🚦 TikTok Deal Gets Green Light

Today’s Insights

✦ TikTok nears deal with the U.S
✦ Meta expands trending Reels ads
✦ YouTube side-by-side ads
✦ Google steps up AI creative rollout

Feature

Trump announced there had been approval for a deal that will see TikTok's US operations sold to a group of American investors.

A statement from China's Foreign Ministry stopped short of saying there is final agreement, but the sentiment was positive, suggesting a years-long dispute may finally be coming to an end.

TikTok's new U.S. entity will lease its algorithm from ByteDance under the terms of a proposed deal.

The Information found that TikTok's US user base grew over 15% in the first half of 2025 despite regulatory uncertainty, reaching 100+ million monthly users who spend 52 minutes daily on the platform according to eMarketer.

All of the details on how the deal will work haven't been announced yet. But taking away the regulatory overhang that may have been put off some advertisers could see TikTok’s share increase short term.

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🖼️ Google’s new tool turns product photos into lifestyle images

Brands can upload a product photo, describe a scene, and Google’s AI will generate new visuals based on the prompt. Advertisers can also create videos using text, images, and logos within Asset Studio.

🌍 Meta is expanding Reels trending ads to advertisers globally

The ad format places ads immediately after top-trending creator Reels on Instagram and Facebook. Meta is also introducing new ad formats on Threads, including carousel ads.

📣 WhatsApp is offering ‘click-to-message’ ads in Status updates

Advertisers can now place ads in the Updates tab between Status updates. They can send users directly into a WhatsApp chat by linking the ad. Advertisers can now place ads in the Updates tab between Status updates, linking users directly to a WhatsApp chat.

📹 Reddit has added a 6-second engaged video view goal for advertisers

The new option targets users who are most likely to watch an ad for at least six seconds or until the video ends.

📺 YouTube is bringing side-by-side ads to livestreams

The new format places ads next to streams without the need for breaks during the broadcast. These are full video ad units that appear on one half of the screen while the livestream continues on the other half.

🔄 YouTube is testing ‘swappable’ sponsorship slots

The feature allows creators to insert and remove sponsored ad reads from their videos. Shorts creators will soon be able to add branded links that track traffic and conversions. YouTube also plans to introduce tools for matching creators with brands through Google Ads.

🎧 Amazon partners with SiriusXM to offer programmatic audio ads

Advertisers can now buy Pandora and SoundCloud U.S. audio ads directly through Amazon DSP. The deal also enables brands to integrate their campaigns with Amazon’s first-party audience insights, allowing them to target listeners and track campaign performance.

📢 Amazon announced “professional-quality” video ad creation tool

Amazon’s conversational chat tool researches products, builds storyboards, and produces ad creatives. Currently in beta, it can deliver customized ads across Amazon formats, including Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, and Amazon DSP.

Thanks for reading

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We’ll be back next week!