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In the Know: Your Weekly Marketing Digest
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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!
January 2026
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.
