Samsung has partnered with Google to merge their file-sharing programmes into a single platform.

The move, which was announced at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, allows users to exchange pictures and files across the Android ecosystem.

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In a blog post, Google revealed the deployment of the Quick Share feature, which was launched in 2020, on devices currently using its Nearby Share function would commence next month.

According to the technology company, the partnership creates “the best default, built-in option for peer-to-peer content sharing across all types of devices in the Android and Chromebook ecosystems”.

Google explained: “You remain in control of your privacy, and can choose in your phone’s settings who can discover your device and send files, whether it’s everyone, only your contacts or just your own devices.”

Google added that it is working with PC manufacturers to expand Quick Share to Windows PCs as a pre-installed app.

The news comes as Google and Apple have recently been asked by The European Commission to clarify their risk management regarding their online platforms for purchasing apps.

Under the new regulation, Digital Services Act (DSA), tech firms across the globe are facing legal scrutiny amid the introduction of DSA, which came into force this year.

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Sellers on digital platforms including Ebay, Airbnb, Etsy, Amazon and Vinted are among those who could end up paying tax on their “side hustle” earnings.

Under a New Year tax clampdown sellers must share information with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), which will allow the tax authority to detect and tackle tax invasions.

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The move follows several tax changes at the start of the year, which include changes to the national insurance rate that employees pay.

The threshold for earnings from the online side hustles is set at more than £1,000 a year, above this, online sellers must register as self-employed and file a self-assessment tax return at the end of the financial year.

Online platforms will also be required to report seller information directly to HMRC, however, this will not be implemented until the end of January 2025.

The move will also include information such as tax ID, bank account details, alongside the amount and number of transactions made by sellers with sizeable trading activity.

Speaking on the move, an HMRC spokesperson said: “These new rules will support our work to help online sellers get their tax right first time. They will also help us detect any deliberate non-compliance, ensuring a level playing field for all taxpayers.”

However, Vinted CEO Adam Jay, told the BBC he did not believe the new rules would affect many of the site’s sellers.

He said: “It’s actually quite a small proportion of users of our platform who will trigger this threshold where we need to provide information.

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The mobile marketing industry is predicted to generate $184.5 million this year, new data has revealed.

According to Future Market Insights (FMI), this rapid growth is driven by technology advancements, consumer behaviour shifts, and global expansion.

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As a result, the market is set to be worth $1.4 billion in 2034, the report revealed.

It added that the number of mobile users will surpass seven billion by 2025 and with a 22% market share, the mobile web segment will dominate mobile marketing by 2024.

FMI Managing Director Sudip Saha said: “Mobile marketing will become a huge industry with the rise of smartphones and the integration of new technologies in the market. With the advent of digital marketing and high-speed Internet, demand for mobile marketing has increased.”

The news comes as Reddit’s Head of Mid Market UK, Hannah Walker, predicted the era of categorising consumers solely by age may be drawing to an end this year.

According to Walker, who has been with the social media giant since October last year, consumers, regardless of their age, are increasingly breaking away from societal norms.

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Branded video content on Instagram Reels has outperformed TikTok and Facebook in generating massive results for advertisers, a new report has revealed.

According to customer engagement platform, Emplifi, Instagram Reels (over 90 seconds) generated more than double the number of median video views compared to TikTok videos.

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Reels also became the top-performing content type on the Meta-owned social media platform, delivering six times the reach of Instagram Stories, the research revealed.

However, brands continue to consistently post more Stories than Reels, this comes as between May and October 2023, the number of Instagram Stories posted by global brands was five times higher compared to the number of Reels.

Emplifi CMO Zarnaz Arlia said: “One of the most interesting findings from our research is the shift we’ve witnessed in Instagram Reels video lengths, with longer run-times winning more engagement for brands compared to short-form video.

“This represents a change in user behaviour, with more time being spent on videos that run longer than the average 15-second or 30-second video ad format.

“This insight offers an exciting opportunity for brands to reconsider their creative strategy on Instagram. The data shows that audiences are responding positively to longer videos — the key is producing entertaining and valuable content that keeps them watching.”

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Global app-growth company, AVOW, has appointed Melissa Bohlsen as its new Chief Marketing Officer.

In her new role, Bohlsen will take charge of the company’s global marketing team, and will also lead all Go-to-Market, communications, events, branding, digital, and endeavours.

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Bohlsen has over 15 years of experience in the mobile marketing industry and her most recent position, she held the position of Vice President of Marketing at Adjust, where she managed the global marketing operation, overseeing a team of over 50 marketers working in regions including INSEA, Japan, USA and China.

Bohlsen said: “I’ve always admired AVOW’s pioneering approach in mobile advertising.

“Their robust growth ethos and penchant for innovation, combined with a firm commitment to their customers, makes this a truly exciting journey that I am thrilled to be a part of.”

Commenting on the appointment, CEO, Robert Wildner added: “Having Melissa join our ranks is truly a milestone moment for AVOW.

“As we gear up for our next phase, her expertise in both leadership and mobile marketing will be invaluable. I am confident that with her at the helm, we will not only continue our growth trajectory but set new benchmarks in the industry.”

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Airbnb has attributed a renewed focus on brand marketing instead of search engine optimisation (SEO) has helped it reach its most profitable quarter to date.

The home-sharing platform’s decision to move its marketing strategy away from SEO has resulted in it reducing its marketing overheads.

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As a result, the company does not anticipate any further cuts.

This comes as in 2019, Airbnb decided to prioritise more general marketing campaigns and PR.

Airbnb CFO, Dave Stephenson said: “Our brand marketing results are delivering excellent results overall with a strong rate of return, and it’s been so successful that we’re actually expanding to more countries.

“We’ve already kind of hit this new kind of lower overall rate. Certainly, we can moderate that over time, but we’re already so low that I wouldn’t anticipate us dropping it dramatically in the face of substantial headwinds with overall growth.”

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Adobe and Figma have announced they are mutually terminating their merger agreement, which would have seen Adobe acquire Figma’s platform for $20 billion (£16 billion).

In a statement, the computer software company said both companies still believe in the merits of the deal but have “mutually agreed to terminate the transaction” as there is “no clear path” to getting approval from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the European Commission.

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As a result, Adobe has to pay Figma a reverse termination fee of $1 billion (£800 million) in cash.

The news comes as the CMA recently found that the proposed acquisition of Figma, could harm competition in the digital design sector, resulting in fewer choices for designers of digital apps, websites and other products.

Adobe CEO and Chair, Shantanu Narayen, said: “Adobe and Figma strongly disagree with the recent regulatory findings, but we believe it is in our respective best interests to move forward independently.

“While Adobe and Figma shared a vision to jointly redefine the future of creativity and productivity, we continue to be well positioned to capitalise on our massive market opportunity and mission to change the world through personalised digital experiences.”

Figma CEO and Co-Founder Dylan Field added: “Going through this process with Shantanu, David and the Adobe team has only reinforced my belief in the merits of this deal, but it’s become increasingly clear over the past few months that regulators don’t see things the same way.

“While we’re disappointed in the outcome, I am deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed to this effort and excited to find other ways to innovate on behalf of our respective communities with Adobe.”

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Google Pay has partnered with digital financial services company Zip to offer users buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) options.

The service will be available to U.S users of the payment service provider in January next year, offering customers enhanced flexibility in their payment choices at checkout, as the company revealed BNPL adoption is “on the rise”.

The move comes as recent research from Zip showcased that 47% of BNPL users find this payment method particularly appealing due to its purchase-splitting feature.

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Google Senior Director, Drew Olson said: “We are always looking for ways to give people a more helpful checkout experience when shopping on Google.

“By teaming up with BNPL providers like Zip, we are able to give Google Pay users another payment option when checking out, while providing merchants with another tool to drive their growth.”

Zip Co-founder and U.S CEO, Larry Diamond added: “Consumers are increasingly seeking flexibility at checkout, while merchants are looking for innovative ways to boost sales and enhance customer loyalty.

“With Zip available in the Google Pay checkout experience, we are bridging a gap and providing a flexible credit product for the many consumers overlooked by traditional credit products.

“By offering Zip payment solutions through Google Pay, we’re empowering consumers with more choices while providing merchants with a powerful tool to increase conversion rates and build lasting customer relationships. It’s a win-win scenario where convenience meets commerce, fostering a more dynamic and responsive shopping experience.”

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Streaming platform Twitch has launched a new game and marketing campaign, ‘The Twitch Recap Game’ in a bid to engage with its community.

The game, which features a playful twist on the term G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) celebrates the communities that gather on Twitch and features some memorable clips from the social media platform throughout the year.

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Alongside the launch of the Twitch Recap Game, it also launched a comprehensive marketing campaign, which includes influencer marketing, social media activations and in-stream chat opportunities.

Twitch CMO Rachel Delphin said: “Twitch Recap is our annual retrospective look at the year. It’s a personalised journey for every member of our community, whether they’re streamers, moderators, viewers, or even lurkers. It’s about reflecting, celebrating, and recognising everyone who makes our community what it is.”

“With so many vibrant communities across the globe coming together on Twitch, it’s important that we create moments for different communities to come together – through annual traditions such as Twitch Recap– to celebrate their contribution through the year.”

The news comes as both TikTok and Pinterest also launched their yearly looks at the trends to come in the next year.

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Pinterest has appointed Laura Gaffney as its new Director of Business Marketing for EMEA and APAC.

With effect from today (11 December 2023), Gaffney’s responsibilities include leading the social media giants’ business marketing initiatives in these regions to raise the visibility and comprehension of Pinterest to support revenue generation.

She will also set the regional business marketing strategy, lead the high-performing marketing teams in each country, and oversee all facets of regional messaging and execution.

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Gaffney joins from Meta, where she held various business marketing roles over the past 12 years, most recently as Head of EMEA Audience Marketing.

She has over 18 years of experience, which also included a raft of roles at Google.

According to the company, the EMEA and APAC markets will continue to be a “key priority” for Pinterest in its next chapter of growth.

Commenting on her appointment, Gaffney said: “Pinterest is a unique, full-funnel platform where ads can be meaningful content. I’m excited to apply my business marketing skills to raise even more visibility for the value of Pinterest for advertisers across regions.

“I feel personally connected to Pinterest’s mission and look forward to shaping bold business marketing opportunities that resonate with audiences.”

Pinterest VP of Global Business Marketing, Stacy Malone added: “Laura has a proven track record driving growth, engagement and retention for global brands.

“As a strategic thinker who holds a deep expertise in business marketing across multiple audiences and roles, we’re thrilled to have Laura lead the team for our next phase of growth.”

The news comes as Pinterest identified 23 individual trends for the year ahead as part of its Pinterest Predicts report, which Pinterest UK’s Director of Marketing, Louise Richardson described as a “cheat sheet” for marketers.

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