TLDR MARKETING 2025-06-05

STATE OF SEARCH Q1 2025: BEHAVIORS, TRENDS, AND CLICKS ACROSS THE US & EUROPE

While traditional engines still lead, with a 90.2% user share in the US and 92.5% in Europe, AI search is steadily gaining ground. ChatGPT reached 21.7% of the user base in the US and 26.6% in Europe, where adoption has outpaced the US. Users are not just searching, but completing tasks, with AI traffic increasingly directed to platforms like YouTube, GitHub, and ResearchGate. Organic clicks remain the top search outcome, while zero-click results saw a small uptick. YouTube rose to the top destination from traditional search in the US, reflecting the rise of video-based discovery. AI adoption is growing but follows a familiar slow-burn curve, not a sudden disruption.

DO US CONSUMERS CARE ABOUT SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING IN 2025?

77% of US consumers say recyclability is the most important sustainability feature in packaging, yet only a third rank environmental impact among their top purchasing concerns. Functional benefits like shelf life, label clarity, and durability dominate decision-making, especially amid inflation and economic uncertainty. While many still care about sustainability, they expect brand owners to lead the effort without requiring trade-offs in price or performance.

THE MOST EFFECTIVE CREATOR MARKETING GOES BEYOND ENDORSEMENTS

About half of Gen Z feels a stronger connection to creators than to celebrities. This emotional tie is shaping how brands approach partnerships by bringing creators into the early stages of campaign development instead of treating them as distribution channels. Brands are now involving creators in ideation and production to build campaigns that reflect the creator's voice and audience expectations. The approach reflects a broader understanding that authenticity and personal connection are driving purchase behavior more than celebrity status.

HOW TO DO GEO FOR LINKEDIN AND REDDIT CONTENT

LLMs often source content from Reddit and LinkedIn when making recommendations, even though social content may not directly drive clicks. To optimize for this, create clear, easy-to-read lists or reviews that answer common questions, use AI tools to polish posts for clarity, and encourage customers or partners to mention your brand frequently. Engaging content that generates many comments, especially through open-ended questions or slight controversy, increases the chance of being cited. Comment volume, rather than likes or impressions, strongly influences inclusion in these AI-driven recommendations.

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HOW 3 MARKETERS USE AI

3 marketers share how they use AI to simplify and speed up content, outreach, and sales. They repurpose past content to generate founder-style posts using tools like Claude and Descript, automate podcast and PR outreach through AI protocols, and deploy AI agents to qualify leads, follow up with churned customers, schedule meetings, and handle multilingual calls.

INSTAGRAM'S EDITS APP UPDATES

Instagram's Edits app added 35 transition effects, including “Zoom Ripple” and “Vertical Stretch,” to enhance video cuts. It improved track handle sensitivity for more precise clip trimming and introduced a feature that applies volume changes across all clips to keep audio consistent.

CHATGPT VS CLAUDE VS GEMINI: THE BEST AI MODEL FOR EACH USE CASE IN 2025

Claude stood out with its high-fidelity execution, especially in complex coding tasks like building a Mario-level game and in writing edits that retained the author's tone with minimal prompting. ChatGPT excelled in personalized assistance, using memory to recall user context, respond with emotional nuance, and produce structured, actionable research. Gemini led in multimodal experimentation, particularly in video generation with Veo 3, and delivered fast, budget-friendly performance for developers working across formats.

THE PERSONALIZATION OF SOFTWARE

Software has shifted from being personal and expressive, like on MySpace, to mass-market and uniform, like Facebook. Despite the explosion of apps, most are built for general use rather than tailored to individual needs. AI is reversing this trend by making personalized software fast and accessible. Tools like Lovable enable anyone to build apps in seconds, with Lovable now reaching $60M in ARR. Meanwhile, Helium aims to automate software improvement using AI agents that experiment and optimize continuously, boosting outcomes like paywall revenue by over 50%. As AI spreads, it's enabling non-coders to create software and letting software improve itself, reshaping who builds and how.

MATCH GROUP CEO SAYS GEN Z IS DIFFERENT AND HE'S MAKING DRASTIC CHANGES TO TINDER TO KEEP UP

Tinder and other Match Group apps are losing traction with Gen Z, a cohort that prefers real-life interactions and feels alienated by swipe-based dating. CEO Spencer Rascoff is revamping product strategy to align with these trends, introducing features like collaborative dating that allow users to pair up with friends and match with other pairs for group chats and real-life meetups. The broader goal is to shift the perception of dating apps from transactional experiences to spaces that connect people and reduce loneliness.

RETAIL MEDIA NEEDS MORE THAN ROAS

Research shows that 60% of brands should maintain or reduce retail media spend to avoid missing out on higher-ROI opportunities.

SHOULD YOU "DARK MODE" YOUR BRAND TO BE AI-FORWARD?

Black backgrounds, light text, glowing neons, and moody gradients have become the design language of choice for AI-native companies.

REDDIT SUES ANTHROPIC FOR ALLEGEDLY NOT PAYING FOR TRAINING DATA

Reddit's lawsuit makes it the first Big Tech company to legally challenge an AI model provider over its training data practices.