TikTok Invented a Fake Club and Everyone Wants In

What’s happening: Music artist Sophia James, formerly known as Sophia Wackerman, launched a social experiment on TikTok to promote her song “So Unfair.” She posted seven videos in one night, each slightly different and labeled “Group 1” through “Group 7,” to test which version would perform best. The seventh video quickly went viral, with James announcing, “If you’re watching this video, you are in Group 7. Just a little science experiment to see what kind of video gets the most reach.” TikTok users embraced “Group 7” as an inside club or elite label, creating their own videos, memes, and comments about being part of it while joking about not being in the other groups. As reported by Maggie Ekberg for Complex, what began as a promotional experiment transformed into a viral community moment.

Why it matters: From a brand and content strategy perspective, this is a clever example of how meta content, where a creator exposes the mechanics of the algorithm, can become the hook itself. Rather than promoting her song traditionally, Sophia James turned the release into an interactive experiment that gave viewers a sense of belonging and participation. That feeling of exclusivity fueled engagement and sharing, demonstrating how playful community-driven hooks can help surface content in crowded social feeds. It also highlights a tension for brands and creators between inclusion and exclusivity, since not everyone can be part of the “winning” group. Ultimately, the Group 7 trend shows how quickly TikTok can transform a creative test into a viral cultural phenomenon and marketing asset.

What’s happening: OpenAI’s new video generator, Sora, has exposed serious flaws in how online platforms detect and label deepfakes. As reported by Jess Weatherbed for The Verge, Sora 2 has been used to create detailed and often harmful AI-generated videos of real people and copyrighted characters. While Sora embeds C2PA “Content Credentials” metadata meant to indicate AI-generated content, most platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube either strip out this data or hide it from users. Despite OpenAI’s position on the C2PA steering committee, its system offers little visible protection for audiences, allowing deepfakes to circulate without clear disclosure. The result is a system where the tools for transparency exist but are invisible to most people.

Why it matters: This highlights a growing credibility crisis in digital media. Even as companies like OpenAI and Adobe develop systems to authenticate AI content, these tools are ineffective if platforms fail to display them clearly. For brands and creators, it underscores that trust and transparency must be communicated through design and storytelling, not just technical standards buried in metadata. As generative video tools like Sora become more accessible, the distinction between real and synthetic will rely less on detection technology and more on user education and platform responsibility. For marketers, it’s a warning that audiences will increasingly value brands that show clear accountability in how they use and label AI-generated content.

What’s happening: In October 2025, e.l.f. Beauty published its fourth annual Impact Report, introducing a refined purpose statement centred on “the every”—meaning every eye, lip and face. The report highlights measurable progress in accessibility, inclusivity and sustainability: more than $2.5 million in community donations, 75 % of its product portfolio priced at $10 or less, 73 % of its products manufactured in Fair Trade Certified facilities, and a 33 % reduction in packaging intensity compared to 2019. Concurrently, e.l.f. launched its global “Give an e.l.f.” campaign in October 2025, inviting consumers to declare what they care about and linking those causes to the brand’s promise of inclusive action.

Why it matters: Purpose marketing today is evolving—no longer just aligning a brand with a cause, but embedding values into strategy, operations and creative expression. For marketers, that means purpose must deliver tangible proof and be experienced across brand touchpoints rather than exist as a side-note. e.l.f. shows how this works. Its “the every” framework anchors affordability and inclusivity. Its “Give an e.l.f.” campaign makes purpose participatory. And earlier, in May 2024 with the “So Many Dicks” campaign, the brand used bold humour and hard data to shine a light on board-room diversity gaps—demonstrating that purpose isn’t only about social values, but about culture, representation and performance. That campaign revealed there were more men named Richard, Rick or Dick on U.S. public company boards than many entire under-represented groups. By linking its own diverse board with this public call-out, e.l.f. reinforced that acting-on purpose drives brand identity and resonates culturally. Put simply: purpose marketing in 2025 asks brands not just to say what they believe, but to show what they do—and how that aligns with their audience and market.

What’s happening: In October 2025, Amazon announced plans to hire 250,000 workers across its U.S. fulfillment and transportation networks for the upcoming holiday season, marking its third consecutive year of large-scale seasonal hiring. The company framed the move as an investment in meeting consumer demand and supporting communities during its busiest period. Yet, on the same day, reports surfaced that Amazon is accelerating automation efforts, with robots expected to replace more than 500,000 warehouse and logistics jobs in the years ahead. Around the same time, CEO Andy Jassy confirmed that 14,000 corporate positions were being eliminated, citing generative AI and automation as key drivers of the company’s operational strategy. Together, these announcements reveal a company simultaneously expanding its workforce and restructuring it through technology.

Why it matters: The contrast between mass hiring and long-term job reduction reveals Amazon’s underlying priorities: profit, speed, and efficiency over people. While the seasonal hiring narrative paints a picture of opportunity and scale, the simultaneous investment in automation underscores a business model built on optimization, not employment stability. Amazon’s brand story has never been about being a people company—it is about redefining how fast and frictionless commerce can be. The company’s dual announcements capture this tension perfectly: human labor remains useful when it meets short-term demand, but the future Amazon is building is one increasingly powered by machines. This moment signals a broader shift across industries, where companies are learning to communicate progress not through workforce expansion, but through technological dominance and operational control.

What’s happening: The Interactive Advertising Bureau’s October 2025 study, When AI Guides the Shopping Journey, finds that AI has become the second most influential shopping source for consumers, trailing only search engines and ranking ahead of retailer websites and social recommendations. Forty-six percent of AI shoppers say they use AI tools most or every time they shop, and 80 percent expect to rely on them more in the future. AI dominates the beginning and middle of the purchase journey, helping consumers research, compare, and narrow down options, while retailers and marketplaces take over during the final purchase stages. Yet trust remains a sticking point, with only 46 percent of shoppers fully trusting AI’s shopping recommendations, and 95 percent taking extra steps to verify information before buying.

Why it matters: This research confirms that AI is now central to how people shop, reshaping the discovery and consideration phases into algorithmic experiences that merge personalization with efficiency. For marketers, the opportunity lies in understanding that AI is not simply another advertising channel but a new layer of influence shaping visibility, credibility, and conversion. The study’s data show that AI does not shorten the path to purchase; it expands it, creating more validation steps where consumers seek reassurance. Brands that succeed in this environment will not chase clicks but build systems of trust, ensuring that their data, messaging, and credibility are structured so AI can interpret and represent them accurately. As shopping becomes an AI-mediated journey, marketing success will depend on how well brands balance machine readability with human authenticity.

What’s happening: In “48 Hours Without A.I.,” Jessica Roy of The New York Times documents her attempt to live two days without using any form of artificial intelligence. Published in October 2025, the experiment reveals just how deeply AI has become embedded in everyday life—from navigation and writing tools to music recommendations, photo editing, and even online shopping. Roy discovers that avoiding AI is nearly impossible, as nearly every digital platform now relies on algorithmic systems or generative technology behind the scenes. What begins as a detox from technology turns into a realization that opting out of AI means opting out of convenience, efficiency, and much of modern digital culture.

Why it matters: The piece captures a cultural inflection point: AI is no longer a futuristic add-on but a default setting in how people work, connect, and consume. For brands and marketers, it highlights both opportunity and risk. Consumers are increasingly aware of how omnipresent AI has become, prompting questions around authenticity, privacy, and control. This growing self-awareness could drive a new premium on human experiences—moments or products that feel distinctly analog, personal, or emotionally grounded. At the same time, the experiment underscores how dependent audiences already are on AI-driven systems, meaning brands cannot simply “opt out” of AI either. The challenge ahead is to design with intention: leveraging AI for utility while maintaining transparency and preserving the human qualities that build trust and connection.

What’s happening: Taylor Sheridan, the prolific creator behind Yellowstone and its spinoffs, is leaving Paramount Global for NBCUniversal once his current deal expires in 2028. As reported by Brian Welk for IndieWire, the move marks a major creative and strategic shake-up in Hollywood. Sheridan, who almost single-handedly built Paramount’s most profitable TV universe, will begin developing new film and television projects under NBCUniversal starting in 2029. Paramount will retain rights to the Yellowstone franchise, but his departure signals growing creative tension within the studio after its merger with Skydance Media and shifting executive priorities under CEO David Ellison.

Why it matters: Sheridan’s exit reinforces the idea that top creators themselves are the intellectual property in modern Hollywood. In an era where audiences follow talent more than platforms, his move highlights the growing power imbalance between studios and showrunners who build billion-dollar storytelling ecosystems. For Paramount, it’s a potential identity crisis: the Yellowstone universe became its cultural and financial cornerstone, yet the creative force behind it is now leaving. For NBCUniversal, the deal represents not just an acquisition of talent but of credibility, tone, and audience loyalty. For marketers and entertainment strategists, the lesson is clear—franchise value increasingly follows creators, not companies. The future of entertainment branding will depend on how well studios nurture creative ownership and authenticity, because in 2025, the most valuable IP often walks out the door when the deal ends.

What’s happening: Many companies that once championed artificial intelligence as a business revolution are now growing quiet about its real impact. As reported by James O’Donnell for MIT Technology Review, enthusiasm for AI has cooled as organizations face mounting difficulties turning bold promises into tangible outcomes. Despite unprecedented access to AI tools, many businesses remain stuck in pilot projects that never scale, hindered by unclear ROI, ethical uncertainty, and employee resistance. O’Donnell notes that while AI has become embedded in countless systems, executives are increasingly hesitant to speak about it publicly—signaling a shift from hype to hesitation across industries.

Why it matters: This moment marks a turning point in the corporate AI narrative. The story reveals that adoption is no longer about technological capability but organizational readiness. For marketers, founders, and creative leaders, it underscores that the true challenge lies not in building smarter systems but in integrating them meaningfully into work, culture, and strategy. The cooling of AI hype does not signal decline but maturation—a move from experimentation to accountability. Brands that thrive in this new phase will treat AI less as a marketing talking point and more as an operational discipline, proving value through clarity, ethics, and consistency rather than spectacle.

What’s happening: In this revealing excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, Tom Freston, cofounder of MTV Networks and former CEO of Viacom, pulls back the curtain on the network’s 1980s era of excess, creativity, and cultural disruption. Under his leadership, MTV became the new cultural gatekeeper, lifting unknown artists to stardom and reshaping how young people consumed media. Freston recounts epic office parties with tequila girls and cocaine-fueled executives, gold records, shot-glass bandoliers, and chaotic nights at the cable television upstart. He also reflects on issues of race, representation, and the power dynamics that shaped the network as it evolved from punk-rock roots to global media player.

Why it matters: This story matters because it offers more than nostalgia; it reveals how bold brand identity, culture-wearing authenticity, and a willingness to break rules can create lasting impact. For marketers, founders, and content creators, it underscores that the most powerful media brands are forged at the intersection of culture, rebellion, and business. Freston’s narrative reminds us that MTV didn’t sell music videos—it sold relevance, belonging, and attitude. Today’s brands can take a page from this playbook: lead with culture, reflect community, and embrace authenticity rather than play it safe.

What’s happening: OpenAI has officially transitioned into a for-profit public benefit corporation and signed a new agreement with Microsoft. As reported by Hayden Field for The Verge, the nonprofit parent, now called the OpenAI Foundation, will hold a large equity stake and maintain oversight, while the for-profit arm raises capital and accelerates product commercialization. Microsoft, which holds roughly a 27 percent stake, will continue as a major partner under a restructured agreement that outlines how milestones such as the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) will be evaluated by an independent panel. The new arrangement also loosens Microsoft’s previous exclusivity, allowing OpenAI to collaborate with other partners as it expands its operations and impact.

Why it matters: OpenAI’s restructuring marks a turning point in how mission-driven technology companies balance innovation, ethics, and profit. The shift underscores that as AI matures, governance and transparency are becoming as critical as research breakthroughs. For founders, strategists, and brand leaders, this move illustrates the growing need to align purpose with structure—embedding accountability into the business model rather than treating it as an afterthought. The OpenAI-Microsoft deal signals a new phase in the AI economy, one where trust and oversight may prove to be just as valuable as speed and scale.