Hi and welcome back to another edition of our newsletter and the final one of 2025. We hope you all enjoy the break. The final update we’ll share with you: Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, revealed that Instagram video is coming to connected TV devices, but reaffirmed short rather than long form content will remain the key to success on Instagram. More below.

— Kole

Also coming up

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Instagram is expanding to TV, but the move isn’t a pivot to long-form content.

On Semafor’s Mixed Signals podcast, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said the platform’s strength remains short-form video and messaging: users watch Reels, send them to friends, and have conversations.

Long videos risk breaking that loop. “You watch a 20-minute video…that’s a lot of Reels you wouldn’t have seen and sent to a friend,” Mosseri explained.

Unlike YouTube, which treats TV as a primary screen, Instagram is treating it as secondary.

For Mosseri, shareable, conversation-driving content remains the key driver of engagement, and Instagram will continue to reward it. This week, the company rolled out Instagram on Amazon Fire TV, which could expand reach as users get the option to watch Reels on a bigger screen.

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More Headlines

📰 Google tests AI-powered article overviews with publishers

The test includes AI-generated summaries and optional audio briefings on Google News. Google says these features will be clearly linked to the original stories. Initial publishers include The Guardian, The Washington Post, and El País.

🛍️ Google adds shoppable fashion discovery feed in Doppl

The new feed surfaces outfit ideas based on a user’s style profile and past interactions. It also shows AI-generated videos of real products with direct links to purchase items.

🤖 Google denies report claiming ads are coming to Gemini

An Adweek report claimed that Google informed agencies about a potential 2026 Gemini ads rollout. Google’s VP of Global Ads, Dan Taylor, said the report relied on “uninformed, anonymous sources making inaccurate claims.”

🧠 Google launches Disco, an experimental AI browser

The browser uses prompts to organize web pages into task-focused apps rather than traditional tabs. Its GenTabs feature uses Gemini 3 to create interactive tools from prompts while keeping sources linked and visible.

💡 Meta launches tool to turn creator content into partnership ads

Brands can now use branded or user-generated content from creators as paid ads. The new system lets brands track performance metrics like views, likes, comments, shares, and saves before promoting content.

💎 TikTok Shop moves into pre-owned luxury goods

Items from brands like Hermes, Rolex, and Cartier are increasingly being listed, as the company looks to change perception from being a destination for lower priced goods.

📺 Pinterest will acquire CTV ad platform tvScientific

The deal will let Pinterest integrate tvScientific’s performance-based CTV platform into its ad suite, linking TV campaigns to user intent signals. The acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approval.

🚀 OpenAI partners with Instacart to launch first grocery shopping app

The new feature lets users browse items, build a cart, and pay for groceries entirely within ChatGPT. Users start by typing “Instacart” in a prompt, and ChatGPT guides them through signing in and selecting items from nearby stores.

📣 YouTube has introduced comments to Shorts ads

Advertisers can now enable comments on eligible Shorts ads, allowing viewers to engage just like they do on regular Shorts videos. The update also expands Shorts ads to mobile web and lets creators link directly to brand websites to track audience interactions.

🏷️ YouTube rebrands creator video linking as Brand Partner Access

The change allows creators to give brands direct access to sponsored video data across long-form videos and Shorts. Once approved, brands can view detailed performance metrics in Google Ads and run partnership ads using a creator’s video across YouTube and other Google platforms.

📌 LinkedIn rolls out Reserved Ads for top feed placement

The new Reserved Ads format allows advertisers to secure the first slot in the LinkedIn feed for Video, Single Image, Document, and Thought Leader ads. LinkedIn is also adding ad personalization and AI-powered creative tools to tailor messages and automatically generate multiple ad variants.

📈 The global ad market is expected to reach $1.2 trillion in 2025

WARC’s latest forecast shows global ad spending rising 8.9% this year, boosted by strong results from major online platforms. Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta are expected to account for more than half of the worldwide ad spend, while emerging platforms like TikTok and Reddit gain momentum. Spending in the U.S. and retail media continues to dominate, shaping where future ad dollars flow.

📱 Apple will expand App Store search ads in 2026

Ads will appear at the top of App Store search results and further down the page as part of the same campaigns. Advertisers will not control the placements, and pricing and billing will remain unchanged.

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Written from York, England