Meta is planning on offering UK users paid, ad-free versions of Instagram and Facebook in the coming weeks. Privacy transforming into a priced option implies a growing consumer awareness of data use. Advertisers who make privacy a positive part of their brand messaging will better match emerging consumer mindsets.
Meta is in discussions with Google to use Gemini as a benchmark for its own content understanding systems. The social media giant wants to test its systems against Gemini, not integrate the AI model, to help support its ad targeting and recommendation systems. Findings could show Gemini is stronger, or that Meta’s own systems already match or surpass it. Stronger content understanding could yield more nuanced insights and richer ad tooIs, enabling better campaign planning, targeting, and measurement. It highlights that AI in ads is less about flashy features and more about the invisible infrastructure that shapes outcomes.
As online financial crimes and fraud attempts surge, customers are wary of new brands and frequently abandon transactions over a lack of trust. Over two-thirds (69%) of US adults have abandoned an online transaction or sign-up process due to distrust, per Liquid Web’s 2025 The State of Digital Trust report. In today’s online marketplace, brands need to convince consumers not only of their product quality, but of their company’s legitimacy. Unlike industry-level reputation, which brands can’t control, CMOs can shape digital trust by focusing on transparency, clarity, and responsiveness across the shopping journey.
YouTube will allow creator accounts banned for election and COVID-19 misinformation to apply for reinstatement after mounting pressure for platforms to reverse Biden-era restrictions. YouTube’s policy shift signals a new norm in online content moderation where platform rules are more fluid and politically contested.
Condé Nast-owned magazine Wired is promoting an out-of-home (OOH) campaign for its upcoming politics issue in a massive brand marketing effort spanning cities including New York, Los Angeles, Austin, and Washington, DC. Wired’s omnichannel approach highlights how combining trust, talent visibility, and multi-format reach drives stronger engagement and brand outcomes.
YouTube is an effective channel for reaching Gen Zers as use and creators influence expand, per our 2025 Gen Z Social Media Usage report. Over half (56%) of Gen Z social media users are spending more time on YouTube than they did a year ago, per YouGov. YouTube’s momentum with Gen Z shows its evolution from an entertainment hub to a discovery and shopping engine. Brands need to not only show up, but also design for searchability, optimize creator partnerships, and explore cross-screen viewing and messaging outreach.
President Trump delayed TikTok’s ban until December 16 and claimed Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, Michael Dell, Larry Ellison, and Marc Andreessen are among investors preparing to acquire its US operations. The potential buyer group—stacked with conservative media and tech moguls—raises concerns over political bias on a platform where left-leaning influencers currently dominate. For advertisers, TikTok’s massive 116.6 million US user base remains critical, but ownership politics could shift user trust and open the door for rivals.
X has updated its NFL Portal for the 2025-26 season as sports discussions gain momentum on the Elon Musk-owned platform, with features aiming to get advertisers reinvested. X’s enhanced NFL Portal is a calculated effort to double down on one of its strongest differentiators to keep users engaged and advertisers invested: Real-time sports conversations.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss our ‘very specific, but highly unlikely’ predictions for the end of 2025 and start of 2026. Whether Snap’s Spectacles will gain traction faster than Meta’s Ray-Bans have, if Netflix will start showing users shoppable product placement ads, and if TikTok will introduce a GenAI assistant to the app with commercial intent. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Director of Reports Editing, Rahul Chadha, Senior Analyst, Max Willens, and Principal Analyst, Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
EMARKETER recently published, “Influencer Marketing Budgets Are Growing, But Brand Safety Measures Are Falling Behind.” The report, created in partnership with Viral Nation, analyzes survey responses from 117 US marketers and reveals gaps between influencer marketing investment and brand safety practices. This FAQ explores some key questions addressed by the report.
MrBeast’s Feastables brand is under fire after the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) flagged multiple practices that may have misled children or mishandled their data. Concerns included undisclosed promotions in videos, a misleading “blind taste test” against European chocolates, sweepstakes that encouraged bulk purchases, and collection of under-13 data via pop-ups. The case signals a broader shift: influencer-led brands are now being held to the same advertising and disclosure standards as traditional advertisers, with potential regulatory and reputational risks for creators and partners alike.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss which of the over 500 sessions will be the most interesting conversation at this year’s Advertising Week 2025 in New York. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Briefings, Jeremy Goldman, Analyst, Marisa Jones, and Senior Editor, Daniel Konstantinovic. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
The Trump administration announced on September 15 that a TikTok sale deal has finally been reached with China after months of uncertainty, allowing TikTok to remain operational in the US. That means TikTok’s future in the US isn’t as uncertain as it recently was. FIs that set aside plans to build up their TikTok following or reach target customers via campaigns or finfluencer relationships should now move full steam ahead on TikTok. This is the moment to restart those efforts with a renewed focus on authenticity and education. FIs should create specific content that speaks to Gen Z’s financial realities.
YouTube is making livestreaming a central pillar of its platform with its most sweeping update yet. More than 30% of logged-in viewers watched live video in Q2 2025, and new features aim to boost engagement and monetization. Updates include YouTube Playables, dual horizontal and vertical streaming with a unified chat, AI-generated highlight Shorts, and side-by-side ad formats that don’t interrupt streams. The company is also enabling midstream exclusivity for members. For creators, livestreaming is now easier to scale and monetize; for brands, it’s a fresh avenue to connect with highly engaged audiences—and increasingly, to drive commerce.
TikTok’s US operations may soon be spun off into a new entity majority-owned by American investors, with Oracle, Andreessen Horowitz, and Silver Lake leading the deal. The framework, aimed at complying with the 2024 divest-or-ban law, would give US investors roughly 80% control while ByteDance retains under 20%. The sticking point remains TikTok’s algorithm—whether ByteDance licenses its technology or a US-controlled version is rebuilt. For marketers, continuity is key: any disruption in recommendation performance, targeting, or data oversight could alter ad outcomes on one of their most important platforms.