Meta has rolled out major upgrades to partnership ads on Facebook and Instagram, introducing new AI-enabled tools, broader creator discovery surfaces, and an API that lets advertisers programmatically convert UGC and creator posts into paid ads at scale. Partnership ads already outperform standard formats—19% lower CPAs and 13% higher CTRs—and with Gen Z more receptive to creator messaging and most consumers taking action quickly after seeing creator content, Meta is formalizing the path from organic influence to paid performance. For marketers, the message is clear: creator content is now a foundational performance lever, not an experimental add-on.
The Home Depot launched a new creator portal this week, a hub where creators can access content inspiration, campaign opportunities, and expertise to build content around home improvement, DIY projects, and decor tips.
The deal lets mid-market advertisers tap intent-rich audiences with automated, outcome-based TV campaigns
The majority (61%) of clinicians are very concerned about medical misinformation online, per an Inlightened survey in October. Clinicians see misinformation as a growing threat, but many need help stepping into the digital conversation.
42% of consumers discuss sporting events with friends or family after seeing out-of-home (OOH) ads, according to a September report from The Harris Poll.
Marketing leaders are reallocating spending toward social, prioritizing user engagement, and reducing focus on traditional SEO tactics. The shift reflects marketers’ desire for speed, flexibility, and clear ROI signals. But it also shows the growing need to balance long-term brand building with short-term, engagement-driven wins. Brands should rebalance—not replace—channel mix by defining engagement benchmarks and KPIs that tie directly to brand lift, evaluating influencer impact beyond vanity metrics, and protecting core SEO efforts that support long-term discoverability.
Instagram is offering users increased control over the inputs that shape their Reels feed by adding algorithm control options. Reels users can see a summary of what content Instagram thinks they like and directly choose which topics they want to see more or less of. Brands should lean into Instagram’s growing focus on interest-signaling by aligning creative with the topics users care about most. Focus on making every ad placement fit within curated feed experiences to reduce ad clutter and boost relevance.
Attention metrics (AUs) in the social media video landscape are gradually fragmenting as audiences shift to platforms with interest-driven feeds, per our industry KPI data provided by Adelaide. Consumer attention fragmenting across platforms means that advertisers who are already struggling to reach target audiences on social media are facing an uphill battle. Focusing on interest-driven platforms like Reddit and Pinterest as they gain AUs can help drive stronger results, while maintaining investment in leaders like YouTube will remain essential.
Australia has enacted the world’s first nationwide ban on social-media accounts for anyone under 16, forcing platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat to remove underage users or face major penalties. Policymakers and researchers will study the effects on mental health, offline behavior, and migration to unregulated platforms—insights that could influence US policy, where similar proposals are already gaining traction. For advertisers, the implications are significant: removing millions of teen users would constrict future reach curves, shift youth attention toward gaming-adjacent spaces, raise competition for compliant inventory, and complicate early brand-building. Australia’s experiment may foreshadow US market disruption.
A spike in consumer interest, changing social expectations, and perception has brands and retailers leaning into men's fragrances. "The days of guys only wanting a classic, masculine scent are gone," said Sarah Armstrong, associate content manager at Axe US."Guys are looking for excitement in the fragrance category, wanting to explore new scent cues," she said. "For example, we've seen more gourmand, sweet fragrances come to market over the last few years."
Nearly one-third (64%) of SMBs cite social as their No. 1 traffic source, topping organic search at 52% and reflecting a broader move in how buyers discover brands, per WordStream by LocaliQ. SMBs are embracing social platforms as a remedy for increasing volatility from genAI search updates. Brands looking to reach SMBs should prioritize Instagram and TikTok, where engagement and creator ROI lead. Short-form, tutorial-style content that tackles real SMB pain points performs best on these platforms. SMBs should double down on social strategies while strengthening content so AI summaries surface their brands before competitors’.
TikTok is rolling out an optional “Nearby” feed that lets users share their locations and helps them find things like a new restaurant close to home or discover places to explore while on a trip, per TikTok. The feature is available now in the UK, France, Italy, and Germany for users 18 and older. The Nearby feed opens up opportunities for brands to attract new customers through social discovery, without relying solely on “For You” feeds or ad placements. Brands could see increased organic exposure—especially from users engaging with search-friendly content.
Short-form video platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts contribute to poorer cognitive and mental health, or “brain rot”, among viewers, per an analysis by Griffith University researchers. Research has previously linked social media use to mental health risks, especially for adolescents and young adults, but the rapid spread of short-form video adds a newer and increasingly common point of exposure.
TikTok users’ engagement-driven discovery habits offer a unique benefit to social marketers. Eighty-three percent of weekly US users ages 13 and older have taken some type of action after seeing an ad on TikTok, per Edison Research’s The Infinite Scroll report, and 64% have used TikTok to discover new music, 47% to find new podcasts, and 30% to discover audiobooks. To capitalize on TikTok users’ discovery mindset, broad reach, and positive UX, focus on building campaigns that tap into trending sounds, videos, and behaviors to meet users during moments of intentional discovery.
Out-of-home (OOH) ad revenues reached an all-time Q3 high, according to the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA). OOH ad revenues grew 4.5% YoY in Q3, reaching $2.13 billion—the 18th consecutive quarter of growth reported by OAAA. Sustaining investment in OOH will remain critical because the format offers reach unmatched by other channels by leveraging high-traffic locations and providing unavoidable exposure.
Acast has launched the UK’s biggest integrated podcast marketplace, combining audio and YouTube video inventory through a partnership with Little Dot Studios. The deal gives podcasters access to Little Dot’s 11 billion monthly YouTube views and enables advertisers to buy premium CPM audio alongside dynamic YouTube video ads and sponsorships within one system. This aligns with shifting listener habits: nearly half of UK consumers now prefer watching podcasts, and YouTube will reach over three-quarters of the country by 2029. As podcast video growth steadies, Acast’s unified analytics across audio, YouTube, and social offer marketers a more efficient, accountable way to scale creator-led campaigns.
YouTube and NBCUniversal are doubling down on creator-led Olympic storytelling for Milano Cortina 2026 after Paris proved how strongly younger viewers gravitate toward digital personalities. Top YouTubers will chronicle the journeys of 40 Team USA athletes, with unprecedented access inside trials, training environments, and even the Athlete Village. Nearly half of global sports fans—and 59% of adults ages 18 to 44—follow sports influencers, while YouTube captured 17% of all global Olympic engagement in 2024. For marketers, creators now sit at the center of Olympic discovery, highlights, and cultural relevance, making YouTube indispensable to Games-era planning.
A group of Swedish publishers is suing Meta over scam ads on Facebook. The publishing group, Utgivarna, accused Meta of fraud, complicity in fraud, and preparation for fraud due to Facebook ads that impersonate Swedish journalists and media brands. In addition, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are investigating Meta’s role in financial scams. We’re likely to see more lawsuits from other publishers who are seeking to protect their brand, name, and ability to earn trust from new consumers.