Backlash over e.l.f. Beauty’s partnership with controversial creator Matt Rife and debates sparked by Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad shows that advertisers are facing a moment of heightened scrutiny that requires rigorous vetting of influencer partnerships. As audiences turn to influencers for purchasing decisions and rethink brand loyalty for those who turn their backs on social issues, brands who remain selective and thorough about the creators they work with will win trust.

The news: Social media is no longer just a branding tool—it’s a commerce engine, particularly among Gen Z. Over half (56%) of US Gen Zers have made a purchase because of a social media influencer, per CivicScience’s 2025 Gen Z Media Consumption report. That’s up from 41% in 2023. 52% of Gen Zers have made a purchase directly on a social media platform, compared with 32% of adults over 30. Our take: Gen Z’s buying behavior is embedded in social-first platforms, where influence equals transaction. Partnerships with nano-influencers, who often have extremely engaged audiences, can help boost reach. Brands should test direct in-platform checkout integration on social media to boost conversion and capitalize on growing ecommerce options on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

As the creator economy continues to expand, consumer attention is further fragmenting across a growing number of creators and platforms. But revenues are increasingly consolidating into top names, squeezing the long tail of creators and other creator economy stakeholders.

The news: Gen Z is reshaping how consumers shop, spend, and stay well—without ever leaving their screens. US Gen Zers record 425 digital actions a month—40.3% more than Gen Xers and 141.5% more than baby boomers, per PYMNTS Intelligence. Our take: Brands should partner with carefully chosen SMEs to expand reach. High social video subscriber counts won’t bring the best ROI if creators aren’t well-versed in what they’re promoting. They should also ensure websites and checkout processes are frictionless. Gen Z wants quick, effortless experiences. Brands that provide those have the best chance to win them over, and other generations will follow their lead.

As consumers trade traditional search engines for social feeds, brands are approaching these platforms as drivers of brand awareness and conversion. TikTok Shop has rapidly become the eighth-largest beauty retailer in the United States, according to a February report from NielsenIQ. 41% of Gen Z turns to social platforms first for finding information, ahead of search engines (32%), AI chatbots (11%), and friends and family (9%), according to a May Sprout Social survey.

The news: YouTube is testing a collaboration option that allows all creators to share credit on individual videos, boosting visibility across channels. MrBeast is among the first to trial the co-author credits. Our take: YouTube is copying an offering that Instagram and TikTok have already rolled out—a common tactic across social media. It will likely give influencers—YouTube’s bread and butter—a helping hand to increase collaborations and subscriber counts. But it could also decrease production as multiple creators share a single video without producing their own individual content.

The news: Instagram added new limitations to its livestream feature, now requiring creators to have a public account with over 1,000 followers to go live, per TechCrunch. Our take: While it could benefit Meta’s competitive position in the livestream space, Instagram’s latest restrictions will harm creators looking to break into the influencer space—necessitating rapid adaptation. Smaller creators could shift attention to other platforms with less restrictive livestream requirements—think YouTube, which only requires 50 subscribers to go live, and Twitch, which has no livestream minimum.

The news: YouTube is giving connected TV (CTV) users the ability to skip to the most-viewed part of a video, helping them avoid slow moments or sponsored content. The feature was previously available on mobile and web for Premium subscribers and is now rolling out to Premium users who watch YouTube on its CTV app, per Android Authority. Our take: Influencer sponsored content spots are becoming more invisible and avoidable. Brands should pivot toward native product integrations within core content or have creators place sponsorships in pre- and post-roll messaging, which may be less likely to be bypassed by AI. The era of passive viewing is over. Viewers have more control, and brands need to adapt to stay visible.

The news: Brands are ramping up influencer investment and creator rates are skyrocketing following Unilever’s commitment to allocate half of its advertising budget on an “influencer-first” strategy. Numerous influencer and social agencies “unanimously” claimed a notable increase in client spend on influencer marketing since Unilever’s announcement, per sources cited by The Drum. Our take: Unilever has accelerated a trend that was already in motion, signaling the broader shift among advertisers toward influencer-led strategies that deliver consistent engagement and targeted reach among key demographics.

The news: Influencer marketing is leading the way in attention metrics, with viewers in India spending 2.2 times longer viewing ads with influencers before skipping, per Kantar research. The average skip time for traditional branded content is 7.9 seconds—but for ads with influencer content, that number jumps to 17.8 seconds. Our take: While a necessary part of the media mix, traditional ads are not enough to drive consistent growth—and partnering with reliable influencers will prove valuable as social media represents a critical path to purchase. Influencer voices are able to cut through the noise of social media.

Though TikTok Shop faces the dual challenges of economic instability and a tenuous presence on US app stores, marketers are still taking advantage of its positioning as both a social platform and ecommerce engine.

The news: TikTok is reportedly exploring a US-only version of its app amid ongoing discussions of a US ban and selloff, per The Information. Known internally as “M2,” the app will reportedly launch in September and require users to download a new version to use TikTok in the US—though users will have several months to make the switch. Our take: We will continue to monitor closely for further developments, particularly the specifics of user data and algorithm migration, which will directly dictate the app's future efficacy for bank marketing. For now, FIs should maintain their Gen Z outreach strategies on TikTok with a high degree of adaptability.

The news: Gen Z’s media habits are changing fast—and most brands aren’t keeping up. New data shows Gen Z spends hours on social media daily, but not passively: they’re engaging in participatory, creator-led environments where trust and relatability matter more than production polish. Fifty-two percent say they feel closer to creators than celebrities. Gaming platforms like Roblox are central, with adults 25–34 averaging 100 minutes per session. Our take: legacy ad formats don’t cut it anymore. To earn Gen Z’s attention, brands need to integrate into native experiences, empower creators as collaborators, and measure more than just impressions.

The news: Consumers increasingly trust shopping suggestions from AI, even more than product suggestions from content creators, positioning the technology as a trusted and personalized guide rather than a back-end tool. 27% of US consumers trust AI shopping recommendations, per Walmart’s Retail Rewired Report, compared with 24% who trust suggestions from social media influencers. Our take: AI retail tools are most likely to succeed if they offer both speed and a sense of user control. Retailers should let users set spending caps and offer options to pause or customize recommendations to help AI agents feel more like a trusted assistant than a pushy salesperson.

The news: Banks shouldn't use a single marketing strategy for all young people—Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Gen Z (born 1997-2012) have distinct financial behaviors. Millennials, shaped by economic uncertainty, seek stability and pragmatic digital tools, valuing expert advice. Gen Z, digital natives, demand effortless speed, are influencer-driven, and focus on immediate experiences, often skeptical of traditional banks. Our take: Marketing must be tailored. For millennials, emphasize trust, reliability, and security for long-term goals, offering expert education. For Gen Z, highlight speed, flexibility, and convenience through engaging, short-form content on platforms like TikTok, utilizing influencers to build rapport.

The news: Influencer marketing spending is increasing steadily in the US and worldwide, representing a key area of growth as audiences turn to the creators they trust for purchase decisions. In a conversation with EMARKTER, Arthur Leopold, head of the creator content ad platform Agentio, discussed why audiences are turning to influencers, how technology is changing the game, and where influencer marketing is heading. Our take: Influencer marketing continues to be a core focus for advertisers in a consumer landscape dominated by social media—but as more brands invest in influencers, advertisers need to keep key considerations in mind.

The news: Brands are increasingly engaging with nano-, micro-, and mid-tier influencers—creators with up to 10,000, 50,000, 500,000 followers, respectively—and shifting away from macro- and mega-influencers with larger followings. Nano-influencers maintain the highest engagement rate across influencer categories on Instagram at 6.23%. On Instagram, there’s a notable trend of engagement rates decreasing as follower count increases. Our take: Partnering with nano-, micro-, and mid-tier influencers enables brands to tap into deeper authenticity and niche audiences, translating to more meaningful engagement and higher ROI than broader, but less personal, macro-influencer campaigns.

The trend: Women see and hear more health-related information than men, especially when it comes to weight loss drugs and anti-aging treatments. Our take: Pharma and healthcare marketers need to more effectively reach women. Instead of marketing to all women, market to mindsets like self-care via social media influencers’ tips and advice, or motivations like caregiving and prevention by tapping into mammogram screening advocacy and resources that support overburdened women who care for loved ones.

The news: Lowe’s launched a home improvement creator network as part of a strategy to reach younger audiences through social media personalities. The network, which Lowe’s framed as key to deepening its connection with Gen Z and millennial consumers, features MrBeast as its first high-profile partner. Our take: Reaching younger generations is crucial for sustained growth, and as influencer marketing surges, Lowe’s strategy could prove effective at bridging the gap with young homeowners. Influencer collaborations are most likely to be effective when the creator is seen as unbiased and honest, authentic, entertaining, and educational.

The news: Google launched “Portraits” on Thursday, a new experiment that creates AI-generated versions of influencers that offer users notes and advice using the voice of the individual they’re based on. Described as “personalized AI coaching built alongside real experts,” Portraits is built in partnership with the AI celebrity’s real-life counterpart. Our take: Google’s experiment, while it may not connect with every audience member, could prove effective at increasing time spent with Google’s AI offerings, drawing attention away from competitors like Meta AI and potentially unlocking a new revenue stream if Google monetizes in the future.