Help me, AlliedGPT

AlliedGPT is customized with AGM-specific prompts to maximize efficiency and relevance. Here are some prompts to try this week:

  • Kickstart research into your target customer's pain points and challenges using this prompt.

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TL;DR

In a hurry? Here's our pick of the top news items of the week.

  • The Supreme Court has upheld the TikTok ban law, meaning the app will be removed from U.S. app stores unless ByteDance sells it, though President Biden won't enforce the ban and President-elect Trump has pledged to "save" the platform. (Politico)

  • AMC Theatres introduces new free loyalty tier, rewarding customers who watch eight movies or earn 5K Stubs points annually, aiming to convert casual moviegoers into regular visitors. (The Hollywood Reporter)

  • The UK government announces £60M investment package for creative industries, with £40M focused on video games, music, and film, marking the first phase of a Creative Industry Sector Plan. (UK Government)

  • With TikTok facing potential US shutdown, major tech companies including Meta, YouTube, Snapchat, and Substack are aggressively competing to attract TikTok's 170M US users. (The Hollywood Reporter)

  • Following TikTok's imminent US ban, thousands of American users are migrating to Chinese social platform Xiaohongshu (RedNote), creating unexpected cultural exchanges between US and Chinese users. (Rest of World)

Interesting campaigns / creative

  • Uber Eats launched a campaign featuring tennis star Andy Murray in action movie-style chase scenes, promoting the platform's expanded delivery and offering one customer the chance to have Murray "delivered" to them. (Campaign Brief)

  • Oreo launches "Name This Oreo" web audio challenge where users speak combinations of "O" and "RE" to win Kroger offers, playing on internet theories about its brand name while continuing its digital engagement strategy. (Marketing Dive)

  • Dollar Shave Club launches "The Club" campaign marking return to its irreverent roots post-Unilever acquisition, aiming to modernize the brand's humorous approach while maintaining inclusivity. (Marketing Dive)

Audiences

  • High-quality visuals are the most important factor in AI-generated ads for young audiences, with 50% of Gen Z and 45% of millennials paying attention to visual quality, while celebrity endorsements are least effective. (Emarketer)

  • UKTV reports significant digital growth in 2024, with views to its U streaming service increasing 34% and doubling over two years, while expanding content and maintaining strong linear TV performance. (Advanced Television)

  • Subscription trends in 2025 show a shift from acquisition to retention as acquisition rates drop to 2.8% (from 4.1% in 2021), while companies focus on personalization, flexible payments, and loyalty programs to maintain customers. (Advanced Television)

  • Peacock's 'The Traitors' achieves series high with Season 3 premiere, drawing 499M viewing minutes (up from previous record of 402M), marking the best unscripted premiere in the streaming platform's history. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Platforms

  • Snapchat launches "Find Your Favorites on Snapchat" campaign to attract TikTok's users and creators ahead of potential US ban, highlighting its 50% YoY creator growth and updated monetization programs. (Social Media Today)

  • TikTok plans to completely cut off U.S. users when the sell-off bill takes effect next Monday, though the company will allow users to download their data and is preparing contingencies for a potential return. (Reuters)

  • Instagram is surveying users about potential paid engagement options, suggesting Meta might allow users to purchase followers and engagement despite its previous stance against such practices. (Social Media Today)

  • Meta is implementing Community Notes on Facebook and Instagram to replace third-party fact-checking, but data from X shows the system's limitations, particularly in addressing political misinformation. (Social Media Today)

  • Snap announces $5M in wildfire relief aid for Los Angeles after the Palisades Fire destroyed Snapchat's original HQ and displaced 150 company employees. (Deadline)

Content

  • Global media in 2025 will be increasingly driven by algorithms, with ad spend reaching $1.08T (up 10.7%), as AI reshapes search behavior, retail media expands to $154.8B, and brands adapt to more diverse media channels. (Advanced Television)

  • Asia's streaming market is projected to grow 40% to $89B by 2029, with subscriptions expected to reach 870M users, while traditional TV revenue will decline by $8B during the same period. (The Hollywood Reporter)

  • Cineplex reported strong December 2024 box office revenue of $64.8M (up from $51.8M in 2023), driven by hits like "Moana 2" and "Wicked," though still below pre-pandemic levels. (The Hollywood Reporter)

  • Over 200M tracks are now available on streaming services, but nearly half are played fewer than 10 times annually, highlighting the challenge of music oversaturation on digital platforms. (Music Business Worldwide)

Tech & AI

  • OpenAI is rolling out a "tasks" feature for ChatGPT Plus users, allowing them to schedule reminders and AI-powered requests, marking OpenAI's first step into AI agents that can act independently. (Tech Crunch)

  • Google's worldwide search engine market share drops below 90% for the first time since 2015 as SEO spam and unreliable AI Overview results plague the platform. (Emarketer)

  • Generative AI search is becoming mainstream in 2025, and this shift is impacting organic traffic with an 8.9% decrease in clicks for URLs featured in Google's AI Overviews. (Emarketer)

  • AI agents are beginning to infiltrate the advertising world, offering automated tools for tasks like budget analysis and reporting, though executives caution these tools can't fully replace agency work due to AI limitations. (Marketing Brew)

Location-based entertainment

  • The 2025 Genesis Invitational PGA tournament will be relocated from Riviera Country Club due to ongoing L.A. wildfires, with an alternate venue to be announced for the February event. (The Hollywood Reporter)

  • Disney on Broadway celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025 with a special exhibit at Epcot's Festival of the Arts, featuring costumes and props, alongside a concert series featuring original Broadway cast members. (Attractions Magazine)

  • The Design Museum has launched a new tool to help museums reduce the environmental impact of touring exhibitions, supporting UK cultural institutions in making sustainable decisions about temporary displays and set works. (blooloop)

  • Busch Gardens announces new attractions for Spring 2025: Tampa Bay's interactive Wild Oasis realm, and Williamsburg's "The Wolf's Revenge," North America's longest inverted family coaster. (Travel Pulse)

  • The top 10 new U.S. theme park attractions for 2025, led by Universal's Epic Universe opening in May with 50+ attractions, are looking to make for an exciting year for theme park fanatics. (Marin Independent Journal)

Travel & hospitality

  • Multiple LA restaurants, including historic Vittorio's and Side Pie, were destroyed in the ongoing Palisades and Eaton fires, while others like Nobu Malibu remain closed in evacuation zones. (LA Eater)

  • Holland America Line is investing $70M in Alaska, featuring lodge renovations, 120 new rooms, enhanced dining options, and improved wildlife viewing experiences, to be completed by 2027. (Travel Week)

  • 2025 travel trends show an increase to 80% of Americans who plan to vacation, with focus on solo female travel, off-the-beaten-path destinations, and TV/movie location tourism. (Telegraph Herald)

  • Chipotle's Cultivate Next fund is investing in two aquatic plant companies: Plantible's duckweed-based protein and CH4 Global's seaweed supplement that can reduce cow methane emissions by up to 90%. (Restaurant Business)

Gaming

  • Nintendo has officially announced the Switch 2 console launching in 2025, featuring a larger screen and backward compatibility with original Switch games. (KTLA)

  • Virtual reality gaming is predicted to become more mainstream in 2025, with companies like Incisiv developing games that combine physical activity with gaming, and as VR headsets become more affordable and improved. (BBC News)

  • "Consume Me" and "Despelote" lead nominations for the 2025 Independent Games Festival Awards, with five and four nominations respectively, as the Game Developers Conference announces finalists. (Variety)

  • The Australian Open is streaming real-time animated, video game-style versions of tennis matches on YouTube, with viewership increasing from 140K to 950K views in the first four days compared to 2024's debut. (US News)

  • Tencent and Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family are reportedly considering splitting off part of Ubisoft to form a new company, aiming to boost the studio's value which has dropped 44% over the past year. (80LV)

Mental health

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