This week a major news outlet steps into visual journalism, brands join Reddit to keep up with LLMs, weight loss drugs affect our culture — and shopping habits, and more.
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TRENDING
A new generation is rethinking workplace urgency
Debate is growing over the role work plays in our lives as companies conduct layoffs like clockwork, now seen as a smart business strategy rather than a sign of failure. The belief that hard work and loyalty pay off is fading, and Gen Z is reading the room. Entering the workforce with stagnant wages and high living costs, they are increasingly resisting what some call the false sense of urgency ingrained in many workplaces. A career and leadership coach links the change to it not being guaranteed that going above and beyond will be rewarded. Source: The Washington Post
The New York Times steps into vertical video
Marking one of the first times a major publisher has introduced the format, The New York Times announced a step towards visual journalism and will include a tab in its app dedicated to TikTok-style content. App users can use the feature to see short-form clips from the outlet’s large portfolio, including Opinion, Cooking, Wirecutter, and The Athletic. Other outlets may soon follow suit as the format continues to win with users’ attention spans. Source: Adweek
TECHNOLOGY
AI scraping methods mean what happens on Reddit doesn’t stay on Reddit
Brands like Spotify, Wayfair, and Sonos are now using Reddit accounts to engage directly with communities as content from the platform is consistently used by LLMs. A recent report found Reddit appearing in 5.5% of Google AI Overviews. Per other data from Marketing platform Profound, Reddit is the most cited website by Perplexity and the second most cited by Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT. Source: Axios
AI’s effects on cognitive processing
An MIT researcher found that when people use AI tools to write essays, brain activity linked to attention, creativity, and cognitive processing dropped as AI help increased. Similarly, a study conducted by the Swiss Business School found frequent AI users scored lower on critical thinking. While more research is needed, the findings raise concerns and questions on how schools can aid in producing critical and creative thinkers in a time of endless AI shortcuts. Source: The Guardian
BRAND
Big brands take big steps to develop AI tools for marketing content
In the last few years, the idea of AI reshaping the advertising industry has been increasingly discussed, but major brands are now making it feel like a definite next step. A senior executive from snack maker Mondelez said the the company is using a new tool to cut costs of production for marketing content by 30% to 50%. Developed with Accenture, the tool is expected to have the capabilities to create short TV ads within the next year. Source: Reuters
Nike Mind designing tools to change the way we feel
Nike will drop two new Nike Mind shoes in January: a slide and a sneaker that the company’s Chief Scientific Officer says amplify dialogue between your brain and your feet. While Nike has long focused on physical performance, Nike Mind shifts towards creating tools to change the way athletes feel. Positioned as a pre-performance ritual, the new products are aimed to help athletes calm down and create mindfulness before an athletic endeavor. Source: Fast Company
SOCIAL
Are GLP-1s changing our sense of smell?
A recent TikTok gained attention for linking the rise of GLP-1s to the popularity of dessert-like perfume, such as scents like vanilla and espresso. The creator referenced Virgie Tover, who notes that when thinness is highly valued in society, sweet-smelling perfumes often see a spike in popularity. While no research confirms this, searches for “gourmand fragrance” and other similar terms grew 186% on TikTok from July 2024 to July 2025 and 82% on Google. Of the top 10 bestselling fragrances on TikTok Shop in the first eight months of 2025, every scent featured gourmand notes. Source: Bloomberg
