If Amazon’s October Prime Big Deal Days event was any indication of the upcoming holiday season, consumers will keep spending on beauty products for themselves and others.

From short-form videos to AI-driven targeting, this report reveals how each generation assesses digital ads and whether they act upon them.

As brands level up their influencer marketing efforts, agencies in the space have more opportunities than ever. But they’re grappling with a landscape that is often competitive and convoluted, all while navigating the impact of AI and other shifts.

68% of US ad spending by microdrama apps went to social networks from January to September 2025, according to US ad spend reports from ReelShort, DramaBox, GoodShort, NetShort, and ShortMax, compiled by Sensor Tower.

Influencer marketing is no longer optional—it’s a performance-driven growth engine. As consumer trust and expectations reshape engagement, brands must adapt their strategies to sustain returns in a fast-moving yet maturing channel.

TikTok is undergoing a sweeping reorganization that consolidates control under ByteDance’s Beijing-based leadership. The company’s global content and distribution teams now report directly to Douyin architect Fiona Zhi, who is closely tied to ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming. The change strengthens central oversight just as the US and China approach a potential TikTok ownership deal—but it also raises questions about governance, transparency, and stability. Advertisers are pausing or shifting spend amid uncertainty over who will run TikTok’s US operations and how its algorithm and data policies will evolve. ByteDance’s move reasserts control—but risks reigniting trust concerns in its largest market.

TikTok is mandating that sellers buy ads using its new tool, GMV Max, in order to participate in Black Friday and other holiday promotions. At the same time, it is making it harder for sellers to drive sales to platforms outside its system. The company is limiting merchants’ ability to advertise videos linking to their websites and other outside sources. TikTok’s attempts to tie sellers to its platform make sense given parent ByteDance’s ambitious US ecommerce goals—but such efforts will only be successful if TikTok can prove its importance as a sales channel.

Twitch introduced livestream shopping ads powered by Amazon’s advertising platform. The ad launch reflects the burgeoning popularity of livestream commerce, which despite being slow to take off in the US is now gaining traction thanks to TikTok, a booming collectibles market, and the rise of “shoppertainment.” Amazon is betting that an easier path to purchase will encourage more viewers to pull the trigger on products they discover via livestreams. However, a successful live shopping strategy requires thinking about the channel less as an avenue for direct conversions and more as an opportunity to engage potential customers and build lasting relationships.

Retail ecommerce sales in Latin America will sustain double-digit growth this year, but momentum will remain uneven across major markets amid mounting geopolitical tensions.

A US-TikTok deal could be on thin ice again amid heightened trade tensions after President Trump threatened a 100% tariff on Chinese imports. Beijing has promised to respond to the tariffs accordingly—putting the popular short-form app’s US future at risk weeks after Trump signed an executive order to keep the app operational. Brands must recognize TikTok’s ongoing strength as a cultural engine among younger demographics, but continue viewing cross-platform strategies as a necessity, not a nice-to-have.

Gen Z’s path to purchase differs considerably from older generations, but the physical store remains a cornerstone of their shopping experience.

Gen Zers are avid personal care and beauty shoppers, and their habits often diverge from those of older consumers. While they shop in-store as much as non-Gen Zers, they're more likely to turn to digital channels for research and purchases. This report contrasts Gen Z behaviors with those of non-Gen Z shoppers across the personal care and beauty landscape.

TikTok announced several upgrades to its AI-powered portfolio at Advertising Week New York on Wednesday. Marketers can use the new tools to increase creative control and drive results with key audiences—but keep in mind that the app’s future in its key market could change ad effectiveness, regardless of what tools the platform offers.

OpenAI introduced a wide swath of app integrations for ChatGPT, pushing the generative AI (genAI) chatbot toward super app status. Spotify, Booking.com, Zillow, Canva, Figma, and Expedia are now all part of the ChatGPT experience. Brands should start treating ChatGPT like a search engine, app store, and marketplace all in one. Marketers should create and tag their content so it can surface naturally in ChatGPT responses. Generative engine optimization (GEO) strategies include structuring content and product copy with mini headlines and using concrete language over abstract phrasing to boost appearances in output.

In five years, Instacart’s retail media network (RMN) has transformed from a simple performance engine into a full-funnel, end-to-end marketing ecosystem.

OpenAI’s Sora app surged to the top of the iPhone App Store’s free app chart despite its invite-only status, marking consumer demand for AI-heavy social experiences. It surpassed both OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, the latter of which recently topped App Store charts with its social media-friendly Nano Banana AI image-editing feature. This is a new creative playground, where brands can test community-driven campaigns with a highly engaged audience. Marketers should experiment with various types of content to see what goes viral in an AI-first social environment to prepare for a new social media landscape and capitalize on emerging platforms.

TikTok is increasing subscription revenue shares for US and Canadian creators, now offering these creators as much as 90% of subscription earnings, per a company announcement. Advertisers should maintain strong partnerships with TikTok creators for their ability to connect with large, engaged audiences, but continue exploring other short-form opportunities in the event that the US-exclusive TikTok app causes an audience exodus or has other unforeseen problems.

Video is now core to B2B marketing. This report shows how trust-building through creators, as well as increased AI use, are supporting video’s rise—and how to link performance to pipeline despite rising costs and resource gaps.

Instagram is experimenting with its user interface in India, testing a feature where users open the app directly to a Reels feed instead of the traditional photo-first interface, the company confirmed. The brands that stay competitive in the crowded social media landscape will be those who take advantage of short-form’s potential and build ad strategies tailored to the format.