Creators, Briefs & Big Questions Around YouTube’s Open Call; Junaid Shaikh On Location-Based Marketing’s Rise; Fortnightly Social Media Roundup You Shouldn’t Miss

Greetings of the day!

Dear Reader

Welcome to another edition of 'Scoop', your bi-weekly dose of news from Marketing Mind!

In a digital world where creators are at the forefront of brand storytelling and influencer marketing is evolving at breakneck speed, YouTube has thrown its hat into the ring with ‘Open Call’- a feature that promises to remove the friction from creator-brand deals. No agencies, no endless back-and-forth, just a brief, a dashboard, and a pitch. On paper, it sounds like a creator’s dream and a brand’s fast lane to content. But as the platform moves to democratise influence and give creators more control, the question bubbling beneath the surface is: can a tool built for speed and scale truly replace the strategic layers that influencer marketing depends on? We unpacked what Open Call could mean for creators, brands, and the ecosystem in between.

Coming to this week’s authored piece, penned by Junaid Shaikh, Managing Director of RoshanSpace Brandcom, he explored how location-based marketing is becoming a game-changer for Q-commerce and mobility brands. With consumers constantly on the move, Shaikh explained how real-time, hyperlocal campaigns are driving greater memorability through immediacy, tech, and contextual storytelling.

In our fortnightly series tracking the pulse of social media, this edition brings a whirlwind of platform shakeups-where aesthetic meets algorithm, and innovation meets intention. From Elon Musk declaring ditching hashtags to Meta flexing its AI muscle, and Google testing smarter revenue tools for publishers, the digital ad ecosystem is shifting fast. Add YouTube’s creator-first pivot and Snapchat’s attention-metric upgrade to the mix, and it’s clear: the rules of engagement are being rewritten, and everyone-brands, creators, advertisers-is playing catch-up.

To know it all, here’s our ‘Scoop’ of news, hot off the press & curated especially for you! Happy reading :)

• Sports, Media & Tech Are Converging & India Is At The Forefront: JioStar’s Prashant Khanna

• DS Group’s Pulse Candy Becomes Rs 750 Crore Consumer Brand

• Havas Media Network India’s Arena India Wins Integrated Media Mandate For realme

• Truecaller Launches ‘Truecaller Play’ To Offer Video-First, Interactive Ad Formats

• Brands Bring Their A-Game With Campaigns That Mix Style & Substance Effortlessly

• VML’s CCO Mukund Olety To Move Within WPP Network As Part Of Its Creative Leadership

• Wellbeing Nutrition Appoints Varun Kandhari As Chief Marketing & Growth Officer

• Honasa Consumer Elevates Neha Malhotra To Vice President – Marketing

• Prabhvir Sahmey Exits From Samsung Ads As Senior Director – Ad Sales

• Sindhuja Rai Joins WPP Media As Chief Client Officer APMEA

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