Instagram launched a feature that allows college students to display their class schedule on their profiles in a bid to make inroads with young consumers—days after TikTok released a similar tool. By cherry picking successful formats on other social platforms like messaging, music sharing, stories, short-form video, and more, Instagram has established itself as a crucial social tool and entertainment platform for young users. Its college schedule launch could help cement influence with yet another generation of students.
LinkedIn is scaling its BrandLink program with new creator-led shows and partnerships with publishers like BBC Studios, TED, and The Economist. Backed by sponsors including AT&T, IBM, SAP, and ServiceNow, the initiative reflects LinkedIn’s push into B2B video at scale. Since rebranding from the Wire Program in May, BrandLink revenues have grown nearly 200% quarter-over-quarter, while creator and publisher payouts more than tripled YoY. With US B2B video ad spend up nearly 18% this year, LinkedIn is positioning BrandLink as a premium marketplace balancing enterprise polish with creator authenticity at a time when audiences crave human-driven, unscripted content.
TikTok’s 2024 revenues in the UK, Europe, and Latin America surged 38% to $6.3 billion, more than doubling 2022 levels, per filings cited by Forbes. The growth underscores TikTok’s strength outside the US, where a divest-or-ban standoff continues. Yet regulatory scrutiny in Europe looms large, with over $1 billion reserved for fines, ongoing probes across multiple countries, and potential penalties under the EU’s Digital Services Act. TikTok’s UK penetration tops 32%, with ad revenues projected to triple by 2027. Still, layoffs in trust and safety roles and a pivot to AI moderation could test regulators and user trust.
The news: Meta and Midjourney formed a partnership to bring more image-generation tools to Facebook and Instagram. Meta is licensing Midjourney’s “aesthetic technology” for users and brands, Meta chief AI officer Alexandr Wang posted on Threads. He implied that the agreement may go past licensing and involve collaboration with Meta’s research teams to integrate Midjourney into future models and products. Our take: Brands should experiment with Midjourney to streamline content creation for Meta campaigns. However, they should also monitor outputs carefully for quality and copyright issues, especially considering Midjourney has faced allegations of IP misuse. Fast creation is only an advantage if it doesn’t trigger legal or reputational backlash.
The news: Instagram introduced a linked Reels feature enabling creators to showcase short-form videos in a series for simpler storytelling, per an announcement on its Creators account. The feature follows a trend of creators making Reels series focused on specific storylines and themes, and will allow creators to link both new and previous content, excluding content exclusively shared with subscribers or close friends. Our take: Linked Reels unlocks more opportunities to convey messages with high-production value and an episodic narrative, transforming Reels into a media destination that keeps audiences returning instead of only offering one-off impressions.
TikTok is laying off hundreds of UK staff as it shifts moderation to AI, with more than 85% of takedowns now automated. The cuts, part of a global restructuring, come as the UK’s Online Safety Act pressures platforms to strengthen oversight. Industry peers are also pivoting—Meta and X have scaled back fact-checking while Reddit, Pinterest, and Snapchat adopt varying models of control. Yet user sentiment runs counter: Most want more human oversight, not less, with strong demand for fact-checkers, privacy, and quality control. The divergence raises brand-safety questions as advertisers weigh cost efficiencies against consumer trust.
The news: Snap is seeking outside funding for its AR Spectacles as it struggles to compete with Meta platforms and TikTok, per The Information. Our take: Bringing in outside capital could help Snap accelerate AR development without draining its core business. The possibility of gathering outside investment also highlights how critical Snap’s AR bet has become and how high the stakes are. Staying competitive requires Snap to prove Spectacles can evolve past a niche hardware play and compete with strong AI alternatives. If it can’t, Snap may get stuck in the middle, overshadowed by platforms that are faster, bigger, and richer.
The news: China reiterated that it will not sell TikTok’s algorithm to the US in accordance with Chinese laws as the September 17 sale deadline looms. The announcement comes almost immediately after the White House launched an official TikTok account in a move Chinese officials stated “contradicts the ‘national security threat’ rhetoric.” Our take: With no definitive answer on TikTok’s future in the US, advertisers are in a difficult spot. Divestment risks losing access to audiences motivated to take action—but investing too heavily risks overreliance on a channel that could face major changes.
The news: Meta’s new auto-translation feature for Reels could simplify global content sharing. The AI-powered translation tool can automatically dub and lip-sync Reels on Instagram and Facebook into other languages, including English, Spanish, and Portuguese. It’s available to Facebook creators with at least 1,000 followers and to all public Instagram accounts. Our take: Creators and brands should lean into short-form multilingual content to maximize audience reach and watch for engagement spikes in views in unexpected regions to identify new markets and audiences worth targeting.
The news: Child safety concerns are mounting as several platforms face heightened scrutiny over lacking moderation capabilities. Google settled a lawsuit on Tuesday over claims that it violated children’s privacy through YouTube by collecting personal data for targeted ads without parental consent, though the company denied wrongdoing in its decision to settle. Our take: Heightened scrutiny over where advertisers spend and what they promote is a must-have amid current concerns over child safety online, and brands must practice caution when implementing strategies that could be perceived as targeting minors.
The news: Meta and Google still account for 88% of mobile ad spending despite shifting user habits, per a Moloco report. But while advertiser attention remains firmly focused on Big Tech, those that diversify their media mix could increase financial returns as much as 214%. Our take: As audiences become fragmented across social media, advertisers are increasingly faced with the need to look beyond the big players—but with big tech still commanding attention, a balanced approach is key.
Accenture Song has acquired Superdigital, a Florida-based social-first and influencer agency with clients including Microsoft, Welch’s, and Nerf. Founded in 2013, Superdigital specializes in TikTok-driven content, community building, and creator-led campaigns, with activations ranging from Welch’s pop-ups to Microsoft’s AI influencer work. The deal reflects a broader wave of M&A as consultancies and holding companies buy into the creator economy. With social and influencer marketing outpacing other formats, the move positions Accenture to win young, digital-first audiences and scale creator-driven growth.
The news: Many marketers and salespeople doubt AI’s ability to boost company revenues or customer satisfaction. Some even believe it adds to their workload, signaling a disconnect between AI adoption and employee confidence. Only 39% of marketers and sales professionals in the US and UK are confident that their departments’ use of AI drives revenues, per General Assembly’s AI in Marketing & Sales report. Nearly half (46%) believe AI only somewhat improves the customer experience or doesn’t at all. Our take: Organizations that prioritize tailored training and tie outcomes to KPIs like team efficiency and customer satisfaction could help employees feel empowered and translate AI investments into measurable impact.
The news: TikTok is experiencing massive growth among older generations, with adoption for users 45+ growing 1,200% between 2019 and 2025, per CivicScience—suggesting its stickiness across demographics and emphasizing older consumers’ buying power. Our take: A successful social advertising strategy will strike a balance: Valuing younger demographics for their growing influence while accounting for the enduring importance of older generations for driving digital purchases as social media adoption skyrockets.
MS NOW rebrand targets broader news reach: MSNBC aims to scale beyond its niche as TV audiences fragment globally.
Tubi is making creators central to its future, blending influencer-driven shows with its ad-supported streaming model. The Fox-owned AVOD platform, projected to reach nearly 80 million US viewers this year, has hired TikTok veteran Kudzi Chikumbu to expand creator partnerships and inked deals with stars like MrBeast and CelinaSpookyBoo. The strategy taps into audiences who favor authentic, entertaining content while keeping costs below scripted originals. With US ad revenues forecast to rise from $1.20 billion in 2025 to $1.56 billion in 2027, creator-led programming could become Tubi’s “third lane” of streaming—and a key differentiator in a crowded market.
The news: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is warning of a growing AI investment bubble. “Are we in a phase where investors are overexcited about AI? My opinion is yes,” Altman said during a dinner with a group of reporters, per The Verge. Still, he emphasized that AI remains “the most important thing to happen in a very long time.” Our take: Altman’s warning about an AI bubble applies to marketers too. The temptation to chase every shiny new AI tool is real, but teams should develop an AI experimentation roadmap with clear outcomes to avoid wasting resources. Pushing vendors for case studies can help maximize budgets.
The news: A recent YouGov study highlighted shifting media consumption habits—and Gen Z is leading the way. Half of Gen Zers make purchases based on social media ads compared with 41% of overall consumers. Gen Z is one of the leaders in time spent with social media, with 28% spending at least 5 hours on social platforms on the average weekday. Our take: As Gen Z proves itself as one of the most valuable demographics for advertisers, brands must tailor strategies to channels and formats that are most likely to connect with these growth drivers.
The news: Gamers are more involved in gaming content than ever before, thanks in large part to titles like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite. And they’re not keeping that interest solely on-platform. 46% of gamers say their time spent creating in-game video game content has somewhat or significantly increased over a year ago, per Bain & Company’s Gaming Report 2025. About 20% say they spend less time. 27% of gamers’ social media time and 25% of their streaming video time is spent focused on gaming-related content. Our take: The gaming audience is growing, and it’s not focused on a single platform or console. Gamers’ interests reach through the game and into social media, streaming, TV, and audio, giving marketers a wide path to reach gamers where they are.