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Welcome back to another edition of The Marketer’s Playbook! In today’s edition we will take a look at:

• Reels’ New Algorithm

• TikTok, Meta, and Snap vs Australia

• AI Is Ruining Social Media

& More 👇

EDITOR’S CORNER

Hello everyone, and welcome back!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! We’ve got a lot to dig into this week, so I will keep this brief. For those who don’t know, I started a new company called OTHERSIDE, which helps brands run profitable programmatic ads. As a solo founder, it can be tough to keep myself accountable, so in an effort to do this, I created a new newsletter that is designed to be highly transparent about how I am building this company.

If you’d like to check it out, you can read the first edition here, and it’s massive. 5,400 words on why I built it, how I structured the processes, the marketing strategies I am using to build it, and more. I am going to be sending monthly editions to keep myself accountable and continue my ‘building in public’ efforts so everyone else can follow along too. Subscribe while you’re there - I’d love to have you.

That out of the way, let’s get into this week’s most important marketing news and strategies!

Happy learning,
Cory Dobbin

THE ROUND UP

Rounding up the most important marketing news of the week

Australia's Social Media Age Ban Sparks Outrage

TikTok has launched a scathing critique of Australia's upcoming social media regulations, which will ban users under 16 from most platforms while exempting YouTube. In its submission to Australia's communications department, TikTok called YouTube's exclusion a "sweetheart deal" that's "illogical, anti-competitive and short sighted," arguing that YouTube's content is "virtually indistinguishable" from its own. Meta and Snap joined the protest but with less combative language, with Meta stating the exemption "makes a mockery of the government's stated intention to protect young people." The confrontation highlights the stakes of Australia's aggressive legislation, which carries penalties up to AU$50 million ($31 million) for violations and is set to take effect by late 2025. Government data shows YouTube dominates the youth market with 68% of children aged 8-12 and 73% of teens 13-15 using the platform compared to TikTok's 31% among younger users, explaining why TikTok likened the exemption to "banning soft drinks to minors but exempting Coca-Cola." Check out the article below for more info.

GOOGLE SHEETS GETS AI-IFIED

Google has rolled out powerful new Gemini AI capabilities to all Workspace business users, transforming how you can interact with spreadsheet data. The update enables users to generate instant insights by identifying correlations and outliers directly within Sheets, eliminating hours of manual analysis. Users can now create sophisticated visualizations like heatmaps with a simple prompt through the Gemini spark icon, rather than wrestling with complex formulas and chart settings. The AI can even forecast future performance based on historical data, with examples like "predict my net income for the next quarter" showcasing its predictive analytics potential. Check out the link below for more info.

Instagram Revamps Reels Ranking System

Instagram has completely overhauled its reels recommendation algorithm, prioritizing content relevance and engagement over creator popularity. The platform now uses a progressive distribution system where new reels are initially shown to a small targeted audience before expanding to increasingly wider circles based on performance metrics like watch time, retention, shares, and engagement. For creators looking to capitalize on these changes, consistency is critical - post regularly, craft standalone content with strong hooks in the first three seconds, incorporate audio elements, and embrace the volatility of recommendations as an opportunity rather than a limitation. To learn more, check out their blog post below.

Pinterest's AI Content Crisis Threatens Platform

Pinterest's reign as the internet's premier mood board platform is under serious threat as AI-generated content floods the service. Users searching for everything from recipes to home decor are increasingly encountering AI-generated images linked to spammy websites with fictitious authors.

The situation has become so bad that genuine content from real creators is getting buried, with users reporting difficulty finding authentic inspiration across categories. SEO marketers like Jesse Cunningham openly boast about generating thousands in monthly revenue by flooding Pinterest with AI content, creating hundreds of pins in minutes with minimal effort. Despite user complaints, Pinterest has introduced new AI tools for marketers rather than implementing effective filtering mechanisms, leaving many longtime users migrating to alternative platforms where AI content can be filtered out. To learn more about this, check out the fantastic full article on Futurism below.

Investigation into TikTok, Reddit and Imgur Over Teen Data Use

The UK's Information Commissioner's Office has launched formal investigations into how TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur handle teenage users' personal information. This move follows growing evidence of harmful content being algorithmically served to young users, including a study that found TikTok was recommending eating disorder and self-harm content to new teen accounts within minutes of creation. Information Commissioner John Edwards emphasized that the investigation aims to ensure their processes are "sufficiently robust to prevent children being exposed to harm."

NEWS BITES

Everything else you need to know

• GOOGLE ADS IMPROVES GDN: Google improves display capabilities by adding more inventory, including a few new CTV options including Fox News.

• OVER 200 APPS REMOVED FOR FRAUD: Google removed nearly 200 apps from its app store for participating in an ad click fraud scheme.

• TIKTOK IMPROVES DESKTOP APP: A new update improves the UI on desktop, allows for a floating video player, and more.

• TIKTOK’S ORGANIC API IS HERE: I’m surprised as you are to find out this didn’t already exist - organic performance metrics are now available via API.

• APOLLO GETS BANNED FROM LINKEDIN: Apollo, known well to the bizdev crowd for its ability to scrape data from LinkedIn for the purpose of cold outreach, has been banned from LinkedIn for violating its terms.

• IG ENGAGEMENT IS DROPPING: Instagram registered a staggering 28% YoY decrease in engagement. Hopefully the updates to their recommendation algorithm can help turn things around!

CAMPAIGN MONITOR

Review recent and note-worthy marketing campaigns

Orka Hits The Market With A Fizzle

Orka, the newly launched DTC darling, hit the scene hard recently with this wild ad. It’s unexpected and bizarre, but definitely memorable. I don’t think it’s really all that novel, but I don’t really hate it either. What do you think?

Visa Reinvents "Everywhere You Want To Be"

Visa has launched a fresh take on its iconic tagline with "Typewriter," a campaign that shifts focus from destinations to personal transformation. Created with Anomaly (agency), the spot follows a woman whose vintage typewriter purchase becomes the catalyst for multiple life trajectories - from acclaimed screenwriter to restaurant owner to travel publisher. Anomaly LA's CCO Josh Fell described the partnership as "rare," noting the significance of reimagining one of advertising's most recognizable taglines for a brand that's "fundamentally ingrained in our daily lives." I personally really like the modern spin on the legacy slogan, taking it from the straight-forward traveling angle to a more comprehensive and relatable ‘life’ angle. The ad itself feels slightly over the top given the more serious nature of the message shift, though you have to do what you have to do to capture attention these days.

THANK YOU FOR READING

We will see you again next week!