Good morning. The kids and the boomers aren’t reading the same news playbook. A new Reuters Institute report breaks down a decade of data and finds a widening gap: both groups still prioritize local and international news, but younger audiences are mixing in more levity, ranking “fun news” mid-pack while older adults push it to the bottom. The bigger shift comes down to trust. Gen Z is following people, not publishers. About 51% say they pay more attention to individual creators, compared to 39% for traditional outlets. Older adults, on the other hand, are sticking with legacy media and are locked into local coverage, with 61% interested versus just 27% of younger readers.

In today’s edition: ube goes global, and Sora is no more-a.

Campaigns

Earned-friendly campaigns & clever moments

When it pays to engage in a brand rivalry—and when it doesn’t

Brand rivalries are sparking viral moments - but for category leaders, clapping back can boost smaller competitors.

By Katie Hicks | Marketing Brew

How Aerie is pushing back against AI content with Pamela Anderson

As AI transforms fashion ads, Aerie is doubling down on authenticity with Pamela Anderson and a no-retouching stance.

By Jessica Hammers | Marketing Dive

Also, Airbnb x Disney’s Hannah Montana beach house rental, Hard Mountain Dew’s Man-i Pedi pop-up for outdoor drinking season, Acorns’ investing vending machine, Busch Light’s supply rush for the Sweet Sixteen, Fiverr’s Hollywood sign stunt and Zoom’s NYC lunch pop-up.

Culture

Snackable bites of consumer culture

Ube is enjoying a purple reign in the US. That’s causing problems in the Philippines

Ube is going global, but rising demand is straining supply and sparking concerns over authenticity and cultural recognition.

By Jack Bantock | CNN

Funmaxxing: Should we all be playing more?

Burnout is bringing back play, from childhood hobbies to real-world experiences and community groups.

By Madelynne Flack | Dazed

Say goodbye to the spontaneous mini trip as you know it

“Spontaneous weekend trips” are hitting reality: TSA chaos and rising oil prices are making quick getaways costly and high-friction.

By Roya Shahidi, Mary Hanbury, Kelsey Vlamis, Alexandra Karplus, Amanda Goh | Business Insider

Why Americans Are Obsessed With a French Talk Show: ‘Good Lighting’

Quotidien is becoming a U.S. obsession for its engineered lighting that makes A-listers look flawless.

By Ashley Wong | The Wall Street Journal

Corporate

News impacting business & the workplace

Why Employees Are Giving Up Remote Work and Moving Back to Urban Centers

Return-to-office mandates and a weaker job market push employees to prioritize proximity to the office.

By Bruce Crumley | Inc.

Meta and YouTube Lose Landmark Social-Media Addiction Trial

The ruling narrows protections for algorithmic recommendations, raising lawsuit risk for platforms that amplify content.

By Meghan Bobrowsky, Erich Schwartzel, Katherine Sayre | The Wall Street Journal

JP Morgan Chase to use computer estimates to monitor hours worked by junior bankers

The company has started to compare the hours junior investment bankers claim to have worked against logs on its IT system.

By Mark Sweney | The Guardian

Commerce

Shopper society snapshot

Reddit introduces Collection Ads in latest shopping push

Reddit rolled out new shopping tools and a Shopify tie-in to turn conversations into commerce.

By Vidhi Choudhary | Retail Brew

Chanel Wins Over New Buyers With “Unprecedented” Launch

“Matthieu Mania,” the hype around Matthieu Blazy’s first collection for Chanel, is sweeping the internet.

By Chavie Lieber | The Wall Street Journal

Meta turns to AI to make shopping easier on Instagram and Facebook

Meta is testing generative AI to surface product details and review summaries when users click through ads in its apps.

By Sarah Perez | TechCrunch

Connections

Feed intelligence & AI tips

The Story Behind All Those Fruit and Veggie AI Slop Videos

Social media is flooded with emotional AI “talking food” videos designed to go viral and manipulate engagement.

By E.J. Dickson | New York Magazine

Sora is dead. Social media is dancing on its grave. Does OpenAI shutting down its video app mean the AI bubble is bursting?

Social users cheer OpenAI’s Sora shutdown, but analysts say generative video is far from over.

By Jude Cramer | Fast Company

‘Jeopardy!’ Plans YouTube Spinoff Show as It Ramps Up Production on Platform

Jeopardy! taps creators for a YouTube spinoff as social entertainment evolves.

By Alex Weprin | The Hollywood Reporter

A Case For Authenticity In Public Relations In The Age Of AI

As AI floods media, PR wins on credibility, not speed.

By Kristi Piehl | Forbes

Media Moves & Intel:

Sarah Frier, formerly senior technology editor at Bloomberg, is now managing editor at the same outlet, overseeing big tech, AI and startups.
Caroline O’Donovan, formerly reporter at The Washington Post, is now senior reporter at the San Francisco Standard covering AI and big tech.
Kate Rooney, reporter at CNBC, is shifting to a new beat covering Microsoft.
MacKenzie Sigalos, tech correspondent at CNBC, has joined its San Francisco bureau to cover Alphabet and Apple, with a focus on AI, cloud computing, in-house AI chip development and driverless vehicles. She will also cover fintech and the gig economy, including Uber, Airbnb and DoorDash.
Courtney Reagan, formerly senior retail reporter at CNBC, is now senior editor at Blackstone Insights.
Brandon Gomez, reporter at CNBC, has expanded his beat to cover food and wellness and will cover the business, policy and competitive landscape of food and consumer health.
Jenna Goudreau, formerly executive editor at CNBC Make It, is now executive editor at Forbes.
Jennifer Maloney, formerly deputy corporate bureau chief and retail editor at The Wall Street Journal, is now executive editor at Business Insider, leading the enterprise reporting team and working with journalists throughout the newsroom to go deeper on our core business subjects.
Shannon McLellan, formerly senior social media editor at Good Morning America, is now director, off-platform reach at CNN.
Yahoo Finance is launching a hub on its website for small business owners, founders and entrepreneurs. The Builders Hub will feature content from Entrepreneur Media and The Hustle, My First Million Podcast and Starter Story video from HubSpot Media.

Also... explore this interactive story on curiosity-sparking birds, told through data and visuals.

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The Zeitgeist: Purple Reign and Goodbye Sora