Reddit has become one of the most effective social platforms for marketing-driven sales and consistently outperforms other social networks on return on ad spend (ROAS). The platform delivers more marketing-driven sales relative to its share of spend than 4 out of 5 other platforms, per a TransUnion study commissioned by Reddit. The authenticity that makes Reddit valuable can also be fragile. Brands should focus on making original content that’s not recycled from other platforms and is relevant to the niches they want to target, rather than chasing virality, to maximize campaigns and avoid alienating the communities they want to reach.
Google’s Gemini surpassed longtime leaders like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta’s Threads to become the No. 1 free iPhone app in the US App Store. Downloads surged due to the viral success of its Nano Banana AI image-editing feature, which sparked intense social media engagement, per ZDNet. Gemini’s breakthrough demonstrates the power of social media to amplify AI tools overnight, yet its long-term position will hinge on whether it can evolve from a trend into a staple. For now, Nano Banana’s popularity is a huge win for Google, but the next test is whether Gemini can convert that buzz into habit.
Meta announced new ad options at its Brand Building Summit, focused on Reels and innovative ad formats for Threads, per a blog post. While Meta’s new ad offerings promise more sophisticated placements, they can’t fully offset uncertainty. Marketers could face a scenario where the platform they’re relying on today could operate under massively different constraints tomorrow.
Social media managers (SMMs) report blind spots in AI’s ability to assist with trendspotting and market analysis, leading to wasted time, loss of employee trust, and delayed campaigns. With all of these pain points, marketing teams are finding that investment doesn’t always equal impact. CMOs should Involve their teams in AI tool selection to ensure real-world fit;Regularly evaluate whether applications are actually saving time; and provide training on prompt writing and the strengths of various models to cut down on wasted time.
Even as advertisers shift budgets to creators, consumers are more distrusting of influencer marketing than other advertising, per a National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs report. Authenticity is the differentiating factor that will earn consumer trust even as audiences remain skeptical of influencers.
Roku wants to transform TV advertising with generative AI (genAI). Instead of cycling the same few commercials, the company is opening its platform to hundreds of thousands of advertisers—mirroring the endless churn of ads on social feeds. It's betting that genAI can keep its ad ecosystem fresh and accessible. Marketers should experiment with fast, inexpensive video iterations. Focus on quick turnarounds, tight targeting, and scroll-stopping creativity. The objective is to separate winners from background noise.
“If there’s one thing I want my team to get right, it’s the cohesion of messages,” said Minyi Su, head of marketing at Bluemercury. “While personalized messaging is important, we need to make sure that personalization all ladders up to the same theme.” Balancing broader brand identity with customized recommendations was one of many themes Su focused on at EMARKETER’s Future of Digital Summit on Tuesday.
TikTok shared new data to highlight the potential of its search ads for driving action. TikTok showed that activations with dedicated search campaigns led to 2 times higher purchase lift overall, while enterprise advertisers saw 2.2 times higher purchase lift and higher incremental return on ad spend (ROAS). TikTok’s success with search ads is promising, but advertisers ultimately need answers about the platform’s longevity in its core market. Questions about data security, content moderation, and political pressures are still casting a shadow.
Ahead of an impending US sale deadline, ByteDance-owned TikTok has announced significant growth in Europe, adding 5 million active users YoY and seeing over 200 million EU users monthly. Even as TikTok grows in the EU and other key markets, the platform faces an uphill battle to reassure advertisers amid persistent uncertainty over its US regulatory future.
Threads, Patreon, and Substack escalate fight for writers: Platforms add features and perks to encourage creator loyalty.
40% of US adults say most or some of the health information on TikTok is trustworthy—the highest rating among major platforms, according to July data from KFF.
Consumers want brands to show up on social media as honest, original, and engaged, though risks remain around posting on social issues and chasing trend dominance. What matters more to users is transparency and safety, especially regarding AI-generated content, data privacy, and platform decisions. To establish and maintain consumer trust and interest, brands should root their social strategy in authenticity. Aligning posts, partnerships, and platform choices with internal voices will help brands resonate more than chasing virality or clout.
Brands are testing the waters with AI-generated influencers as AI becomes a staple of advertising and everyday life. Telecommunications brand Vodafone is the latest to jump on the trend. Despite consumer hesitancy, AI is increasingly shaping the ad ecosystem, necessitating that advertisers take a balanced approach to leverage AI for its creative and operational potential without alienating consumers.
Social media (27%) and streaming video (25%) have the highest percentage of time spent on gaming-related content, per May 2025 data from Bain & Company.
Despite persistent inequities in the US healthcare system, Black, Hispanic, and Asian consumers are more positive about health and wellness. They actively look for and buy healthcare products and information online. To effectively reach Black, Hispanic, and Asian consumers, marketers should consider the following: Reflect their positive outlook on health and wellness. Be specific about how your brand can help. Use digital channels and social media to create engaging, educational videos. Partner with health influencers to connect with these younger, culturally aware audiences.
The news: Virality can push brand awareness and sales, but the pressure to stay relevant online is exhausting marketers and even leading to rushed, imperfect campaigns. 22% of marketers feel compelled to respond to viral social media moments daily or multiple times per week, per an Adobe Express survey. This constant pressure is causing over one-third (37%) of marketers to report a high level of burnout, including 47% of Gen Z marketers. Our take: Trend-chasing can boost growth, but the emotional and strategic costs can be real. The most successful marketers will focus on brand fit, understanding that the key isn't just speed, but thoughtful alignment and knowing when not to post.
The news: Facebook is promoting its Pokes feature in an effort to increase user engagement. Pokes—a mainstay feature of the early Facebook experience—are regaining popularity, prompting Facebook to make it a more central part of the user experience, per TechCrunch. Users can now track their “Pokes count” with friends, essentially a streak, on top of a dedicated Poke button added to Facebook profiles. Our take: Meta relies on Facebook for the lion’s share of its ad revenues. While Pokes may seem to be a low-stakes experiment, re-engaging younger users is a high-stakes battle, and even small features can tip the balance if they create sticky user habits.
Meta will allow advertisers to exclude specific words or phrases from AI-generated ad copy to protect and align with brand image as it accelerates its AI advertising push. While barriers to adoption remain, Meta’s continued push toward AI ad automation signals where the future of advertising is heading: One where AI will increasingly balance scale with control to give marketers confidence in experimenting with automated campaigns.