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The Top Three 🏆

The industry’s most important stories today.

🥇 “META? HARD PASS.”

Check on the creators, they are not ok: With TikTok teetering on the edge of a ban, many marketers are looking to Meta as Plan B. But influencers? Not so much.

Since the Supreme Court hearing on TikTok’s potential shutdown, creators have been dragging Meta online—turning off its data-sharing and deleting their Facebook accounts. Google searches for how to delete Facebook and Instagram have spiked, especially after Meta scrapped its third-party fact-checking program. more 

• Even for those sticking with Meta, concerns loom: Can the algorithm deliver content to the right audience? Is monetization even viable?

• So where are anti-Meta users and creators headed? Many told Marketing Brew that YouTube is looking like the rebound platform of choice.

🥈 STAY(S) OF EXECUTION?

Reports this morning said the Biden administration is looking for ways to prevent TikTok's shutdown in the U.S. on Sunday. more

• Donald Trump is also said to be considering an executive order to delay the law for 60 to 90 days once he is president (on Monday).

• But legal experts say a president cannot override a law passed by Congress.

• In a last-ditch effort, Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts introduced the "Extend the TikTok Deadline Act," which could grant TikTok 270 more days to divest from its Chinese parent company.

🥉 AI ADS SPEAK TO GEN Z

When it comes to AI-generated ads, a recent survey shows high-quality visuals or graphics are the top way to grab the attention of both Gen Z and millennials. While celebrity or influencer endorsements rank as the least effective strategy. more

• 4 out of 5 advertisers said they feel at least somewhat positive about using generative AI to create ads.

• We just can’t win: However, nearly a third of Gen Zers said they would trust a company less for using an AI-generated ad, compared with a quarter of millennials.

Today’s Other News ☑︎

Everything else that matters.

Advertising 📣

• As Meta's platforms get pricier and possibly less brand-safe, Comcast is eyeing your ad dollars. Its new Universal Ads platform aims to lure direct-to-consumer and SME advertisers to TV and connected TV. Media buyers told Digiday that many DTC brands are ready to make the switch. more

Search 🔍

• Google now recommends only accepting ratings that include both the author's name and a review comment. While not required, this is strongly encouraged to help users understand the context behind the rating. more

• eMarketer predicts generative search will become the new norm in 2025, reshaping ad spend and search strategies. Tech giants and retailers like Amazon and Walmart are already adopting AI-powered search, with 40% of U.S. consumers interested in using AI-driven search engines for online shopping. more

Social Media 📱

• Caught in the crossfire: As TikTok faces a potential U.S. ban, users are flocking to the Chinese app RedNote. However, The Information reports that the Cyberspace Administration of China is raising red flags over politically sensitive English-language content not complying with the country's strict social media rules, pushing RedNote to censor posts from U.S. users. more

• Snapchat wasted no time targeting creators with a new ad campaign amid the TikTok drama. The ad launched this week, with messaging that tells users to “find your favorites on Snapchat,” and features some creators that built their audience on TikTok. more

• LinkedIn’s new “Job Match” tool will show you how your skills stack up against job ads and offer tips to boost your chances of landing an interview. It will even help you write a cover letter. more

Tech & Acquisitions ⚙️ 

• The .AI domain has moved to a new domain name registry, giving it stronger security, stability, and protection against outages. Previously managed by a local small business named DataHaven.net, it’s now accessible through more than 90% of global registrars. more

• Ad buying platform The Trade Desk has acquired Sincera, an ad-tech data platform that analyzes and organizes the programmatic advertising supply chain. Terms of the deal remain undisclosed. more

Trends & Insights 💡 

• WPP's recent mandate requiring its 114,000 employees to return to the office four days per week has sparked debate over workplace flexibility in the ad industry. Between the extremes, WorkLife reports many agencies have embraced hybrid models and plan to stick with them, at least for now. more

  • 😂 BTW a recent survey found that 4 out of 10 workers would rather leave their partner than return to the office.

• 2025 colour trends: Pinterest's new report identifies the colours most likely to resonate with consumers this year.

  • Cherry Red

  • Butter Yellow

  • Aura Indigo

  • Dill Green

  • Alpine Oat

OPINION
Are We Set for a Major Shake-up of Social Media?

It feels like we’re at an inflection point for social media, a moment where there’s a viable opening for a competitor to come in and dilute the power of the incumbents.

But are we really?

Sure, Meta has back-flipped on its moderation standards to appease the incoming president, while Elon Musk has transformed Twitter into a propaganda machine to benefit his own interests, and TikTok is on the way out of the U.S.

We also now have viable competition, in Bluesky, and related, decentralized social apps, that can provide similar functionality to the big corporations.

Yet, even then, historically, major controversies haven’t sparked mass user migrations in the past. And despite many loud complaints, and proclamations of defiance in the face of capitalist agendas, I don’t see any competitors taking any huge chunks of users away from the big players as yet.

Take, for example, Meta…

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Marketing Tool of the Day 🔨

Cool stuff we found on the web (not a paid placement)

If you’re like me and enjoy testing out the most recent platforms, you’re probably on Bluesky and Mastodon and Threads.. and maybe Nostr.

That’s a lot of separate apps to install, learn, update, etc.

I’ve been using OpenVibe lately — it’s a single app that integrates all four platforms into a single feed, and your posts automatically go out to all the connected platforms.

• Cross Posting: Create a post once and share it across all your connected networks simultaneously

• Control and Privacy: Openvibe has no ads and says it doesn’t sell your data.

Given the increasing fragmentation of social media, Openvibe might be worth checking out.

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