Alphabet earnings disappoint, except in the cloud: Google Cloud surpassed Q3 expectations as Alphabet’s topline revenue dashes investor hopes. Expect more pressure on employees, which could harm workplace culture.

Apple is demanding 30% of promoted post transactions: The App Store now says promoted posts should be treated as in-app purchases in a not-so-subtle attack against Meta.

One year after the company’s name change, Meta’s business is in disarray. We explore the reasons for the downturn, our two-year outlook, and how companies that rely on Facebook, Instagram, and other Meta platforms should adjust their strategies.

Last October, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook was rebranding as Meta and setting its sights on the metaverse, which he dubbed the “successor to the mobile internet.” But 12 months and more than $15 billion later, the company has little to show for it.

BeReal is the newest kid on the social media block. The app has already captured the attention of Gen Z, and its growing popularity has sparked copycat features from Snapchat, Instagram and, yes, even TikTok. But do brands of all stripes need to embrace BeReal—or is it not ready for primetime just yet

On today's episode, we discuss how Meta’s metaverse plans are coming along, its new virtual reality headset, and how the company is moving forward with its metaverse ambitions. "In Other News," we talk about the controversy over Decentraland's user count and what Google’s ambient aspirations are. Tune in to the discussion with our director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman and analyst Gadjo Sevilla.

While other publishers have struggled in the wake of Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency (ATT), Apple Search Ads has tripled its market share of mobile advertising since the first half of 2020, according to AppsFlyer’s latest “Performance Index.”

DoorDash’s latest ad moves are designed with CPGs in mind: The delivery platform launched several new tools to make it easier for brands to build, manage, and measure campaigns.

TikTok’s latest target is podcasts: YouTube’s success with the format tipped off the short-form video app to an opportunity for incremental growth.

Generative AI’s trillion-dollar wellspring: Tech shows its love for the arts as long as AI’s the artist. It’s an economic bright spot, but brace for ethical and legal controversy.

Q3 wasn’t an easy quarter for Meta. Snap is in a tough spot. TikTok was the elephant in the room amid its rivals’ disappointing Q2 earnings calls.

Extra, extra, read all about it: Newsletters and the platforms that house them have had a strong few years. But with churn and tech layoffs, can they keep up?

In this report, we look at the most important updates for social platforms in Q3 and how those changes will affect marketers. For the first time, we’re including updates for YouTube as well.

Meta shares its earnings with creators: New Reels ads expand choices for brands and revenue opportunities for influencers.

Ahead of its third-quarter earnings, Meta has expanded its ad offerings for Instagram, Messenger, and Reels.

TikTok will bring live shopping to the US after all: The platform is partnering with TalkShopLive for the launch, despite lackluster results in the US.

LTK thinks the time is ripe for a social commerce foray: The app is integrating shopping just as Meta and TikTok cool off on commerce.

Learning is the new retention perk: A survey shows that learning opportunities incentivize younger workers to stay at their jobs. It shows how Big Tech could close the skills deficit.

In the US, 52% of Facebook users reported seeing more ads on the social network, while nearly half of YouTube and Instagram users said the same of their respective platforms. Across the social platforms we studied, less than 10% of users felt ad load had decreased.

Meta and Google are laying off staff in a curious manner: It’s not en masse, and it’s quieter than usual—but it’s still happening.