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🤯 Unilever’s 9 Billion Euro Creator Machine
The scale of creator marketing has reached a staggering new level. As discussed on De Boardroom podcast by Bert Hagendoorn, Unilever is now spending roughly 9 billion euros per year on brand and marketing. Even more mind-blowing? They are working with a network of 300,000 creators to drive their digital impact. This massive shift shows that for global giants, creator-led content isn’t just a side project, it’s at the core of their strategy.
Check out the story on De Boardroom LinkedIn (Dutch).
🔗 Instagram Tests Clickable Links in Captions
It’s the feature social media managers have dreamed of for years. Instagram has officially started testing clickable links within post captions. Currently, this is limited to Meta Verified subscribers (paying users) and capped at 10 links per month to prevent spam. While it’s still in testing, this could fundamentally change how brands and creators drive traffic off-platform without relying solely on “link in bio” tools.
Read more at Social Media Today.
🎮 Age Limit for Games with Loot Boxes Raised to 16+
The European game rating organization PEGI is tightening its grip on “random” in-game purchases. Starting in June 2026, any video game containing paid loot boxes will automatically receive a PEGI 16+ age rating. This shift addresses the social pressures and “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO) that often drive teens to engage in gambling-like mechanics to stay competitive with friends or gain social status in multiplayer communities.
Get the full details at NOS (Dutch) and IGN.
✨ Meta Rewards Originality and Cracks Down on Copycats
Meta is rolling out a series of measures to ensure original creators get the credit they deserve. Under new algorithm updates, Facebook and Instagram will prioritize original content and deprioritize unoriginal or reposted material (like aggregators or simple reaction videos) in Feed and Reels. They’ve also removed over 20 million imposter accounts in the past year to protect creator identities.
Check the update at Social Media Today.
⚖️ xAI and Grok Face Lawsuit Over Deepfake Controversies
Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, is facing a class-action lawsuit and multiple state investigations following reports that its chatbot, Grok, was used to create non-consensual sexual deepfakes. The lawsuit alleges that xAI lacked standard safeguards to prevent the tool from “undressing” images of real people. In response, xAI has recently restricted certain image editing features to paying subscribers and implemented tighter filters.
Read the investigation details at The Verge.
🗓️ Newsjacking opportunities
Opportunities to celebrate this week:
- Wed 18 Mar – Municipal Council Elections 🗳️
- Thu 19 Mar – Week of the Circular Economy ♻️
- Fri 20 Mar – First Day of Spring 🌸
- Sat 21 Mar – Day Against Racism and Discrimination ✊
- Sun 22 Mar – World Water Day💧
- Mon 23 Mar – Puppy Day 🐶
- Tue 24 Mar – Music Day 🎵
And next…
- Wed 25 Mar – Waffle Day 🧇
- Thu 26 Mar – Good Hair Day 💇♀️
- Fri 27 Mar – World Theatre Day 🎭
- Sat 28 Mar – Earth Hour 🌍
- Sun 29 Mar – Start of Daylight Saving Time ⏰
- Mon 30 Mar – Pencil Day ✏️
- Tue 31 Mar – World Backup Day 💾
Anything else you would like to discuss and see for next week’s social newsflash? Just share it with me via e-mail or slide in my LinkedIn comments or DM.
And don’t forget to subscribe to our Weekly Social Round Up newsletter so you get this delivered directly into your inbox each week!
Until the next one. XoXo, Erik 👋
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