Check out the latest posts from AGM Leaders

Staying Ahead of the Curve: 7 Marketing Predictions for 2025

By Arlene Wszalek, EVP, Strategy & Innovation

Style Beyond the Screen: Aesthetic-Focused Partnerships

By Melissa Croll, Vice President, Partnerships

TL;DR

• The newly formed Dataset Providers Alliance advocates for an ethical AI data licensing opt-in system, promoting fair compensation and direct negotiations between data creators and AI companies. (Wired)

• Advertiser confidence in X (formerly Twitter) significantly decreased, with a 26% reduction in ad spend for 2025, while YouTube and TikTok remain favoured. (Advanced Television)

• X has launched a beta TV app on platforms like Android TV, LG, and Amazon Fire TV, marking its shift towards a video-first platform. (TechCrunch)

• Sony Corp is focusing on original content creation, investing $10B over six years to grow its games, films, and music segments, to capture a larger share of the $3T entertainment industry. (Advanced Television)

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  Reddit's role in digital marketing is rapidly growing, ranking as the fifth highest-visibility domain on Google's organic search results, reporting a 41% YoY growth. (Emarketer)

Audiences

• Australia’s 2026 census will ask a question about sexuality and sexual preference following outrage from LGBTQ+ groups over the government’s initial decision to avoid “divisive debates." (Pink News)

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  Baby boomers are increasingly adopting online and mobile app shopping, while maintaining higher brand loyalty compared to other generations. (Morning Consult)

• Revry experienced a 9% increase in watch hours from Q1 to Q2 2024, underlining a rising demand for inclusive and authentic LGBTQ+ content. (Advanced Television)

• By the end of 2024, the UK is expected to become Europe's largest media and entertainment market, overtaking Germany. (Advanced Television)

Platforms

• Snapchat will start testing "Sponsored Snaps" ads within its main Chat tab, marking the first time ads appear alongside personal messages in this key app area. (Verge)

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  YouTube is the leading platform in US TV viewership for the first time, capturing 10.4% of total TV usage, fueled by increased viewing from young audiences. (Advanced Television)

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  US teens prefer YouTube for entertainment and advertisements, notably more than ads from streaming services, with YouTube ads being three times more favoured. (Advanced Television)

• YouTube has introduced a new parental control feature, allowing parents to link their accounts with their teens' to monitor activities while maintaining privacy. (TechCrunch)

Content

• Spend on content in the top 7 Asian markets is forecast to reach $17.2B by 2028, driven by India and, to a lesser extent, Indonesia and the Philippines. (World Screen)

• Chick-Fil-A plans to launch a streaming service with family-friendly original content, expanding into the entertainment industry. (Deadline)

• Mediapro reported a profit of €12M for the end of 2023, rebounding from losses in 2023, by focusing on content creation and its US expansion plans. (Advanced Television)

• YouTube shows, like 'Hot Ones' and 'Chicken Shop Date', demand the same level of ad revenue as traditional TV shows, due to substantial viewership. (The Washington Post)

Tech & AI

• Marketers are increasingly using AI for mobile marketing, highlighted by Apple's adoption of generative AI in its devices. (Marketing Dive)

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  Google will replace its Video Action Campaigns with the new AI-powered Demand Gen ad product in 2025. (Emarketer)

• Volkswagen is integrating ChatGPT into most of its 2025 models in the U.S., making it the first high-volume car manufacturer to standardize AI-driven voice assistance. (MediaPost)

Location-based entertainment

• Oasis will play two additional London shows—but only for those who were unsuccessful in their attempt to buy tickets to the original dates. (NME)

• A new AI project involving 12 major institutions is aiming to transform art preservation with color reconstruction, which could greatly impact museums. (Art News)

• With the growing popularity of F1 racing in the United States, UK-based eatertainment brand, F1 Arcade, is bringing its racing simulator concept to the US. (Nation's Restaurant News)

• Warner Bros. Discovery launched Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences to capitalise on the growing demand for experiences and live entertainment, projecting revenues of $500M. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Travel & hospitality

• New Zealand is tripling its tourist levy to NZ$100 ($62) to offset the impact of tourism on taxpayers. (Karryon)

• Expedia found that travelers are shaking up their usual fall getaway plans, planning to visit less popular cities like Ann Arbor and Indianapolis. (Forbes)

• Frontier Airlines is significantly expanding its domestic network in New York, Los Angeles, and beyond, rolling out nearly a dozen new routes to Tampa, Orlando, Austin and more. (T&L)

• A new startup called Re-Ply has launched to help NYC restaurants solve their outdoor seating conundrum. (Inc)

Gaming

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  This summer's best indie game lineup has thrived with a diverse array of titles like "Schim" and "Thank Goodness You’re Here!" providing fresh gaming experiences ahead of blockbuster season. (Verge)

• Warner Bros. Discovery announces that creating a sequel to the highly successful "Hogwarts Legacy" is a top priority. (The Standard)

• The mobile gaming market projected to grow to $195B by 2030, driven by AI's role in creating more immersive, personalised gaming experiences. (Yahoo! Finance)

• The new trailer for "A Minecraft Movie" provides the first glimpse of stars in a live-action adaptation of the popular game, set for release on April 4th 2025. (Eurogamer)