In the Know: Your Weekly Marketing Digest

Welcome to Aspire’s weekly marketing digest! 

Every marketer knows that staying ahead of the curve is essential. But with the marketing landscape constantly evolving, it can be challenging to keep up with the latest trends and developments. 

That's where we come in. 

Each week, we’ll deliver a quick breakdown of the most significant news and insights in the world of social media and brand marketing — all in one convenient resource. Check back every Friday to stay in the know!

February 2026

Week of February 23, 2026

• Adidas loyalty program: Adidas has transformed its adiClub loyalty program into a connected ecosystem that rewards not just purchases, but also workouts and user-generated content across its apps. The model blends commerce, fitness, and content to drive engagement and personalization, while raising trade-offs around complexity, access, and data use.
• Instagram design update: Instagram is testing a new design that opens users into a Reels-first experience and adds customizable Reels feeds like Following, Friends, and Favorites, signaling a deeper shift toward short-form video. While photos aren’t going away, the update suggests Reels could soon become the app’s main focus.‍
• Creator economy & AI: Generative AI from companies like ByteDance is flooding the content world and triggering backlash from Hollywood studios such as Netflix, making authenticity more valuable and breaking through harder for new creators.

Week of February 16, 2026

• Dick’s Varsity Team expansion: Dick’s Sporting Goods is scaling its Varsity Team creator program to its largest class yet, with over 10,800 applicants for about 60 spots, blending employees, athletes, and everyday creators to fuel social and cultural storytelling. The brand is betting on authentic, behind-the-scenes sports content to build trust and drive both awareness and conversion in a crowded media landscape.
• Snapchat creator revenue: Snapchat is emerging as a stable income platform for creators by rewarding frequent, everyday story content with more predictable payouts than TikTok or YouTube. Creators who commit to consistent posting report earning hundreds to thousands per day in a less-saturated, more intimate creator ecosystem.
• Influencer agency fees: The Association of National Advertisers found that influencer marketing agencies take an average 30% of campaign spend, while 61% of marketers use compensation models that are non-transparent or unclear. Despite this, 73% of marketers say they’re satisfied with their current agency fee structures.‍
• PepsiCo’s new creator-led campaign: PepsiCo launched its first creator-led snack line, Flavor Swap, partnering with Madison Beer, iShowSpeed and Dude Perfect to remix popular chip flavors and debut them via TikTok Shop. The social-first drop targets Gen Z by tying creator culture and trending flavors directly to checkout.

Week of February 9, 2026

• TikTok local feed: TikTok US is rolling out its Local feed, letting users discover nearby creators, businesses, and events based on location and recency. Launched amid privacy policy chatter, TikTok says it’s about local content discovery (not extra tracking) and a boost for local creators.
• AI and the creator economy: AI is fueling the creator economy by helping brands scale authentic, creator-led content across social, ads, and e-commerce, with different creator tiers driving awareness, trust, and conversions. As social commerce grows, success is measured by reach, engagement, and sentiment, not just sales.
• Creator certification program: BBB National Programs is launching a creator certification program to help influencers comply with Federal Trade Commission rules, rebuild consumer trust, and make it easier for brands to choose safe partners. While it aims to professionalize the industry, there are concerns that fees could create barriers for smaller creators.‍
• Influencer marketing evolution: In 2026, influencer marketing has shifted from follower counts to data-driven performance and trust, with creators diversifying income through affiliates, subscriptions, and owned platforms. Brands now partner for long-term collaboration, valuing creators’ ability to engage audiences and drive results over sheer reach.

January 2026

Week of January 26, 2026

• Meta subscription plans: Meta plans to roll out new paid subscriptions on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp that offer exclusive features and enhanced AI tools, including premium access to its Manus AI agent and Vibes video creation. The subscriptions will be separate from Meta Verified and designed for everyday users, as Meta looks to boost revenue while competing in an increasingly crowded subscription market.‍
• Creator economy transformation: The creator economy is shifting from a fragmented, experimental space into a mature marketing channel driven by consolidation, data and infrastructure. As creators become full-fledged media businesses and brands demand measurable performance, integrated platforms that combine talent, technology and strategy are replacing ad hoc partnerships.

Week of January 19, 2026

• TikTok update: TikTok has created a new US-based joint venture (TikTok USDS) to keep the app operating in the US, with American investors in control and ByteDance retaining a 19.9% stake. The deal shifts US user data and the recommendation algorithm to Oracle’s US servers and is meant to address national security concerns while avoiding a ban.
• Macy’s creator program growth: Macy’s is scaling its Style Crew affiliate program, which now has 600+ creators and growing, to drive strong performance and stay culturally relevant beyond major brand moments. The program delivered triple-digit growth in revenue and traffic in 2025 and is expanding into new formats like in-store pop-ups and direct mail as part of Macy’s broader turnaround strategy.‍
• Creator economy shift: In 2026, creators operate across distinct business models, from media companies and educators to product-led brands and platform-dependent entertainers. For brands, value now comes from matching the right creator model to goals like trust, reach, or conversion, not just follower counts.

Week of January 12, 2026

• Creator-led Super Bowl activations: A-list celebrities still dominate Super Bowl ads due to their instant recognizability and mass appeal, while creators are typically used in supporting social and experiential campaigns. Although creators offer cost efficiency and strong engagement (especially with Gen Z), most brands continue a hybrid approach, reserving in-game spots for celebrities.
• Community-driven success: Mejuri’s unsponsored Taylor Swift moment and Beyond Yoga’s creator-led campaigns show how brands are breaking through by investing in authentic communities rather than relying solely on paid celebrity endorsements. As ad fatigue and AI-generated content rise, human, creator-driven storytelling is becoming even more valuable.
• Less focus on followers: As algorithms now determine reach, creators can’t rely on followers alone. But rising AI fatigue is actually increasing trust in real creators and driving brands to invest more in influencer marketing. To adapt, creators are either building direct, niche communities or flooding algorithmic feeds with clipped content, signaling a shift toward smaller, more targeted audiences over mass reach.‍
• Pinterest’s new CTV series: Pinterest is launching a Roku TV series, Bring My Pinterest to Life, where creators help real people turn Pinterest boards into real-life transformations. The shoppable show blends inspiration, storytelling, and integrated brand partnerships to take viewers from discovery to purchase.

Week of January 5, 2026

• TikTok’s social commerce transformation: TikTok has officially evolved into a mainstream shopping platform in the US, with TikTok Shop ranking as one of the fastest-growing brands and driving over $500 million in BFCM sales. As major brands and consumers embrace in-feed commerce, TikTok is training a new generation to shop and watch content at the same time.
• TikTok Shop strategy: TikTok Shop rewards brands willing to invest in creator content and product at scale. High-volume, TikTok-native content and generous sample programs are driving strong results, with some brands seeing returns as high as 15x. While growth takes time, brands that stay consistent are building meaningful momentum, especially in beauty.
• OpenAI x Pinterest: Reports suggest OpenAI may consider acquiring Pinterest to gain direct access to human-generated product search and shopping data, helping turn ChatGPT into a stronger commerce and ad platform. Owning Pinterest could reduce OpenAI’s reliance on costly data partnerships and help it better compete with Meta, Google, and xAI.‍
• Influencer partnerships in 2026: This year, brand-creator relationships will shift from one-off posts to long-term, values-aligned partnerships where creators co-create campaigns, shape products, and guide authentic storytelling. Compensation will increasingly be tied to impact (through affiliate, revenue share, or equity) aligning incentives and driving more sustainable growth for both sides.

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