DeepSeek disrupts the AI industry
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, is positioning itself as a disruptor in the AI landscape, promising advanced capabilities at a fraction of the typical cost. Unlike industry giants that rely on high-powered GPUs, DeepSeek has reportedly developed AI models using less advanced chips, potentially lowering the barrier to entry for AI adoption. For marketers and advertisers, this could mean more cost-effective AI-driven tools for brainstorming, content creation, audience targeting, and campaign optimization. If DeepSeek’s models prove reliable, they could offer brands new ways to harness AI without the hefty price tags associated with other AI providers.
However, while the prospect of affordable AI is enticing, brands should remain cautious. An audit by NewsGuard found that DeepSeek’s chatbot achieved only a 17% accuracy rate, trailing behind Western rivals. Emerging AI technologies often come with challenges in accuracy, reliability, and scalability. Before rushing to integrate DeepSeek’s offerings into marketing strategies, companies must thoroughly vet its capabilities and ensure they align with business goals. Additionally, questions remain about how DeepSeek’s models handle content moderation, security, and ethical AI use. These factors are increasingly critical for advertisers in a digital landscape rife with misinformation and cybersecurity concerns.
Takeaways
This development underscores the broader trend of AI democratization, where smaller players are challenging the dominance of major tech firms. It presents both an opportunity and a risk for marketers. On the one hand, lower-cost AI could open doors to more brands, enabling personalized marketing at scale. On the other hand, untested AI solutions could introduce unforeseen pitfalls and reputational damage. As DeepSeek gains traction, smart marketers will watch closely, test cautiously, and adapt strategically to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving AI space.
Kristen Burton, Senior Market Research Director
2025 Grammys highlight the era of Gen Z stars: What role has TikTok played?
The 67th Grammys took place this past Sunday, and from the many star-studded performances and viral moments, one thing was made clear — Gen Z artists are here to stay. Performances and award wins for Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Doechii highlighted the generation’s growing influence over the show and the industry. Charli XCX also took the stage alongside a crew of well-known personalities during her Grammys performance, like Julia Fox, models Alex Consani and Gabbriette, and influencer Quen Blackwell.
Many of the winning performances and artists had something in common — extremely viral music. From Charli XCX’s Brat summer theme songs, Sabrina’s many popular “Nonsense” outros, Chappell’s “Hot to Go!” dance trend, to many viral TikTok Doechii verses, these songs dominated TikTok and other social media platforms throughout 2024.
Takeaways
In addition to their massive streaming numbers, it seems that Gen Z’s favorite platform, TikTok, is propelling this new generation of pop and music stars to success through viral trends. As social media continues to drive music discovery, we can expect an increasing number of mainstream and independent artists to leverage social media like TikTok to reach larger audiences.
Beyond the Gen Z artists who have seemingly conquered the social media landscape on their rise to fame, the music industry as a whole will need to adapt quickly to an era where viral content can dictate success. Social media will continue to shape music trends, and artists of all genres will likely need to embrace it to stay relevant.
Pixie Bitner, Campaign Manager
View this post on Instagram
Super Bowl 2025 and AI: What marketers should know
AI is making its way into Super Bowl ads, but brands are treading carefully. According to Ad Age, most advertisers either avoided AI in their campaigns or declined to comment on its use. A few, such as GoDaddy and Hims & Hers, admitted to leveraging AI for early-stage creative tasks like storyboarding but stopped short of full integration, likely to avoid potential backlash. While public perception of AI is evolving, concerns about authenticity, originality, and creative performance still linger, making brands hesitant to fully embrace it in high-stakes marketing.
Takeaways
For tech companies, this hesitation presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Marketers need reassurance that AI can enhance creativity and streamline workflows without diminishing the human touch. Transparency and education will be key in overcoming skepticism. By providing real-world case studies, demonstrating successful AI-powered campaigns, and engaging in thought leadership, tech brands can shift the narrative from fear of replacement to AI as a valuable creative partner. AI has the potential to revolutionize marketing, but adoption depends on positioning it as a tool that empowers human creativity rather than replaces it. The brands that get this right will lead the next era of AI-driven marketing.
Cassie Gonzalez, Campaign Manager
SXSW will do Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick a favor
While Blake Lively is best known at the moment for her ongoing, and very public, lawsuit with Justin Baldoni regarding strife on the set of It Ends With Us, this week she and Anna Kendrick made headlines for their upcoming movie Another Simple Favor.
A sequel of their first film, A Simple Favor, Another Simple Favor will debut at SXSW 2025 in March. Though a well anticipated film on its own, the real anticipation from fans is this marking Blake Lively’s first press tour since her lawsuit with Baldoni captivated the public. Will her personal and legal issues upstage her new film?
Takeaways
There’s no shortage of opinions and analysis that can be given to the Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively legal issues. However, as their battle now bleeds into Lively’s new movie, and impacts a new bench of stakeholders who need this film to perform well, it becomes a delicate balance of crisis communications fundamentals.
On her press tour, it will be nearly impossible to escape questions about Lively’s lawsuit, no matter how much her PR team may try to control the narrative. Knowing this, she’ll need to prioritize three key elements in her interviews to protect herself and her movie:
- Master the Bridging Statement: When a reporter asks a question you’d rather not answer, the onus is on the interviewee to move the conversation back to safer topics. For example, saying, “There is a lot going on, but right now I’m most excited for our new movie. We’ve wanted to work together again for a while, and we can’t wait for everyone to meet these characters again,” can acknowledge the question while getting the interview back on track.
- Authenticity is Key: In moments of intense scrutiny, the public can see through a person that is trying too hard or trying to be what they think people want them to be. This can exacerbate an already difficult situation. Lively will need to come into interviews relaxed, focused on what she wants to talk about, and let her discussion speak for itself.
- Focus on Your End Goal: In a crisis, it can be easy to lose the forest through the trees. A person may be so consumed with protecting their image that they lose sight of the other stakeholders being affected by their actions, and it creates a worse situation for everyone. Every action should be assessed by how it impacts the end goal – in this case, it is to successfully promote Another Simple Favor. In doing so, Lively’s reputation can improve as a byproduct, but accepting that reputational protection can only be a byproduct can be a difficult pill to swallow.
Christy Reiss, Campaign Director
Want more updates like these? Follow us on LinkedIn, X and Instagram for our weekly rundown.
