Top 7 Updates of the Week and What’s Trending

By: |Published on: May 5, 2025|Categories: Advertising, Business Development, Case Studies, Competitive Tracking, Consumer Trends, Creative Development & Advertising, Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurs and Founders Tips, Marketing Channels, Marketing Technology, Online Marketing, Research and Trends|

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Social Juice on Substack has some useful summaries of latest marketing and digital news and trends, definitely worth subscribing to. Here’s an example from a recent update from May 4th 2025. It’s quite US centric but a lot applies globally:
  • Mark Zuckerberg just declared war on the entire advertising industry.
  • Pinterest is doing something about its AI slop infestation, AI content labels are here.
  • Amazon ad revenue rises 18% to $13.9 Billion in first quarter.
  • Meta’s quarterly earnings beat Wall Street expectations as its AI investments rise by billions.
  • Reddit reports strong sales and issues optimistic guidance. (Q1)
  • Microsoft moderates A.I. Spending as profit increases 18%, tech company beats Wall Street’s targets.
  • LinkedIn expands Wire Program, now called BrandLink, new initiative to help creators with monetization.
Trending
  • Google places ads inside chatbot conversations with AI startups.
  • Snap Q1 2025: Snapchat hits 900M monthly users, no guidance uncertainty.
  • Reddit slams ‘unethical experiment’ that deployed secret AI bots in r/ChangeMyMind forum.
    • Researchers from the University of Zurich have also admitted to secretly posting AI-generated material.
  • Pinterest finally broke its silence on the mass bans, and it’s only made users angrier.
  • UK ad spend surpasses £40bn for first time, podcast ad market grows 8% in the UK; video grows 20%.
  • Trump says he’s ending federal funding for NPR and PBS. They say he can’t.
  • DOJ confirms it wants to break up Google’s ad business.
  • ‘Confused and confusing’: Why PwC has rebranded to simplify its brand identity.
    • PwC’s Formula One-aided brand refresh hints at ‘safe harbor’ of live sports amid a potential economic crisis.
  • Amazon will invest $4 billion to enhance its rural delivery capabilities.
  • Gen Z’s hole in the labor market could soon grow.
  • Bountiful Cow study finds all news is brand-safe, with ‘unsafe’ inventory most effective.
  • Madwell is shutting down. Read the email CEO Chris Sojka sent to staff.
  • Marriott to buy CitizenM for $355 Million.
  • Big marketers like Mastercard, PepsiCo and Nissan are rethinking Pride Marketing.
  • Apple failed to open App Store to competition, judge rules.
  • US Consumer Confidence plunged again in April.
  • Publicis acquires Adopt, a brand building company at the center of sport, athletes and culture.
  • ADP National Employment Report: Private sector employment increased by 62,000 Jobs in April; annual pay was Up 4.5%.
  • What a $15,000 Electric SUV says about U.S.-China car rivalry.
  • Temu to stop selling goods from China directly to US customers.
  • New IPA report highlights five strategies for supporting age inclusion in UK advertising agency business.