Latest News
SUBSTACK IT'S TIME TO BE THERE
The rapidly growing platform is also conquering fashion: Tory Burch is an example with the newsletter “What Should I Wear?”, which mixes editorial content, wishlists, backstage of fashion shows and interviews. The approach combines culture and marketing, shifting the focus from likes and comments to more relevant metrics such as open rates, subscriptions and affiliate links. Obviously, for it to work, a strong tone of voice and narrative coherence are needed: brands must behave like creators, offering curated content and real relationships.
And the results? Substack has surpassed 5 million paying subscribers, with growth comparable to the podcasting boom. It's time to be there.
CHATGPT SHOPPING TIME
OpenAI has announced a major update to ChatGPT that introduces a new integrated shopping feature: users can now search, compare and buy products (fashion, beauty, home, electronics) directly in the chat, using natural language. The system offers personalized recommendations, up-to-date prices, verified reviews and direct links, without advertising.
This new feature aims to simplify the selection process, avoiding multiple searches or switching between tabs. Everything happens in a fluid conversation, with the possibility of making comparisons between products or requesting customized evaluations.
TWITTER LOSES USERS IN EU
X is losing ground in Europe – and the numbers confirm it.
With great delay, the platform published the data required by the Digital Services Act: since August 2023 it has lost over 11 million European users, equal to a drop of 10.5%.
The countries most affected? France (-2.7M), Poland (-1.8M), Germany (-1.3M) and Spain (-1M). In percentage terms, the collapse is even more marked: -25% in Lithuania and Luxembourg, -20% in Poland. And while Elon Musk talks about 600 million active users per month globally, in Europe the reality is different: -15% since he took the reins of X.
A decline that calls into question the real growth of the platform and its role as a credible information space.
Social Insights
LINKEDIN BRAINROT
LinkedIn is no longer the serious and professional social network it once was. Today, it has become the stage for hyperbolic corporate rhetoric, where forced storytelling, self-celebration and influencer dynamics dominate the content.
An analysis by Metricool has detected an increase in self-referential posts, while Wired reports that over 54% of long texts are generated by artificial intelligence, contributing to increasingly standardized communication.
These changes have transformed LinkedIn from a sober professional platform to a social network more oriented towards the spectacularization of work and the construction of a personal image, often at the expense of authenticity and professional substance.
THE THIRD MILLENNIAL RECESSION
Millennials are facing their third economic recession: the first in 2008, the second with Covid in 2020, and now a new crisis is upon us. The answer? A collective irony that has given rise to a real culture of memes, used to deal with a reality that never seems to change.
These memes about the economic crisis have become a tool to process frustration, transforming it into an opportunity to laugh about the situation. Humor thus becomes a way to maintain emotional balance in the face of uncertainty.
This trend is the sign of a generation that, even in the midst of difficulties, has found in moments of crisis an opportunity for reflection and sharing. Rather than hide the gravity of the situation, Millennials face it with a smile, creating a common language that transforms chaos into something collective and, above all, addressable.
VATICAN CORE
The death of Pope Francis has given a final push to a trend that was already taking hold on social media: Vatican-core. The phenomenon began with Edward Berger's film Conclave, which brought the battles between cardinals into the spotlight in a Vatican context.
In a globalized and streaming-influenced world, many have discovered the allure of ecclesiastical conspiracies and "cardinals in skirts", overturning the traditional imagery.
The next step was to reinterpret the film with the language of the queer world and fandom, transforming the cardinals into pop icons.
And while the echoes of the Brat Summer were still being felt, the production of fancams of the film's protagonists exploded, combined with tracks by Charli XCX, making Vatican-core a true global meme.
NOSTALGIA TREND 2025
The past has taken over every creative sector – cinema, fashion, music, even beauty – becoming the only trend capable of capturing attention and selling. On social media, remakes, sequels and revivals multiply in a continuous flow, fueling a familiar aesthetic that confuses nostalgia and innovation. The uncertainty of the present and an increasingly uncertain future push brands and creatives to take refuge in endless cycles of references to the 80s, 90s and 2000s.
Platforms amplify this obsession with the past, transforming every micro trend into an instant remix of already known images and symbols. There is no time to create something new: everything is a déjà vu, a collage of quotes.
But how long can it last? When social media gets tired of repeating the same past, what will be left to tell?
PLATFORM UPDATE:
- INSTAGRAM: TESTING PER LE STORIES IN COLLAB
- INSTAGRAM: ARRIVA IL FEED MODIFICABILE
Media
AUDICOM DATA DRIVEN APPROACH
The data shows a greater online presence of the female public. There is also a gap in terms of devices: mobile records 35.4 million unique users per day, while desktop remains mainly linked to the work environment.
The 18-34 age group stands out as the most active online, both in terms of number of users and average browsing time.
The main online interests see the weather in first place, followed by news, sports, cooking and entertainment.
DEMAND GEN LATENT DEMAND, REAL IMPACT
Demand Gen campaigns, through visual content such as images and videos, aim to stimulate demand by reaching the user in the most immersive and relevant Google touchpoints: YouTube, YouTube Shorts, Discover and Gmail. Learn more about: Google Ads Help
Thanks to AI, advertisers are able to create targeted campaigns using advanced targeting techniques, in order to reach audiences similar to those already involved or existing customers ("lookalike" audiences) and therefore increase the probability of intercepting new potential customers.
Hogan also used Demand Gen campaigns in view of the shopping season. This choice led to a number of sessions on the brand's website 4 times higher, with a 31% lower cost per action.
What did we like?
Thinking of a new shopping showcase, more engaging, capable of intercepting the user even before they express a need through research.
AI AGENT, MEDIA PLANNING SUPPORT
AI agents are intelligent and autonomous software, designed to support complex tasks in an active and adaptive way. Unlike traditional automations, they do not limit themselves to executing commands but make decisions, learn from data and adapt to scenarios.
Who they are
There are different agents depending on their function: strategist agent, buyer agent, analyst agent, assistant agent – each with a specific task but capable of working in synergy with each other. For media agencies this means lightening the operational and tactical part, speeding up responses and freeing up time for strategy. AI does not replace planners, but enhances them: it helps to do more, better, and in less time.
What they can do:
In the media world they become precious allies, they can:
- simulate investment scenarios;
- monitor activities in real time and on multiple platforms;
- reformulate plans based on new instructions;
How they do it:
In TIM, Mint.ai has introduced a team of AI agents that supports planners in planning, activating and optimizing campaigns. When performance on Meta dropped, the agent moved the budget to YouTube, where the cost per acquisition was lower, all in real time and without human intervention. The planners maintain the strategic direction, delegating operations to AI. Result: -30% of operational time and strategies that adapt themselves every day.
Credits
SUNTIMES
Editor: Sophia Schiaroli e Ingrid Zanninello
Latest News: Matteo Granata
Social Insight: Francesca Martinolich
Content Trend: Alessandro Aldè
Platform Update: Victoria Beni
Media: Eleonora Cisini e Gabriele Coviello
SOURCE MEDIA
Mint e Watsonx