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- Influence Weekly 390 - ALO Yoga, Influencers Hit With $150M Class Action Lawsuit Over Undisclosed Paid Social Media Campaigns
Influence Weekly 390 - ALO Yoga, Influencers Hit With $150M Class Action Lawsuit Over Undisclosed Paid Social Media Campaigns
Publicis Groupe Acquires Captiv8 To Strengthen Influencer Capabilities
Nii Ahene
May 23, 2025
Spotlight Stories
ALO Yoga, Influencers Hit With $150M Class Action Lawsuit Over Undisclosed Paid Social Media Campaigns
Publicis Groupe Acquires Captiv8 To Strengthen Influencer Capabilities
Later’s New CMO Eyes Influencer Marketing Transformation Through Metrics, Talent, And Myth-Busting
MrBeast’s ‘Beast Games’ Scores Two-Season Renewal After Becoming Amazon Prime Video’s Most-Watched Unscripted Show
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Great Reads
ALO Yoga and several influencers face a $150 million class action lawsuit alleging they failed to properly disclose paid endorsements on Instagram. The suit claims the athleisure brand instructed or allowed influencers to omit paid partnership disclosures, misleading consumers into believing the posts were authentic recommendations rather than advertisements.
This violated FTC guidelines requiring clear, conspicuous disclosure of material brand-influencer connections. Plaintiffs allege they paid premium prices based on the impression of genuine influencer preferences. Legal experts warn this case highlights significant risks for brands and creators around proper endorsement disclosures, with transparency being crucial to avoid deceptive marketing claims and potential liability. The lawsuit is part of heightened scrutiny over influencer marketing practices.
Pocket.watch, the kids and family creator media company, has expanded its network by adding nine new creator partners including ChuChu TV, Super Simple Songs, and Not Enough Nelsons. The move brings Pocket.watch's total reach to 1.29 billion subscribers with 10.6 billion monthly views.
The company transforms digital creators into global franchises by distributing content across 43 platforms in 81 countries like Hulu, Peacock and Amazon Kids+. It also develops original IP, licensing and consumer products which have driven over $1 billion in retail sales. Pocket.watch monetizes YouTube Kids viewership through its COPPA-compliant ad division Clock.Work while leveraging data insights to identify partnership opportunities.
The expansion aligns with the company's recent streaming growth, nearly doubling Hulu titles and increasing Peacock views fivefold since 2023. Pocket.watch now has over 50 creator partners in its network that have generated $100 million in payouts. By adding powerhouse kids channels, the company solidifies its position as a leader in the family creator economy space.
Publicis Groupe acquired influencer marketing platform Captiv8, combining it with previously acquired Influential to create what the advertising giant calls the world's largest connected influencer platform. The deal gives Publicis access to Captiv8's network of 15 million creators across 120 countries, covering 95% of influencers with over 5,000 followers.
Captiv8 processes 2.5 billion social posts annually and will integrate with Publicis' Epsilon technology for AI-powered targeting and real-time measurement. The platform offers creator commerce capabilities, allowing brands to monetize influencer content directly through integrated shopping features.
The acquisition continues Publicis' aggressive expansion in the creator economy, following purchases of BR Media Group and Influential in 2024. The company has invested $566 million in digital media and influencer marketing acquisitions since early 2025.
Instagram is launching a new "Referrals" program that incentivizes creators to drive traffic and new user sign-ups to the platform. U.S.-based creators can earn $100 for each new Instagram account registration through their shared links, as well as $100 for every 1,000 eligible visits to the app, up to $20,000 total.
The 6-week program runs through June and aligns with Instagram's broader efforts to attract creators from rival platforms like TikTok. With Instagram projected to generate over 50% of Meta's U.S. ad revenue in 2025 at $32 billion, the referral initiative underscores the platform's priority to expand its creator ecosystem and user base amid intensifying competition.
Campaign Insights
Sprite, the recently-crowned #3 carbonated soft drink in the U.S., launched its new Sprite + Tea innovation inspired by a viral TikTok trend of consumers adding tea bags to Sprite. Available in regular and zero-sugar varieties through October, the new flavor resulted from Coca-Cola's R&D team fine-tuning an idea that organically gained popularity online.
The marketing campaign features a collaboration with fashion brand Eastside Golf, known for blending streetwear with golf culture. Sprite's innovation strategy of monitoring consumer trends and quickly developing new flavors has driven recent successes like making last year's Sprite Chill offering permanent after it became the top new sparkling beverage innovation for Coca-Cola in 2024.
Roblox launched new commerce tools enabling creators to sell physical products directly within virtual experiences, partnering with Shopify to transform online shopping into interactive social experiences for users 13 and older in the United States. The platform's Commerce APIs allow its 97.8 million daily active users to explore virtual stores, try products and make purchases without leaving Roblox experiences.
Creator studio Twin Atlas generated six-figure revenue within weeks of launch, with 90% of orders coming through in-game commerce integration and half from repeat customers. Major brands are adopting the new capabilities. Fenty Beauty created a shoppable game featuring an exclusive Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer shade, while The Weeknd is launching a world-building experience with shoppable ticket bundles for his film "Hurry Up Tomorrow."
Roblox also introduced the Approved Merchandiser Program connecting physical retail purchases with digital items on the platform. The program allows creators, brands and IP holders to bundle physical products with unique digital accessories for user avatars, marked with AMP authenticity badges.
SheaMoisture hosted its first international brand trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica, prioritizing representation over follower count to launch its new Kalahari Melon Curl Stretch Collection targeting type 4 hair textures. The beauty brand invited 13 influencers, community leaders and media members for a three-day experience in March, specifically selecting creators with type 4 hair who are often underrepresented on brand trips. Head of PR and Influencer Marketing Brianna Wright emphasized choosing existing community members and "true Shea users" rather than focusing solely on audience size.
The itinerary balanced product education with cultural immersion, featuring beach dinners with local performances, styling sessions led by celebrity stylist Lacy Redway, and community engagement at Harbour Street Craft Market. Skip Marley performed for participants on the final day. Attendees created "Get Ready with Me" videos, hosted live Q&As and shared real-time updates, generating what Wright described as "probably the most engaged I've ever seen our audience." The content created a centralized hub effect across social platforms.
Unilever's TRESemmé brand launched a new influencer-centric "Give Gloss" campaign featuring Bravo personality Paige DeSorbo as an ambassador. The 360-degree push includes TV ads, social media content, events, and branded products. Early results show a 42% increase in positive brand sentiment and 60% higher Instagram engagement.
The campaign exemplifies Unilever's new "influencer-first" marketing strategy allocating 30-50% of its $9 billion ad budget to influencer marketing. TRESemmé partnered with macro-influencers and a tiered strategy to reach different audience segments like foodies and podcast fans. The marketer aims to position TRESemmé as a cool, relatable haircare brand for Gen Z and millennial consumers.
Domino's executed its first brand collaboration with TikTok creator Sydney Jo through a seamlessly integrated episode of her viral series "The Group Chat," generating 4.7 million views and widespread praise for authentic influencer marketing. The pizza chain partnered with creative agency WorkInProgress to create a "commercial break" episode where Jo plays multiple characters in an imaginary friend group ordering pizza during a conflict. The brand integration avoided traditional ad formats by writing Domino's directly into the storyline rather than using forced product placements.
Viewers responded enthusiastically to the natural integration, with comments highlighting how the collaboration felt organic rather than disruptive. The episode has accumulated over 270,000 likes with engagement continuing to climb, demonstrating strong audience receptivity to content-first marketing approaches. This marks Jo's first brand partnership, representing a significant milestone for the breakout creator whose multi-character sketches regularly achieve millions of views. The collaboration showcases how emerging creators can maintain authenticity while monetizing their content through strategic brand partnerships.
Mexico is demanding compensation from MrBeast's production company for allegedly using ancient Maya archaeological sites to advertise his chocolate brand without proper authorization, escalating tensions over influencer commercialization of cultural heritage. The video "I Explored 2,000 Year Old Ancient Temples" featuring MrBeast at Maya ruins including Calakmul and Chichén Itzá has generated approximately 60 million views since May 10.
Mexico's National Institute of Archaeology and History filed an official complaint stating that while filming permits were granted to Full Circle Media, they did not authorize using archaeological sites for commercial brand advertising. The institute is demanding compensation for damages and public retraction due to permit violations.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has requested clarification on access conditions, particularly after MrBeast's comment "I can't believe the government's letting us do this" while entering a pyramid. The controversy deepened when MrBeast advertised his Feastables snacks as "Mayan-approved" in the video. Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History emphasized that public heritage cannot be exploited by commercial enterprises, while local tour guides criticized unequal enforcement of site regulations.
Hawaiian Tropic has partnered with social media influencer Alix Earle for a summer marketing campaign called "Tana Sutra." The 60-second hero video spot features Earle demonstrating various tanning positions inspired by the Kama Sutra, with names like "Selfie Stretch" and "Miami Mist." The campaign aims to celebrate Hawaiian Tropic's heritage of inspiring people to be more fun and sexy since 1969.
Created by agency BBH USA, the integrated campaign includes streaming, digital, social media, influencer partnerships, events, and a limited-edition guidebook. With 7.4 million TikTok followers, Earle has become a marketing fixture for brands targeting younger consumers. Hawaiian Tropic owner Edgewell expects the sun protection market to be impacted by projected decreases in travel and vacation spending.
YouTube creator iShowSpeed (Darren Watkins) is teaming up with OBB Media and DICK'S Sporting Goods to launch a new six-episode premium series called "Speed Goes Pro." In this series, the popular streamer with over 50 million subscribers will compete against professional athletes like Tom Brady and Kevin Durant in various sports challenges.
The series aims to showcase Watkins' skills while also establishing a multi-year brand ambassador partnership between DICK'S Sporting Goods and the creator. This follows a previous successful collaboration promoting athletic footwear. By releasing directly on Watkins' channel, the series redefines how shows reach audiences beyond traditional TV models. Both OBB Media and Watkins express excitement about the unique opportunity.
Southeast Asian tourism authorities are intensifying efforts to attract Vietnamese travelers ahead of the summer vacation period. They are leveraging digital platforms and influencer marketing campaigns to promote their destinations and experiences, as regional competition for tourists heats up. The influencer marketing segment in Southeast Asia is growing rapidly, projected to reach $480 billion globally by 2027.
Tourism boards are partnering with local influencers, travel bloggers, airlines and travel companies to showcase attractions through relatable content tailored to Vietnamese preferences. Influencers are utilizing platforms like Instagram and TikTok to shape travel decisions through storytelling and engaging formats like gamified reality shows. With Vietnamese outbound tourism surging, affordability is a key factor, leading to attractive travel package deals designed specifically for value-conscious Vietnamese tourists.
Join us for The Big 3 by Influence Weekly, where hosts Ceci Carloni and Nii Ahene deliver expert commentary on the creator economy's most impactful business developments. Each month, they offer insider perspectives on industry-shifting stories, unpacking what these changes mean for brands and marketing professionals in the creator economy
Interesting People
Later's new Chief Marketing Officer Ryan Bonnici is leading an ambitious transformation of the influencer marketing platform. His three-pillar strategy aims to reshape how brands approach creator partnerships through advanced analytics for predictive insights, assembling a world-class marketing team, and debunking myths around influencer marketing's capabilities and complexity.
Bonnici plans to leverage Later's proprietary data to help marketers predict trends and drive bottom-funnel metrics through influencers. He's actively recruiting top talent to strengthen thought leadership. And he's on a mission to prove influencer marketing can drive sales effectively when executed properly, countering claims it's just for brand awareness or too difficult. With tightening budgets, Bonnici has seen increased investment in this high-performing channel as brands recognize its potential when scaled strategically.
YouTube creator Luke Nichols announced he's shutting down his popular "Outdoor Boys" channel after 10 years, citing family privacy concerns as his 15.3 million subscriber base became overwhelming. Nichols revealed the channel gained approximately 12 million subscribers in just 18 months, creating unprecedented attention that threatens his family's ability to live normal lives. The outdoor adventure channel has generated 2.8 billion views on YouTube, with an additional 4 billion views from unauthorized content redistribution across other platforms.
The former criminal defense attorney from Virginia built his channel around extreme camping, fishing and hunting content filmed in Alaska. Before YouTube, Nichols practiced law for 10 years after earning his degree from George Mason University, leveraging his Anchorage upbringing and outdoor expertise. Nichols produced 1,110 videos across two channels during his 11-year content creation career, acknowledging the physical and time demands including late-night editing sessions and filming while injured or sick. He plans to focus on supporting his son Tom's YouTube channel "Outdoor Tom," which already has over 800,000 subscribers.
YouTube star MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, has amassed a massive following and built a multimillion-dollar business through his viral stunts and philanthropic acts. Despite controversies, the 26-year-old is expanding into new ventures like TV shows, consumer brands, and aims to create a Disney-level media empire.
While prioritizing giving back, Donaldson keeps reinvesting profits into his company Beast Industries, which expects to generate over $900 million in revenue this year. His rise from a small town to internet superstardom showcases the lucrative potential of the creator economy.
Becca Bloom, whose real name is Rebecca Ma, is a Silicon Valley heiress turned TikTok influencer who has amassed millions of followers on #RichTok showcasing her extravagant lifestyle. The 26-year-old grew up in the affluent city of Atherton, California, with parents who were successful tech entrepreneurs behind software company Camelot Information Systems.
While flaunting her designer jewelry and lavish spending habits online, Ma works in finance to fund her luxurious lifestyle independently. She recently went viral for gifting a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet worth around $1,650 to a fan. Despite her privileged upbringing, Ma is determined to carve out her own path to success, amassing a following and income through her social media stardom in the creator economy.
Advertising executive Ashley Rudder believes the creator economy is no longer a trend but an essential infrastructure for brands. At her agency DNY, creators are deeply integrated across all departments, providing real-time cultural insights to shape marketing strategies. Rudder describes this as "creative Darwinism" where only resonant, high-performing work survives.
Her philosophy prioritizes true engagement metrics over vanity figures like follower counts. Authentic community interaction is key, with creators co-creating with audiences. DNY focuses on developing organic influencer content over traditional paid ads to build genuine brand connections.
Looking ahead, Rudder expects brands to increasingly partner with creators as extensions of their own media channels. She is helping upskill the industry through programs like Creator Rooftop at Cannes Lions. Overall, Rudder's vision melds traditional marketing acumen with creator expertise, combining brand storytelling with cultural relevance for measurable business impact.
Monica Khan, Head of Digital at Strand Entertainment, is bridging the gap between Hollywood and digital talent representation. As creators increasingly function like media companies, Khan is providing operational support beyond just brand deals to help them scale effectively. She is restructuring the creator-brand relationship by pursuing longer-term, multi-content deals to provide more stable income.
Khan has also co-founded the Bay Area Creator Economy to foster networking and knowledge sharing among industry professionals concentrated in the region. Her focus is on shifting creators' mindsets to see themselves as business leaders and CEOs, encouraging them to invest in teams and infrastructure for sustainable growth. Khan aims to further integrate creator-led production into traditional entertainment models moving forward.
The creator economy continues to evolve with new platforms, products, and strategies emerging. Key highlights include YouTube creator Luke Nichols shutting down his popular "Outdoor Boys" channel after 10 years, OnlyFans launching a celebrity-hosted pickleball competition series, and Southeast Asian tourism authorities tapping into influencer marketing. Several platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Roblox unveiled new tools and initiatives to support creators.
Meanwhile, a class-action lawsuit against Alo Yoga and influencers alleged undisclosed paid campaigns, and Mexico sought compensation from MrBeast over using ancient Maya sites in an ad. Analytics companies like Primetag and Podscribe introduced AI-powered solutions for better measurement and targeting in the influencer marketing space. Overall, the industry grapples with challenges around transparency, regulation, and organizational transformation to drive the next stage of growth.
Industry News
Motion's virtual event "Make Ads That Convert" returns May 27-June 4, targeting 20,000 registrants with its "Ad AI Renaissance" theme focusing on practical AI applications in advertising. The DTC marketing event attracted over 11,000 participants in 2024 and has evolved from single-speaker sessions to expert workshops featuring tactical frameworks over theoretical concepts.
The five-session series builds what Motion calls "one creative canon," covering ideation through team structure implementation. Featured speakers include Alex Cooper from AdCrate, Barry Hott who manages over $600 million in ad spend, Kelly Rocklein from UGC Pro with $500 million in generated ad revenue, and Mirella Crespi from Creative Milkshake.
Motion, a creative analytics platform with $30 million in Series B funding, positions the event as community-focused education rather than lead generation. The company generated over 500 demos from last year's event with six to twelve-month conversion cycles.
Amazon Prime Video has renewed the hit reality competition series "Beast Games," created and hosted by YouTuber MrBeast, for two additional seasons. The show's inaugural season, featuring 1,000 contestants vying for a $10 million prize, became Prime Video's most-watched unscripted show ever, amassing 50 million viewers within 25 days of its December 2024 premiere.
The unprecedented scale and ambition of the production, which broke 44 Guinness World Records, also presented logistical challenges, including reports of dehydration among participants and a lawsuit alleging unsafe conditions. With applications open for season two, Amazon and MrBeast aim to raise the bar even higher while addressing previous setbacks, delivering an unparalleled viewer experience in the booming creator economy space.
The creator economy is making inroads into traditional media, with creators playing a more prominent role in this year's TV and streaming upfront presentations. Networks and streamers are tapping into creators' built-in audiences and low-cost production capabilities to reposition their offerings as cultural currency, rather than just airtime. This mutually beneficial arrangement allows creators to gain prestige, professional production values, and access to big brand advertisers that they can't always get on their own platforms.
While creators took supporting roles this year, their rising influence signals a foundational shift as media companies chase a bigger share of the growing digital ad market. As both sides figure out how to leverage this new value exchange, challenges around risk assessment and accountability remain. But the forces driving this convergence, including creators seeking sustainable career paths beyond volatile platforms, suggest the creator economy will only become more intertwined with traditional media going forward.
Skybound Entertainment, the studio behind "The Walking Dead" and "Invincible," has acquired digital talent representation firm Nine Four Entertainment. This acquisition positions Nine Four as Skybound's dedicated digital creator and influencer representation division. The companies plan to launch a joint incubator to develop and finance creator-led brands, helping creators establish businesses beyond content creation with greater ownership and control.
Nine Four represents prominent creators like Jacksfilms, I'm Dontai, and Jennelle Eliana, and has helped clients co-found brands like tea company Habit. This move enables Skybound to directly connect with digital audiences while enhancing Nine Four's representation capabilities and creating opportunities for creators to build companies around their channels.
Spotify has revised its recently launched podcast play count feature after creators criticized the initial implementation. The updated version will now only show play counts on episodes with over 50,000 plays, displayed as milestone markers like 50K, 100K, etc. rather than exact numbers.
Spotify aims to provide better insights for creators while addressing concerns that publicly displaying low play counts could deter potential listeners, especially for niche shows. The changes highlight ongoing discussions around standardizing podcast metrics as Spotify's "play" definition differs from industry bodies like the IAB. However, Spotify states monetization will remain consistent with broader advertising standards based on streams and downloads.
Experts at a recent trademark law conference revealed that personal identity has become a marketable commodity in the creator economy. As individual creators gain influence, legal issues arise around protecting their name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. Attorney Erica Rogers highlighted the complexities, noting creators must understand contract terms, relationships involved in each social media post, and the potential need to regularly review legal standing.
While trademark law adapts, AI's impact on creator rights remains murky, with overreliance on AI tools posing risks. The conference inspired Rogers to explore community-based legal education models to help creators navigate these challenges proactively. As the creator economy booms, lawyers play a crucial role in safeguarding influencers' intellectual property and personal brands.
Fetch, a New Delhi influencer marketing agency, is bringing business leaders and entrepreneurs to the Cannes Film Festival as part of its 2025 strategy. Traditionally facilitating brand deals with celebrities and creators, Fetch is now expanding to include CEOs and founders on its roster for the festival.
This aligns with Cannes Lions' increased focus on the creator economy, officially rebranding "Social & Influencer Lions" as "Social & Creator Lions." Multiple sessions will highlight creator entrepreneurship and the influencer marketing industry. Fetch aims to create new marketing opportunities by integrating business influencers at the high-profile event alongside existing celebrity and creator partnerships.
OnlyFans, the popular subscription-based platform, is launching a new pickleball competition series called "Smash City" on its free streaming service OFTV. The four-episode series, debuting on June 13th, will feature tennis star Nick Kyrgios and reality TV personality Sophie Stonehouse as hosts, with adult film actress Rachel Starr serving as the referee. Eight OnlyFans creators will compete in various pickleball-themed challenges for a $20,000 prize.
The move is part of OnlyFans' strategy to diversify its offerings and develop mainstream entertainment content alongside its subscription platform. Kyrgios, who joined OnlyFans as a creator in 2023, sees the partnership as an opportunity to change perceptions about the platform and showcase the versatility of content creators can share.
Omnicom Media Group is consolidating its influencer marketing capabilities in the Middle East and North Africa region under its dedicated brand Creo. This move aligns with OMG's global consolidation efforts announced earlier, bringing its "influencers as a media channel" framework to MENA operations.
Creo aims to address measurement challenges through Omni, Omnicom's marketing platform, by improving creator discovery, planning, and measurement while directly linking creators' actions to consumer responses. Key solutions include the Creator Briefing Tool leveraging AI, an influencer selection tool, and performance prediction capabilities. OMG's Anthony Nghayoui will lead Creo in MENA, leveraging platform partnerships. In 2024, OMG topped the industry in new business billings and client retention rates.
YouTube has launched a weekly top podcast shows chart, solidifying its position in the podcasting industry. Popular shows like "The Joe Rogan Experience," "Kill Tony," and "Rotten Mango" currently top the chart. YouTube, owned by Alphabet, is considered the most preferred platform for listening to podcasts, surpassing Spotify and Apple, according to Edison Research. Podcasters value YouTube's large user base and favorable payouts. The chart ranks podcasts in the U.S. by watch time and will be updated every Wednesday, intensifying competition with established players in the video podcasting space.
Endlss, an influencer marketing platform, has transformed its business to better serve growing direct-to-consumer brands' needs. Originally built as TRND to give influencers ownership of the shopping experience, market feedback revealed brands were the core customers desperately seeking better influencer marketing tools.
Listening to this insight, Endlss rebuilt from the ground up with an integrated brand portal, influencer app, and smart links to streamline creator discovery, communication, amplification, and ROI analysis.
Its AI Co-Pilot enhances rather than replaces marketers by automating personalized outreach. With a laser focus on cost-of-acquisition and gifting ROI metrics that move the needle for rising brands, Endlss is delivering tangible results, exemplifying the pivotal role of customer listening in driving transformative innovation.
The European Commission has informed TikTok of preliminary findings that the platform has breached the Digital Services Act by failing to provide an adequate advertising repository. The investigation shows TikTok's ad repository lacks critical information about ad content, targeted audiences, and payment sources, limiting transparency.
The Commission says this prevents full inspection of risks from TikTok's ad systems. TikTok contests the findings, arguing for clearer guidelines and consistent enforcement across platforms. If confirmed, the decision could result in fines up to 6% of TikTok's global turnover and enhanced supervision as it expands operations in Europe with major investments like a new Finnish data center.
TikTok has launched a new AI-powered feature called "AI Alive" that transforms static photos into short video clips within the app's Stories function. This marks TikTok's first foray into AI-driven image-to-video creation capabilities. The feature allows users to animate photos with movement, atmospheric effects, and ambient sounds directly in the Story Camera without requiring editing skills.
TikTok implements multiple safety checks, including reviewing uploaded images, AI prompts, and generated videos before allowing creators to post. All AI Alive stories are labeled as AI-generated and contain metadata identifying the content as such, even when shared outside TikTok. The launch expands TikTok's AI offerings following its earlier text-to-image generator and positions the platform as an innovator in enabling creators to leverage AI for more immersive storytelling experiences.
Threads is testing Instagram-free account creation for select European Union users, allowing sign-ups with email addresses or phone numbers instead of requiring Instagram credentials. The test represents a significant shift toward establishing Threads as a standalone platform rather than an Instagram extension. Users can create Threads-specific usernames independent of their Instagram identities, according to screenshots from app researcher Radu Oncescu confirmed by Meta.
The development follows changes initiated in late 2024 when Instagram chief Adam Mosseri announced removing Instagram graph data from Threads onboarding. While the platform still uses some Instagram connections for content recommendations, it's progressively reducing this dependency. The move aligns with Threads' evolution toward becoming a real-time, text-based communication platform competing with X. The platform currently serves over 350 million users globally and recently expanded advertising access to all eligible advertisers worldwide in April.
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Whalar Group, a talent management firm representing over 300 TikTok, Instagram and YouTube creators, secured funding at a $400 million valuation from investors including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Shopify. The New York-based company manages influencers with collectively over 30 million followers, including Ali Abdaal and Doug the Pug. Since 2016, Whalar has distributed more than $300 million to creators through sponsorship deals with major brands like the NFL, Waymo and Peacock.
Whalar operates six business units spanning talent management, video game development and brand launch services for influencers. Co-founder Neil Waller says creators are evolving beyond advertising into full entertainment companies and entrepreneurial ventures. The funding will help creators integrate artificial intelligence tools, expand into Hollywood productions and develop e-commerce businesses. Other investors include Fast and Furious producer Neal Moritz.
Publicis Groupe acquired influencer marketing platform Captiv8 for a reported $150 million, deepening its push into the creator economy as US influencer marketing spending approaches $10 billion in 2025. The deal follows Publicis' previous acquisitions of Influential and BR Media Group, building what CEO Arthur Sadoun calls a comprehensive influencer marketing offering. Captiv8 will integrate with Influential under Publicis Connected Media to create access to over 15 million creators globally.
California-based Captiv8 offers AI-powered technology and social commerce capabilities, managing a network covering 95% of influencers with over 5,000 followers. The platform enables brands to unify, manage and measure influencer strategies while driving commerce at scale. Publicis allocated up to 900 million euros for acquisitions in 2025 as traditional ad spending faces cuts. The company aims to capitalize on booming segments including influencer marketing, advanced TV and retail media to offset declines in conventional advertising.
TikTok has instructed its U.S. e-commerce staff to work from home on Wednesday, suggesting potential layoffs are imminent. An internal memo from the new TikTok Shop head Mu Qing stated the company is considering an "efficient operating model," which will involve "operational and personnel changes" to the U.S. e-commerce and global accounts teams.
Despite TikTok Shop's growth, the app's future in the U.S. remains uncertain amid national security concerns over its Chinese ownership. As it awaits a forced sale or ban, TikTok appears to be restructuring its American operations, with job cuts likely part of creating a "more efficient" business model during this period of turmoil.
As podcasts embrace video formats, advertisers are treating the medium as more premium, driving double-digit revenue growth for major podcast companies in Q1 2025. With improved viewability, engagement, brand safety, and audience targeting from video integration, podcasts are commanding higher CPMs comparable to CTV rates. YouTube's new podcast leaderboard aims to help brands better understand the landscape.
Agencies confirm their clients are allocating more budgets to podcast advertising, citing measurable brand lift from the channel. As podcasts become accessible through smart TVs, they offer an appealing opportunity for household marketing. Leading platforms anticipate sustained ad revenue growth from video podcasting's premium positioning.
Instagram's promise to parents that Teen Accounts automatically shield kids from harmful content is falling short according to new testing. A group of Gen Z users from nonprofit Design It For Us and a Washington Post tech columnist created test accounts for hypothetical teens, finding the platform's algorithm still recommended inappropriate content despite safety claims. Saheb Gulati, a high school senior headed to Stanford, found his test account for a 16-year-old received 28 Instagram Reels describing sexual acts within two weeks.
Four other Gen Z testers encountered similar sexual content, with most also receiving body image, disordered eating, alcohol, drug, and hate content. Meta spokesperson Liza Crenshaw defended Teen Accounts, calling the report "flawed" and noting it identified only 61 "sensitive" pieces, representing less than 0.3 percent of all content viewed. While some protective features worked—making accounts private by default and restricting messaging—the algorithm consistently recommended content violating Meta's definition of "sensitive."
Meta faces mounting fraud issues as criminals exploit Facebook and Instagram to run sophisticated scam operations, according to internal documents and banking data reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The social media giant accounted for nearly half of all reported Zelle scams at JPMorgan Chase between summer 2023 and 2024. British and Australian regulators report similar fraud levels originating on Meta platforms. An internal 2022 analysis found 70% of new advertisers promote scams, illicit goods or low-quality products.
Current and former employees say Meta hesitates to add barriers for advertisers who drove 22% growth in its $160 billion advertising business last year. The company allows advertisers to accumulate between eight and 32 automated strikes for financial fraud before banning accounts. Popular scams include fake pet sales, fraudulent giveaways and impersonation schemes run by overseas crime networks. One Atlanta business owner receives constant complaints about scammers using his company's identity across 4,400 fraudulent ads.