KIMP’s Picks July 25th: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More

AI news, social media algorithm updates – there’s so much to keep up with these days. And social media is a great place to catch up on it all. But when you open your favorite app at the end of the week, there are thousands of posts to scroll through. How do you shortlist the ones worth your attention?

There’s a shortcut for that: KIMP’s Picks.

KIMP’s Picks is your weekly recap, a quick way to stay in the loop and catch the week’s highlights. From AI news to shareworthy posts and anything we think might boost your productivity, it’s all in there. Ready for the KIMP’s Picks July 18th Edition? Let’s go! 

In the Marketing Realm 

What’s new in Google Analytics 

Are you a marketer who relies on Google Analytics day in and day out? Then here are this week’s GA updates to know. 

Google Analytics 4 now supports direct integration with Reddit Ads, allowing advertisers to import cost data automatically. This means Reddit ad spend and performance can now be tracked alongside other channels within GA4, giving marketers a more centralized view of their ad performance and ROI.

Additionally, Google has rolled out new reports and audience templates tailored specifically for lead generation. The “Lead Acquisition” report tracks when and how new leads first interact with a site or app, focusing on user-level data. The “Lead Disqualification and Loss” report identifies reasons why leads fail to convert, offering insight into drop-off points within the funnel.

Adapting to the world of AI Search to target Gen Z 

There was a time when you had to create content that resonated with people and algorithms. Now you also have to take LLMs into account. Because search does not always happen in search engines and some of them happen on AI chatbots like ChatGPT. This is particularly true with the Gen Z audience. Therefore, it’s crucial to tailor content to the structure and language that performs best with LLMs.

Accordingly, a recent Ad Age post analyzes how Cetaphil is adapting its AI and advertising efforts to resonate with Gen Z demand. 

One of the main steps is to simplify their language across channels including their product pages. From a straightforward definition of the usage context to clearer presentation of product benefits, the brand is reportedly rethinking its copy and strategies to accommodate the changes in the world of Search in the AI era. 

LinkedIn discusses the benefits of video and creators in modern B2B marketing 

LinkedIn recently shared the 2025 Benchmark Report highlighting some shifts in the marketing landscape. It also talks about two main components for B2B marketers to prioritize today – video marketing and creator marketing. 

Reportedly, about 78% of B2B marketers already actively use video in their strategies and 56% plan to invest more in them in the coming year. Short-form videos, brand storytelling through videos and testimonial and demo videos seem to be dominating the game. 

Additionally, more and more B2B marketers are collaborating with creators to build trust and increase brand awareness. So, now is a good time to incorporate these pivotal elements into your B2B marketing strategy. 

Print isn’t going anywhere 

In the digital age, is print still relevant? This is perhaps one of the most common questions that comes up. The short answer is that print marketing is still as relevant as it was before. The application and media have changed but the significance still holds. 

Print Magazine shared a post discussing why print never died and how its role has changed in the digital age. 

Physical design has always played a critical role in brand strategy. What’s changed is that brands are now rediscovering the emotional power of tactile experiences. Unlike digital, print creates lasting, sensory-driven connections. Like standout packaging with unique materials and print quality. 

So if you are contemplating the need to invest in print, this is a great read. 

In the Content Marketing Realm 

AI Overviews are changing the way people search 

With Cetaphil’s shift in strategy we discussed how Search is changing with AI technology expanding. A recent post from Search Engine Journal discusses the changes that AI Overviews have brought in particular. 

Google’s Q2 2025 earnings reveal that AI Overviews are changing the way people search by driving more, not fewer, queries. CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed that the addition of AI-powered features has led to over 10% more searches in categories where they appear, pushing Google Search revenue to $54.2 billion, up 12% year-over-year.

Google’s AI Mode has crossed 100 million monthly active users in the U.S. and India. The company is also scaling up with Deep Search and personalized responses. 

What does this mean for your content marketing strategy? Search behavior is evolving fast. Search is now more visual, more conversational, and more AI-assisted. So you need to rethink your content for visual search and tweak your language for the new Search landscape. 

In the Design Realm 

Bold minimalism in OOH design 

Minimalism can be a valuable tool in outdoor advertising because a clutter-free and direct presentation of your message is what helps when you are advertising outdoors. 

The post by Muse by Clios discusses the outdoor ad design for the renowned ice cream brand Häagen-Dazs. The brand has launched a striking out-of-home campaign across the UK and Spain that skips product shots entirely, instead featuring nothing but ice cream sticks bearing the brand’s logo (each licked clean). 

The campaign, titled “Devoured”, leans on implication and appetite, betting on the simple suggestion of indulgence to spark consumer craving. 

In short, minimalism tells a memorable story in this case which makes it the perfect choice for outdoor ads. 

A meaningful brand identity design 

Most brands focus on aesthetics when it comes to their brand identity. However, the underlying purpose, the story and the meaning matter even more. Good-looking brand identity is nothing without a clear story to capture. 

The Brand Identity shared a post discussing the brand identity design of Don’s, a natural wine bar in Melbourne. The brand embraces a philosophy centered on good wine, food, and people, fostering a strong community atmosphere. 

The design features a deliberately unpolished market bag illustration, a nod to the bar’s location opposite Prahran Market and a symbol of local produce and community. Beyond decoration, the market bag motif subtly communicates Don’s core offering. 

Additionally, a flower motif emerged organically from merchandise design, abstracting the market bag’s spirit. 

In the AI Realm 

GitHub Spark is here to revolutionize full-stack app development 

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced GitHub Spark, a new feature for Copilot Pro+ subscribers. This tool is built to allow users to develop full-stack apps using simple natural language prompts. 

GitHub Spark aims to close the gap between ideation and execution by eliminating the need for setup, configuration, or manual coding. It provides built-in capabilities for frontend and backend development, powered by Claude Sonnet 4. 

Users can integrate intelligent features into their applications using various Large Language Models (LLMs) from providers like OpenAI, Meta, DeepSeek, and xAI, without needing to manage API keys. 

Developers can choose to work through text, visual tools, or code directly, with GitHub Copilot supporting iteration along the way. This makes it a great choice for developers of all experience levels. 

Amazon to acquire AI wearables startup, Bee 

A recent post from Entrepreneur discusses Amazon’s next big move in the AI realm, its acquisition of an AI wearables startup, Bee.

While the deal has not yet been finalized, Bee is known for its Fitbit-like smart fitness band and an Apple Watch application. 

Amazon’s acquisition signifies the company’s growing interest in AI-powered hardware, expanding beyond its traditional voice-controlled home assistant products like Echo speakers. Notably, other major tech companies, including OpenAI and Meta, are also venturing into the AI hardware space.

Gemini gets even better at Mathematics 

Google’s Gemini Deep Think has reached a new milestone in AI problem-solving by earning a gold medal-level score at the 2025 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), widely considered the toughest math competition for pre-university students worldwide. 

The AI system solved five of six problems perfectly, scoring 35 out of 42 points—matching the performance standard of the world’s top young mathematicians.

This marks a sharp advance from last year, when DeepMind’s AlphaGeometry and AlphaProof achieved silver-level performance. The success of Gemini Deep Think is attributed to its enhanced reasoning capabilities incorporating techniques like parallel thinking, allowing the model to explore multiple solution paths simultaneously.

OpenAI announces ChatGPT Agent 

OpenAI has introduced “ChatGPT agent,” a big advancement that allows ChatGPT to proactively perform complex tasks by utilizing its own virtual computer and a suite of agentic capabilities. This new functionality enables ChatGPT to move beyond mere conversation to actively executing workflows from start to finish. 

Users retain full control, with ChatGPT requesting permission for consequential actions and allowing interruption or takeover at any point. This agent mode is now rolling out to ChatGPT Pro, Plus, and Team users, accessible through a tools dropdown menu in conversations. OpenAI plans continuous improvements to enhance its utility.

New AI-powered tools within Google Photos 

Google has been expanding AI features across its products and the next in line is Google Photos. The Google Photos app is now getting several new AI-driven creative tools to help users animate and transform their visual memories. These additions aim to evolve the platform beyond simple storage into a dynamic creative hub.

One significant new feature is “Photo to video” powered by Veo 2, which converts static images into dynamic six-second video clips. Users can select a photo and choose from prompts like “Subtle movements” or “I’m feeling lucky” to add subtle animations. This feature will start rolling out in the U.S. on Android and iOS devices and then expand to other countries.

Another upcoming tool is “Remix” which allows users to transform their photos into various artistic styles, such as anime, comics, or even 3D animations in seconds. 

Alibaba makes a big move in agentic coding with Qwen3-Coder

Alibaba’s Qwen has unveiled its most advanced coding AI yet: Qwen3-Coder-480B-A35B-Instruct. This flagship model uses a 480-billion-parameter Mixture-of-Experts architecture (with 35B active at a time), designed for agentic workflows in software development. 

Qwen3-Coder is available as an API through Alibaba Cloud Model Studio. And this tool for agentic coding tasks is built to work well with some of the most commonly used developer tools available today. This includes Qwen Code, Claude Code and Cline. 

America’s AI Action Plan 

The White House has released “Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan” a comprehensive strategy in line with President Trump’s January executive order on American leadership in AI. This plan has three focus areas: accelerating innovation, building domestic AI infrastructure, and asserting international leadership.

Key initiatives include exporting secure, full-stack AI packages to allies through partnerships between the Commerce and State Departments and industry. Furthermore, the administration intends to remove burdensome Federal regulations hindering AI development and deployment.

Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes  

New AI creation tools on YouTube for better Shorts 

YouTube is introducing a new wave of AI-powered creation tools aimed at making Shorts more dynamic and accessible. 

One of these new features is the Photo to Video feature which lets users instantly animate photos from their camera roll. Whether it is about adding subtle movements to landscapes or some personality to group shots, this feature allows users to bring everyday moments to life. Initially planned to launch for free in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, this feature will soon be available in more regions. 

The other update is the introduction of generative effects which lets you convert simple raw doodles into interesting visuals. You can also remix your selfies into creative scenes ready to share on social media. 

TikTok has new songwriter features for music creators on the platform 

TikTok has unveiled Songwriter Features for music creators. This feature in beta will highlight and credit the contributions of songwriters on its platform. 

This would mean that the musical works of songwriters and their shared content will all be presented together. As a result, it makes it easier for them to showcase their written or co-written songs and share stories about their craft and lives.

The new features include a “Songwriter Account Label” which identifies individuals as songwriters on their profiles, and a “Songwriter Music Tab” dedicated to spotlighting a selection of their compositions. 

Threads now lets creators delve deeper into useful insights 

Threads is growing steadily and creators are craving more. Accordingly, the platform has introduced a bunch of new metrics to provide deeper insights into account performance and post performance via the Analytics Dashboard. 

To begin with, creators can now easily understand the sources of traffic or impressions on their posts. This metric helps fine-tune content and formats based on where the traffic is coming from. Additionally, there will be a clear and detailed breakdown of metrics like views on posts, details about followers, post link clicks and more. 

View on Threads

Wrapping Up…

With that, let’s wrap up the KIMP’s Picks July 18th Edition. We hope this roundup gave you a quick recap on the latest AI developments and social media changes that matter. To get more such updates and to stay in the loop and never miss a beat when it comes to social media buzz, stay tuned to the KIMP Blog. There’s always something new and insightful waiting for you! 

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