A busy week for anyone running social for brands. Here is what changed and what it means for the brands you run social for.
Platforms
- YouTube, 1 October: Shorts recommendations will further prioritise original content and reduce the reach of clips re-uploaded from other creators without added value. Narration that only describes the clip, minor edits and template-based bulk changes do not count as original.
- Instagram, 30 September: a Boost option in the live composer turns a livestream into an ad in Feed, Stories and Reels while the broadcast runs, without Ads Manager. Instagram advises scheduling the boost at least two hours ahead.
- Meta, 29 September: Muse for Small Business adds business skills and fifteen connectors, including Shopify, QuickBooks, Canva and Slack, to Meta's AI agent, with access to Facebook, Instagram and Meta ad accounts. US and Canada only.
- Muse: Sensor Tower projected 5 million US downloads by 30 September, 22 days after launch, and The Information reported more than 3 million weekly users. Meta has not published its own figures.
- Threads, 1 October: a test lets selected creators place a post on top of a photo or video. Threads has had more than 500 million monthly users since June.
- WhatsApp, 30 September: new optional parental controls for teen accounts, set up together and approved with a parent PIN, cover who can add a teen to groups, group size alerts at 30, 100 and 250 members, Status visibility, access to Channels and the Meta AI setting. Messages stay end-to-end encrypted. No rollout date or countries were given.
- LinkedIn, 30 September: Hiring Assistant 2, the next version of its AI recruiting agent, adds memory of how each recruiter hires, signals about whether a candidate is open to approaches, voice pre-screening and interview scheduling. LinkedIn says over 20,000 companies use it, and existing English-language customers get the new features free from November 2026.
TikTok
- A report for TikTok's US joint venture, produced by the research firm PF Global, claims activity on TikTok supported 81 billion dollars of US GDP and 410,000 jobs in 2025, and that 1.8 million US entrepreneurs sold on the platform. It is TikTok's own commissioned study.
- Abu Dhabi's MGX holds 15 percent of that US joint venture, alongside Oracle and Silver Lake, after the divestiture closed in January 2026.
- TikTok Shop is still not live for local merchants in the UAE or Saudi Arabia. A Chinese trade outlet reported in August a plan to launch in Saudi Arabia in early 2027, which TikTok has not confirmed.
Agencies and adland
- WPP Media named Laura Ryan, former global chief executive of Orion Worldwide, as chief media officer on 29 September. Its APAC chief client officer, Sindhuja Rai, leaves in November.
- US advertising and PR employment fell by 6,900 in the year to August 2026, according to BLS data analysed by eMarketer, as consolidation and AI reshape agency work.
- McDonald's is piloting a media network in 450 US restaurants, with ads on menu and drive-thru boards after the order, and calls it a one billion dollar opportunity over time.
- R/GA set up an Abu Dhabi base on 23 September, led by Bertrand Morin as executive director for MENA.
The Gulf
- The UAE's National Media Authority said on 29 September that AI-generated images or video of national symbols or public figures need prior official approval.
- Dubai Media pitched advertisers on the fourth quarter and Ramadan 2027, which is expected to begin on 8 February, and urged brands to commit early.
- Info Media Group set out a ten-year plan for 21 markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, led from Dubai, with Saudi Arabia as its next market.
- YouTube expanded Creator Partnerships in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Campaign Middle East's September platform roundup reported.
What to do this week
- Check client YouTube channels for reposted clips before the Shorts change shows up in their reach.
- Look for the live Boost option on client Instagram accounts before the next planned live.
- Add a line on AI imagery of public figures and national symbols to UAE briefs ahead of National Day.
- Start the Ramadan 2027 conversation with clients now.
The GCC marketing calendar on this site keeps the region's key dates in one place, from National Day to Ramadan and Eid.
