By now, the so-called “Staples Baddie” may have crossed your feed with her tutorials and informational videos exploring her workplace. TikTok creator @blivxx, known online as Oblivion, started getting attention in January for highlighting niche services and products offered at Staples. Most Read from Fast Company It’s a distinctly Gen Z approach to social media. Videos from Staples Baddie (whose real name is Kaeden) feature ASMR, heavy slang, and an authenticity that has viewers hooked. Comments on Ka ...

Core Insights - Pinterest is launching a shoppable TV partnership with Roku, featuring an original series titled "Bring My Pinterest to Life" that allows viewers to transition from watching to shopping seamlessly [1][2] - The series will premiere in March and will involve creators working with Pinterest users to transform their boards into real spaces, focusing on an "inspiration to realization" journey [2][3] - Pinterest is enhancing its performance advertising capabilities for connected TV by acquiring the CTV performance advertising platform tvScientific, enabling advertisers to run campaigns and measure outcomes effectively [4][5] Advertising and Consumer Behavior - Pinterest's CEO stated that advertisers will be able to utilize existing performance metrics for TV advertising, positioning Pinterest as a comprehensive solution for search, social, and CTV performance [5] - Recent research indicates that social media influencers significantly impact purchasing decisions among younger consumers, with 14% of Gen Z Americans making purchases based on influencer recommendations, a stark contrast to older generations [6] - The rise of platforms like Instagram and TikTok has allowed individuals to establish credibility and expertise in various fields, influencing consumer behavior and purchasing decisions [7]

Summary of Sprout Social Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Sprout Social - **Industry**: Social Media Management Software - **Core Offering**: Integration with over three dozen social networks, allowing brands to manage their social strategies from a single platform, including customer care, analytics, and publishing [4][5][6] Key Points and Arguments Business Model and Customer Base - Sprout Social serves **30,000 customers** across **100 countries**, with **90%** of customers using **five or more social networks** [6] - The platform operates on a **single code base**, ensuring all customers receive updates simultaneously without needing professional services [6] - The company has a **5%-7% penetration** in a market with over **200 million businesses** on social media, indicating significant growth potential [25][26] AI and Data Strategy - Sprout Social ingests about **1 billion messages daily** across networks, leveraging this data to enhance social listening capabilities through AI [16][17] - The company believes its access to proprietary social data creates a **durable moat** against competitors, as many social networks have restricted access due to privacy concerns [15][34] - New AI features are expected to enhance the user experience and provide deeper insights into brand and competitor performance [17][34] Market Trends and Consumer Behavior - There is a structural shift in consumer behavior, with more users turning to social platforms for product discovery, impacting long-term demand for social software [20][21] - Brands are increasingly recognizing the need for a social presence as consumers shift from traditional search engines to social networks for product information [20][21] Influencer Marketing - Influencer marketing is becoming a core part of Sprout's platform, with brands seeking to manage creator relationships effectively [41][42] - The platform offers tools for brands to discover and vet influencers, addressing concerns about brand safety and alignment with brand values [43][44] - The company has seen unexpected demand from various sectors, including healthcare and real estate, for influencer marketing solutions [47][48] Financial Performance - Sprout Social reported its best operating margins in history at **11.9% Non-GAAP margins**, while still focusing on growth [57] - The company aims to balance growth and margin improvement, with a focus on expanding its customer base above the **$50K** revenue mark, which is growing in the **high 20% range** [58][61] Future Growth Opportunities - The company sees potential in expanding its offerings to the **sub-$50K** customer segment, which has been growing at a slower rate [61][63] - Sprout Social plans to enhance its product offerings and customer engagement strategies to drive growth in both existing and new customer bases [31][32][63] Additional Important Insights - The company does not foresee social networks selling their data to competitors, as they are focused on developing their own AI products [35][36] - Sprout Social's platform includes spam filters to enhance user experience by filtering out irrelevant messages, which is crucial for large customers managing high volumes of interactions [64][65] This summary encapsulates the key insights from the conference call, highlighting Sprout Social's strategic positioning, market trends, and growth opportunities within the social media management industry.

Core Insights - The rise of AI-generated influencers is reshaping the influencer economy, challenging traditional notions of authenticity and credibility in digital marketing [2][3] - Trust cannot be automated; it is built through human judgment, transparency, and values, highlighting the limitations of AI in replicating credibility [4][6] Industry Trends - AI influencers introduce efficiency and scale but also create a critical fault line in digital marketing, where brands risk confusing engagement metrics with genuine connection [4][5] - Visibility alone is no longer sufficient; brands must pair technology with authority to succeed in an AI-driven landscape [5][10] Company Strategy - NEWMEDIA.COM employs a systems-level approach through its proprietary framework, RankOS™, which integrates AI-informed content strategy, social media marketing, and technical SEO to build durable visibility [5][10] - The agency focuses on creating cohesive digital ecosystems that enhance trust and performance rather than relying on isolated tactics [9][11] Expert Perspective - Steve Morris, as a recognized authority in digital strategy, emphasizes that while technology can scale influence, a well-defined strategy is essential for sustaining that influence [6][12]

Core Insights - Unilever's new "influencer-first" strategy aims to work with 20 times more influencers and allocate 50% of its ad budget to social media, up from 30% [1][2] - The company is currently collaborating with approximately 300,000 influencers globally, significantly impacting the influencer marketing landscape [3][6] Industry Impact - Unilever's commitment to expanding its influencer roster has led to increased leverage on the supply side, resulting in price inflation and attracting new entrants to the influencer market [2] - Following Unilever's announcement, many advertisers are reassessing their influencer marketing strategies, with some planning to increase their budgets [9][11] - A survey indicated that 62% of marketers intend to raise their annual influencer budgets by 2026, with US advertiser spending on creators projected to reach $37 billion in 2025, a 26% year-over-year increase [7] Competitive Dynamics - Unilever's strategy has prompted other brands to follow suit, with several major advertisers detailing plans to increase their influencer marketing budgets during recent earnings calls [11] - The competition for top-tier influencers has intensified, leading to higher fees for those appealing to beauty, personal care, and food brands [12][13] Market Trends - The influencer market is maturing, with partnerships often including usage rights and ads across multiple channels [13] - Despite the overall growth, not all creators benefit equally; fee inflation is primarily concentrated among macro creators, while nano creators may not see similar increases [14][19] - The number of user-generated content (UGC) creators surged by 93% year-over-year, leading to a decrease in average brand spend per influencer collaboration [16][17]

Core Insights - Sprout Social has been recognized as a Leader in the 2025-26 IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Influencer Marketing Platforms for Large Enterprises, highlighting its strong position in the market [1][5] Company Overview - Sprout Social is a leading provider of cloud-based social media management software, serving approximately 30,000 brands with its comprehensive platform [5] - The company emphasizes the importance of social data in driving business impact and has been awarded the 1 Best Software Product by G2's 2024 Best Software Award [5] Influencer Marketing Solution - Sprout Social's influencer marketing solution enables organizations to identify suitable influencers, foster authentic partnerships, and maximize campaign ROI through AI-driven insights and centralized management [2][3] - The platform is designed for enterprise organizations, focusing on brand safety, comprehensive analytics, and efficient creator discovery [3][4] Market Trends - Investment in influencer marketing is surpassing traditional marketing channels, prompting Sprout Social to enhance its platform to meet the evolving needs of brands [4] - The company is committed to leveraging AI capabilities to facilitate high-value, brand-safe partnerships at scale [4] IDC MarketScape Assessment - The IDC MarketScape assessment provides a framework for evaluating the competitive fitness of technology suppliers, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative criteria to illustrate each supplier's market position [6][7]

Before Katie Fang was a content creator with over 7 million followers, she was an overworked and miserable restaurant server. In 2023, she filmed herself crying while getting ready for yet another long shift, a video that unexpectedly went viral. Now Fang raked in an estimated $4 million in earnings last year as a beauty influencer. #ForbesUnder30https://t.co/7dMMgISpr1 ...

Founders are feeling the pressure to become influencers to get noticed. @mashadrokova joins @RebeccaBellan on this week's @EquityPod.Listen to the full episode: https://t.co/f7GQuh8Erq https://t.co/j1cdAA1qza ...

Founders are feeling the pressure to become influencers to get noticed. @mashadrokova joins @RebeccaBellan on this week's @EquityPod.Listen to the full episode: https://t.co/f7GQuh8Erq https://t.co/BGQD46i80w ...

Core Insights - QYOU Media Inc. will release its financial results for the fiscal third quarter ended September 30, 2025, on November 24, 2025, at 8 AM EST, followed by a live conference call at 11 AM EST to discuss the results and future plans [1][2] Company Overview - QYOU Media operates in India and the United States, focusing on producing and distributing content created by social media influencers and digital content creators [3] - The company is committed exclusively to the Creator Economy and influencer marketing, with a growing confidence in the effectiveness of this strategy [3] - QYOU Media's influencer marketing platform in India, Chtrbox, connects brands with social media influencers, while in the U.S., it collaborates with major film studios and brands to create and market content [3] Audience Reach - QYOU Media's content has reached over one billion consumers, primarily targeting millennials and Gen Z [3]