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KIMP’s Picks 31st January: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More

In the fast-moving world of social media, yesterday’s trends are old news, and today’s updates shape tomorrow’s strategies. KIMP’s Picks is your weekly digest of the most important shifts in AI, marketing, and social media algorithms, curated to keep you ahead of the curve, not scrambling to catch up.

This means that you do not have to feel overwhelmed or feel the sting of FOMO any longer. We handpick some of the most share-worthy posts each week to summarize all the social media buzz. 

So, are you ready to catch up on the insights that matter? Let’s go! 

In the Marketing Realm

Say hello to Google’s new marketing mix model, Meridian

In the increasingly competitive digital advertising landscape, it’s imperative for brands to make data-driven decisions. To accommodate this, Google has announced a new open-source marketing mix model, Meridian. 

This release aims to provide greater transparency and adaptability in marketing measurement. Unlike traditional MMMs, which often struggle to measure digital performance media accurately, Meridian is designed to analyze the true impact of marketing efforts across multiple channels, including search and AI-powered campaigns.

How AI is revolutionizing marketing 

Google shared a post discussing a new study in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) on how AI is transforming marketing performance. 

This survey of over 2,000 marketers globally reveals that AI leaders are experiencing significantly higher revenue growth, roughly 60% higher, than companies just beginning to explore AI’s potential.

The research outlines four key “AI pathways” to marketing excellence-

  • Measurement and insights (using AI for better KPIs and data analysis).
  • Media and personalization (optimizing campaigns and audience targeting).
  • Creative and content (leveraging AI for content creation and optimization).
  • People and process (building AI talent and adapting workflows). 

While many marketers are prioritizing AI adoption, the study emphasizes the importance of understanding your company’s current AI maturity level and taking strategic steps to advance along these pathways.

Google announces updates to Performance Max 

Google shared a post summarizing exciting updates on the latest Performance Max features rolling out in early 2025. 

These enhancements give advertisers more control over AI-driven campaigns while providing deeper insights into performance data.

Key updates include new campaign controls, such as campaign-level negative keywords, demographic exclusions, and device targeting. 

It’s time for advertisers to leverage these new features to embrace AI-driven efficiency amidst growing competition. 

The surge in ad spend 

Search Engine Land is known to provide updates on search marketing news. They shared a post discussing Skai’s Q4 2024 Digital Marketing Quarterly Trends Report. According to the report, there has been a 20% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) increase in ad spend across paid search, retail media, and social media.  

Additionally, the report highlights that ad spending on TikTok has been on the rise. On the whole, this report highlights the significance of paid advertising in today’s digital age. It also underscores the importance of strategizing your funds and diversifying your approach when it comes to choosing the right platforms for paid ads.

It’s time for B2B brands to embrace CTV 

Connected television is the next big thing in the digital realm and brands around the globe are gearing up to embrace this trend. MarTech, a leading authority in marketing technology news shared a post discussing this shift. 

While CTV has been a staple for B2C, B2B advertisers are now exploring its potential for brand awareness and demand generation. CTV excels at building brand awareness and influencing search and social performance. 

Recent advancements in targeting such as Google’s IP-based privacy-safe targeting and LinkedIn’s CTV audience network make it easier for B2B marketers to reach the right decision-makers. 

In the Content Marketing Realm 

YouTube tops TV streaming charts 

With online streaming services exploding several apps like Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video and others are vying for the top spot. A recent Nielsen research revealed that by December, YouTube rose to the top spot commanding about 11.1% of TV & Streaming viewership which is a record high according to YouTube’s post here. 

This indicates the significance of YouTube not just in the social media space but also in the growing popularity of CTV. So, yes, it’s time to start investing in YouTube to elevate your content marketing game. 

What content formats should you focus on? 

Digital marketing expert Neil Patel shared a post highlighting the results of analyzing 218,389 pieces of content over a year. This analysis was about the most profitable content formats for brands and the infographic in the post summarizes the findings. 

The post here discusses both the reach and longevity of posts. Therefore, it can be a great source of inspiration no matter what your content goals are. 

Live Streams, blog posts, and webinars seem to be visibly dominating the space when it comes to reach with webinars having surprisingly impressive longevity as well. 

The post also highlights a variety of other formats like podcasts and interactive content. So if you are looking to spruce up your content marketing strategies, this is a great post to begin with. 

Keyword cannibalization – a quick guide 

Several brands focus on keyword research for better content marketing. However, there’s not enough attention paid to what comes after. Keyword cannibalization is one such concept that brands need to take seriously. 

The popular online marketing platform Moz shared an insightful post discussing keyword cannibalization. From confusing search engines to bringing down the search rankings, the post discusses the demerits of creating multiple pieces of content ranking for the same keyword. 

The post also explores some tips to identify keyword cannibalization and some strategies to avoid it and create better content. 

In the Design Realm 

Adobe Substance 3D brings unmetered access to the Asset Library

Adobe recently announced that Adobe Substance 3D Subscribers will now have unmetered access to the assets in the Substance 3D Assets library. 

The collection features over 13,000 materials, 6,000 production-ready 3D models, and advanced HDR lighting environments, all optimized for seamless integration into creative workflows. 

This move has been planned to enhance creative flexibility allowing artists to experiment and refine their designs seamlessly. 

Brand identity inspiration 

Designing your core brand identity might feel like the biggest challenge. Once that foundation is laid, working on your marketing graphics and building on the base style becomes simpler. So, here’s some brand identity inspiration for you. 

This post from The Brand Identity, a leading source of design inspiration explores the playful brand identity for Australian interior design practice Hunney Studio. 

The identity embraces Hunney Studio’s philosophy that “high-end doesn’t have to mean minimalism,”. Accordingly, the brand identity has been built on vibrant colors and fun forms that still carry a professional tone. 

The overall result here is a visual language that doesn’t just represent the studio but embodies the very essence of the spaces it designs. 

Mazda’s move to a flat design 

Mazda rebranded in July last year and Creative Bloq recently shared a post discussing this rebrand. 

The upgraded logo looks fresh and modern, perfectly in tune with the current trends. Moreover, it does not deviate drastically from the original design. Instead, it is cleaner and more adaptable owing to the flat design. 

Several brands have been switching to flat designs highlighting how this is a trend you just cannot ignore. 

In the AI Realm

OpenAI’s new web browsing assistant – Operator

OpenAI has launched the research preview of Operator, a new AI agent that can browse and interact with websites independently. 

Currently available to Pro users in the U.S., Operator uses its own browser to perform tasks such as clicking, scrolling, and typing thus transforming ChatGPT from a passive tool into an active digital assistant.

A couple of weeks ago, OpenAI introduced the scheduled tasks feature in ChatGPT signaling the tool’s progress toward becoming an efficient AI assistant. Building on this, Operator can now perform even more complex tasks. 

Operator combines GPT-4o’s vision capabilities with advanced reasoning to interact with graphical user interfaces just like a human. It can handle routine web-based tasks, from filling out forms to placing online orders, while proactively asking users for input when needed, such as during logins or payments.

Anthropic introduces the Citations feature for the Claude API

Anthropic has announced a new feature called Citations. This feature is now available on the Claude API and Google Cloud’s Vertex AI and it allows Claude to ground its responses in source documents. 

This new addition addresses the growing need for verifiable and trustworthy AI outputs by providing detailed references to the specific sentences and passages used in generating answers.

Considering the fact that developers often struggle with inconsistent results when attempting to include sources in AI outputs, Citations simplifies this by allowing users to add source documents directly into the context window. Therefore Claude can automatically cite the relevant passages when responding to queries. Features like this are designed to improve the trustworthiness of AI. 

Perplexity announces Perplexity Assistant for Android 

Like OpenAI’s Operator, there’s another new AI assistant in town. Meet Perplexity Assistant, an AI tool designed to help with a variety of daily tasks. 

Whether you need to book a dinner reservation, identify a forgotten song, call a ride, or draft an email, Perplexity Assistant can handle it all.

Similar to OpenAI’s Operator, Perplexity Assistant goes beyond simple queries by browsing the web to complete more complex tasks. For instance, it can find the correct time and date for public events and set smart reminders. It also maintains context across different actions, such as helping you research restaurants and then seamlessly reserving a table. 

With its multimodality, Perplexity Assistant allows you to interact through voice and visuals. You can ask it questions about what’s on your screen or even turn on the camera for assistance with your surroundings. Currently, Perplexity has announced the Android app version and the iOS app will soon follow. 

Luma AI simplifies video upscaling 

Upscaling images and videos is one of the most important tasks where AI can be a valuable companion for creatives. Luma AI is setting new standards in this segment with their new video upscaler that can take any Dream Machine video and upscale it to 4K resolution. 

This complements Luma’s Luma’s text-to-video model Dream Machine and allows you to upscale and therefore get high-quality videos free from distortion. Therefore, creating videos for larger screens is now easier. 

Perplexity announces Sonar Reasoning

Perplexity AI has announced the introduction of the Sonar Reasoning model. This new addition to the Perplexity suite aims to push the boundaries of AI-driven search with its advanced reasoning capabilities and real-time web connectivity.

Powered by the recently popular Deepseek R1 model, Sonar Reasoning comes with sophisticated capabilities to handle complex queries. 

Just last week Perplexity unveiled the Sonar Pro API and now the reasoning models expand the capabilities of this ecosystem. 

Preserving users’ data privacy, the Sonar Reasoning model does not train on user data, similar to its predecessors Sonar Pro and Sonar. 

xAI introduces widgets in Grok 

To enhance the usability of Grok and to particularly connect with niche audience segments, xAI has announced the introduction of widgets in Grok. These widgets are meant to enhance the experience in segments like sports, finance, and location-based services. 

From accessing live sports-related information to searching for information about specific players and teams, these widgets come in handy on various occasions. 

Meta’s AI Assistant is getting a memory function  

The Memory function on tools like ChatGPT and Gemini has been a hit. This feature lets users personalize their interactions and get recommendations and responses tailored to their liking. 

Meta is now joining the league with what they call the “Memory Boost” feature. With this Meta AI is taking personalization to the next level, aiming to become not only one of the most widely used AI assistants but also one of the most tailored to individual needs. 

The Memory Boost feature on Meta’s AI assistant allows Meta AI to remember key details shared in private chats on WhatsApp and Messenger, helping it provide more personalized and relevant responses in the future.

Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes

X partners with Visa for the upcoming X Money wallet 

X has announced a partnership with Visa to power the upcoming X Money wallet. Evidently, the platform is making steady progress toward becoming the “Everything App”. 

Visa Direct, Visa’s solution for real-time money transfers, will enable users to load money into their wallet, make payments to other users, and transfer funds back to their bank accounts.

CEO Linda Yaccarino revealed the partnership, describing it as the first of many major announcements for X Money in 2025. 

Instagram enhances Insights 

To help creators better understand the performance of their posts and take steps to improve engagement and reach, Instagram is adding a few additional metrics to Insights. 

Firstly, there is the View Rate parameter which helps understand what proportion of the views beyond 3-seconds come from non-followers. Secondly, the Views Over Time metric helps creators understand the performance, particularly, the views on their Reel in comparison with the views on their other posts. 

Finally, Instagram has also announced that creators will be able to see more useful tips and actionable insights on their page based on the current performance of their content. 

Threads begins testing ads 

Speculations about Threads bringing ads have been floating around for a while now and things are finally taking shape. With Threads adding about 20 million new users since December and growing to a user base of about 320 million and other major milestones the platform is transitioning to the next stage. The platform is now getting a more marketing-ready makeover with the option for ads. 

According to Instagram Head, Adam Mosseri’s post here, Threads is taking its first steps into advertising with a small test involving a handful of brands in the US and Japan. 

The platform aims to integrate ads that feel as relevant and engaging as regular posts, ensuring a seamless user experience. 

With the limited rollout, Meta plans to monitor feedback and make essential tweaks before expanding the feature to a wider market. 

View on Threads
TikTok Shop is getting better for sellers in the UK

TikTok Shop has introduced GMV Max in the UK. This is an AI-powered campaign management tool designed to streamline advertising and boost sales for brands and small businesses. 

The new feature, already successful in the US, is now coming to the UK. It helps automate audience targeting, bidding, and creative selection to optimize campaign performance. Hence this helps cut the setup time in half. 

GMV Max sources and deploys TikTok Shop content and focuses on maximizing Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) rather than just return on ad spend. 

Wrapping Up…

That’s it for this week’s deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of social media and tech. True, we’ve covered a lot of ground today, but the digital world never stands still. There’s always more to explore. So don’t forget to check back next Friday for another round of KIMP’s Picks. See you next Friday! 

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Posted On

31 Jan, 2025

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