KIMP’s Picks November 28th: Weekly Highlights In Design, Marketing, AI, & More

Friday is here – so what does it mean? Time for a quick social media recap. The AI news you missed, social media algorithm shifts you must know about, shareworthy posts worth your time – we have them all wrapped up and ready for you. 

So, are you curious about all the social media buzz you could not keep up with? Let’s get you up to speed. Welcome to the KIMP’s Picks November 28th Edition. 

In the Marketing Realm 

Google expands Data Manager access to Search Ads 360

Google has made Data Manager fully available in Search Ads 360 and opened beta access in Campaign Manager 360. The update makes it easier for advertisers to plug in external data sources like Salesforce and BigQuery, without technical complexity.

This comes in handy when deploying AI-powered measurement to enhance your campaigns. One-click integrations as well as upgraded optimization of bidding in campaigns across Search Ads 360 and Display & Video 360 can be a huge plus. 

What succeeding in organic search actually looks like in 2026 and beyond 

In an insightful discussion, Search Engine Land shared recently, they delve into the shifting meaning of making progress in organic search. Organic search success is no longer defined by simply ranking number one on Google. The digital landscape, as you know, is now multi-surface, with AI Overviews, answer engines, and also platforms like YouTube and TikTok becoming key search destinations. 

This shift means the focus has moved from simple visibility to demonstrating tangible business value. The article delves into 7 key “success criteria” for brands to prioritize. This includes visitor quality, SERP diversification, trendspotting, traffic diversification, brand reputation, ads and media support, and combined search performance. 

Generative AI in holiday shopping 

2025 has been a great year for generative AI, and its applications have expanded explosively. ADWEEK shared a post discussing how generative AI has transformed the holiday shopping trends this year. Recent studies show that between 15 % and 30 % of online shoppers plan to use generative AI tools this holiday season.

Shoppers seem to use tools like ChatGPT and Claude to do their shopping research, find gift ideas and where to buy them. In other words, Search is no longer the only starting point for holiday shopping. So, retailers need to start focusing more on AI search visibility. 

Real-world brand experiences are becoming more important than ever 

 MarTech shared a thought-provoking article delving into the need for real-world brand experiences in the digital age. Reportedly, according to recent studies, a majority of millennials and Gen Z audiences are done with the digital overload and are looking for more authentic real-world experiences. 

This is a crucial signal for brands. Brands are now betting on physical experiences like community events, pop-up stores, and experiential retail. At least 70% of marketers plan to ramp up investment in these “IRL” touchpoints over the next year.

This means that success in 2026 won’t come from doubling down on digital alone. Brands that deliver thoughtful offline experiences while staying smart about AI-powered convenience are the ones that will stand out.

Marketing opportunities SMBs cannot ignore in 2026 

Use AI, but do not ignore real-world experiences, keep up with the changing advertising scenario – brands have an overwhelming amount of changes to accommodate in their strategy. Amidst this, there are three crucial marketing opportunities they cannot ignore in the future, especially for SMBs. 

First, videos are more crucial now than ever – to engage and build trust quickly. Second, events are crucial. Brands need to start nurturing strong customer relationships through events and also boost their revenue through these events. Finally, creators and thought leaders can be valuable in helping build the credibility of SMBs. 

In the Content Marketing Realm 

CTR behavior is shifting – so should your content strategy 

New data from Advanced Web Ranking shows that for Q3 2025, search click-through behaviour on Google Search is shifting, especially when it comes to branded searches. This is a crucial signal for brands working on their content strategy for 2026. 

According to the article below, from Search Engine Journal, CTR points have dropped for the top ranking websites in position 1 on search, while those in positions 2 to 6 have shown a slight combined increase. Commercial searches and local searches also lost ground at the top spot.

Interestingly, longer queries (four or more words) remained stable in position-1 click share, while shorter queries (two or three words) saw drops. On mobile, one-word searches were the only group to gain at the top.

What this means is that even if you rank first organically, your share of clicks might drop. Brands should think beyond just ranking #1. Long-tail content and strong SERP visibility across multiple positions are becoming more important.

In the Design Realm 

More new icons in the Microsoft UI design 

A few weeks ago, Microsoft revamped its icons on Microsoft 365. In a recent post, they spoke about adding more fresh icons, particularly to refresh the UI for their Enterprise AI solutions. 

The refreshed icons and visual language are meant to feel familiar to users of Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, Outlook or Teams. The goal is to let people move smoothly between traditional tools and AI agents without having to reorient themselves.

The update emphasises interoperability, meaning different apps and agents share design patterns, visual identity, and interaction logic. This new UI is driven by two core principles – Human-Centered Simplicity and Function Through Interoperability.

Canva on Microsoft Copilot 

Canva is now available within the chat interface on Microsoft Copilot. This means that eligible subscribers of M365 can now access Canva in preview mode and instantly generate designs with a few simple text prompts. 

Additionally, it allows creating detailed documents and reports, and helps with generating text and designs, or even searching within context and summarizing documents. 

In the AI Realm 

Perplexity will now be able to recall chats and provide more personalized responses 

Perplexity AI now lets its AI assistants remember past conversations and user preferences and not treat them as generic training data, but as context to build on.

Because the memory works across all of Perplexity’s models, you can switch between them and still keep your personalized context intact. This update means the assistant doesn’t reset after each chat. Instead, it carries forward relevant info so future answers feel more accurate, helpful, and tailored.

Users retain complete control over this feature. They can easily disable the memory function or browse privately using incognito mode, which automatically prevents history from being saved.

Perplexity introduces a virtual try-on option 

Perplexity has been expanding the capabilities of its chatbot. And the next one on the list is the virtual try-on option. This builds on the current capabilities of several AI tools that allow you to make a few quick tweaks to outfits in the uploaded photos. Perplexity’s virtual try-on feature allows users to create AI avatars of themselves and customize these avatars. 

Rolling out to Pro and Max subscribers, this feature lets you visualize clothes on your avatars before making your shopping decisions. 

Perplexity is introducing an all-new AI shopping experience 

Virtual try-on is not the only way in which Perplexity is making shopping better for shoppers. It has launched a new shopping experience that uses conversational AI to move beyond traditional search bars and generic product lists. The core focus is on discovery that understands the user, making the online shopping experience feel more personalized.

The AI assistant knows users’ history and preferences, using that context to deliver tailored recommendations. This is a significant shift from algorithms that prioritize affiliate revenue or fast checkout, solving for the decision process rather than just the transaction.

You can also complete checkout via PayPal within the chat interface without being redirected. 

OpenAI’s new Shopping Research feature 

OpenAI has launched a new “Shopping Research” feature in ChatGPT to help users with complex product discovery and comparison. Instead of manually sifting through websites, users can describe their needs and ChatGPT will build a personalized buyer’s guide.

This feature is powered by a version of the GPT-5 mini model, which is specifically trained with reinforcement learning for shopping tasks. It researches across the internet, cites reliable sources for accuracy, and pulls in up-to-date details like price and availability. Most importantly, it uses past conversations and the user’s ChatGPT memory to deliver tailored, personalized results.

ChatGPT Voice Mode is now available within the chat interface 

ChatGPT no longer requires you to switch to a separate “voice-mode” screen. Now, when you tap the mic icon, you can speak and see responses, including text, images, maps, appear in real time within the same chat thread.

That means no more jumping between a listening screen and a regular chat. Conversations flow naturally, whether you type or speak. 

Microsoft upgrades shopping on Edge with enhanced Copilot features 

Keeping up with the shopping-focused updates that other AI chatbots have announced, Copilot is also upgrading the experience for shoppers, particularly on the Edge browser. Not to forget, Microsoft introduced a real-time desktop sharing option on Copilot just a few months ago.

This new streamlined shopping experience brings its most popular features directly into Copilot for the holiday season. This update positions Copilot as a personal, AI-powered shopping assistant and is currently available for users in the US.

Key tools like Cashback, Price Comparison, Price History, and Product Insights are now accessible right within the Copilot side pane. When you visit a supported retailer, clicking the Copilot icon shows you essential details to shop with confidence. Users can also set price alerts and ask follow-up questions within the same conversational interface.

This means that you do not have to hunt for and juggle across multiple apps for shopping research and purchase. Furthermore, a new “Copilot Mode” in Edge proactively notifies users of better prices or available cashback deals at other retailers. This means the browser actively works to save you time and money. Users maintain full control, able to toggle the mode on or off in their settings.

Black Forest Labs makes progress in image generation with FLUX.2

The highly anticipated FLUX 2.0 model from Black Forest Labs is now available. It takes AI image generation to the next level, going beyond simple demos into serious creative production workflows. 

This update focuses on delivering high-quality visuals with exceptional reliability and control. It is built on an “open-core” philosophy, offering both professional-grade APIs and powerful open-weight models to the community.

Key improvements include “Multi-Reference Generation” which allows up to ten reference images for industry-leading consistency in characters and styles. 

The model features stronger prompt obedience and handles complex text, logos, and brand guidelines accurately. It also introduces improved detail, photorealism, and supports image editing up to four megapixels.

Templates in ElevenLabs – simplified AI content creation 

ElevenLabs has introduced “Templates”, a new feature on its Creative Platform designed to simplify combining image, video, and audio models. These curated templates allow users to bring their creative vision to life faster, eliminating the need for complex setup, steps, or even juggling between files.

The new system removes complexity while retaining the full power of AI creation. Templates are prompt-engineered by the ElevenLabs team, ensuring users get the best models tuned for optimal results every time. Users can now easily browse the template library for inspiration, and choose from pre-set model combinations, and see accurate price estimates before even starting.

Social Media Feature Updates and Algorithm Changes

Instagram unveils improvements to its Reels Camera 

While there are several apps that help you capture and edit videos to upload to Instagram Reels, using the native Reels Camera has its own perks. Instagram is upgrading the experience with more intuitive features. 

To begin with, you can now capture longer Reels up to 20 minutes long and the undo button makes it easier to redo your clip. Better green-screen experience, enhanced fine-tuning and smoother camera utility toolbar together improve the Reels camera UI design.  

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New features on Edits 

Instagram has introduced a fresh set of updates to Edits. This includes a custom Stranger Things font to allow fans to sport a new look to align with the popular Netflix show since its much-anticipated 5th season is here. Secondly, the masks feature lets you get creative with styling objects in your video and also plan dynamic reveals. 

More features include volume ducking to adjust volume levels of audio and voiceover tracks. With all these new features, Edits makes it possible for users to tweak their videos to give it a professional makeover before sharing them on Reels. 

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The “About” feature is back on WhatsApp 

WhatsApp is reintroducing and improving its once-popular feature, “About” making it a more visible and timely way for users to share their current activity. This feature, which pre-dates even the secure messaging function, now allows users to quickly communicate what they are up to using a short phrase and an emoji.

The updated “About” section is easier to spot, appearing at the top of one-on-one chats and on the user’s profile. Crucially, others can now reply directly to a person’s “About” by tapping on it in the chat. The feature is temporary, expiring after one day by default, but users can customize this timer to make it disappear faster or last longer.

Time to Wrap Up…

Feeling all caught up? That’s just a gist of what was trending on social media this past week. We get it – keeping up with constantly refreshing Feeds can be a challenge. Time-consuming too! But why spend your valuable time doomscrolling when you can get a recap in a few quick minutes? All the highlights that matter in one place – that’s what KIMP’s Picks is about. 

See you next Friday with a fresh set of updates!