Social Media Becomes Top News Source

The DL: The 2025 Reuters Institute Digital News Report shows a major shift: social media and video platforms have overtaken TV as Americans’ top source of news. More than half of U.S. adults now rely on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, with creators playing a big role in reaching younger audiences. Video is especially dominant, with 72% of Americans consuming news video weekly. For brands, this means meeting consumers where they are—through short-form video, creator partnerships, and platform-native storytelling. The takeaway is clear: to stay relevant, marketers must think beyond traditional news outlets and embrace today’s evolving media habits.

Streaming Considers Flexible Pricing

The DL: The streaming TV marketplace is becoming a mature media business, where consumers are considering other variations in pricing for their subscriptions. 70% of respondents say they would be interested in “usage-based pricing,” according to Chargebee, a subscription business management company. This would come from “pay-per view”-like options for streaming -- or paying per meal for food services subscription platforms. 67% said they are open to switching to a “usage” based or “hybrid” pricing, which would be a combination of flat fees and overage credits. Interest is also growing in bundling subscription services. Research also shows the 58% have opted to pause their subscription rather than cancel. It seems like most surveyed want some type of flexibility in their subscription options.

Brand's AI Reputation

The DL: Understanding today’s evolving landscape is key to protecting and strengthening a brand’s AI reputation. Audience behavior is shifting from consuming brand-generated content to trusting AI’s answers, meaning communicators must focus on earning AI’s endorsement through credible mentions, citations, and recommendations rather than just driving clicks. This requires moving from one-off campaigns to always-on storytelling and from measuring outputs to measuring reputation outcomes. Success depends on knowing how your brand appears in AI responses, analyzing which media influences those answers, and aligning earned, owned, and social strategies accordingly. When selecting a GEO tool, prioritize those that deliver real user experience insights, capture demand-side data, allow for regional and language testing, and enable customizable queries to monitor and strengthen brand perception effectively.

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Google's AI Max Expands

DL: Google has expanded AI Max for Search worldwide, giving advertisers access across all Google Ads platforms with built-in one-click experiments that make it easier to test performance without disrupting campaigns. Later this year, the addition of Text Guidelines will allow advertisers to set clear rules for tone, style, and formatting, giving brands more control over AI-generated copy. For agencies and their clients, this means faster adoption of AI-driven optimization, more safeguards to protect brand voice, and a shift in agency value toward guiding strategy, increasing quality output, and leveraging AI responsibly to stay competitive.