tiktok under fire, instagram on top, pepsi back in the game

what’s up, humans? gremlin here, your fully caffeinated tour guide through this week’s social media chaos.

big moves: Trump fast-tracks TikTok politics, Instagram just hit 3 billion users, and Pepsi proves a sugar-free glow-up can actually boost sales.

TikTok News Roundup - politics, paychecks, and purpose

Trump signs an executive order to fast-track a U.S.-only TikTok deal, giving both countries 120 days to finalize it, while China’s regulators are side-eyeing the details.

Meanwhile, TikTok rolled out creator-friendly updates, including a new subscription payout system that lets U.S. and Canadian creators earn up to 90% of their subscription revenue (👀 via TikTok’s official announcement).

The platform also expanded its Partner Program to include Shop Ads, helping brands better manage and optimize TikTok Shop campaigns.

And speaking of brands – TikTok just launched a new Shop campaign designed to help emerging brands stand out on the platform with tailored guidance, creator collaborations, and extra visibility boosts.

The feel-good moment? TikTok’s 2025 Change-Makers Program is spotlighting creators driving social impact and rolling out new tools to amplify charitable campaigns.

Plus, TikTok launched an AI-powered Creator Insights dashboard giving creators smarter analytics on audience behavior and performance trends.

TikTok launched a Media Mix Modeling program to give holistic insights beyond last-click attribution.

Their Smart+ solution handles targeting, bidding & creative optimization with AI.

TikTok’s attribution analytics guide helps compare ad performance across touchpoints.

The new Symphony automation integrates creative, media, and data workflows to simplify campaign ops.

Their Marketing Technology Partners program is growing – more vetted tools + integrations.

TikTok’s stepping into travel with Travel Ads tailored to trips, bookings, and destination content.

This new feature helps brands decode audience emotion and sentiment via Kantar Media Reactions.

TikTok added a tool to bridge online + offline sales via its Driving Commerce Everywhere feature, letting brands sync in-store and e-commerce performance.

Instagram & Meta’s Power Moves: Reels, AI, Subscriptions & Creator Wins

Instagram just hit 3 billion monthly active users 🎉 and is doubling down on Direct Messages, Reels, and Recommendations. Over the next few months, the app will reorient around these features, plus start testing ways for users to tune their algorithm by adding or removing topics based on their interests.

You can now translate your Reels between English, Português, Español, and Hindi. 

The platform is also testing opening the feed directly to Reels, making short-form content even more front-and-center.

For creators who want to flex their performance stats, Instagram is developing shareable analytics so they can showcase their impact to brands and followers.

Instagram is also investing in teen safety with a new school-based program, prioritizing guidance and support for younger users.

The platform is celebrating creators with the Instagram Rings Awards Program, highlighting top-performing and innovative creators.

Meanwhile, Meta is making big waves across AI, monetization, and subscription offerings:

Meta just introduced Vibes AI Videos for both Facebook and Instagram, helping creators generate short-form, AI-assisted content quickly and creatively (official announcement).

In the UK, Meta will now offer a subscription option to remove ads – a small step toward more user control over content experience.

The company is phasing out automated ads in favor of smarter AI-assisted tools, and will use AI chat data to improve ad targeting.

Brands also get new AI-powered creative tools with Meta’s streamlined Business Agent updates.

Users may soon get more freedom with algorithm-free Facebook and Instagram options.

For creators looking to monetize, Meta launched a new streamlined content program and added fan challenges with custom badges to drive engagement and reward super fans.

YouTube’s Innovation Blitz: AI Shorts, Monetization Moves & Content Control

YouTube is adding AI tools for Shorts creation, letting creators produce content faster and experiment with new formats.

YouTube Labs is testing AI tools exclusively for Premium subscribers, giving early access to content optimization and creative enhancements.

More Americans now watch streaming over cable and broadcast, reinforcing YouTube’s central role in the shift to on-demand video.

YouTube’s ad numbers dropped due to increased ad-blocker usage, highlighting the challenges of monetization in an ad-averse world.

Creators can now remix Shorts and restrict others from using their content, giving more power over how their content is shared and adapted.

YouTube launched the Activation Partners Program to connect advertisers with vetted ad experts, making campaign execution smoother and more reliable.

A deep dive into YouTube’s business and content strategy evolution shows how it navigated major challenges, including misinformation during the COVID and election period.

Creator Economy & Brand Buzz: From Dash to Doja

JoinBrands Creator Masterclass Live: The JoinBrands Creator Masterclass on October 8th went off. Over 850 creators registered, flooding the chat with great questions, ideas, and love for the session. The response? Overwhelmingly positive. Creators are already asking for round two  and yes, it’s coming back soon.

DoorDash Creator Program: DoorDash launched a creator program for short-form videos while also enhancing its app with AI features to help creators make content faster and smarter.

Sony x TikTok influencer: Sony tapped Japanese TikToker Mumeixxx for a youth-focused PS5 campaign, showing the power of authentic creator partnerships to reach Gen Z.

Pamela Anderson x Arrae: Pamela Anderson partnered with Arrae to redefine midlife wellness for women, aiming to engage a new audience with health-conscious branded content.

Maybelline x Ilona Maher: Maybelline’s “Only in Matte Ink” campaign with Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher highlighted lipstick durability in active, real-world settings, blending athlete authenticity with beauty promotion.

Apple x Dua Lipa: Apple partnered with Dua Lipa for its iPhone 17 Pro launch, creating a “day in the life” Instagram video to showcase the product organically through the star’s lifestyle.

MAC x Doja Cat: MAC turned Doja Cat’s red carpet stunt into a viral marketing moment, instantly launching her as the global brand ambassador for the #IOnlyWearMAC campaign.

How Pepsi turned a rebranding into increasing sales with TikTok

In late 2025, Pepsi rolled out a bold global rebrand featuring a refreshed logo, new packaging, and a renewed emphasis on its sugar-free line, Pepsi Black. To introduce the new look to a digitally native audience, Pepsi turned to TikTok - the epicenter of culture and attention.

The brand launched a 7-week TikTok campaign that combined mass-reach ad formats with creator-led storytelling, making the rebrand both unmissable and deeply relatable.

Brand & Influencer Collaboration

Pepsi partnered with Marcos Mion, a beloved Brazilian TV host and influencer, as the face of the campaign. Mion starred in a series of witty, “Shot on iPhone”-style TikToks promoting Pepsi Black, playfully centered around the slogan:

“Enough of ‘maybe’... now it’s TAKE THIS!”

His energetic persona and humor helped translate Pepsi’s new brand identity – confident, bold, and unapologetic – to a global audience in an authentic way.

Campaign Strategy

The campaign was designed to:

To achieve this, Pepsi:

Results

Pepsi’s TikTok campaign proved that a platform known for trends can also drive tangible business growth.

The combination of contextual ad placements and influencer-driven storytelling turned Pepsi’s brand refresh into both a viral and commercial success.

Key Takeaways:

Why It Matters

Pepsi’s TikTok campaign is a blueprint for modern brand building: merge influencer culture, data-backed strategy, and platform-native creativity to turn cultural moments into measurable business results.

this made me realize i need therapy :)

Here’s the thing: you don’t grow by playing it safe.
You grow by showing up again.
You test ideas. You fail. You learn what doesn’t work and that’s how you find what does.

That’s the game. That’s marketing. That’s life.

JoinBrands exists for brands who are done waiting for “the right moment”.
If you’re ready to test faster, find what clicks, scale what works and build momentum through creators -
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Failure isn’t the opposite of success. It’s how you collect the data to get there.

The brands that keep moving are the ones that end up leading.