"In this world of filters and celebrities and influencers, what I'm seeing is that people are wanting something that feels real," said Patrick Buchanan, SVP of marketing at Lulus on a recent episode of “Behind the Numbers.” "When they hear stories that feel like their own or see people who look like they're in a similar life stage, you see people relating to that."
Elon Musk’s X has lost another key figure in its advertising business, with ad chief John Nitti announcing his departure last week after joining just ten months ago, per the Financial Times. Another key loss signals that X’s ad strategy remains turbulent—and until its AI-powered ad focus proves valuable, ad investment should be executed with an air of caution.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how WNBA viewership did the year after the ‘Caitlin Clark Effect’ hit the league, what social media will do to full-game viewership growth, and what advertisers should be paying attention to most amidst this surge in women’s sports. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, and Analysts Marisa Jones and Paola Flores-Marquez. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
68% of US ad spending by microdrama apps went to social networks from January to September 2025, according to US ad spend reports from ReelShort, DramaBox, GoodShort, NetShort, and ShortMax, compiled by Sensor Tower.
The oldest members of Gen Alpha are highly connected to technology and wield $28 billion in spending power, per Numerator. Half of US 15- and 16-year-olds own multiple devices, giving them access to the internet wherever they are, according to 1,000 Gen Alpha parents surveyed by Attest. The vast majority (92%) have a smartphone. To reach the next generation of shoppers, marketers should be just as internet-savvy as they are and focus on digital content. Build creator and influencer partnerships, and ensure gaming ads are contextually driven and don't interfere with gameplay.
TikTok is undergoing a sweeping reorganization that consolidates control under ByteDance’s Beijing-based leadership. The company’s global content and distribution teams now report directly to Douyin architect Fiona Zhi, who is closely tied to ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming. The change strengthens central oversight just as the US and China approach a potential TikTok ownership deal—but it also raises questions about governance, transparency, and stability. Advertisers are pausing or shifting spend amid uncertainty over who will run TikTok’s US operations and how its algorithm and data policies will evolve. ByteDance’s move reasserts control—but risks reigniting trust concerns in its largest market.
Reddit is suing Perplexity and data-scraping companies Oxylabs UAB, AWMProxy, and SerpApi, highlighting the battle over user-generated content (UGC) in the race to build the top genAI models. Cases like this could redefine how AI firms access and value online content, including original UGC and brand-owned material. To navigate an increasingly complex landscape for information sourcing, marketers should diversify reliance on genAI tools and explore AI partners that offer legal indemnification clauses to ensure that a brand isn’t at legal risk if a provider errs by scraping copyrighted information.
34% of social media users would be more likely to purchase products based on creator recommendations if those reviews appeared more authentic and included negative reviews, a March 2025 impact.com and EMARKETER survey found.
In this podcast episode, we discuss how do you decide when to lead with data versus when to trust your team’s creative instinct, how your brand can stand out on social media, how shopper expectations changed, and more. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and guest host, Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst, Sky Canaves, Chief Content Officer at The Lead, Sonal Gandhi, and SVP of Marketing at Lulu’s, Patrick Buchanan.
YouTube added a feature to help users peel themselves away from Shorts. Mobile users can now set a timer for Shorts that will trigger a notification and pause any videos currently playing—though the notification can be easily dismissed. The timer shows short-form’s addictive nature is a double-edged sword for both video platforms and advertisers alike, who could face intense scrutiny from parents—and thus regulators—over teen viewing habits.
This sponsored video by Awin will explore how affiliate partnerships are transforming influencer marketing.
MrBeast filed to trademark “MrBeast Financial.” The filing’s contents suggest that an app and a range of financial services—including banking and a crypto exchange—may be in the works. Entering financial services as a provider (e.g., launching a crypto trading platform under a company owned by MrBeast’s enterprise or starting a branded neobank) would be an entirely different world from media and merchandising. The threat to banks based on generational appeal is already a problem. And whatever happens with MrBeast Financial, that problem keeps getting worse.
Most (63%) of global social media users prefer short videos from creators, according to a March impact.com and EMARKETER survey.
This sponsored article by PartnerCentric will explore AI’s impact on affiliate marketing.
Meta withdrew from Media Rating Council (MRC) brand safety audits last week, just months after its accreditation was officially issued, per Adweek. Despite its other brand safety moves, Meta’s step away from the MRC indicates that advertisers are now navigating a digital ad landscape that necessitates investment in platforms without stringent brand safety protocols—requiring marketers to strengthen their own brand safety monitoring and verification processes.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how much TV streaming is really going on around the world, in which countries radio is holding its own, and short-form video’s place in the social media world. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Principal Analyst, Paul Briggs, Vice President of Research, Jennifer Pearson, and Chief Insight Officer at GWI, Jason Mander. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how digital has changed in 2025: why the digital ad triopoly (Google, Meta, and Amazon) are losing influence, how YouTube is still under valued, how AI search behavior is changing, and more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, VP of Global Content Operations, Eleni Digalaki, and Principal Analyst, Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.