LinkedIn’s Sponsored Newsletters, Google’s AI-Enhanced Image Tracker and Threads’ Rise

Welcome to Prosek’s Digital Download: where industry-leading insights in financial services and digital marketing collide.

Fall has arrived, and pumpkin spice isn’t the only trend to watch. Here are three updates that could spice up your marketing strategy: LinkedIn’s ability to sponsor newsletters, Google’s new AI-driven tool to trace image origins and enhance content authenticity and Threads gaining momentum as it climbs the app charts.?

So, grab your latte and let's dive in!?

- Alice Bradburn & Isa Lundstrom Svahnqvist

3 Can’t-Miss Digital Updates

Social Media and Advertising

Introducing Sponsored Newsletters to Help Marketers Amplify their Long-form Content and Reach New Audiences

• What's happening: LinkedIn is introducing the ability to sponsor newsletters on both company and personal pages. This feature will appear as a single image ad through LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager. When sponsoring a personal account’s newsletter the process works similarly to LinkedIn's Thought Leader Ads, where users can approve or deny sponsorship requests.
• Why it matters: This development presents an opportunity for firms to amplify their reach and further engage with targeted audiences. With over 184,000 newsletters now hosted on LinkedIn and engagement rising by 47% in the past year, sponsored newsletters are a powerful tool for content distribution. Facilitating collaboration between firms and their thought leaders boosts credibility and visibility for both parties. Additionally, the option to gate content under the "Lead Generation" objective provides a new avenue for collecting valuable user data.?

Google Introduces New Technology to Identify Image Origins

• What's happening: With the rise of AI, image authenticity is becoming an increasingly important concern for internet users. Due to this, Google is launching a new technology to assist in verifying image origins. This AI-powered tool will determine whether an image was organically captured or generated by AI. Users will be able to access information about an image in the "About This Image" feature on Google Search, which now includes AI-created or AI-altered details. This capability is made possible through the C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) standard, which tracks an image's digital trail. Looking to the future, as AI-generated images become more common, Google plans to continue implementing these policies and embedding them into other platforms, including YouTube.
• Why it matters: As AI-generated visuals become more common, distinguishing real photos from fake ones is crucial for maintaining trust in online content. This update will provide users with better insight into an image’s authenticity, helping to improve their confidence in digital media. For marketers and content creators, the C2PA signals will allow platforms like Google to enforce policies and ensure content credibility, especially in ads. This is particularly important for public figures, executives and brands who rely on authentic representations to maintain their reputations and connect with their audiences effectively. However, widespread adoption will be a challenge, as only a few camera manufacturers currently support C2PA. It is still uncertain whether major companies like Apple and Google will integrate these technologies into their iPhone and Android devices.

Threads Climbs to 6th Place in the App Store

• What's happening: Meta's Threads app shows steady growth in download rankings, climbing to 6th place overall and 2nd on iOS charts in August, with 28 million downloads for the month. This represents a consistent upward trend from 8th place in January to 7th in July. Meanwhile, X (formerly Twitter) is significantly lower in the rankings, sitting at 43rd on iOS and 56th on Android in the U.S.
• Why it matters: For marketers and businesses, Threads' growing popularity could present a potential new avenue for audience engagement if user activity continues to grow. While X still maintains a larger active user base (500 million monthly active users compared to Threads' last reported 200 million), the trend suggests Threads is becoming a powerful competitor. As Threads potentially approaches 300 million active users by year-end, marketers should continue to monitor and consider creating content strategies to activate on the platform if target audiences are spending more time there, especially as X faces challenges like user losses in Europe and bans in certain countries.

Good Reads

• Elon Musk Has Officially Moved X To Texas
• TikTok's Day in Court
• Elon Musk's X Takes First Step to Comply with Brazilian Judge
• LinkedIn is Training AI Off Your Data. Here's How To Stop it

Marketing Inspiration?

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Jefferies posted a video of colleagues celebrating their Hispanic culture and its impact on their lives. Members of the Jefferies Network of Black and Latino Employees (JNOBLE) discuss how this community has positively impacted their experiences at the firm.?

Nuveen revealed a dynamic two-minute-long video on the importance of planting seeds for a sustainable future. By making smart investments to reduce energy use and cut CO2 emissions, they aim to create a healthier planet for tomorrow.

Apollo shared a six-minute video featuring CEO Marc Rowan and CNBC discussing how the ongoing evolution of the financial markets has created the need for a reevaluation of portfolio allocation strategies as private and public markets are expected to converge.?