Influencer marketing moves at the speed of social media. Every platform update, algorithm tweak, and current event makes a huge difference to the influencer marketer. We’ll help you keep up.

Samsung pokes fun at influencers with #SponsoredPost campaign (AdNews)

Samsung Australia debuted a lighthearted digital short lampooning influencers and #sponcon to advertise their Galaxy A series of smartphones. Samsung tapped several influencers, as well as Aunty Donna, an Aussie comedy group, to create the commercial. It’s worth noting that Samsung maintains a robust influencer marketing program.

'Influencers pay double': The ice cream truck defying Instagram freebies (BBC)

A Los Angeles-based ice cream truck owner went viral after posting a sign that says “influencers pay double” on his truck. Frustrated with repeated requests for free or discounted ice cream, Joe Nicchi’s tongue-in-cheek retort sparked a larger debate about influencer culture.

Insights to digest:

Influencers discover that launching their own brands is fraught with risk (Econsultancy)

Several influencers have attempted to leverage their digital presence to launch their own businesses. However, many are learning that notoriety alone can’t keep a business afloat. Influencer Jaclyn Hill’s disastrous makeup line launch is a case study for the challenges influencers have faced.

Inside Instagram's War on Bullying (TIME)

Social media platforms, and the internet-at-large, have long struggled to combat cyberbullying. Instagram intends to use artificial intelligence to pick up the slack where community moderation and harassment reporting have failed.

On the horizon:

‘A lot of the time its intuition’: Marketers continue to struggle with attribution in influencer campaigns (Digiday)

As influencer marketing professionalizes, brands are experimenting with different ways to measure attribution. While there’s still progress to be made, marketers are learning to adjust their expectations and measurements based on past experience and future trends.

Snapchat taps stars like Serena Williams and Arnold Schwarzenegger to make new streaming TV shows (CNBC)

In an effort to diversify their content offerings, Snapchat announced a new series of “creator shows” featuring a mix of digital and celebrity talent. Digital shows are a way for Snapchat to increase ad revenue while keeping users engaged with the platform. They intend to capitalize on the massive audiences these creators bring with them.

What’s Julius up to?

We’ll be at VidCon this week! Keep an eye out for Michael Riley and Brad Halperin on the exhibition floor, or shoot us a message to meet up!