KIMP’s Picks August 21st: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More

You could spend hours scrolling through social media trying to keep up. Or you could let us do the catching up for you. Want to do it the easy way? This post is for you. Welcome to KIMP’s Picks.

We’ve pulled together some of the most interesting updates, ideas, and conversations from the week. Let’s dive into KIMP’s Picks’ August 20th edition.

In the Marketing Realm 

Google’s Small Brief Project puts AI storytelling in the hands of top creatives 

Google and agency Johannes Leonardo’s Small Brief project gave three leading creatives unlimited access to Google Flow, its AI creative studio, to develop campaigns for local businesses during Small Business Week.

Susan Credle created a campaign for Stonewood Farm, a Hudson River Valley nonprofit focused on regenerative agriculture. Tiffany Rolfe developed a historical film for South Ferry, a Long Island ferry service. Jayanta Jenkins created an emotional campaign for ARCHANGELS, a public benefit corporation supporting caregivers. 

Notably, the project demonstrates how experienced creatives can use AI tools to develop visual stories for small businesses and community-focused organizations. For brands, the project shows how AI can expand creative possibilities while keeping human storytelling at the center.

Google highlights audio trends for brands to use in advertising 

Google Marketing Platform is highlighting four audio trends that advertisers can use to reach audiences beyond traditional screen-based moments and improve campaign performance. First, the post highlights the fact that mobile audio streaming is increasingly part of daily routines across devices. Cross-device retargeting can help brands stay connected as people move between smartphones, laptops, smart speakers and connected TVs.

Also, the relationship between sports and creator culture is also changing. Athletes are becoming creators and podcasters, while creators are increasingly producing sports content. This gives advertisers more opportunities to reach audio audiences around sports.

Seasonal moments can drive strong audio engagement. Brands can build campaigns around major cultural moments, including popular summer songs, film releases, holidays and awards seasons.

Overall, the post highlights how audio can extend reach, improve relevance and keep campaigns connected across devices and cultural moments.

Google shares commerce checklist for brands to prepare for the holiday demand 

Google has outlined four areas retailers should address before the holiday shopping rush and Cyber 12 to improve their ability to capture demand. The first focuses on product discoverability across AI experiences. Google recommends enriching product feeds with detailed and conversational attributes and setting up a Brand Profile in Merchant Center.

The second centres on data. Retailers can connect data sources through Data Manager and use conversion data with cart information to support better predictions.

Google also recommends AI-powered advertising tools to drive sales. These include Performance Max, AI Max for Search and Shopping, Demand Gen with feeds and Smart Bidding.

The final area is preparation for agentic commerce. Google advises businesses to evaluate the Universal Commerce Protocol and enable Google Pay to support simpler payments.

Google introduces new AI-powered learning tools in Search 

Google is adding five AI-powered learning features to Search ahead of the new school year. Search can now create interactive visuals and simulations for complex topics. Users can ask AI Mode for customized experiences. Students can also create practice quizzes across subjects and prepare for tests including the SAT, ACT, GRE, LSAT and MCAT. The quizzes provide explanations and links for further learning and are available globally in English.

Lens will soon offer step-by-step help from photos of problems or study materials, including explanations and feedback on mistakes. Additionally, Google is bringing Gemini Notebook to AI Mode, allowing students to organize sources, conversations and class materials in dedicated notebooks.

Finally, Search can create study documents from uploaded files or AI Mode conversations, including one-page summaries based on notes and slides.

In the Content Marketing Realm 

Reddit’s ChatGPT search citations plunge 86% 

Reddit’s share of ChatGPT Search citations fell sharply in mid-August, according to data from AI visibility platform Promptwatch. Reddit averaged 3.83% of ChatGPT citations from July 18 to August 7, before dropping to 0.52% between August 14 and 17.

Promptwatch identified two declines. The first began August 8, when Reddit’s citation share moved from the high 3% range to the mid-2% range. A larger drop followed on August 14, pushing its share below 1%.

The timing has raised questions about changes to ChatGPT Search. Promptwatch observed a major increase in site-specific background searches on August 8, but says this does not fully explain the later decline. It also cautions that the findings are provisional and a data-collection issue cannot yet be ruled out.

The change appears specific to ChatGPT. Reddit’s visibility in Google AI products has declined more gradually. For content marketers, this shows why AI visibility strategies need to go beyond relying on a single platform or community. And it also highlights the fact that strong traditional SEO strategies are still pivotal in content marketing. 

In the Design Realm 

Vibrant packaging design built around Mexican culture 

Packaging of the World shared an insightful discussion exploring Xochi’s new brand identity and packaging. The design draws inspiration from everyday Mexican graphic culture, including street signage, hand-painted lettering, festive clothing, patterns and popular visual expressions. Instead of directly reproducing these references, the brand reinterprets them through a contemporary and playful visual system.

Color, bold typography and detailed graphics form the core of the packaging. Each flavor uses its own color combinations and illustrations, while a consistent layout keeps the full range recognizable as Xochi.

The system also combines digital illustration techniques with the spontaneity and imperfections associated with vernacular graphics. This allows the visual language to extend beyond cans into social media, communications and future products.

Xochi shows how cultural references can inform a distinctive identity without relying on literal reproduction of ideas. 

In the AI Realm 

Google expands Gemini Student tools with free plans and new study tools 

Google is giving college students new ways to use Gemini for studying and organization, alongside new student plan offers.

Eligible college students in the U.S. can get Google AI Pro free for one year, with higher Gemini usage limits, access to Gemini Spark, Google app integrations, 5 TB of storage and other benefits. Students outside the U.S. can get Google AI Plus free for one year. Google is also offering a discounted Google AI Pro and YouTube Premium bundle.

A new student hub in Gemini brings study tools such as notebooks, flashcards and practice quizzes into one place. And Study notebooks can use students’ class materials to create learning plans, identify knowledge gaps and generate lessons and quizzes. Gemini can also add key dates from syllabi to Google Calendar with permission.

Finally, Gemini Live is also gaining Deep Research, allowing students to generate research reports and discuss the results through conversation. 

Gemini in Chrome expands across Android in the U.S. 

Google is making Gemini in Chrome available to all Android users in the U.S. This brings AI assistance directly into mobile browsing. Gemini can summarize long articles, answer questions about web pages and connect with Google apps such as Calendar and Keep without requiring users to switch tabs. 

Additionally, it can also customize and generate images using Nano Banana. For Android users subscribed to Google AI Pro or AI Ultra, Gemini in Chrome now includes auto-browse. The feature can handle tasks such as booking event parking, updating recurring online orders and organizing travel.

Moreover, Google says that the agentic features are designed with security controls, including models trained to detect threats such as prompt injection. Auto browse can also request confirmation before completing certain sensitive actions.

Meta XR Operator gives AI agents a way to test and verify VR apps 

Meta has introduced Meta XR Operator, an experimental OpenXR API layer for its Meta XR SDK. This helps MCP-compatible AI coding agents interact with running VR apps in Meta XR Simulator.

The tool addresses a gap in agentic coding. While AI agents today can write and debug code, they have traditionally struggled to see and interact with the applications they build. So, Meta XR Operator lets agents capture screenshots, inspect scenes, understand room geometry, control virtual inputs and navigate UI elements.

This enables agents to build features, launch apps, reproduce bugs, apply fixes and verify results all through visual and spatial checks. And developers can also describe test scenarios in natural language and receive pass or fail results along with screenshots.

OpenAI introduces ChatGPT for Teens 

OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT for Teens, a version of ChatGPT designed for users ages 13 to 17. This version brings stronger safety features, more intuitive learning features and additional parental controls.

To begin with, teens are automatically placed into the teen experience if OpenAI estimates they are under 18 or they state they are between 13 and 17. The experience includes Study Mode, practice quizzes, Learning Visualizations and responsible homework reminders. All these features are designed to encourage step-by-step problem solving instead of simply providing answers.

New Study Hours let teens or parents schedule times when Study Mode is enabled by default. Parents with linked accounts can also manage selected settings, set Quiet Hours and receive limited safety notifications.

Overall, the experience adds protections around areas including self-harm, violence, eating disorders, dangerous activities and explicit content. 

OpenAI opens Codex Harness to help developers build specialized AI agents 

OpenAI is highlighting the open-source Codex harness as a foundation for building AI agents into specialized software, rather than limiting Codex to its app, CLI, or IDE extension.

The harness manages the agent loop, including context, tool use, conversation state, execution, approvals and configured boundaries. 

Additionally, OpenAI provides several integration options. Codex exec can run bounded workflows, the Codex SDK supports programmatic agent tasks, and Codex app-server lets applications manage persistent conversations, streamed events, tools and approval requests.

Because the harness is open source, developers can inspect and adapt the integration. In the process, applications can retain their own interfaces, business rules, data and approval processes while also giving agents access to all the relevant tools and context through MCP.

Meta AI introduces new features for small businesses 

Meta is introducing new Meta AI features designed to help small businesses analyze performance, improve campaigns and handle recurring work more efficiently. 

First, Meta AI can now connect with Facebook and Instagram accounts, Meta ad campaigns and Google Workspace tools including Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Slides. This allows businesses to ask questions using their own engagement and advertising data.

And for organic content, Meta AI can analyze metrics such as reach, saves, shares, comments and profile visits to identify what is performing well and what needs to change. It can also compare a business with similar brands using publicly available Facebook and Instagram data. 

Also, for advertising, Meta AI can review campaign performance, identify effective audiences and creative, flag weak ads and finally suggest where budgets could be adjusted. 

Slack Code brings collaborative AI coding directly into team workflows 

Slack has introduced Slack Code, a new feature designed to make AI-assisted software development a shared team activity rather than a series of private interactions with coding agents.

At the center of the experience are dedicated code channels, where teams can work alongside AI coding agents such as Claude, ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Devin and Vercel agents. These channels allow participants to review code, track plans, inspect diffs, view live previews and approve work without leaving Slack.

Code channels are automatically created when an agent is tagged for a task and can archive themselves once work is complete, preserving the history as a searchable record. According to Slack, the feature is designed to keep development context visible across teams. This reduces knowledge silos and improves collaboration.

Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes

Reddit tests new audio and video post formats 

Reportedly, Reddit is testing new ways to turn popular text posts into video and audio experiences, starting with select English-language communities.

The initial experiment will let users choose between reading a post or playing an available audio or video version. Reddit says the test is designed to determine which formats resonate with users and whether they can scale while still feeling authentic to the platform.

The move likely follows growing demand for narrated Reddit stories on other platforms, including TikTok and Meta’s Reels, where creators often use text-to-speech or narration alongside Reddit posts.

Notably, the new formats are not replacing the original text post format. So users will still be able to read the text and engage with comments as usual. Audio is intended to support situations such as exercising, walking or running errands, while video can combine narration with visual elements.

YouTube revamps interface across web, mobile and TV

YouTube is rolling out a redesigned experience across mobile, web and TV. The updates across devices are particularly focused on simplifying navigation and putting creator content more prominently in view.

The new Immersive media player on YouTube offers a cleaner, less cluttered interface which helps keep attention on videos. The platform is also redesigning its Library and Account sections as well. The simplified layout is intended to make features such as watch history, playlists and saved videos easier to find.

On TV, the refreshed Living Room experience brings smoother navigation and easier access to YouTube Shorts and subscriptions.

The changes span YouTube’s major viewing environments, giving the platform a more consistent interface across devices.

X Rolls Out Redesigned Chat Composer With Faster Messaging Features

X is rolling out a new chat composer with a cleaner interface and a range of usability improvements aimed at making messaging faster and more intuitive. The update introduces a simplified design, new voice message gestures and haptic feedback, along with smoother transition animations throughout the messaging experience.

Users can now save drafts that include both message text and attachments, making it easier to return to unfinished conversations. X has also removed the need to wait for attachments to fully process before sending a message.

The release includes additional performance improvements and behind-the-scenes fixes designed to streamline the overall chat experience.

The redesigned composer is available through the latest version of the X app on the App Store.

LinkedIn introduces AI-powered clips and chapters for event recordings 

LinkedIn has launched Recommended Clips & Chapters, a new AI-powered feature designed to help marketers extend the value of live events after they end.

The tool automatically identifies standout moments from LinkedIn Live recordings, including major announcements, key insights and memorable quotes. These highlights can then be turned into short-form video clips for sharing across organic and paid campaigns.

LinkedIn also generates chapters for longer recordings, making it easier for viewers to navigate content and discover relevant sections without watching an entire event.

Marketers can access the feature through the Event Management Page after a LinkedIn Live session. Both clips and chapters can be reviewed and edited before publication.

A Final Word…

Keeping up with the social media buzz can feel like a full-time job. Let’s change that. Leave the scrolling to us and stay in the loop with the latest AI news and social media algorithm updates with KIMP’s Picks. 

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