蘑菇AV

Discounts are a primary motivator for TikTok Shop purchases: But that tactic may not be sustainable for sellers reeling from the impact of China tariffs.

TikTok debuts AI Alive, an image-to-video generation tool: The feature is part of TikTok鈥檚 push to maintain dominance in a competitive short-form market.

TikTok brings DMs directly to livestreams: The update is part of TikTok鈥檚 broader livestream push, designed to keep brands and creators around.

Social platforms vie for attention at NewFronts: Meta, TikTok, and Snap all debuted ad updates designed to remain competitive amid a backdrop of uncertainty.

Regulators slammed TikTok for failing to protect 175M EU users from potential Chinese access, fueling divestment and ban pressures worldwide.

TikTok makes a bid to encourage creators, agencies to livestream: The push is part of the platform鈥檚 strategic effort to avoid a US ban.

The news: Instagram and TikTok are working on plans to develop connected TV (CTV) apps to mimic the success of YouTube鈥檚 big-screen push, per The Information. Our take: Advertisers may be hesitant to spend on placements before user adoption is proven. TikTok and Meta should prepare for initial losses and, to ensure a robust content pipeline for TV, introduce new simple editing tools or financial incentives to help creators optimize vertical posts for the horizontal big screen.

The market will return to growth in 2025, but retailers face ongoing disruption from ultra-fast-fashion players and TikTok Shop.

The trend: At Cannes Lions 2025, Meta, TikTok, Google, and others made clear that AI-powered ad automation is no longer an experiment鈥攊t鈥檚 the plan. The news: Meta and TikTok each emphasized agency relationships, but both platforms expanded generative AI tools that let brands generate and manage campaigns without intermediaries. Amazon, Comcast, and Google are doing the same, pushing toward platform-native, self-serve ad models. Our take: As automation replaces traditional support services, agencies face existential pressure. To stay relevant, holding companies will need to prove they offer value that AI can鈥檛 replace鈥攆ast.

The news: Lululemon is suing Costco for selling dupes. In a lawsuit filed June 25, the athleisure brand accuses the wholesale giant of infringing on its design patents by selling knockoff sweatshirts, jackets, and other activewear. Lululemon seeks an immediate halt to sales of the disputed products and unspecified monetary damages. Our take: For nearly as long as there have been name brands, there have been knockoffs. But the rise of dupe culture on TikTok鈥攃ombined with increasingly cost-conscious consumers looking鈥攊s pushing more shoppers toward cheaper alternatives and more brands to the brink. It's become a growing headache for companies like Est茅e Lauder, which have struggled as buyers opt for low-priced lookalikes. Lululemon鈥檚 lawsuit marks a significant escalation in the brand鈥檚 efforts to protect its designs. If it succeeds, it could set a precedent鈥攁nd signal that the era of unchecked dupes may be nearing a turning point.

The trend: Global visits to the top 100 web domains fell nearly 7% from March 2022 to March 2025, per Semrush, with Google鈥檚 own traffic down 6.4%, according to Similarweb as cited by DataReportal. Our take: Search is no longer a neutral traffic driver. Marketers need to plan for a world where clicks don鈥檛 come easy and genAI responses, not blue links, dictate traffic and visibility. GEO strategies must ensure brands are surfaced in genAI outputs. Marketers should focus on first-party data, brand-owned channels, and social, especially since platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube are increasingly becoming primary search paths for younger users.

Gen Z defines social winners in Asia-Pacific: Snapchat slows in India while TikTok expands in Indonesia and Singapore.

The news: Banks shouldn't use a single marketing strategy for all young people鈥擬illennials (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: Brazil鈥檚 Supreme Court ruled that social media platforms must be held accountable for illegal user-generated content (UGC), marking a major shift in digital regulation, per Reuters. Six of 11 justices backed fines for non-removal, putting the pressure on platforms to police their content. The decision to place accountability on platform owners could undermine the business and advertising strategies of Meta, YouTube, X, and TikTok. Key takeaway: When governments crack down on platforms, ad environments change fast. If Brazil鈥檚 ruling becomes the norm, social platforms may shift from open forums to tightly controlled spaces鈥攔isking user engagement, discoverability, algorithmic reach, and ad effectiveness.