Top 6 Updates of the Week:

• Google Advertisers in EU need to immediate actions to prevent performance issues, says Google.
• Youtube launches live testing of A/B Testing feature in Studio.
  
• New Consumer research reveals every Facebook user is monitored by 1000s of brands for Targeted Ads.
  
• Meta launches new creator management tools for agencies and SMMs.
• LinkedIn launches new Ad Channel; Sponsored Articles.
  
• Google is allegedly laying off hundreds of employees in Advertising sector.
  

TikTok 🎶

• Adobe’s new research shows over 2 in 5 Americans use TikTok as a search engine.
• TikTok shares new insights on protecting election integrity in 2024.
• New Report from TikTok Canada on how to market to French-Canadians.
  
• The new test feature in testing to create an AI song.
• TikTok launches new valentine’s Day marketing guide.
  
• TikTok parent Bytedance launched 4 AI Apps powered by OpenAI, says Forbes report.
• TikTok is testing an editing features for location stickers.
• New Super Bowl TikTok Tailgate event announced.

Instagram & Threads 🗂️

• Instagram launches ‘time for a break’ alerts for nighttime teen users.
  
• You can now cancel Instagram story during the uploading process.
• Threads launches new feature to hide both likes and shares on your content.
• The feature to save Threads posts is currently in testing.
  
• Instagram now allows users to create a sticker from existing image posts.

Meta 😅

• Mark Zuckerberg shares new information about their open-sourced AGIs.
• Sheryl Sandberg quits board of Meta and Mark’s empire, leaving after 12 years.
• WhatsApp launches new tools for Channels, adding polls and voice notes features.
• Double Verify expands their assurance partnership with Meta.
• Metaverse is still in the loop for Meta and it will take at least a decade to call it a failure or success, shares Meta Exec.

X (Twitter) 🕹️

• X slowly rolling out audio and video calls for android users.
• Downloading videos in Twitter DMs is live now.
• Community Notes approved time gets shorter.
  

Youtube 🕹️

• Youtube shares that latest Ad blocker slowdown was caused by 3rd party blocker.
• Youtube App is not on the apps list for Apple Vision Pro, I mean not yet.
  
• Youtube is restructuring creator management teams.

Google 🔦

• Google shows an hovering ‘unsubscribe' button for newsletters and emails.
• Google responds to claims of Google news boosting AI generated content.
• Google launches new Headline and Description features, Advertisers are loving it.
• New Image Search & AI features announced for Google Search.
• How Google Search & Overall Android is changing due to EU’s DMA.
  
• New German Research shows Google search has gotten worse with increasing SEO spam.
  
• Google rolls out new Performance Max guide and update the old ones.
• Google will prioritise comparison sites over vertical features like Google flights in EU.

Agency News

• Unilever launches global media review.
• VCCP Media steals both CEO and CSO roles from Interpublic’s Initiative.
  
• LeoBurnett wins Vodafone UK account.
  
• Gap In. Puts its US media account in review.
• Uncommon takes Nike Jordan on the streets of Europe, with intent to make brand global.
  
• 72andSunny Australia appointed as New Creative Agency for MLC.
• Metrolinx hires Ogilvy Canada as AOR on GO Transit and UP Express.
• Supergroup hires Digitas as US media agency of record.
  
• Medialab appointed to run media account for Save the Children UK.
  
• Smoking Gun (Agency) wins global comms for Apita Group.
• VML announces global creative leadership team.
• Good-Loop, Charity-focused Ad firm reveals new brand identity.

Brands & Ads 🏓

My Fav; Burger King Brazil’s bold rename campaign, McDonald’s Island is now Whopper Island.

• Norton’s new app campaign calling out online scams, featuring Dan Levy.
• Holland & Barrett’s TV comeback campaign for New Year costs £4 million, counting on their gut health research.
• Motherwell FC Ad campaign asks Hollywood A-listers for sponsorships.
• Michelob Ultra named sponsor of Team USA through 2028 Olympics.
• KitKat launches new OOH Creative, asking Brits to take a break from the cold.
  
• Hotels (com) plays matchmaker for travellers in new Global Campaign.
• Mercedes Benz’s new campaign strikes back to remind you it’s still the classier than ever.
• Hargreaves Lansdown’s new campaign got the money running a marathon.
• Clipper Tea’s new animated Ad is a fun to watch and I bet most won’t skip it.
  
• KFC’s Colonel Sanders is enjoying the gaming culture in Korea.
• Marks & Spencers will ditch ‘Sparks Prices’ trial in loyalty brand scheme review.
• WeTransfer appoints former Twitter MD as Chief Advertising officer.

AI 🤨

• Image Generation is coming to Google Bard, using their Imagen 2 Advanced text-to-image tech.
  
• Vodafone and Microsoft AI enter a 10-year partnership worth £1.2bn.
• WPP launches new AI model called ‘AI Marketing Maturity Model’ to help orgs boost transformation.
• OpenAI announces first partnership with Arizona State University.
  
• AlphaGeometry, New Olympiad-level AI system for geometry launched by Google.
• Mistral plans to challenge AI frontrunners Google and OpenAI.

Reddit & Pinterest

• Reddit IPO Is now planned to launch in March.
• Pinterest launches a new board in partnership with Reneé Rapp.
  
• New Coachella Pinterest partnership to launch event boards.

Microsoft & LinkedIn

• Microsoft launches Copilot Pro for $20 per month for every user.
• LinkedIn announces launch of new Job search features; collections & new filters.

Marketing & AdTech

• New Jersey passes consumer privacy law.
• LiveRamp plans to acquire Habu, Cross-cloud data clean room specialist platform for $200M.
• Ad Leaders launch Blackweek, A Conference to address Business problems through diversity and inclusion.
• Netflix tests retail deal with Carrefour to gain subscribers for their Ad plan.
• 75Media acquires iQ OOH for an undisclosed sum.
• Asda appoints SMG as new Retail Media Network partner.
• NBCUniversal launches new Ad Platform called, One Platform Total Audience.
• Instagram co-founder shuts down Artifact, the TikTok-like news feed app.
• VML Germany announces Vanessa Kerkhoff as CEO.
  
• Cj Worx announces departure from Stagwell’s Affiliate Network.
• Wayfair lays off 1,650 employees in latest restructuring.
  
• Sports illustrated lays off entire staff, the future is unplanned.
• The Honey Pot to be acquired for $380 Million in February.
  
• Salesforce announces new tools for retail marketers.

I hope this helps to plan your week ahead.*