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TikTok announced further expansion of the TikTok Go program in the U.S. market. The program, initially launched in August with limited access for hotel promotions, now allows creators to earn commissions by tagging accommodation and vacation-related businesses. New partners include Booking.com, Expedia, Viator, GetYourGuide, Tiqets, and Trip.com. A recent Adobe report shows that nearly half of U.S. consumers use TikTok as a search engine during the discovery process.
TikTok has announced the launch of an ad-free subscription service called "TikTok Ad-Free" in the UK, priced at £3.99 per month (approximately $5.44). The service allows users to turn off ad-targeting data tracking in response to changes in UK data regulations. This move follows Meta, but TikTok emphasizes that it aims to provide users with more choices.
Snap recently held an AR developer bootcamp at its Santa Monica headquarters, inviting 45 of the most active Spectacles developers to discuss the latest advancements in AR technology. The event aimed to foster collaboration within the developer community and accumulate innovative use cases for the upcoming consumer-grade AR glasses, Specs. Despite competition from Meta's AI glasses, Snap hopes to drive the AR ecosystem forward through a community-driven approach.
Pinterest disclosed the latest improvements to its ad serving model on its engineering blog. The updated model can simultaneously incorporate users' off-site conversion history and current search behavior to deliver more personally relevant promoted content. According to the official introduction, the solution focuses on three areas: new model architecture, novel training methods, and a hybrid serving process. Test data shows that the median relevance of candidate ads improved by approximately 275% to 300%, the relevance metric for Related Pins ads increased by 1.08%, and the delivery volume of candidate ads from selection to display increased by 2 times.
TikTok shopping trends continue to heat up, and in-platform content is profoundly reshaping consumers' purchase paths. According to data shared by Donte Murry, TikTok's director of beauty, health, and personal care in North America, with Glossy, 77% of intent-driven shoppers search for more product information after seeing affiliate content, while user comments have become one of the most powerful factors driving first purchases. Murry advises brands to proactively steer the conversation in comment sections to boost conversions. Additionally, tutorial and product-mechanism videos significantly impact repeat purchases.
Snap Inc. released its Q1 2026 financial results, showing that Snapchat's global daily active users grew to 483 million, but user numbers in North America and the European Union continued to decline, with advertising revenue up 12% year-over-year.
TikTok launched a new international marketing campaign this week, focusing on its advertising platform's connective role across the full 'discover-consider-act' journey. The new slogan 'Watch it. Love it. Want it.' marks the platform's extension from entertainment to shopping scenarios. The campaign cites Ipsos research and data from Germany, the UK, the EU, and other regions, showcasing the growth momentum of TikTok Shop, and references third-party reports disclosing 2025 GMV-related figures.
Pinterest released its Q1 2026 financial results, with global monthly active users rising to 631 million, adding 12 million sequentially, and revenue growing 18% year-over-year. Despite limited user growth in the US and EU, international expansion continues, and the company emphasizes AI-driven discovery graphs and improved advertising products.
TikTok announced a new partnership with out-of-home advertising technology company Vistar Media, aiming to extend its Out of Phone ad expansion options to over one million newly added high-traffic digital out-of-home ad placements. According to eMarketer, as of January 2025, Vistar Media has controlled over 1.1 million digital out-of-home ad placements, including iconic locations like New York's Times Square. This collaboration not only expands brands' visibility opportunities in the public eye but may also give rise to new ad content based on TikTok video clips. TikTok told SMT that Out of Phone campaigns do not simply reuse mobile content but are redesigned from format, creative, to cross-market presentation specifically for physical environments, reflecting the trend of social platforms evolving from pure distribution to cross-channel integration. Since launching its Out of Home ad expansion program in October 2023, TikTok has gradually extended its reach to shopping malls, in-flight promotions on airlines, and water stations across the U.S., and introduced UGC creative options. The partnership with Vistar will further enrich ad placement choices and explore new promotional methods based on insights from past campaigns.
During the 2026 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, TikTok launches a new round of creator showcase activities, featuring ten creators from various fields with in-app themed promotions. Continuing its annual tradition, the platform aims to highlight the diverse contributions of the AAPI community and encourage users to support API-owned small businesses.