KIMP’s Picks January 16th: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More

New week, new news to catch up on! What did you miss? Feeling out of the loop? Time to change that! Welcome to the KIMP’s Picks January 16th Edition! 

Big news from the tech companies, AI updates you just can’t ignore, changes coming to your favorite social media platforms – we have them all rounded up right here. Ready for a quick recap? Let’s go! 

In the Marketing Realm 

Essential Google Analytics checklist for Q1 

Google recently shared a post highlighting the Google Analytics must-haves for brands embracing the emerging trends in Q1. Google recommends users to extend data retention to 14 months for better year-over-year comparisons and trend spotting. Next, it suggests turning key metrics, like sales or registrations, into tracked events to sharpen focus on critical outcomes.

The list also suggests building custom dimensions tailored to your business, such as item types or content creators, to unlock richer analysis. It also delves into the importance of Annotations and DebugView. 

Google spotlights 5 agentic commerce tools for brands 

Google shared a post summarizing 5 powerful new tools and tech for advertisers to explore in the agentic commerce era. First, Universal Commerce Protocol defines the rules for agentic commerce that handles entire shopping journeys. 

The post also highlights the checkout feature in AI Mode and conversational attributes that help enhance brand discovery. Additionally, it also introduces the new feature called Direct Offers that helps present customers personalized offers and the virtual assistant tool called Business Agent that can boost the rapport between brands and customers. 

How brands achieved record holiday sales by tapping into the power of YouTube 

In a recent post, YouTube highlighted how authentic creator partnerships supercharged holiday shopping this time. Viewers trust YouTube creators, and Gen Z ranks YouTube #1 for product reviews.

Chewy engaged pet owners with a charitable “Chewy Claus” campaign, while JCPenney utilized shoppable mastheads to bridge the gap between inspiration and purchase. The post covers a few such examples that prove the power of creator campaigns, particularly during busy holiday seasons. 

Revamping an iconic partnership 

Liquid Death and e.l.f. are partnering again with their goth-inspired lip balms for Gen Z fans. The last time these brands partnered, the partnership became a hit due to the right marketing strategies and the intuitive execution. Now that goth culture is back in the spotlight, the brands are leaning all the way into it. 

The two brands have reunited to launch a limited-edition range of Lip Embalms, building on their viral 2024 collaboration that sold out in under an hour. 

This collaboration shows how shared tone, humor, and cultural relevance can turn niche aesthetics into mainstream buzz and sales.

In the Content Marketing Realm 

About sites being cited by AI engines 

In the previous edition of the KIMP’s Picks, we discussed a post that explores the strategies for brands to work toward LLM optimization. This week, we have a post from Search Engine Land taking a deep dive into the SEO vs GEO difference. 

To begin with, the post emphasizes that it’s not an either-or decision as brands must start evolving their content strategies to focus on both SEO and GEO. 

The post presents useful insights from Google Search Advocate John Mueller, who reiterates the need to ignore hype and focus on the actual metrics that matter. 

In the Design Realm 

A unique coffee brand identity 

Before we move to the more serious stuff, we have some design inspiration for you. This post explores the brand identity of Flow, a specialty coffee and brunch café located in Amsterdam’s vibrant De Pijp neighborhood. 

Moving away from the traditional warm browns, rustic textures and symbols typical of coffee branding, the design team has built the identity around the concept of “calm energy and forward motion”. 

The system utilizes a restrained palette of greys, blacks, and whites, along with a fresh mint green accent to communicate a contemporary, design-conscious lifestyle. The brand’s centerpiece is a fluid wordmark and a versatile symbol, part sun, part gear, and part ripple on water, inspired by the organic edges of coffee filter pads.

This design project demonstrates how digging deeper into the meaning and value can help a brand create a brand identity that stands out from the industry clichés. 

In the AI Realm 

Google updates Gemini with Personal Intelligence 

Google is rolling out a new beta feature that makes Gemini more personal by letting users connect Google apps like Gmail, Photos, YouTube, and Search with a single tap. Called Personal Intelligence, the update allows Gemini to pull relevant details from a user’s own data to deliver more tailored, context-aware responses.

Once enabled, Gemini can reason across emails, photos, text, and video to answer specific questions or help with real-life tasks. These include tasks like retrieving details from a photo or even extracting information from emails and suggested plans. 

The goal is to help Gemini move beyond giving generic answers and offer help that reflects how people actually live. 

Anthropic announces Cowork, Claude’s new agentic workspace 

Anthropic has unveiled Cowork, a new research preview that expands the power of its coding tool to everyday tasks. Available for Claude Max subscribers on macOS, Cowork allows the AI to access specific local folders to read, edit, and create files directly on a user’s computer.

Unlike a standard chatbot conversation, Cowork acts with high agency and can independently organize messy downloads, draft reports from scattered notes, or turn screenshots into spreadsheets without constant back-and-forth prompting.

Cowork builds on the same foundation as Claude Code but is designed for non-technical users. While Anthropic emphasizes user control and safety guardrails, it notes that the agent can perform destructive actions like deleting files if instructed.

Gemini to power next-gen Apple Intelligence 

Apple and Google have announced a historic multi-year partnership that will see Apple’s next generation of Foundation Models built on Google’s Gemini AI models and cloud technology. The collaboration will help power upcoming Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized version of Siri set to launch later this year.

Apple said it chose Google after evaluating multiple options and determined that Gemini offers the strongest technical foundation for its AI ambitions. While Google’s technology underpins the models, Apple Intelligence will continue to run on-device and through Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, preserving Apple’s long-standing focus on user privacy.

Perplexity launches an AI program for public safety and law enforcement 

Perplexity has introduced a new AI offering designed specifically for law enforcement and public safety agencies. Perplexity for Public Safety Organizations gives qualifying agencies free access to Perplexity Enterprise Pro for 12 months, covering up to 200 users, with discounted options for larger teams.

The platform is built for real-world public safety environments, from patrol cars to courtrooms. Reportedly, it works fully on mobile, supports voice input and image uploads, and provides source-cited answers to avoid black-box decision-making. Additionally, agencies can also choose from multiple leading AI models based on their needs.

Google boosts Veo 3.1 in the Gemini API with pro-level video upgrades 

Google has announced major updates to its Veo 3.1 video generation model within the Gemini API and Google AI Studio. The recent updates prioritize professional quality and mobile-first content. 

The main feature is “Native Vertical Format” which allows creators to generate vertical 9:16 videos directly for platforms like YouTube Shorts without the quality loss of cropping. 

Additionally, the model now supports stunning 4K upscaling and improved 1080p definition, making AI-generated clips suitable for high-end production and large-screen displays.

Gmail is getting smarter with Gemini-powered features 

Google is upgrading Gmail with smarter AI-powered features that turn the inbox into a more proactive and intelligent assistant. Given that email volumes are increasing tremendously, the focus is now shifting from managing messages to managing information in them.

A key update announced is AI Overviews within Gmail. Gmail can now summarize long email threads into clear, concise takeaways. Additionally, users can also ask their inbox questions in natural language, and Gemini pulls the exact answer instantly. 

Notably. Conversation Summaries are rolling out free to all users, while inbox Q&A is available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.

Finally, writing emails is also getting easier. The Help Me Write feature can draft or refine emails and Suggested Replies now adapt to context and personal tone. Also, Proofread offers advanced grammar and style checks. Most of these features are free, with more advanced tools reserved for paid tiers.

Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes

YouTube expands teen safety features 

YouTube is rolling out new features aimed at giving parents more control over how teens use the platform. A key update lets parents set specific time limits for YouTube Shorts, including the option to block Shorts entirely. YouTube says this is an industry-first move focused on managing short-form screen time.

Parents will also soon be able to set custom Bedtime and Take a Break reminders, helping teens build healthier viewing habits. Alongside this, YouTube is redesigning its sign-up and supervision flow to make it easier for families to create and manage age-appropriate accounts and to switch between supervised profiles within the app.

Links, Weekly Ideas and more updates on Edits 

More new features are coming to Edits. First, the Links feature lets you add a link to an Instagram account or a public Reel to your video, which is then displayed as a clickable overlay. 

Second, Edits also compiles 10 weekly Reels ideas based on Reels you have engaged with. Also, Storyboards are now getting better, allowing users to add multiple takes both with audio and video clips. In addition to these updates, Edits is also adding a few more fun video effects to bring your ideas to life. 

On a Final Note…

With that, we conclude the KIMP’s Picks January 16th Edition. Staying up to date with the social media buzz doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We handpick the most influential updates and shareworthy posts every week so you do not have to spend all your time doomscrolling. Want to say goodbye to FOMO? Stay tuned and we’ll meet you again with a fresh set of updates rounded up in a neat recap just for you!