As independent shops weigh the costs amid shifting priorities and tighter budgets, some are rethinking their place at the world’s biggest advertising stage.

The app has swapped its familiar green icon for a sparkly disco-ball design to mark its 20th anniversary, but the temporary makeover has sparked a wave of backlash.

The platform unveiled several AI improvements and offerings, including multimodal video creation and Demand Gen.

With unboxing culture and AI-powered shopping on the rise, packaging speaks before brands do—and increasingly, it’s the only pitch that matters, per an Elmwood report.

“We focus on growing clients’ businesses and brands, not just delivering marketing services,” said global CEO Takeshi Sano, as the network reported modest Q1 growth.

A product seen on a short-form content platform is desirable, but only deemed essential when a friend owns it, per a report from Rukam Capital.

While acknowledging that the practice is unlikely to be eliminated, industry stakeholders suggest how the awards creative integrity can be preserved at a global level.