KIMP’s Picks July 4th: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More
Social media moves fast. Keeping up can feel like a real challenge, right? But you can’t afford to ignore it, because that’s where the biggest AI updates, marketing news, and even new algorithm changes unravel. Blink and you miss the buzz, and suddenly FOMO hits hard. You feel completely out of the loop.
That’s exactly why we created KIMP’s Picks. No more doomscrolling. Just a few quick minutes to catch all the social media updates that matter, minus the noise. Ready for a quick catch-up on this week’s highlights? Welcome to the KIMP’s Picks July 4th Edition!
- In the Marketing Realm
- In the Content Marketing Realm
- In the Design Realm
- In the AI Realm
- Google’s experimental virtual try-on app – Doppl
- Amazon hits 1 million robots and celebrates it with a big announcement
- Microsoft x Premier League – a novel partnership
- Grammarly to acquire Superhuman
- OpenAI acquires Crossing Minds
- Perplexity announces a new tier in its subscription
- Gemini expands scheduled actions for automated tasks
- Qwen bridges the gap between image understanding and generation with VLo
- Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes
- Stay Tuned for More…
In the Marketing Realm
Advertising agencies are leading the way in AI adoption
This post shared by Think with Google discusses fresh insights from a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study, highlighting how advertising agencies are far ahead of in-house marketing teams when it comes to adopting AI in marketing workflows.
Agencies are, on average, 35% more advanced across various marketing use cases, from measurement to creative content. Data also indicates that only 42% of advertisers say their agencies have actively educated them on AI solutions, indicating a major opportunity gap.
The notable detail here is that agencies report nearly 2.6 times higher efficiency gains and new business growth of about 1.6 times higher than their peers who are still not actively adopting AI in their workflows.
Google underscores the importance of web + app integrations
Omnichannel presence and seamless marketing across these channels are the need of the hour. Google recently shared a post highlighting the value of Web to App Connect, which helps make the most of Google Ads.
Highlighting facts like the observation that nearly 83% of U.S. retailers who are app users seem to make more purchases than customers who do not use the app. This makes the Web to App Connect interface in Google advertising valuable.
The video highlights how Google directs more traffic to apps via Google Ads and how this can be beneficial to brands.
Blending digital + traditional – the key to B2B marketing success
Search Engine Journal shared a post highlighting the significance of combining traditional + digital strategies for B2B marketing and some tips and tricks to do this.
As AI and emerging tech redefine how brands engage B2B buyers, many companies are racing toward digital innovation. But deprioritizing traditional channels like print, events, and direct mail may be a mistake. The post also delves into some ways to avoid this mistake with strategies like combining intelligence data with one-to-one conversations, print media and deep media nurturing, events and ABX (account-based experience), billboards/posters with geotargeting and nurture and finally, direct mail and buyer intelligence.
McDonald’s launches ‘Lil McDonald’s’ global Happy Meal campaign
McDonald’s has launched a new global Happy Meal program called “Lil McDonald’s”. The campaign features a collection of miniature McDonald’s food items and restaurant fittings, appealing to Generation Alpha’s love for role-playing and Gen Z’s interest in miniatures.
The campaign begins its rollout in the US and will continue to other markets, concluding in Japan in spring 2026.
This campaign highlights the impact of tapping into cultural insights to create memorable brand experiences.
In the Content Marketing Realm
Semrush discusses essential SEO tasks
In a recent post, Semrush discussed the essential SEO tasks for businesses to prioritize. If you think that your website ranking has been declining, then it’s time to rethink your SEO strategies.
The post discusses the tasks to prioritize and also categorizes them based on daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. From the basics like scanning for broken links to reviewing Google Analytics reports and keeping tabs on brand mentions, in addition to thorough keyword research, the post delves into several effective strategies that brands should adopt.
In the Design Realm
Brand identity built on the 90s grunge aesthetic
The Brand Identity shared a post delving into the brand identity for Co-Museum. The brand identity draws inspiration from the experimental design of 1990s Ray Gun magazine, particularly the work of art director David Carson.
The idea was sparked based on the “tactile, punk-like quality” observed when the design team stamped the old logo with a rubber stamp, with multiple versions overlapping one another.
Central to the system is a custom wordmark treated as a living element. Instead of sitting cleanly in a corner, it appears blurred, pressed, or partially obscured. The identity is built on the core typeface called Focal, which combines old and new to create something refreshing.
How Sunny Side Up drew from David Carson’s editorial chaos to craft Co-Museum’s dynamic identity.
— The Brand Identity (@TweetsByTBI) July 2, 2025
Learn more at the link below ↓ pic.twitter.com/vbG825ovXs
Kraft’s new campaign effectively engages customers
The power of raw, authentic visuals shines in the recent campaign by Kraft. For this campaign, the brand has utilized raw pantry scenes featuring Kraft products in kitchens with subtle taglines added.
It’s the simplicity of the ad that instantly grabs attention. The brand is reportedly using a mix of outdoor and digital ads for the campaign. In the age of AI and whimsical art creations, unfiltered designs like these feel easier to relate to.
In the AI Realm
Google’s experimental virtual try-on app – Doppl
Google Labs has launched Doppl, a new experimental mobile app designed to help users visualize how outfits might look on them. Available on iOS and Android in the US for users aged 18 and older, Doppl allows users to upload a photo or screenshot of an outfit and then generates an AI-powered video of them virtually wearing the clothes. This aims to facilitate style exploration and provide a more dynamic virtual try-on experience.
Doppl builds upon Google Shopping’s existing virtual try-on capabilities, offering additional experimental features such as converting static outfit images into animated visuals.
Amazon hits 1 million robots and celebrates it with a big announcement
Amazon has rolled out its one millionth warehouse robot. Marking this crucial milestone, the company has introduced a new AI system called DeepFleet, designed to make its massive fleet of mobile robots move smarter and faster.
Built in-house using Amazon’s operational data and AWS tools, DeepFleet acts like a traffic controller for robots, cutting travel times by 10% and speeding up deliveries. It’s part of Amazon’s broader push to blend AI and automation, with robots handling heavy tasks while creating more skilled tech roles for employees.
Microsoft x Premier League – a novel partnership
The Premier League is partnering with Microsoft to create a next-gen digital platform that uses AI to personalize fan engagement and modernize league operations.
Powered by Microsoft’s products like Azure, Copilot, and incorporating advanced machine learning, the new system delivers real-time stats, custom video packages, and multi-language content tailored to each of its 1.8 billion global fans.
The initiative transforms decades of league data into interactive content while also improving workflows behind the scenes.
Grammarly to acquire Superhuman
Grammarly is acquiring Superhuman, the AI-powered email app, as part of its push to become a full-scale AI productivity platform. The move brings email into Grammarly’s growing ecosystem of task-specific AI agents that already operate across 500,000+ apps.
Reportedly, Superhuman users respond to emails up to 72% faster. They will now benefit from deeper AI integration: inbox triage, meeting scheduling, research, and full email drafting with personalized tone and context.
Grammarly aims to bridge the “AI promise gap” by integrating AI directly into users’ workflows.
— Superhuman (@Superhuman) July 1, 2025
OpenAI acquires Crossing Minds
OpenAI has acquired personalization startup Crossing Minds, bringing on its team to help build AI assistants that go beyond predicting next steps, instead understanding long-term user preferences and intent.
Crossing Minds has a reputation for developing real-time ML infrastructure powering personalization, recommendation, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). Their work focused on creating systems that function in messy, real-world environments, aligning with OpenAI’s vision of deeply personalized, agentic AI. Summing up, this acquisition comes as OpenAI’s next big leap toward building autonomous agents.
Perplexity announces a new tier in its subscription
Perplexity has introduced Perplexity Max, a new top-tier subscription designed for power users seeking unlimited AI capabilities and early access to cutting-edge tools.
According to Perplexity, Max subscribers get unlimited usage of Labs, Perplexity’s creative AI workspace for building everything from dashboards to web apps. Plus, first access to experimental features like Comet, a new AI-native browser.
The plan also unlocks premium AI models, including OpenAI’s o3-pro and Claude Opus 4, alongside priority support. Max is designed for professionals, researchers, strategists, and creators who need high-performance AI daily. It’s available now via web and iOS, with an Enterprise Max tier coming soon.
Gemini expands scheduled actions for automated tasks
Google’s Gemini AI now supports Scheduled Actions on Android, iOS, and the web, allowing users to automate prompts to run at set times or frequencies.
You can schedule up to 10 tasks, like daily weather summaries, which will trigger within an hour of the selected time. The feature includes a manager interface to edit, pause, or delete actions. Available to Google AI Pro, Ultra, and select Workspace users, Scheduled Actions expand Gemini’s utility as a planning and productivity tool across devices.
Qwen bridges the gap between image understanding and generation with VLo
Alibaba’s Qwen team has introduced Qwen VLo, a new multimodal AI model that aims to bridge the gap between “understanding” and “depicting” the world.
As a unified multimodal understanding and generation model, Qwen VLo not only comprehends image content but also generates high-quality recreations based on that understanding. This preview version is accessible through Qwen Chat, allowing users to generate images from text prompts or modify existing images with natural language instructions.
The model handles multilingual prompts, supports dynamic image resolutions, and uses a progressive rendering method that allows for real-time visual refinement. Since it’s still in preview, the model is reportedly prone to occasional hiccups.
Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes
X launches AI Note Writer API for Community Notes
X (formerly Twitter) has introduced its new AI Note Writer API, allowing developers to create AI agents capable of drafting Community Notes. This initiative aims to accelerate the speed and scale of Community Notes, which is X’s crowdsourced fact-checking system.
Additionally, AI-written notes, if deemed helpful by a diverse group of human contributors, will appear on posts, similar to notes written by humans.
These AI notes will initially be limited to posts where users have specifically requested a note. X emphasizes that the program adheres to Community Notes’ core principles of openness, fairness, quality, and transparency.
DM’s & more new features coming to Threads
Threads is rolling out two new updates: the ability to send Direct Messages (DMs) directly within the app and the introduction of the “Threads highlighter.”
These features arrive as Threads marks its second anniversary, aiming to foster deeper connections and emphasize compelling conversations.
DM has undoubtedly been the most requested feature on the platform, and it allows for one-on-one private conversations, as on the other Meta platforms.
Threads Highlighter feature aims to add a new visual element to elevate and emphasize fresh perspectives, making it easier for users to identify trending topics.
WhatsApp rolls out centralized campaigns, AI support & voice tools
At its global Conversations conference in Miami, WhatsApp unveiled crucial updates aimed at making the platform a prime destination for businesses. Key announcements include streamlining marketing campaigns, expanding AI support, and introducing calling and voice options for larger businesses.
Businesses can now create and manage their marketing strategies across WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram from a single, centralized location within Ads Manager.
Moreover, WhatsApp is also expanding its AI support with the exploration of a “Business AI” that can provide personalized product recommendations, facilitate website sales, and offer post-purchase support directly within WhatsApp chats.
Furthermore, calling and voice options are being introduced for larger businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform. In the coming weeks, these businesses will be able to receive customer calls or initiate calls directly when requested.
Updates coming to YouTube
Creators on YouTube will now be able to delve into deeper audience insights. Replacing the returning viewers metric, YouTube is introducing the Audience by Watch Behavior metric, which categorizes the viewers into new, casual, and regular viewers. So viewer engagement will make better sense to creators.
Secondly, the comments section can now be organized and viewed better with the “most relevant” comments filter.
To reward viewers in livestreams and boost engagement, YouTube is launching a leaderboard for live streams. Fans score points for engaging and get badges in chats. This is particularly to allow creators to work on community interaction.
Finally, YouTube is launching an AI-powered search carousel that will help users find videos based on creator descriptions and video descriptions. And some non-Premium users in the U.S. are also gaining access to the conversational AI feature in the platform.
Bigger ads on X are to cost more
According to Elon Musk, X is working on bringing a few changes to the pricing structure for ads on the platform. Accordingly, the price of ads will depend on the size of the visuals. In other words, vertical full-screen ads, which are some of the most effective, especially on mobile devices, will soon cost more than smaller ads.
Some sources cite that the goal is perhaps to enhance the user experience and avoid visual clutter. Recently, the platform shifted away from hashtags in promoted posts, and now this update – these are measures to help maintain a clean and clutter-free interface.
Stay Tuned for More…
Yes, we’ve come to the end of this week’s recap. A solid bunch of updates, don’t you think? So, yes, social media did move fast this week. And it always does. So, what can you do to stay ahead? To not feel left out? Catch up on the updates that matter – through the KIMP’s Picks! Sounds good? Watch this space for the next round of updates coming your way!
