Hi CCs,

I hope you’re all hanging in there!

A quick note before we dive in ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
I just posted a Reel about my agency’s on-going commitment to DEI and that we are looking to expand our roster of freelance talent. We’re always looking for social media strategists, content creators, video editors, and more. If you’d like to like to be considered for future opportunities please submit here (will only take a couple minutes).

Now to this week’s updates:

Big Tech players emerge as likely partners for TikTok US

Trump is now seeking to find an alternative solution to avoid a full ban of the platform, while also deriving benefit for the U.S. and American partner companies.

Learn about some of the potential U.S. TikTok deals in discussion.

2025 Trend Report: Gatekeeping information is SO boomer coded!

A marketer’s guide to Gen Zalpha’s new school mindset by creative agency, OK COOL.

“We’re four years into our trend report, and we know better than anyone: if you’re not evolving, you’re going backwards.”

Colin and Samir interviewed the CEO of Snap and the founder of Snapchat Evan Spiegel

This is a fascinating in-depth conversation about the creator economy, Snap’s vision for the future — especially with AR and wearables — TikTok, and more. Fun fact: Colin and Samir posted their first Snap as a clip from this interview (makes sense).

AI is changing the world—but what does that mean for YOU?

“Whether you love your current job, are considering a career pivot, or dream of starting your own business, this video is your personalized guide to thriving in the AI era. Forget the jargon and tech bro gatekeeping—I'm breaking down practical steps anyone can take to leverage AI in their life and work.” — CatGPT

🤳 Content Inspo

Record a ‘phone call’ over b-roll to creatively promote your brand. [LINK]
Kaprica X is an Italian restaurant in Australia, and this particular series caught my attention. You can creatively stage a phone call and talk about something related to your brand while showing visuals as a way to subtly promote what you do while offering a ‘surprise and delight’ moment for your audience.

“How I would do XYZ in 30 seconds.” [LINK]
In this example, the founder of The Nitro Bar says “How I’d grow my business again from the ground up in 30 seconds” as she makes an iced coffee. You can leverage this format for your own experience, and I do think that pairing with an activity (like doing your makeup, drawing, crochet, making coffee, walking, legos, etc) makes for a great visual hook and will increase retention.

💬 Tip of the day:

📡 On Our Radar

Super social: How brands activated online around this year’s Super Bowl. [LINK]

NFL goes after Gen Z fans by courting creators on YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat. [LINK]

Influencer Emma Chamberlain just opened her first-ever cafe in Los Angeles. [LINK]

Consistent posting means 5x more likes, comments, and shares (Buffer Study). [LINK]

ICYMI: White House opened briefing room to podcasters, social media influencers and content creators. [LINK]

The new tariff landscape: challenges and strategies for DTC Brands. [LINK]

Spotify’s first-ever Creator Milestone Award celebrates the growth and success of podcasts worldwide. [LINK]

Google Calendar removes default references for Pride, Black History Month, and more. [LINK]

🎶 TikTok

Trump says U.S. government could buy TikTok. [LINK]

TikTok announced programming for Black History month. [LINK]

“TikTok Stole Our Hearts, but Can It Last?” Uncanny Valley | WIRED podcast. [LINK]

📸 Meta / Instagram

Instagram says it will recommend longer Reels in explore. [LINK]

Meta launches new Advantage+ AI features to enhance campaign performance. [LINK]

Instagram tests Reels pause feature as TikTok remains in limbo. [LINK]

Leaked Instagram deals reveal Meta is offering TikTok creators as much as $300,000 to post. [LINK]

Meta initiates layoffs to realign its focus around AI development. [LINK]

Instagram tests option to rearrange profile grid displays. [LINK]

Instagram previews AI elements in new ‘Edits’ app. [LINK]

Meta says this is the make or break year for the metaverse. [LINK]

🧵 Threads

Threads now lets you share custom feeds. [LINK]

🤳 YouTube

The YouTube algorithms explained in 2025 by Creator Insider. [LINK]

YouTube is testing to allow premium users to 4x through videos. [LINK]

YouTube CEO outlines key areas of focus for 2025. [LINK]

YouTube is now even bigger on TVs than phones. [LINK]

YouTube has partnered with Repurpose.io to facilitate easier cross-posting of short-form video content between various platforms. [LINK]

☠️ 𝕏

Research suggests Threads is driving more engagement than X. [LINK]

Advertising boycott shows effect: X now also sues Lego, Pinterest and Nestlè. [LINK]

X adds new elements to its Grok AI chatbot. [LINK]

🦋 Bluesky

Bluesky will soon give users ability to limit replies to followers only. [LINK]

🟦 Linkedin

LinkedIn amps up vertical video tools as uploads jump 36%. [LINK]

LinkedIn publishes new guide on evolving marketing measurement. [LINK]

🍥 Pinterest

Pinterest shares rocket 19% on strong revenue and user growth. [LINK]

Pinterest lists DEI attacks as possible business risk in latest filing. [LINK]

Pinterest celebrates Black History Month 2025 with ‘Tailored’ campaign. [LINK]

👻 Snapchat

Snapchat has announced some new features for their Snapchat+ users. These include: AI-generated stickers, more style options for Bitmojis, and more customizable Snap communication options like self-destructing Snaps and non-replayable Snaps. [LINK]

🤖 AI Boom

How Sam Altman sidestepped Elon Musk to win over Donald Trump. [LINK]

Sam Altman dismisses Elon Musk’s bid to buy OpenAI in letter to staff. [LINK]

Google launches Gemini 2.0 Pro, Flash-Lite and connects reasoning model Flash Thinking to YouTube, Maps and Search. [LINK]

Anthropic launches The Anthropic Economic Index, an initiative aimed at understanding AI's effects on labor markets and the economy over time. [LINK]

Thomson Reuters wins first major AI copyright case in the US. [LINK]

That’s it for this week. If you made it to the end, reply with a 🦇 emoji.

Winter Mendelson
Co-Founder, Posture Media
Instagram / Linkedin / Threads

P.S. I will probably have typos in the event that my dad is unavailable to proofread. Sorry in advance.

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