KIMP’s Picks 7th March: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More
Welcome back to KIMP’s Picks – your weekly social media digest. We’ve curated the top stories you need to know, from the latest advancements in AI to crucial updates affecting social media and digital marketing.
Each week, we deliver a concise roundup of the most impactful stories, saving you time and keeping you informed. Are you ready for this week’s recap? Let’s jump right in.
In the Marketing Realm
Google adds more AI-powered features for shoppers
According to Google, shoppers shop on Google about a billion times per day. Accordingly, they are expanding the AI features to enhance the shopping experience.
The latest features include Vision Match, which allows users to describe their desired clothing items in detail, and the ability to virtually try on makeup products from multiple brands. With Vision Match, shoppers can input specific descriptions and receive tailored visual suggestions of shoppable products that match their vision.
The other feature is the virtual try-on option. This feature taps into AR to allow users to virtually try beauty products on them before making a purchase. It’s high time brands start taking these features into account in order to make the most of Google Shopping Ads.
Change the Ref launches a bold new campaign
Change the Ref, founded by parents of a Parkland shooting victim, has launched an unapologetically blunt, thought-provoking campaign featuring “Thoughts and Prayers” toilet paper.
The product itself and the campaign video highlight the ineffectiveness of politicians’ empty words following gun-related tragedies featuring actual messages from elected officials. Rolls cost $19.99, with proceeds supporting the cause. Each roll is priced at $19.99, with proceeds going towards advocacy efforts for gun reform.
This campaign aims to show Congress what people think of their inaction on gun reform. For brands, this campaign showcases the power of using audacious and socially conscious advertising to drive awareness and support for important causes.
Boosting brand awareness through OOH
Little Black Book, a renowned source of marketing inspiration shared the below post exploring a campaign by Liberty Hotels and Resorts. This outdoor campaign launched in the UK involves a variety of outdoor ads placed in prominent locations.
The campaign includes a 3D video display at Manchester Airport and 2D video ads on busy roads. It deploys variety and optimal placement and is also among the first of its kind in the hospitality sector. For brands, this campaign underscores the importance of strategic OOH advertising in high-traffic areas to engage directly with key demographics and expand market presence.
How customer decision-making process has changed in the AI era
Understanding customer journeys helps brands fine-tune their marketing strategies and strategize their content as well. In the age of AI, a lot has changed with respect to the buying process.
In the post here Google delves into what has changed and how brands can adapt to these changes. Google calls these the 4S behaviors and explains how the traditional marketing funnel might not be that relevant anymore.
The post highlights the fact that today’s shoppers don’t follow a linear path but instead engage in four key behaviors: Streaming, Scrolling, Searching, and Shopping (or the “4S behaviors.”)
Moreover, consumers are constantly streaming personalized content, scrolling through social feeds for inspiration, searching in new ways using AI and multimodal tools, and expecting seamless, frictionless shopping experiences.
For brands, the key takeaway here is that it’s time to move beyond rigid funnels and embrace a dynamic, AI-powered strategy to meet consumers where they are, across every platform, in real-time.
Why digital giants choose physical channels
MarTech a leading voice in the world of marketing, a source of marketing news and insights shared an interesting post this week. The post delves into the fact that several digital brands like Netflix are investing heavily in physical advertising channels.
The post highlights how advertising on brick-and-mortar stores and offline channels are not just to boost sales but also to create immersive brand experiences and therefore increase brand exposure.
Physical stores serve as brand ambassadors, deepening emotional connections with consumers in ways online shopping cannot. In fact, the post also talks about Netflix’s plans to open interactive retail spaces by 2025, letting fans step into the worlds of Stranger Things and Bridgerton.
There’s one thing clear from this post – physical channels for advertising and digital channels are not mutually exclusive but meant to augment each other and enhance a brand’s marketing efforts.
Microsoft unveils AI-powered ad innovations
At its Microsoft Advertising Accelerate event, Microsoft introduced a wave of AI-driven advertising products aimed at reshaping audience engagement. With the rise of generative AI and conversational interfaces, the company envisions a future where AI-powered brand agents will interact with consumers in real time, streamlining search, shopping, and discovery.
Among the key innovations is a pilot program for AI-powered website agents that allow brands to offer interactive, chatbot-like experiences directly on their sites. Microsoft is also rolling out Showroom Ads (a virtual shopping experience that mirrors in-store browsing) and Dynamic Filters (refining product searches seamlessly within Copilot).
Additionally, gaming and app campaigns are expanding to many more games offering advertisers a broader reach.
Also, to boost ad performance, Ads Studio will now provide AI-generated creative assets. And Copilot API integration allows large-scale asset creation. Microsoft Monetize is also receiving AI-powered upgrades to streamline ad management and insights.
Here’s a post from Search Engine Land exploring these updates.
In the Content Marketing Realm
Staying visible as AI is transforming Search
Search Engine Journal shared a post discussing how Search is evolving thanks to AI and what it takes for brands to evolve with these changes and stay visible.
With platforms like ChatGPT gaining traction and search engines integrating AI-driven experiences, consumers now interact with content in a more conversational way. To stay relevant, brands need to focus on high-quality content, structuring data for AI, and staying adaptable.
On the whole the article discusses three main strategies
- Focusing on quality content
- Drafting a content knowledge graph
- And embracing the growth mindset
Semrush discusses content optimization
Creating content is a challenge but the bigger challenge is optimizing this content for best results. And the leading online marketing platform Semrush discusses this process in the post here.
The post introduces the importance of content optimization and then some strategies to achieve this. It talks about understanding Search Intent, using secondary keywords, and creating content that’s fresh and easy-to-understand. There are strategies for optimizing content for SEO, and for better conversions as well.
In the Design Realm
Rebranding inspiration
The Brand Identity shared a post discussing the rebranding project for CoinTracker. The goal was to balance usability and simplicity while moving away from the often complex and corporate feel associated with crypto and SaaS brands. The new design aims to make crypto tax filing approachable and stress-free.
To achieve these effects, the team has incorporated soft hues and gradients to create something dynamic yet warm and engaging. On the whole, the identity feels human-centered.
Another rebranding inspiration for brands
The next post we have is also about rebranding. And this one is about the rebranding of Eventbrite, a renowned ticketing platform. The rebrand aims to position Eventbrite as a destination for discovering live events, rather than just a checkout process for tickets.
The most striking change is the new monogram, replacing the old circular ‘e’ with a bold, fluid symbol called ‘The Path.’ While the brand’s signature orange remains, it now features a refreshed palette of highlighter neons and softer secondary tones.
Typography has also been updated, with Founders Grotesk lending a modern yet approachable feel. The verbal identity now embraces playfulness, adding personality to Eventbrite’s messaging.
On the whole, Eventbrite’s new brand reflects the energy of live events while staying adaptable to different experiences.
Did you notice that the Messenger logo has changed?
Meta has redesigned the Messenger logo, swapping its previous multicolor gradient for Facebook’s signature blue. The lightning-bolt shape inside the word bubble icon has also been subtly refined, with secondary versions appearing in black or white.
The color shift marks a return to Messenger’s roots as a Facebook feature rather than a standalone app. Originally launched as Facebook Chat, Messenger became independent in 2014 and later adopted a gradient logo reflecting its cross-platform integration with Instagram.
The changes here look like steps to tie the app back to its Facebook connection and reinforce its identity. Here’s a post from Fast Company delving into the recently revamped Messenger logo.
In the AI Realm
Google teases Whisk Animate
A few weeks ago, Google announced a creative AI tool, Whisk. This image-to-image model lets users add references for the subject, scene, and style and generates a fresh image. This fun and interactive AI tool is now expanding.
In a recent post, Google teased an upcoming feature on Whisk called Whisk Animate. As the name indicates, this feature lets users animate static images. Therefore, you can generate AI images using Whisk and then animate them to create engaging interactive videos using Whisk Animate.
On-device audio generation in smartphones
Stability AI has partnered with Arm to bring its generative AI model, Stable Audio Open, to mobile devices. This collaboration aims to enable convenient text-to-audio generation entirely on Arm CPUs without an internet connection.
This breakthrough makes high-quality, AI-generated audio accessible to more users by running efficiently on smartphones, which Arm technology powers in 99% of devices worldwide. Additionally, this advancement allows users to create sound effects, audio samples, and production elements directly on their devices, without relying on cloud-based processing.
The collaboration marks a step toward broader AI-powered media creation on mobile.
Luma AI updates Ray2 with new features
Luma AI created a buzz when the Ray2 model was released. It set new standards in video generation creating realistic and smooth motion. Now the company is expanding the capabilities of Ray2 with new features namely – Extend and Loop.
Extend is a feature that lets creators effortlessly expand the length of videos and build to the existing story. On the other hand, Loop is a great feature for creating infinite animated loops. As you know this is a popular format on social media and hence it can come in handy for social media content creation.
Finally, the other main addition is Keyframes. Keyframes offers better control over the generated video, a frame-level optimization for better morphing effects, and more.
Meta upgrades their smart glasses Aria
Meta is among the few tech firms that have successfully ventured into the smart glasses segment bringing AI capabilities into wearables. Their smart glasses Aria is among the most popular in this segment.
Recently, they announced Aria Gen 2 with improved sensors, including RGB and SLAM cameras, eye-tracking, spatial microphones, and a barometer. Moreover, this version with better battery life will also likely support up to 8 hours of continuous use.
iOS 18.4 brings AI-powered review summaries
From Google’s AI Overviews on the Search page to Amazon’s review summaries, there are several ways in which companies use AI to consolidate information and make it more accessible to customers.
Apple is the next one to join the league. Reportedly, iOS 18.4 is bringing AI summaries to reviews on the App Store. The update is also coming to iPadOS 18.4.
TechCrunch discusses this update in the post here.
Deutsche Telekom’s AI phone creates a buzz
In November last year, Humane’s AI Pin marked a significant step in bringing AI into the hardware segment. Meta’s Aria is another example. Other than this tech firms have also announced AI-powered upgrades and built-in AI assistants in laptops and more.
Next in line is AI phones and Telekom has become a pioneer in this field. Powered by Perplexity’s AI assistant, the device eliminates the need for multiple apps. It can handle tasks like booking taxis, making reservations, translating in real-time, and managing emails or calendar entries, all through an intuitive, voice-first interface.
But that’s not all! The company has also partnered with Google Cloud AI, ElevenLabs, and Picsart to add more AI capabilities to the phone. This marks a major step in integrating AI into daily life, offering seamless digital assistance without app clutter.
xAI expands the availability of Grok Voice Mode
Grok has been slow to catch up on the AI craze but they made big waves when Grok 3 was announced. The Voice Mode on Grok was made available shortly after. Features like voice responses are becoming increasingly popular since they make communicating with the AI tool more natural and convenient.
Taking this one step ahead, Grok recently also announced that the Voice Mode on Grok will now be available even to free users on the Grok iOS app. This means that you do not need a paid subscription to explore this feature.
Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes
YouTube has a new subscription plan
Social media platforms are moving to paid subscription models for ad-free experiences. And YouTube is one of them. Their Premium plan allows users to watch content ad-free. But if you do not like the pricing of this plan, now there is a new plan called Premium Lite.
This plan provides users with a budget-friendly way to watch most videos ad-free for $7.99 per month. The service, already available in Thailand, Germany, and Australia, will soon roll out to all users in those pilot countries.
Premium Lite is aimed at users who want to enjoy YouTube without ads but don’t need the additional perks of the full Premium plan, such as offline downloads, background play, and ad-free YouTube Music.
But yes, some content will still display ads but this is a plan aimed at those who like to try something less expensive and without the frills.
TikTok announces new features coming to the web app
While some social media platforms provide seamless desktop and mobile experiences, many of them like TikTok and Instagram are more focused on mobile users. Hence a lot of features available on their mobile apps are not available on the desktop or web version. Now that’s changing. TikTok recently announced some fresh updates coming to enhance their desktop experience.
From the layout to the Feed aesthetics and better media player, the updates aim at making the platform more convenient to use from a desktop browser. As the platform continues to evolve, these changes reinforce its commitment to making TikTok accessible and enjoyable across devices.
On a Final Note…
Time to bid adieu. Did you like this week’s round-up? We hope you got a quick glimpse at the social media buzz from this week. For more such weekly updates, stay tuned and watch out for the next edition of the KIMP’s Picks. See you next week!