What happened in Marketing - Youtube & Meta's spam crackdown, Netflix Ads + AI Companions
This week: Google & Meta crackdown on unoriginal content, xAI's companions, ChatGPT Agent, Substack funding & the Astronomer’s ‘ColdplayGate’ scandal.
This week’s newsletter is sponsored by our friends at Tracksuit, who’ve got a playbook to help marketers land brand investment and win over Gen-Z.
Before you go further, Attention is like money–you can waste it or invest it. If you invest it in my paid newsletter, you'll get dividends for years.
Netflix aims to double ad revenue, launch interactive advertisements in 2025.
Meta follows YouTube in crackdown on unoriginal content.
xAI's new $300 monthly subscription comes with two AI companions powered by its most capable model to date. I tried them. It got weird.
Substack raises $100 Million, betting on subscriptions but coming around to ads.
Meta settles $8bn lawsuit with Zuckerberg over Facebook privacy.
OpenAI introduces ChatGPT agent, its agentic AI model that does everything for you.
Brands are now using Astronomer’s ‘ColdplayGate’ scandal for views, people are creating memes and few of us are concerned about the state of online culture, there’s a deepfake daughter and more.
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron resigns.
Zuckerberg says Meta will build data center the size of Manhattan in latest AI push.
What is a Jet2 Holiday, and why are people talking about it on TikTok?
Walmart plans to sell Vizio TVs exclusively as a private brand.
Walmart is opening new 'Dark Stores'—Here's What It Means for Customers.
The real reason everyone’s so mad over the Gen Z stare.
WeTransfer's confusing terms of service clause prompts reassurances that it doesn’t use uploaded files to train AI models.
Another One: HP is launching an ad business with laptop-targeted ads and a streaming service.
Estée Lauder, a late digital adopter, makes new push to reach shoppers online.
You might find love on Roblox soon — The gaming platform announced that you'll soon be able to start dating in the metaverse.
In partnership with Tracksuit
The Brands Winning and Losing Gen Z in 2025
According to new Tracksuit data presented in partnership with Adweek, it’s clear some brands have excelled at capturing Gen Z’s dollars, while others have a lot of catching up to do.
So, as we approach the midpoint of 2025, which brands are cashing in on Gen Z, and what can your brand learn from their playbook? Let’s dive in.
Between January 1st and June 1st, purchase consideration for Coca-Cola among U.S. consumers aged 18-24 increased from 56% to 71%. Coke’s 15-point jump was larger than any other recorded for Gen Z adults in the same age range.
The dating app Hinge, which recently rethought its marketing message to speak to dating app-weary youths, has also seen its purchase consideration score rise 14 percentage points during the same period.
Both brands launched new campaigns focused on socialization and IRL sharing. Instead of simply promoting a product, they communicated a compelling “why” to build stronger emotional connections with Gen Z.
While a change in seasons might influence which brands are rising and falling with Gen Z in 2025 so far, most brands can only persuade about half of consumers to move down the marketing funnel from awareness to purchase consideration.
Doing so, however, is critical, given that the vast majority of product categories have fewer than three brands competing against each other at the purchase consideration level. Although not an easy task, brands that lean into the core strategies of establishing consistency, distinctiveness, and emotional connection can earn a place in Gen Z’s limited consideration sets.
Wanna know how your brand stacks up against the competition when it comes to Gen Z love? Enter Tracksuit. The brand tracker built for a new era of marketing.
Download Tracksuit’s latest guide, Track the Field, designed to help marketers and agencies leverage the power of brand.
Advertisers flock to Fox seeking an ‘audience of one’ — Donald Trump.
Nextdoor relaunches network With a Focus on news, alerts and AI.
Scale AI cuts 14% of workforce after Meta investment, hiring of founder Wang.
Over half of marketers ‘using AI’ for campaign creative.
Roblox launches licensing platform: Lionsgate, Netflix, Sega.
EU clears path for national social media bans.
News UK, Future and Ocado tap clean room tech for smarter data targeting.
Netflix’s Ted Sarandos says AI will make movies and TV “Better, Not Just Cheaper”.
Publicis' CEO dismisses Meta threat, raises yearly growth guidance.
1 in 3 teens have prediabetes, new CDC data shows.
OpenAI to take cut of ChatGPT shopping sales in hunt for revenues.
The UK gives 16-year-olds the right to vote. Brace for the political TikToks.
Amazon-backed Anthropic rolls out Claude AI for financial services.
Gay Times raises £150k from supporters after advertiser diversity backlash.
These are the new emojis coming to your iPhone in iOS 26.
A literary history of fake texts in Apple's marketing materials.
Their water taps ran dry when Meta built next door.
Anthropic, Google and xAI win $200M each from Pentagon AI chief for ‘agentic AI’.
How the TikTok algorithm created new words like ‘unalive’.
YouTube's second-biggest channel is full of AI babies.
House approves Trump’s request to cut funding for NPR, PBS and foreign aid.
The return of the fashion flat-lay collage.
Gen-Z vs AI-Powered Dating Apps: 50% of respondents didn’t have problems creating a profile on their own, without the assistance of AI, and that most don’t struggle having conversations with potential suitors.
Vista Equity Partners’ TripleLift implements ‘significant’ layoffs.
EU presses pause on probe of X as US trade talks heat up.
Inside the NBCUniversal Upfront: A Caustic Seth MacFarlane, an Aerial Ad Chief and … John Tesh.
Rokt expands e-commerce offering with acquisition of Canal.
Cancelling Colbert, bribery, an $8bn deal: what’s going on at Paramount?
LinkedIn rolled out an algorithm change that puts some older posts at the top of the feed.
TikTok is adding new features to its app to let songwriters highlight their works.
TikTok urgently pitches Canada security solution to avoid shutdown.
ByteDance surpasses Meta, plus Jensen Huang's fruitful trip in Beijing.
Omg, the creator behind Sylvanian Drama is getting sued for causing ‘irreparable injury’.
TikTok’s messy merger in Indonesia could be a preview of what’s to come in the U.S.
TikTok integrates another streaming service into Add to Music App feature, with Anghami partnership.
‘Who did this guy become?’ This creator quit his job and lost his TikTok audience.
TikTok corrects its livestreamers figure (but it’s still big).
TikTok owner ByteDance is reportedly building its own mixed reality goggles.
Blackstone drops out of group seeking stake in US-based TikTok.
Extreme weight loss, cosmetic surgery videos available to teens on TikTok despite guidelines, CBS News finds.
TikTok now allows users to schedule a post from within the app.
Why people, including TikTok influencers, are moving to Richmond?
Privacy group files complaint against AliExpress, TikTok and WeChat.
Albertsons CEO says cottage cheese sales are up — and it's partly due to TikTok.
TikTok loses bid to dismiss lawsuit alleging its ‘addictive design’ exploits kids.
Instagram offers a new guide to advertisers to convince them to try out its creator marketplace.
Instagram expands Google access to public posts to more regions.
Threads continues to see strong download momentum.
Instagram opens up Trial Reels feature to more creators.
Meta names Connor Hayes as the new head of Threads.
Dog video on Instagram costs Aussie business owner $50k.
Users can now DM photos on Threads.
Instagram expands scheduled messages and message translations to more businesses.
Edits gets improved music discovery, improved keyframe editing and more.
Instagram’s auto-scroll is rolling out, and your thumb might finally get a rest.
Threads is testing Facebook account sign-ups.
Enough with the Ugly Cakes of Instagram.
Instagram tests new feature to control who can see your likes and comments on Reels shown in the “Friends” tab.
🪑 Report Break: 72% of teens have used AI companions at least once, and over half (52%) qualify as regular users who interact with these platforms at least a few times a month.
Nearly half (46%) of teens view AI companions primarily as tools or programs, while 33% indicated that they don't use AI companions, or that they use them in ways not captured by the survey options.
Meta refuses to sign EU’s AI code of practice.
Another high-profile OpenAI researcher departs for Meta.
Meta faces new EU Tech Antitrust clash after €200 Million fine.
Meta faces legal battle in South Africa over illicit content involving minors.
Meta’s days of giving away AI for free are numbered.
Meta moves to expand video selfie age-checking.
Meta fixes bug that could leak users’ AI prompts and generated content.
Meta and AWS are teaming up to win over developers in the AI race.
Facebook adds music for text posts.
Meta’s new Superintelligence lab Is Discussing Major A.I. Strategy Changes.
As Zuck races to build Godlike AI, Women and People of Color aren’t invited.
Meta trial becomes test of board culpability over corporate scandals.
WhatsApp seen rolling out Status Ads and Promoted Channels, bringing sponsored content directly into the Updates tab.
Meta removes 10 million Facebook profiles in effort to combat spam.
Meta is using tents to build its giant AI data centers.
Meta argues its AI needs personal information from social media posts to learn ‘Australian concepts’.
As class action trial looms, Meta and Flo could face 'mind-boggling' damages.
YouTube announces expansion of the ability for viewers to Hype at no cost to 19 markets.
YouTube Shorts algorithm steers users away from political content, study finds.
YouTube testing new feature to test and compare video titles.
YouTube clarifies recent changes made to YouTube Partner Program (YPP) Monetization policies to demote unoriginal content.
Amid money troubles, Scholastic is seeking its next chapter on YouTube.
YouTube Music is finally syncing your playback progress across devices.
YouTube TV reportedly offering a big discount for returning NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers.
YouTube to have a major presence at Mipcom Cannes for 20th anniversary.
Netflix’s Kpop Demon Hunters is taking over YouTube’s music charts too.
YouTube announces a new summer gift drop for livestreams.
Labor refuses to reveal whether TikTok lobbyists pushed for YouTube ban at secret ‘introductory meeting’.
After another shutout, do Youtube creators need the Emmys?
Apple sues YouTuber who leaked iOS 26’s new “Liquid Glass” software redesign.
Google Discover testing AI story summaries on Android.
Google June 2025 core update rollout is now complete.
Google granted delayed trial in Texas adtech case.
Google AI Mode adds 2.5 Pro & Deep Search for subscribers, agentic AI calling for all.
Google Search Console adds 24-hour comparison views to performance reports.
Google Ads adds new AI Max reporting view.
Confirmed CWV reporting glitch in Google Search Console.
Google Search can now call local businesses using AI.
Circle to Search rolling out Song Search history on Android.
Pitch deck: Why Google believes its latest AI Max product is a game changer for search campaigns.
Google Ads moves brand controls under AI Max in new search campaigns.
Google inks $3bn US hydropower deal as it expands energy-hungry datacenters.
Google Ads rolling out Smart Bidding Exploration to some advertisers.
Google updates Search Analytics API to clarify data freshness.
Google is raising the price of Nest Aware subscriptions again.
India's financial crime fighting agency summons Google, Meta executives, sources say.
Chrome OS is “combining” with Android, but what does that mean?
Google advertisers can now activate campaign changes via Gmail.
X Partners with AppsFlyer for third-party ad performance measurement.
X is temporarily disabling new Grok mentions to fix spam issues.
Grok’s popularity surges in Japan after anime-style AI companion goes viral.
X will soon add watermarks to screenshots of posts taken on the iOS app.
Hacker uses Elmo's X account to post antisemitic rant and demand release of Epstein files.
Elmo breaks silence.
X sets first UK Original with in-season docuseries on Premier League Club Burnley.
Permit for xAI’s data center blatantly violates Clean Air Act, NAACP says.
Users will soon have ability to Ask Grok for a message inside XChat.
Elon Musk gets more time to respond to SEC suit over Twitter disclosure.
X hit by complaints to EU over user data and targeted advertising.
Report finds X remains a key news source for many.
xAI is hiring a fullstack engineer.
Jack Dorsey says the process of purchasing Twitter was a ‘disaster’ for Elon Musk.
X tests Threads-like trending topics feature in the “For you” feed.
EU calls in X to talk Grok after antisemitic outbursts.
xAI says it has fixed Grok 4’s problematic responses.
🔌 Report Break: Nearly 90% of advertisers will use Gen AI to build video ads, according to IAB’s 2025 Video Ad Spend & Strategy.
Buyers expect 47% of CTV inventory to be biddable, up from 34% last year. Three out of four (74%) have built or are planning to build internal teams to manage self-serve CTV activation in-house.
Reddit introduces age verification in the UK ahead of new rules.
Substack is warming to advertising. Will brands warm to Substack?
Jack Dorsey pumps $10M into a nonprofit focused on open source social media.
Snapchat & TOGETHXR team up to empower women athlete digital creators.
Twitch starts testing vertical video streams.
DuckDuckGo now lets you hide AI-generated images in search results.
Bari Weiss’ The Free Press launches new App.
Snapchat Ads drive higher ROAS for ecommerce brands: Study.
Klarna unveils ‘Camp Klarna’ at Latitude Festival.
Twitch connects Arabic-speaking communities with new feature.
Pinterest denied bid to dismiss video recommendation patent suit.
Apple News+ introduces Emoji Game.
Discord strengthens pitch to advertisers with expansion of Orbs virtual rewards.
Roblox introduces new safeguards for teens, including age estimation tech.
Inside BeReal’s comeback strategy.
Adobe Firefly adds new video capabilities, industry leading AI models, and Generate Sound Effects feature.
Spotify’s announces an expansion of its premium audiobooks service.
Beeper relaunch lets you link your chat apps without the cloud, but still no iMessage.
Anthropic draws investor interest at more than $100 Billion valuation.
A prominent OpenAI Investor appears to be suffering a ChatGPT-related mental health crisis, his peers say.
Claude Code revenue jumps 5.5x as Anthropic launches analytics dashboard.
Netflix’s first show with generative AI is a sign of what’s to come in TV, film.
I sent ChatGPT Agent out to shop for me and it couldn’t finish the job.
Prime Day event drove over $24B in US e-commerce sales, GenAI traffic was up 3,300%.
OpenAI and Anthropic researchers decry ‘reckless’ safety culture at Elon Musk’s xAI.
US authors suing Anthropic can band together in copyright class action, judge rules.
Mistral’s Le Chat chatbot gets a productivity push with new ‘deep research’ mode.
Perplexity’s Comet is the AI browser Google wants.
Hong Kong opens criminal probe into AI-generated porn scandal at city's oldest university.
Anthropic’s Claude chatbot can now make and edit your Canva designs.
Mistral unveils Voxtral, its first open weight audio model.
Microsoft, Google and others seek to flip the nuclear-AI script.
Wix announces AI visibility overview citation & sentiment tracking tool.
Delta Air Lines is using AI to set the maximum price you’re willing to pay.
AI therapy bots fuel delusions and give dangerous advice, Stanford study finds.
Anthropic hires back two coding AI leaders from Cursor Developer Anysphere.
ChatGPT will start using Google’s cloud services, OpenAI confirms.
Nvidia to resume sales of highly desired AI computer chips to China.
Google’s Windsurf deal is a wake-up call for AI startup employees.
‘Influencer’ who went viral at Wimbledon is actually AI.
Oracle to invest $3 billion in AI, cloud expansion in Germany, Netherlands.
Windsurf IDE acquired by Cognition creators of Devin AI.
IPA Bellwether Report reveals UK Marketing Budgets are bouncing back in Q2
A net balance of +5.5% of panellists reported a rise in their total marketing budgets for the second quarter of 2025, a notable improvement from -4.8% in the prior quarter.
Sales promotions and direct marketing saw the greatest increases in spending intentions, with the respective net balances rising from +8.0% in Q1 to +9.4% in Q2 and from +9.0% in Q1 to +9.1% in Q2.
Microsoft likely to sign EU AI code of practice, Meta rebuffs guidelines.
LinkedIn study reveals how B2B video ads can gain +129% engagement lift.
Microsoft stops relying on Chinese engineers for Pentagon cloud support.
The 2025 B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report from Edelman and LinkedIn: 55% of hidden decision-makers use thought leadership content as part of their vetting process.
Infographic: Every Microsoft acquisition since 1986.
Microsoft will halt new Office features for Windows 10 in 2026.
Microsoft tests a “Describe Image” feature for Copilot Plus PCs.
Microsoft is buying tons of carbon removal from Xprize startup Vaulted Deep.
LinkedIn shares new Ads Success guide.
Microsoft’s constant layoffs risk creating a culture of fear.
Microsoft Employee criticized for advertising Xbox graphics role using AI 'Slop' artwork, just weeks after mass layoffs.
Microsoft quietly pulls the plug on its Movies and TV Store.
Agentic adtech firm Clinch scraps CPMs for monthly subscription pricing.
Cloudflare DDoS Report: 63% Of Known Attacks blamed on competitors.
Linkby raises $15 Million for its hybrid PR And affiliate marketing network
Criteo and Mirakl Ads launch global integration to accelerate marketplace revenue growth.
Prescient AI unveils first fundamentally new marketing mix model since 1960s.
IAB Tech Lab pitches plan to help publishers gain control of LLM scraping.
Nielsen adds CTV coverage to Ad Intel in the UK.
AppsFlyer debuts AI-powered MCP to streamline data access and campaign execution.
Telco-backed Utiq partners UK publishers on addressable inventory.
Captify & Adalyser partner to leverage search intent data for Premium TV Inventory.
Invibes launches ‘Fusion’, the flagship of its GenAI-powered suite.
Brave Search API now available through AWS Marketplace.
PubMatic launches real-time sports ad marketplace.
smartclip, RTL Group's adtech business, has announced the launch of Sidekicks, a new agentic AI platform.
ONAR to acquire Retina.ai, a marketing intelligence platform.
🥦 Report Break: Raptive Research found a 14% decline in both purchase consideration and willingness to pay a premium for products advertised alongside content perceived as AI-made.
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