Marketing Trend Tracker - Series 19
The rapidly changing world of marketing and technology is ushering in significant trends reshaping how brands connect with audiences. Recently, established companies have been venturing into standalone app creation to address niche consumer needs, as seen with Instagram's "Edits" app for video creators and Instacart's "Fizz" app simplifying party planning. Meanwhile, advertising options are rapidly expanding both online and in-store, with Hy-Vee's partnership with Grocery TV revolutionizing retail media and LinkedIn launching advanced video ad tools to capitalize on rising engagement. Together, these developments underscore a broader shift towards personalized, data-driven strategies. Read on to see how companies are meeting the growing expectations of today’s consumers.
Instagram Launches New App “Edits”
Instagram has officially launched "Edits," its new video editing app aimed at rivaling CapCut, the popular tool from TikTok’s parent company ByteDance. Designed to streamline video creation, Edits offers creators an all-in-one platform
with features likemulti-channel editing, project management, trending Reels discovery, and advanced video effects such as AI-powered animations and green screen capabilities.
Notably, users cancapture videos up to 10 minutes long, add captions, royalty-free music, and download content without watermarks for cross-platform sharing.
While the app is initially free to use, Instagram’s Adam Mosseri hinted that some advanced AI features may require payment down the line due to high computational costs. With easy access via Instagram logins and a robust suite of tools, Edits is positioned as a powerful resource for creators looking to elevate their content. If you're serious about video creation, this is definitely an app to explore.
Instagram continues to enhance Edits with its
first round of updates just a week after launch, adding 125 new fonts and 15 voice effects to customize text and voiceovers. Edits now includes an "Apply all" feature, enabling users to apply filters, effects, and transitions across all clips with ease, expediting the editing process. These updates build on the app’s robust original features, and Instagram plans to roll out weekly updates to expand functionality further.
Instacart Releases A Party-Planning Gamechanger
While Instagram focuses on creative tools, Instacart is simplifying social gatherings with "Fizz," a standalone app that makes ordering drinks and snacks for events easier than ever. Designed for modern party planning, Fizz offers features like $5 flat-rate delivery, group ordering, and automatic payment splitting. Users can collaboratively build a single cart, paying only for the items they select, which eliminates the hassle of coordinating orders. The app covers a wide range of categories all sourced from retail partners like Kroger and Safeway.
Fizz has also
integrated with Partiful, a popular event planning platform that allows hosts and guests to coordinate effortlessly. Users can create event invites through Partiful and link them to a shared Fizz cart for streamlined shopping and preparation. The app’s convenience is further enhanced by same-day delivery options, enabling users to avoid last-minute store runs. Available for users aged 21 and over,
Fizz operates on iOS, Android, and its web platform, offering accessibility to a broad audience. With its focus on convenience and collaboration, Fizz is set to transform how people plan and organize parties.
Hy-Vee and Grocery TV Redefine In-Store Advertising
Hy-Vee has emerged as a trailblazer in retail media networks by becoming the first retailer in Grocery TV’s network to implement a closed-loop measurement solution. This collaboration is a significant milestone for in-store advertising, integrating advanced performance tracking into Hy-Vee’s RedMedia platform. The solution allows brands to directly link campaign impressions with sales outcomes, offering a level of transparency and actionable insights rarely seen in physical retail spaces.
Key features of this system include faster access to data, the ability to scale campaigns across multiple retailers, and custom study designs that measure incremental reach and store-level impact. These capabilities empower brands to assess the effectiveness of their campaigns with greater accuracy. For instance,
advertisers can now measure both return on ad spend (ROAS) and incremental ROAS (iROAS) across campaigns.
Early testing has revealed impressive results, with
CPG brands achieving an average 4.7x ROAS when advertising through Grocery TV’s network. Hy-Vee’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kathryn Mazza, noted that this innovative capability provides brands with the tools to make informed decisions, optimize their media investments, and improve overall performance. By offering tailored campaign options and granular impact measurements, this partnership redefines what brands can achieve through in-store advertising. It sets a high benchmark for accountability and effectiveness in the retail media sphere, paving the way for other retailers to follow suit.
LinkedIn’s Innovations in Video Advertising
While Hy-Vee and Grocery TV are driving change in physical retail spaces, LinkedIn is making strides in the digital advertising world. During its first-ever presentation at NewFronts 2025, LinkedIn unveiled new video ad options that capitalize on the platform’s rising video engagement. Video content on LinkedIn has seen a remarkable 36% year-over-year increase in watch time, generating 1.4x more engagement than other types of posts. These statistics underscore the increasing importance of video in connecting with LinkedIn’s professional audience.
To help brands leverage this trend, LinkedIn introduced several tailored solutions. One highlight is the new "First Impression Ads," a vertical-video ad format that allows brands to be the first ad their target audience sees in-stream. This prominent placement provides a broadcast-like presence, ensuring that brands capture attention right from the start.
Additionally, LinkedIn expanded its Connected TV placements, allowing video promotions to reach audiences on platforms like Roku, Paramount, and Samsung Ads. This feature gives brands access to a larger pool of viewers and further diversifies their reach beyond LinkedIn’s feed. Another enhancement is the updated BrandLink, which allows video ads to appear alongside approved publisher and creator content, fostering trust and relevance.
Event Ads, another focus,
now offer expanded promotional capabilities, enabling brands to amplify their LinkedIn-hosted events and derive greater value from them. These features collectively align with LinkedIn’s commitment to meeting the growing demand for video advertising and providing brands with tools to drive engagement. Notably, in-stream LinkedIn video ads
already deliver 2x the average video completion rate, illustrating their effectiveness in capturing audience attention. For brands, these ad innovations offer exciting opportunities to connect with their audiences in new and meaningful ways.
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