• Big if true: Google seems to be testing sponsored ads between organic results.
• Instagram is testing a “Nearby” feed that would boost local biz.
• Here’s how the pros behind big brands adapt to the rise and fall of new social media platforms.
• 74% of consumers say they’ll be reaching out to brands via social media this holiday season.

Advertising Week New York concluded last week, so here are 7 takeaways re: influencer marketing from Marketing Brew’s Katie Hicks:

1. Go after high-quality influencers, pay them accordingly, and trust them to do their thing.
2. Define and share your objectives, like do you want an influencer to flash the product in the first few seconds or not?
3. Don’t ruin relationships by trying to control the script. Content is more likely to perform well if it’s on-brand for the creator.
4. Jump in on collaborations with creators that feel organic and inuitive.
5. Read the comments! And pivot based on sentiment.
6. Don’t perpetuate inequities in influencer representation. Diversify your partnerships.
7. Forge partnerships with perfect-fit creators before they launch their own ventures and end up competing with you.

Read the rest at Marketing Brew.

This tool lets you transform your live data into interactive, shareable dashboards instantly. Just pull in your numbers from virtually any source, create a spreadsheet with a similar functionality to Excel / Google Sheets, and update and share reports and charts of all kinds. Very cool.

Salma Hayek literally kicks down the front door, espresso martini in hand, in this melodramatic new Kahlúa campaign, which the brand calls a celebration of Mexican heritage and glamorous unpredictability. Cheers.