤨
OpenAI secretly funded benchmarking dataset linked to o3 Model. (SJ)
I tried Perplexity's assistant, and only one thing stops it from being my default phone AI. (MG)
ChatGPT back online after outage which hit thousands worldwide. (Thursday)
Introducing Citations on the Anthropic API. (XD)
Databricks hopes to build on AI offerings with $15B fundraise. (TC)
OpenAI faces new copyright case in India over use of books without permission. (MH)
'The Brutalist' AI backlash, explained. (TV)
Anthropic plans to release a ‘two-way’ voice mode for Claude. (NT)
How Chinese AI startup DeepSeek made a model that rivals OpenAI.
A more powerful Gemini on Android. (Update)
Adobe’s new AI tool can edit 10,000 images in one click. (TC)
ChatGPT with canvas now works with OpenAI o1. (VB)
ElevenLabs has raised a new round at $3B+ valuation led by ICONIQ Growth, sources say.
Postman launches an AI agent builder on top of its API platform.
Usage of AI technologies increasing in EU enterprises. (TC)
Perplexity launches Sonar, an API for AI search.
What that massive data center investment really means for the AI business.
Microsoft & LinkedIn
Microsoft launches $5 million AI for Good Open Call grant program to drive positive change in Washington state. (SL)
Bing search results in Edge are obscuring Chrome links, promoting Microsoft's browser. (read)
LinkedIn report reveals most in-demand marketing skills.
Microsoft is closing its British flagship store in London.
Microsoft and OpenAI evolve partnership to drive the next phase of AI. (BA)
LinkedIn shares a new and better approach to ad attribution.
Marketing &….
Nielsen’s latest MRC accreditation returns it to measurement pole position.
Apple’s updated App Store API gives developers more control over massive in-app purchase catalogs. (AN)
New England Patriots VP of content says NFL told team to shut down Bluesky account. (SJ)
WordPress Drama: Matt Mullenweg hires new lawyers in fight against WP Engine. (BN)
GoDaddy donates $500k to support WordPress Community.
Fox to stream Super Bowl for free on Tubi for the first time.
Brave Search Rerank lets you boost or remove sites from search results.
Equativ, ad tech firm unveils Maestro by Equativ.
Cognizant and CrowdStrike partner to drive Enterprise Cybersecurity transformation. (MB)
Bumble founder returns as CEO, shares surge. (JG)
McDonald’s amplifies mobile app with Pokémon Happy Meal.
Creator-made islands accounted for 1/3 of ‘Fortnite’ game time in 2024–and earned their developers $352 million.
Coors Light announces Chill Face roller, do your skincare with iced beer cans. (NR)
Netflix’s cloud plans include co-op and party games.
Bombora integrates with Audigent’s PMPs. (NG)
Comcast’s Xfinity launches $70 Sports and News video package.
Rooms at Vegas’ MGM Grand to get $300M overhaul. (PR)
Huuuge Games cuts workforce by 29%.
Marketing automation vendor Act-On acquired for $53 million. (MP)
Qualtrics and SAP announce new partnership to help Organizations deliver great employee experiences.
The Pulped; Market Data & Studies of the week
Consumer spend on generative AI apps hit nearly $1.1B in 2024.
30% of Gen Z and Millennials have purchased a product after seeing it posted by a creator once, with the likelihood increasing to 40% after repeated posts. (read)
Google Search ad spend climbs 10% YoY, despite AI disruptions. (read)
2025 Edelman Trust Barometer reveal high level of Grievance Towards Government, Business and the Rich among people.
Four in 10 respondents – 53 percent of those aged 18-34 – approve of one or more forms of hostile activism to bring about change, which includes attacking people online, intentionally spreading disinformation, threatening or committing violence, and damaging public or private property.
China (77), Indonesia (76), India (75) and the UAE (72) once again sit atop the Trust Index as the most trusting nations surveyed.
Five of the largest 10 global economies are among the least trusting nations on the Trust Index: Japan (the least trusting at 37), Germany (41), UK (43), U.S. (47) and France (48). (read)
Brands are seeing an influx of traffic from ChatGPT and Google Gemini. (MR)
The size of the gender pay gap increased from 15.2% in 2023 to 19.7% in 2024 in favour of males, with a comparable pay gap existing at both creative and media agencies. (read)
Offline versus online promotional media: Which drives better consumer engagement and behavioral responses? (Study)
Some 22% of drinking age-adults report that for Dry January this year they are either staying sober or cutting back on alcohol, representing a 5% increase from earlier years, according to a new Morning Consult survey. (read)
The executives view advertising in news media as a strategic tool, with 86% saying companies should advertise on news media and 87% calling it a sound investment to reach and influence stakeholders. (Future of News)
47% of UK marketers fear budget reductions will severely impact their 2025 goals. (read)
The average federal tax refund in 2024 was $3,138. 15% of US millennials would take a yearlong vow of celibacy to avoid filing.
Consumers bought 22% more nonalcoholic beer over a 12-month period ending November 2024 compared to the same period previously.
Gen Z thinks they need almost $9.5 million to be financially successful after anxiously watching their parents unretire.
The 71 data centers in Pennsylvania are already responsible for about 3.2% of the state’s energy use. In nearby Virginia, data centers consume 25% of the state’s entire energy use.
If the economy remains healthy this year, Deloitte anticipates consumer spending will grow 3.1% year over year. (US)
Who are the top readers for 2024?
63 percent of US read at least one book last year, an improvement from the 54 percent we saw in 2023.
Women, White Americans and higher earners tend to have twice as many super-readers in their ranks as other cohorts.
Nearly 60% of Americans shun automatic bill payments, Study reveals.
A third (34%) of working parents feel they’re working too many hours, while (43%) are stressed about not being paid well enough for their work.
Gen Z Americans are leaving their European cousins in the dust. (read)
42% of Gen Z show their loyalty to a brand by having the brand’s app downloaded. Brands can also win loyalty by offering memorable experiences, like personalised services or events (26%)
MarTech Releases & Finds
CircusOffers - Create coupon books that attract more customers to your business.
Hypersay - AI-powered platform for content advertising.
Peel - The automated analytics for shopify stores.
Red Points - The AI platform to take down counterfeits, fake websites, social media fraud accounts, and piracy.
Content Opportunities / Ideas of the week
27 Jan: International Holocaust Remembrance Day / National Geographic Day / National Chocolate Cake Day / World Breast Pumping Day / Community Manager Appreciation Day.
28 Jan: National Blueberry Pancake Day / Data Privacy Day / International Lego Day / New Moon / International Reducing CO2 Emissions Day / National Daisy Day / World Geoffroy’s Cat Day / Global Community Engagement Day.
29 Jan: National Puzzle Day / Lunar New Year / Freethinkers Day / Korean & Chinese New Year / National Corn Chip Day
30 Jan: National Escape Day / National Croissant Day / School Day of Non-violence and Peace / National Draw a Dinosaur Day.
31 Jan: International Zebra Day / Berlin Fashion Week begins / National Hot Chocolate Day / International Day of Education / WWE Royal Rumble / Scotch Tape Day / Nauru Independence Day.
1 Feb: Black History Month begins / International Pisco Sour Day / World Hijab Day / National Dark Chocolate Day / National Texas Day / International Face and Body Art Day / Car Insurance Day / Holiday Hugs Day.
2 Feb: The Grammys / National Crepe Day / World Wetlands Day / Marmot Day / Groundhog Day / National Brown Dog Day / World Play Your Ukulele Day.
See you on Tuesday with Agency & Brand news + more…