What's New In Marketing? (February 2025 Update)

• February, 2025
• Aleksey Weyman

The business of marketing continues to change and evolve..

It's our job as marketing specialists to keep up with these changes. With every advancement in tech, social habits, business development and global consumer behavior, comes a new list of challenges and opportunities. If you're like me- someone who enjoys (or perhaps needs to) the ever changing landscape of marketing for businesses, then this page is for you.

Several times per year, I update this page with the latest trends, updates, beta tests and otherwise news-worthy information related to our world of marketing. Whether it's a new feature added to a social media app, or a tech company merger that creates trickle down economics for smaller businesses, my goal with this page is to gather all of the information. By having it in one place to come back to, you can do the heavy lifting of managing your marketing strategies equipped with newfound information that keeps you ahead of the curve.

If you'd like to support this page, please consider signing up for my mailer, which I only send out when updates to the page are made. You may also choose to share this page with your colleagues via the social media links near the top of this paragraph. Lastly, if you'd like to set up a consultation call about how these strategies might be applied to your client or business, you can contact me directly via the email option on my Linktree.

   

So What's New in Marketing?

Here are the top 10 updates for marketing in February, 2025:

• Trump discussing TikTok purchase with multiple people, decision to be made in 30 days.
• Meta starts testing ads on Threads.
• The DeepSeek panic reveals rapidly growing AI global industry.
• More than 50 subreddits ban X links to protest Elon Musk.
• Meta blows past Q4 expectations with record revenue and profit as Zuckerberg touts massive AI investment.
• Netflix, clearing 300 million subscribers, plans another price hike in the US.
• OpenAl's 'Operator' Agent can buy grocers, file expense reports.
• Instagram is launching a CapCut-competitor, Edits.

In order to not spam this page with backlinks, you can search these updates on Google if you'd like to confirm legitimacy.

Social Media Platforms

• Instagram is launching a CapCut-competitor, Edits.
• The TikTok outage caused TikTok Shop sales to spike, not sink.
• Adam Mosseri has started a new series sharing how IG algorithm works (check this out).
• Instagram and Facebook blocked and hid abortion pill providers' posts.
• IPA and TikTok announce return of talent initiative.
• TikTokers offered $5,000 to join Facebook and Instagram.
• ByteDance plans $20 billion capex in 2025, mostly on Al, sources say.
• Mark Zuckerberg announces $60 billion investment in Meta Al.
• Bluesky & X roll out TikTok-style vertical video feeds.
• Meta will soon let you link your WhatsApp account with Instagram and Facebook.
• X sees a jump in consumer spending on mobile, despite decline in daily active users.
• X 'barely breaking even,' Musk reportedly emailed staff. Elon denies sending the email.
• Meta ad spend up 15% last quarter as TikTok sees sharp drop.
• X is now rolling out a Web visual update.
• Snapchat launches reward program for AR creators, discounts Spectacles.
• Pinterest launches a mini-site to highlight their ad tools and incentives.
• Microsoft's Linkedin sued over using DMs to train Al.
• Bumble founder returns as CEO, shares surge.
• Influencer Startup ShopMy raises $77.5 million to expand into new ad categories.
• Nearly 10 years later, Tumblr TV launches to all as a TikTok alternative.
• Substack is spending $20 million to court TikTokers.
• Amazon Prime Video shifts focus to live sports to boost profits, The Information reports.

YouTube & Google

• Google to invest another $1 billion into Anthropic Al.
• YouTube launches speed controls and high-quality audio tests for Premium users.
• Google Ads introduces Advanced Targeting for Performance Max.
• YouTube premium discount coming to Google One.
• Google Analytics 4 rolls out cross-property report copying.
• Aspire.io launches YouTube Shorts Integration.
• Google agrees to crack down on fake reviews for UK businesses.
• Google expands Performance Max asset/search term reporting capabilities.
• Google expands Al overviews in Al circle to Search.

Brands & Marketing

• 'Ditch the cow': Gordon Ramsay's new F-word is Flora - vegan butter.
• Hailey Bieber's Rhode relaunches lip liner: the return of a trend.
• Harrison Ford partnering with Glenmorangie Whisky for an iconic Scottish ad campaign.
• Another Vegan product rebrand, Hellmann's mayo is now plant-based, not vegan.

Marketing Tech

• Nielsen's latest MRC accreditation returns it to measurement pole position.
• Cogizant and CrowdStrike partner to drive Enterprise Cybersecurity transformation.
• Omnicom and IPG chiefs visit UK to sell merger to staff and pitch consultants.
• DB restructures North America agencies under new leadership unit.
• Retail chain WHSmith brings first airport ad network into the specialty retail media race.
• Marketing automation vendor Act-On acquired for $53 million.
• Trade Desk buys ad data firm Sincera as brands seek objective insights.
• Publicis Media acquires Dysrupt to 'supercharge' performance marketing.

Everything AI

• OpenAl secretly funded benchmarking dataset linked to 03 Model.
• Introducing Citations on the Anthropic API.
• Databricks hopes to build on Al offerings with $15B fundraise.
• OpenAl faces new copyright case in India over use of books without permission.
• Adobe's new Al tool can edit 10,000 images in one click.
• Anthropic plans to release a 'two-way' voice mode for Claude.
• ElevenLabs has raised a new round at $3B+ valuation led by ICONIQ Growth, sources say.
• Microsoft launches $5 million Al for Good Open Call grant program to drive positive change in Washington state.
• Perplexity launches Sonar, an API for Al search.
• ChatGPT with canvas now works with OpenAl 01.

Other News Related to Marketing

• DeepSeek R1 is now available on Azure Al Foundry and GitHub.
• Stella McCartney buys back minority stake From LVMH.
• Björk slams Spotify as "probably the worst thing that has happened to musicians".
• Alex Cooper's Unwell Network to launch music channel, new shows with SiriusXM.
• Wieden+Kennedy enters Australia, setting up Sydney outpost after winning McDonald's account.
• Uber Eats partners with The Home Depot for delivery services.
• CNN lays off about 200 employees in shift to digital model.
• KFC launches new 'speciality' drinks range to target Gen Z customers.
• Fox to stream Super Bowl for free on Tubi for the first time.

Did you find any of these interesting or useful? Let me know on X (Twitter). If you're interested in discussing more about how these trends can make or break your business, send me an email via my Linktree. Cheers!

Tagged in : MarketingStartups