We want to know what you think is the best logo ever made. Sure, we have our best logos list, which includes some of the most well-known logos in the world (and some lesser known ones) chosen by professional designers. But we have a hunch some of you might not agree with our list – and that you see greatness elsewhere. We will add the winner to our list – and share the overall results and comments, too.
Our current list includes:
Apple
Audi
Bass Ale
CBS
Coca-Cola
Cooper Union
Crate&Barrel
Davidelfin
Dunkin’
FedEx
Hillary Clinton
I Love New York
Jordan Jumpman
Kelloggs
Lacoste
LG
London Underground
McDonald’s
MIT Media Lab
Mozzo
MTV
NIKE
Open University
Penguin
Playboy
Qantas
The Red Cross
Santa Cruz
Shell
Sony VAIO
Syncopy
Tate
Toblerone
So, what do you think? Do you love a logo that’s as iconic as its brand, or have you got a sneaky secret no-one else has heard of? Is it a new, old or redesigned logo you want to crown? Are there any picks in our list you’d relegate?
Feature image credit: Adidas/Coca-Cola/Shell/Wendy’s/NBC/New York Yankees
For early-stage brands, marketing on social media can feel like a choice between gaining visibility or controlling costs. With limited budgets and high expectations, marketing leaders for young brands often need content strategies that move the needle without relying on big productions or paid reach.
Below, Forbes Agency Council members offer their best advice on what budget-conscious brands should prioritize. Here’s how to create social media content that cuts through the noise, builds trust with audiences and drives real impact for a brand that’s just starting out.
1. Start With LinkedIn And Canva
I run a PR firm, but early in my career, I worked at a social media agency, where the key to growing a community was engagement. For early-stage, budget-conscious B2B brands, I suggest leveraging LinkedIn, as it’s often the best place to start. Invest in Canva for simple design needs. Any PR coverage can then get amplified via social, extending impact and reach without added spend. – John McCartney, Jmac PR
2. Create Clear, Real Content
Prioritize clarity over polish. Content that clearly answers real audience questions consistently outperforms overproduced work. Consistency and authenticity scale better than spend, which is something I see reinforced repeatedly in peer discussions among agency leaders. – Mike Demopoulos, hosting.com
3. Publish Short-Form Video Content
Start publishing short-form video content on every social platform: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. Then allocate some ad budget to the best-performing videos. Things to consider before you begin creating vertical videos: 1. the hook (you have two to three seconds to capture attention); 2. positioning of yourself; 3. storytelling; and 4. a punchline or call to action. – Nikos Xydas, Humble
4. Prioritize The Message, Not The Medium
When working with a limited budget, you need to ensure your marketing cuts through the clutter, avoids becoming “just another solution,” and stands out in a crowded marketplace. Don’t rush the creative process; think about the one thing that your customers will remember. – Darrell Keezer, Candybox Marketing
5. Establish Your Founder’s Brand First
Focus on building the founder’s brand first. This will get you a wider audience faster, and the company brand will ride on its coattails. Today, founder content outperforms content made by the business brand content by a wide margin. – Dean Seddon, Maverrik
6. Answer These Three Questions
Answer the three most important questions: What am I selling? Who am I selling it to? Why should they care? Then craft every single message with that in mind. Write like you talk, and be human. – David Farinella, Farinella LLC
7. Build Topical Authority On Community Platforms
Prioritize building topical authority on community platforms like Reddit and Quora over high-production visuals. In the AI era, generative engines look for “human-verified” expertise found in long-form discussions to validate a brand’s credibility. By solving problems in these niches, you create high-value references that boost your authority in AI-driven search without advertising spend. – Uri Samet, Buzz Dealer
8. Focus On Insight, Not Volume
One sharp perspective grounded in real client outcomes—what worked, what failed and why—outperforms constant posting. Thought leadership compounds when content teaches, not entertains, and credibility scales faster than budget. – Anton Kovalchuk, QliqQliq
9. Trade Time And Expertise For Visibility
“Give me time or give me money” is the old adage for gaining broad market exposure. Being early stage means time investment over ad spend, so stretch those marketing dollars by sharing and amplifying your industry expertise through podcast appearances, guest contributor articles and thought leadership blog posts. In other words, create a trust “footprint” that SEO and AEO will recognize and reward. – Phillip Davis, Tungsten Branding
10. Treat Marketing As A Non-negotiable Expense
Treat marketing as a core startup expense, not a leftover line item or an afterthought. When it’s built into your operating financial model, it scales with revenue instead of becoming a cost you fear. Impactful social content doesn’t require big budgets; it requires a deep understanding of your audience and how your story connects emotionally. Efficiency comes from clarity, not spending. – Cagan Sean Yuksel, Dreamspace
11. Establish And Follow Clear Brand Guidelines
“Build it and they will come.“ Design a social media brand guideline that establishes who you are and what you stand for. Follow that guideline for consistent posting and responding. Naturally, a community will grow. Teaming with the right publicist or social team can take that weight off of you so you can focus on building the company. – Pierce Kafka, Kafka Media Group
12. Plan Content In Advance And Batch The Work
Plan ahead. Start by locking in your key messages, then use your favourite generative AI platform to draft content in batches. Review it, humanize it and schedule it out. Chunking up the social media work and leveraging tech saves hours and staves off the weekly scrambles. – Chintan Shah, KNB Communications
13. Create Content From Real Use Cases And Moments
Prioritize content that comes from real use cases, customer questions and behind-the-scenes moments. These are cheaper to produce and tend to feel more authentic than staged shoots. When content reflects how people actually interact with your product or brand, it builds trust and drives engagement without requiring a large budget. – Hernan Tagliani, Tagliani Multicultural
14. Leverage Creator-Generated Content Across Channels
Prioritize creator-generated content from influencers that you can reuse everywhere. One CGC partnership can populate your organic feed and fuel paid social, often for less than in-house production. You get platform-native content that performs, and you own it outright, with no ongoing usage fees. – Danielle Wiley, Sway Group
15. Reuse Strong Ideas Instead Of Reinventing Them
I’d tell early-stage brands to prioritize reuse over reinvention. Early brands overspend trying to make everything new. One strong idea can show up as a post, video, comment or a founder’s point of view. Repetition builds recognition, and recognition builds trust. Amplifying a message across channels, in more than one way, is what drives impact. – Jacquelyn LaMar Berney, VI Marketing and Branding
16. Maximize The Tools You Already Have
Prioritize the tools already available to you, especially AI tools with free trials. Test them hands-on and find image or video platforms that genuinely fit your brand. The right setup can turn one photoshoot into dozens of usable content variations without increasing production costs. – Bernard May, National Positions
17. Build Recognition With Consistent Visuals
Make sure your graphics are prepared with care and intent from the beginning and stay unified with a brand look and feel. Consistency on social media builds recognition faster, and a simple visual system adds credibility without overspending. Repetition through templates isn’t a limitation for new brands—it frees teams to focus on message and timing. – Goran Paun, ArtVersion
18. Document What You’re Already Doing
Prioritize documenting what you already do every day instead of creating content from scratch. Record short explanations, decisions, mistakes and customer conversations, and then shape them into posts. This costs nothing and builds credibility fast. When people see how you think in real situations, trust grows naturally and leverage comes from repetition, not production spend. – Vaibhav Kakkar, Digital Web Solutions
19. Build A Personal Brand On Social Platforms
Building your personal brand on Instagram, Threads and TikTok is the lowest barrier to entry. Post consistently with authentic, unpolished content that addresses your audience’s problems, not your achievements or product features. Raw, value-driven posts that speak directly to what your customers need will outperform expensive campaigns every time. Focus on reach first and engagement will follow. – Fernando Beltran, Identika LLC
20. Have An Opinion Worth Arguing About
Budget-conscious brands can’t outspend competitors, but they can outthink them. Take a clear stance on something your industry gets wrong. Thought leadership doesn’t require a production budget—it requires courage. One bold point of view generates more engagement than a year of safe, forgettable posts. If done well, it opens up conversations and doors! – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications
Do you ever feel like your phone or computer is spying on you? You pop open YouTube, and seconds into the video, an ad about your favourite chocolate brand shows up out of the blue. And you feel a bit of a chill since you were just talking about your sudden craving for that exact brand and type of chocolate. Well, it turns out that it can be like that. Information you enter online and through apps can be used to collect data such as your interests, hobbies, and simple search queries. Google is notorious for this. Companies love giving you personalized ads, and to avoid them, you usually have to opt out through the settings.
What’s really creepy about ads, besides their relevance, is their timing. It almost feels like they come up right after you’ve had real conversations about their products. This can happen for various reasons, one being search queries. You could have talked to your family about a want or a craving, and they might have looked it up online to see if it was in stock, or you’ve subconsciously checked the topic through an app or browsed online. It can also happen on social media: your friends could spark a conversation about what they like after you’ve posted about it or clicked on a related link. Moreover, ad targeting can also be based on your connections, which means you might end up receiving ads because someone else in your inner circle has liked or interacted with a particular topic or product.
Your digital footprint might be more extensive than you think
Hengki Lestio/Getty Images
As an Android user, having a Google account is a must. Plus, if you’re using one of the many services that exist on Chromebooks, desktops, and even other smartphones, like Google Chrome, Sheets, or even YouTube, anything you do is tracked for ads unless you sign out of your account or tell Google to stop ad targeting.
But having all your information in one place, especially when apps love using the “Sign in with Google” tactic to link it, doesn’t help. That contributes to your digital footprint, which is what makes up your profile online. Advertisers can use that digital footprint to get more information about you, like your age, gender, and occupation. It can also learn about your interests, your product purchase history, and link you back to others you interact with. Marketing companies love to review this so they can show relevant ads. Google is only one example, but Apple, Meta, and Amazon are all major players in the advertising space. It’s just that Google is the most dominant, so much so that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has challenged Google’s monopoly over the ad technology stack.
Your online behaviour gets tracked, and your data is harvested
Bestforbest/Getty Images
Installed apps love tracking your behaviour. It is partly to help with ad targeting, and partly because algorithms need it to give you relevant suggestions. Apps with a For You feed, found in many social media apps like TikTok, use it to show videos and images based on artists, creators, or even people in a social group that a user interacts with. But sometimes when you opt out of personalized recommendations and ads, those feeds stop working correctly.At other times, apps might abuse their privileges and collect more information about your habits without your permission, claiming they’re doing so to improve the app. But that doesn’t mean they should always have extra diagnostic information, such as your device ID.
Another issue is on-device permissions. Some apps abuse access when it isn’t necessary to function. Why does a random utility app like a calculator or a flashlight require microphone permissions to function? On the other hand, enabling that makes sense for audio-detection settings in sleep-coaching apps. So the question becomes: Why are apps asking for more permissions than necessary? In truth, apps that don’t need it could be doing so to harvest and monetize your data through third-party agencies. And thanks to those privacy-invasive practices, some people become paranoid that their apps are eavesdropping or straight-up spying on contacts when they shouldn’t be.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri told a court during a Los Angeles trial that he does not believe that users can be “clinically addicted” to the platform. His testimony was part of a series of significant social media trials accusing companies of intentionally designing addictive features that negatively impact young people’s mental health. Mosseri, the first executive to testify in the trials, refuted claims that the platform prioritized making money over the mental health of young users. “There’s always trade-off between safety and speech. We’re trying to be as safe as possible and censor as little as possible,” Mosseri said. He emphasized the importance of distinguishing between “clinical addiction” and “problematic use” when it comes to social media. Mosseri defines problematic use as “someone spending more time on Instagram than they feel good about.” The 43-year-old emphasized Instagram’s commitment to teen safety, noting that the platform tests new features for young users before launching them. The case centres around a 20-year-old referred to by the initials “KGM,” who claims her mental health was adversely affected by the platform’s addictive features. When asked about the plaintiff spending 16 hours on Instagram in a single day, Mosseri responded, “That sounds like problematic use.”
It’s the one that consistently makes them more money.
People don’t ignore advice because it’s wrong—they ignore it because it’s uncomfortable.
Saving money means spending less today. Eating healthy means passing up what tastes best right now. And effective marketing? That usually means doing more than what feels safe—or sane.
After providing 128,706 business owners nationwide with results-based marketing campaigns, I can tell you this with certainty: The marketing strategies that create real, lasting growth are rarely the ones people want to hear.
I’ve spent over 25 years helping businesses generate leads and grow revenue. Along the way, I’ve noticed something fascinating. There’s one piece of advice I give that consistently makes business owners uneasy. It’s questioned and debated. In fact, they flat-out hate it.
Here it is: To effectively grow your business, you have to market more than your competitors—more than you think is actually sane.
That statement alone turns people off. It sounds excessive. Risky. Maybe even self-serving, coming from someone in marketing. But the truth is it doesn’t matter who you market with—or even whether you do it yourself or hire help. The principle stands on its own.
But you don’t have to take my word for it—I come with receipts.
To reach growth goals, spend more on marketing
Gartner research demonstrates that the average 2025 marketing budget stalled at 7.7 percent of company revenue—and that is the same level as 2024. The recommended average marketing spend is 10 percent, but my mantra is do as much as you possibly can and then some!
You have to be willing to market yourself in quantities that feel insane to others. That’s what it takes to create real growth and momentum.
Take a look at these companies who spent far more than 10 percent within the last year, and it made a huge impact on their revenue:
Monzo, a UK-based bank, increased its marketing spend 77 percent in 2025 and surpassed £1 billion in revenue, a first for them.
Indian retailer Nykaa decided to increase sales and marketing spend 29 percent and reported a 61 percent increase in quarterly profit growth and a 27 percent rise in revenue as a result.
Guardant Health, a cancer screening biotech firm, increased sales and marketing spend 30 percent and reported a 21 percent year-over-year revenue increase.
I also have firsthand experience, so you know I practice what I preach.
To stay on top, be consistent with your marketing
I started PostcardMania in 1998 with no investors and no cash—just a marketing plan I refused to abandon. That commitment took our revenue from zero to over $100 million a year.
Early on, I spent more on marketing than I paid myself—and I still do. I drove the same paid-off Nissan well past our first $1 million because I understood one simple truth: The size and consistency of my marketing directly controlled our growth. Growth was my top priority then, and still is.
Today, I mail about 232,000 postcards weekly and invest roughly $50,000 a week in online ads just advertising my business. Since 2020, we’re averaging nearly 15 percent annual revenue growth every year after a decade of averaging 5 percent annual growth. Just last year, we set a new all-time company record in leads generated. I can point to many factors behind that success—but it all starts with my dedication to marketing more than anyone thinks is sane.
So when I say this works, I’m not speaking in theory. I’ve lived it.
I know committing serious dollars to marketing can feel scary—but discipline beats comfort every time. Trust the process, track everything, double down on what performs, and refine what doesn’t.
Do that consistently, and the payoff isn’t just possible. It’s inevitable.
Never let the economy affect your marketing investment
Unstable economic conditions are not a reason to cut your marketing budget—in fact, they’re the exact reason not to.
When things get tight, most businesses pull back or shut off their marketing entirely. That instinct feels safe, but it’s also one of the fastest ways to hamstring your revenue or even put your business at real risk.
When the pandemic hit, Coca-Cola cut its advertising budget by roughly 35 percent, but Pepsi didn’t make any cuts.
Due to this decision, Coca Cola experienced big losses in 2020. Their quarterly revenue shrunk over $1 billion in a single quarter, dropping 16.9 percent from Q1 to Q2. They went from being up 6.96 percent in 2019 to down 28.48 percent in June of 2020 in year-over-year quarterly growth.
In fact, Coca-Cola revenue was down the entirety of 2020 and didn’t rebound until 2021. Meanwhile, PepsiCo returned to growth mode after being down a single quarter. That growth ended up lasting years as they gained more market share.
I made the same call PepsiCo did. When shutdowns began, I refused to stop marketing—and I refused to lay anyone off. That decision wasn’t easy—PostcardMania’s weekly revenue dropped about 40 percent, a swing of more than $500,000 a week—but it paid off.
I stuck to my guns and kept our marketing budget fully funded. And recovery came fast.
By April, revenue was back to pre-shutdown levels. By July, we set a new company record for monthly revenue—and broke it again in October. Despite the economic chaos, we finished 2020 up 10 percent over 2019. Then the momentum compounded. We entered 2020 as a $60 million business, and today we’re at nearly $120 million.
Marketing aggressively—when it feels uncomfortable or even “insane”—has been a massive growth lever for my company and countless others. And it can do the same for you.
So when you are at that fork in the road to take the shortcut or the uphill one, take the challenge. You’ll be far stronger and happier you did.
A researcher has resigned from OpenAI, warning that ChatGPT ads could manipulate users in subtle ways. The concerns highlight a growing debate about how much influence AI systems should have over the people who rely on them.
Is OpenAI evil? It sounds like a definitive “maybe,” after reading this piece from former researcher Zoë Hitzig.
OpenAI and other AI-adjacent companies have seen a spree of high-profile resignations recently, with ascending levels of alarm over the impacts its products are, or potentially will have on society.
In nature, superior iterations of species tend to eradicate lesser versions of themselves. We’ve seen research from Anthropic, showing its AI literally choose to murder humans in virtual scenarios rather than allow itself to be shut down. We’ve seen other LLMs actively opt into deception and other dark patterns to achieve their results, raising the spectre of misalignment scenarios — akin to what happens in The Matrix. “The best way to save humanity is to destroy it,” and the like.
Fears about OpenAI and other large language model tech companies run the gamut from Terminator-style sci-fi doomsday scenarios to potentially more grounded fears over economic upheaval. Our entire economy is based on human-led work. What does a post-human economy look like? What does a post-human society look like?
ChatGPT ads will manipulate users in ways we don’t have the tools to understand.
Companies like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft aren’t really waiting around to figure those questions out. Instead, they’re planning to let them play out in real time and pick up the pieces later, whether we like it or not.
One thing that could put the brakes on the self-imposed destruction of society is pure economics. Today, OpenAI costs billions of dollars per year to run and brings in a paltry amount of revenue. Investors have become increasingly spooked by the costs associated with AI, and have handed Amazon and Microsoft multi-billion-dollarwrite-downs on their market capitalization as a result.
Companies like Microsoft and OpenAI are desperately trying to figure out how to actually monetize this AI stuff. Microsoft is focusing on improving efficiency with custom chips, OpenAI, however, is looking to ads … (Image credit: Microsoft)
Companies like Google and Microsoft are prioritizing enterprise applications and data centre efficiency improvements to help offset their AI costs, but OpenAI isn’t really in a position to achieve some of this. They don’t have the software stack and enterprise relationships that Microsoft does, nor do they have the first-party cloud infrastructure that Microsoft, Google, or Amazon do.
So, the firm is turning to ads.
Surprise, surprise, right? Nothing is free. Facebook, YouTube, Bing, Google … — if it’s free, it’s usually powered by ads. But the application of those ads gets increasingly nefarious the deeper you get into it. Based on your interests on Facebook, YouTube, and so on, Meta and Google can serve you granular, laser-targeted ads that can exploit your characteristics. I’m in my late 30s, and I’ve started getting a lot of ads about hair replacement treatments lately on Instagram, for example.
I’d say today’s ad platforms are fairly innocuous, and perhaps irritating at best. Some are worse than others, of course. Exploiting users’ fears and desires is commonplace if you use TikTok and Instagram for ads, but a recent article in the New York Times caught my eye about how much darker and dystopian ChatGPT‘s own ad platform might end up being.
OpenAI has seen a flurry of resignations over the past couple of years, as researchers fear the “not-for-profit” firm has fully lost its way. For one former researcher, Zoë Hitzig, ChatGPT’s ad platform was the final straw. In her op-ed, she sounds the alarm over the scale of potential harm OpenAI’s ad platform might do to its users, and potentially, society at large.
ChatGPT is getting ads, and they may end up more dystopian than even Meta’s. (Image credit: Sam Altman photo (Getty Images | Bloomberg), edit Windows Central)
“I once believed I could help the people building A.I. get ahead of the problems it would create,” Hitzig explains. “This week confirmed my slow realization that OpenAI seems to have stopped asking the questions I’d joined to help answer.”
Hitzig specifically calls out OpenAI’s insertion of ads into the free tiers of its ChatGPT products. She believes that OpenAI is sprinting towards monetization without consideration for the potential harm this could do — and it revolves entirely around just how honest users are with the uncanny chatbot.
“I don’t believe ads are immoral or unethical. A.I. is expensive to run, and ads can be a critical source of revenue. But I have deep reservations about OpenAI’s strategy,” Hitzig continues.
“For several years, ChatGPT users have generated an archive of human candor that has no precedent, in part because people believed they were talking to something that had no ulterior agenda. Users are interacting with an adaptive, conversational voice to which they have revealed their most private thoughts. People tell chatbots about their medical fears, their relationship problems, their beliefs about God and the afterlife. Advertising built on that archive creates a potential for manipulating users in ways we don’t have the tools to understand, let alone prevent.”
Imagine a salesman armed with the entire summation of humanity’s research on market psychology, with the turbo-charged greed of a multi-national corp, and the cold dispassionate amorality of a sociopath.
Hitzig is essentially suggesting that because of how people use ChatGPT, OpenAI will eventually afford itself the world’s most manipulative ad-delivery mechanism in history. Right now, ads on Instagram are pretty spooky already for their ability to target your interests, but imagine an ad engine that can actively talk you into buying shit you don’t need by exploiting your specific psychology. Imagine how youngsters or vulnerable people could be exploited by a high-powered artificial intelligence. Imagine a salesman armed with the entire summation of humanity’s research on market psychology, with the turbo-charged greed of a multi-national corporation, and the cold dispassionate amorality of a sociopath.
“OpenAI says it will adhere to principles for running ads on ChatGPT: The ads will be clearly labelled, appear at the bottom of answers, and will not influence responses. I believe the first iteration of ads will probably follow those principles. But I’m worried subsequent iterations won’t, because the company is building an economic engine that creates strong incentives to override its own rules.”
I remember the first iterations of ads on Facebook and Google, easy to ignore, appearing in the sidebar, and easily blocked by uBlock or something similar. Compare those to today’s high-tech, eerie Instagram or TikTok ads that themselves have become memes for seeming to know about things you want before you even know yourself.
Indeed, this isn’t even vaguely far-fetched or even slightly controversial or conspiratorial — Instagram and Facebook are half way there already.
Imagine that turbocharged even further, with an industrial-scale alien intellect distilling your entire psychological profile with the express goal of selling you stuff. Forget the fairy tale claims of “boosted productivity,” curing deadly diseases, or becoming an interplanetary species. Envision a generation, our generation, mired in an epidemic of weapons-grade loneliness, with tailor-made AI companions who not only love you, but know exactly what you must buy.
ChatGPT has hundreds of millions of monthly active users, the vast majority of whom are sharing incredibly intimate details about themselves, the likes of which Facebook can only dream of, unless, of course, it ends up admitting its messaging services don’t actually have end-to-end encryption. But I digress.
When OpenAI changed ChatGPT’s “personality” with its GPT-5 update, people were actively furious because many had come to see the chatbot as a true friend. A confidant … an external, anthropomorphized entity garnering real trust. The greatest product recommendations come from word of mouth. You know, friends and family. What if the ad itself were your friend?
I can only imagine the cartoonishly evil conversations that have taken place in OpenAI’s investor meetings over some of these fundamental marketing concepts. Facebook and YouTube are currently facing a lawsuit in the United Kingdom, accused of actively engineering addictive behaviour in youngsters. I think scrolling memes pales in comparison to the harm ChatGPT and other similar products potentially represent on this scale.
Hitzig optimistically hopes OpenAI still has principles, but I think she’s sadly naïve. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has shown himself to be fairly devoid of any sense of social responsibility thus far. It’s perhaps mildly alarming at best that many former researchers, like Hitzig, are abandoning ship at an abnormal cadence — while loudly citing “principles” as the primary reason.
Make no mistake. If this dystopic vision of cyborg-driven ad-hypnosis wasn’t the plan already, it definitely will be very soon.
Feature image credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto / Edit: Windows Central
While we once worried about older adults being left behind online, the digital divide narrative has shifted as they fully embrace social media. Now, the question is: what happens when they dive in too deep?
Seniors are now among the fastest-growing 13 globally. In the US, adoption among those aged 50 and older has soared, with 90% engaging with such platforms, according to data from AARP, with nearly half of older adults spending over an hour daily on platforms such as Facebook and YouTube.
Similar patterns can be seen elsewhere. In Brazil, where the population is highly connected, the percentage of social media users aged 60 and over jumped from 44,8% in 2019 to 69,4% in 2024, according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
Many seniors discovered digital connection during pandemic isolation, and some never logged off. A number of studies have established links between social media use with positive effects such as higher wellbeing, social support and sense of community.
On the other hand, studies have been mainly focused on younger users and given that large economies are aging rapidly, the debate is now moving to the downsides of using social media, particularly when it is done so in an excessive way.
But, what constitutes as abnormal use of social media among older adults, and what could be the consequences?
Potential issues
From a cyberpsychology perspective, problematic social media is characterized by compulsive behaviour with uncontrollable and excessive use. This could be accompanied by a fear of missing out on something, for example, and even phantom perceptions (like assuming the device is vibrating with notifications when it is not), a Turkish study with seniors has found.
This usage pattern is driven by the way platforms are built, with features such as infinite scrolling and instant notifications. Algorithmic design also means that even problematic use can be perceived as rewarding, despite all the negative impacts this may bring, including poor sleep and sedentary behaviour. Increased depression and anxiety among seniors were also linked to use of social media for over six hours a day, according to a 2025 study with over 15,000 retirees in Shanghai.
For older adults, platforms built for excessive use can potentially become a bigger issue. That is because natural changes within the prefrontal cortex can make compulsive checking harder to resist. Suddenly, staying connected with grandchildren can turn into YouTube rabbit holes and Facebook refreshes every half an hour.
In addition, seniors might be encountering algorithmic persuasion at a vulnerable life stage, a point in life which can include major events including retirement identity loss, bereavement, and health issues such as reduced physical mobility. In that scenario, the promise of constant connection can feel like a salvation, rather than a product being sold.
Fragmented attention caused by constant task-switching within social media platforms can also be a problem. Attention split between games, messages, videos, news and notifications coupled with infinite scrolling may contribute to cognitive strain or undermine protective habits like deep reading.
Vulnerability to online crime is another significant issue that can impact older social media users, since they are more exposed to scams tailored for them, including prizes, lottery and investment scams or fake emergencies involving relatives.
Numbers on financial fraud impacting seniors demonstrate the sheer size of the problem. Estimated total losses including underreported cases cost older adults up to $81.5 billion in the United States during 2024 alone, mostly due to investment scams advertised on social media, according to data from the Federal Trade Commission.
However, none of these risks mean that older adults are uniquely incapable of navigating digital environments. The problem is not age itself, but the interaction between platform design, life stage, and patterns of use. Recognizing structural vulnerability should not slide into portraying seniors as passive victims.
Agency within risk
While problematic use patterns of social media can create psychological and cause harm to more vulnerable senior users, it is important to challenge the infantilizing narrative around older users and technology, and assuming that all of them are vulnerable to the same kind of dynamics. Research on smartphone use reveals this double-edged sword, arguing that device engagement appears to be cognitively protective, countering the assumption that intensive use always harms older brains.
Intensity of use alone doesn’t determine harm, but the quality of engagement matters, the study suggests. That is why active, purposeful use of social media (for communication or learning, for instance) can support cognitive functioning, while compulsion-based use creates stress, or phantom perceptions for example.
It is also important to distinguish misinformation from information overload – and the research has highlighted older adults’ agency in managing both. Overload is a cognitive and attentional challenge (too much, too fast, with insufficient filtering tools) while misinformation is an epistemic challenge, with content designed to deceive.
An older adult struggling with notification fatigue needs different support than one who shared false health content. Lumping them together produces generic digital literacy interventions that address neither well.
Frequently, the seniors and social media debate tends to adopt a blanket approach, framing them as passive algorithmic victims that are credulous, overwhelmed and in need of rescue. However, treating seniors as uniformly gullible could be a form of ageism that shapes paternalistic policies, condescending digital literacy campaigns, and communication strategies that talk at rather than with older populations.
As the debate on social media use among seniors advances, designing for intentionality could be one of the ways forward. Platforms and public health campaigns should help users develop metacognitive awareness of, for instance, why they’re reaching for their phones, rather than assuming older users specifically need supervision.
Also, strategies that distinguish the overload problem from the misinformation issue could offer older adults filtering tools for the former and critical framing support for the latter, without assuming they are incapable of thinking for themselves.
And finally, research models should involve older adults as co-investigators of their own digital experience rather than simply framing them as subjects to be studied and protected. Solutions built on ageist assumptions will consistently miss the mark.
Feature image credit: Moment Editorial/Getty Images
From Britpop references to cinematic one-liners and philosophy-led wordplay, we asked creative studios to unpack the stories behind their names and what those first impressions really say about who they are.
Creating a name for something is always high stakes. Whether it’s your child, your pet, your business, or even your car. Whatever it is, you kind of have to get it right the first time (unless you’re Kylie Jenner, of course).
For creative businesses especially, your name is your first opportunity to make a good impression and show some personality. They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but of course, people do anyway, so you’ve got to make it count.
So, we asked a couple of studios to share the stories behind their names. Some are values-led, while others are inspired by their love of film and music – but all of them are unique and offer a peek into what that studio has to offer.
Coffee & TV was established in London in 2012 by Chris Chard (producer), Derek Moore (VFX artist), Jon Trussler (VFX artist) and Phil Hurrell (CGI artist).
Excited to start their new adventure as an independent start-up, the four boys were keen to give it a name that resonated with their shared history, having worked together for many years, and their love for Blur…
It just so happened that Jon had worked on Blur’s iconic music video for ‘Coffee & TV’. Chris was totally in awe, and so it was, VFX somehow collided with Britpop. Coffee & TV was born.
The studio revealed that the name has been a big draw for many of their artists, who love that video too. The team even had a fabulous tribute to the origin of their name at Halloween when one of them dressed as the infamous Milky from the Blur video.
Butterfly Cannon is certainly a name that sticks in your mind and makes you instantly curious. At first glance, it seems a little random, but when asked why they chose that name, the studio gave two answers.
The short one: because contrast is interesting.
The longer version is that it’s a visual metaphor for how they see branding. “The butterfly is the beauty, mesmerising, intricate, emotionally powerful. The cannon is the force, focused, impactful, impossible to ignore,” says Jon Davies, the studio’s co-founder. “Put them together and you get what we believe in: that powerful stories need to be beautifully told.”
The real origin story is also a bit more personal. Before setting up the studio, the co-founders – Natalie Alexander and Jon – took a personality test. One came out as a social butterfly; the other, a loose cannon. “We’ll never say who’s who, but we loved the pairing straight away,” says Jon.
“Two real words. Heavy with meaning. Uncomfortably contradictory. The kind of combination that feels like it must be telling a story,” he explains. “Is it an idiom? Is it the butterfly effect? Who knows.
“What we do know is that it’s noticed, it’s remembered, and it always begs the question: why Butterfly Cannon?”
Butterfly Cannon founders Jon Davies and Natalie Alexander
This might just be one of our favourite stories behind an agency name. It will be no surprise that founders Doug Main, Andrew McCaul and Lee Boothroyd are BIG fans of the film Jaws. Specifically, the line that Chief Brody delivers when he sees the size of the shark: “We’re going to need a bigger boat”.
Therefore, the agency was named The Bigger Boat, positioning them as the answer to big creative problems. The name also goes some way toward explaining the creative side of what they do, including the meaning in the little things and the rationale behind everything they create.
Some might know that ThreeTenSeven used to be known as Thompson Brand Partners, named after the venerable Ian Thompson, who founded it in 1984. Back then, it was very common for companies to be named after founders, and many studios today still are.
When Rachel Burrell-Cook, Chris Skelton and Paul McGuigan took over in 2018, they felt they needed a fresh start and something more ownable. Naturally, they never got around to rebranding themselves, because whenever they started, they couldn’t find a name they all loved.
Then Paul came across a brilliant quote by Jim Rohn: “There are only three colours, ten digits, & seven notes; it’s what we do with them that’s important”– hence the brilliant name ThreeTenSeven. “The name captures our shared beliefs about creativity, and it gave us plenty of inspo for our graphic identity and logo system (shout out Al Connolly),” says Rachel.
She adds: “Partly I think we were just glad to have a name that we could all agree on for the first time ever.”
Andrew Barnard, co-founder and managing director of 20(SOMETHING), starts their story with a bit of honesty, admitting that naming the company was one of the hardest things they’ve ever had to do. He says: “For a creative company that specialises in brand and comms, that’s really saying something.
“It’s a real challenge that comes with pressure and demands conviction. This is a name you’re going to live with, stand behind, commit to, fill with meaning and repeat a thousand times over the phone, in writing and during countless awkward round-table moments.”
He adds: “You must be comfortable with it, it’s not going anywhere fast – and you need a why. People do ask, and it’s a small but precious moment for a mini elevator pitch.” So, here it goes…
20(SOMETHING) was founded in 2019, at a point when Will Thacker, co-founder and creative partner, and Andrew felt a little lost and let down by the industry. They were keen to step away from adland’s tired, repeat patterns and reorganise around an emerging supply-and-demand landscape. “As we sat staring at a blank screen asking ourselves, ‘What does commercial creativity look like for the next decade?’ we were also asking ourselves, ‘And what the f*ck are we going to call ourselves?!’,” says Andrew.
They were looking for a name that reflected their renewed creative commitment to the decade ahead. 20(SOMETHING) is rooted in the 2020s; a period that they suspected would be defined by seismic moves in innovation, cultural shifts and consumer transformation. Andrew notes: “As we move through the second half of the decade, some of what we anticipated has come to pass, some hasn’t, and some of the tipping points we face today were beyond anything we could have imagined.
“But the specifics of change aren’t the point, because what defines us is the belief that things will always change. Embracing that change is the only way forward, and that belief is what really sits behind the name and how we holistically think about life.”
What if the perfect AI assistant for your needs is already out there, but you’re not sure which one it is? With so many options, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and Perplexity, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the choices. Paul J Lipsky walks through how each of these AI chatbots excels in specific areas, from managing massive datasets to tracking live social media trends. The video doesn’t just skim the surface; it dives into how these platforms are tailored for developers, researchers, content creators, and more. Whether you’re looking for an all-in-one powerhouse or a niche specialist, this breakdown will help you make sense of the crowded AI landscape.
In this guide, you’ll discover the unique strengths and quirks of each platform, like how ChatGPT’s multimodal capabilities make it a creative juggernaut, or why Perplexity’s citation-backed answers are a researcher’s dream. You’ll also explore the surprising ways Grok and Gemini cater to social media and multimedia professionals, respectively. By the end, you’ll not only understand what sets these AI chatbots apart but also how to match their features to your specific goals. The question isn’t just which AI is the best, it’s which one is the best for you.
AI Chatbot 2026 Comparison Guide
TL;DR Key Takeaways :
ChatGPT is a versatile, all-in-one AI tool ideal for creativity, research, and coding, featuring multimodal capabilities, voice chat, and productivity integrations.
Claude excels in managing large datasets and collaborative projects but lacks image generation and has strict usage caps.
Gemini specializes in multimedia tasks, seamlessly integrating with Google tools, making it perfect for visual content creators and project managers.
Perplexity is a research-focused AI offering citation-backed answers and real-time internet search capabilities, ideal for detailed analysis and accuracy.
Grok is tailored for social media managers and content creators, providing live data from X (formerly Twitter) to track trends and craft timely content.
ChatGPT: The All-Purpose Problem Solver
ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is a highly versatile AI designed to tackle a wide range of tasks. Its multimodal capabilities enable it to generate and analyse both text and images, making it an excellent choice for creative projects such as brainstorming, content creation, and multimedia editing. Additionally, its voice chat feature allows for natural, conversational interactions, while integrations with tools like Gmail and Chrome enhance productivity by streamlining workflows.
For developers, ChatGPT provides robust coding support, including debugging tools and code generation, making it a valuable resource for software development. Researchers benefit from its ability to deliver detailed, structured responses, often organizing data into tables for clarity and ease of analysis. If you’re looking for a comprehensive, all-in-one solution that combines creativity, technical expertise, and research capabilities, ChatGPT stands out as a strong contender.
Claude: The Data Management Expert
Anthropic’s Claude excels in managing large files, such as PDFs and CSVs, making it a preferred choice for researchers and developers working with extensive datasets. Its “Projects” feature helps users organize conversations effectively, while the “Co-work” tool simplifies file management on Mac systems. Claude is also proficient in coding and generating long-form content, making it a reliable resource for technical and academic tasks.
However, Claude has its limitations. It lacks image generation capabilities and imposes strict daily and weekly usage caps, which may pose challenges for users with high-volume needs. Despite these constraints, Claude is an excellent option for those focused on analysing complex data or collaborating on detailed projects, offering tools tailored to these specific requirements.
Google’s Gemini is designed for users deeply integrated into the Google ecosystem, offering seamless connectivity with tools like Gmail, Docs, and Chrome. It is particularly well-suited for multimedia tasks, excelling in generating and editing images and videos. This makes Gemini a top choice for professionals in visual content creation. Advanced tools like Notebook LM and Flow, available through subscription plans, further enhance its capabilities, providing users with powerful options for managing and executing creative projects.
If your work revolves around multimedia production or you’re already using Google’s suite of applications, Gemini is an ideal fit. Whether you’re editing videos, creating visual assets, or managing projects across platforms, Gemini’s focus on multimedia functionality sets it apart from other AI tools.
Perplexity: The Research Powerhouse
Perplexity is tailored for users who prioritize research and real-time internet searches. It delivers citation-backed answers and organizes information into tables for easy analysis, making sure both accuracy and reliability. The “Comet Browser” feature enhances web exploration, allowing users to delve deeper into topics with AI-powered assistance.
While Perplexity is exceptional for research tasks, its scope is narrower compared to other AI tools. It is not the best choice for creative or multimedia projects. However, if your primary focus is on conducting detailed research or obtaining quick, reliable answers, Perplexity is a dependable and efficient option.
Grok: The Social Media Trend Tracker
Grok, developed by XAI, specializes in accessing live data from X (formerly Twitter), making it an invaluable tool for tracking trending topics and staying updated on current events. Its conversational style and engaging personality create a dynamic user experience, appealing to those who prefer personalized interactions.
Grok is particularly useful for content creators and social media managers who need to monitor trends and craft timely, relevant content. While it lacks the versatility of other AI tools, its niche focus on live data and social media makes it a standout choice for users in the digital marketing and social media space.
Choosing the Right AI Chatbot for Your Needs
Each AI chatbot offers unique features and excels in specific areas, making the right choice dependent on your priorities and use cases. Here’s a breakdown to guide your decision:
ChatGPT: Best for users seeking an all-in-one solution for creativity, research, and coding support.
Claude: Ideal for researchers and developers managing large datasets or collaborating on complex projects.
Gemini: Perfect for multimedia professionals and those embedded in Google’s ecosystem.
Perplexity: Tailored for researchers needing accurate, citation-backed answers and real-time internet search capabilities.
Grok: A must-have for social media managers and content creators tracking live trends and current events.
By understanding the strengths and limitations of each tool, you can select the AI chatbot that aligns with your goals and enhances your workflow. Whether you need a versatile assistant, a research specialist, or a multimedia powerhouse, there’s an AI solution designed to meet your specific needs.
From the Creator Fund to brand deals, these monetization methods help content creators turn engagement into actual income
TikTok has evolved from a simple short-form video platform into a powerful ecosystem where creators can build audiences, express creativity and earn substantial income. With millions of users worldwide, the platform offers a range of monetization options that allow individuals and businesses to transform engagement into real revenue streams.
Understanding these earning opportunities helps creators choose the best strategies for their content style, audience demographics and financial goals. The key lies in knowing which methods align with your strengths and how to maximize each opportunity.
Platform-supported payment systems
The TikTok Creator Fund represents one of the platform’s primary monetization mechanisms, paying creators based on engagement, views and activity on their videos. While the exact payout per view varies, consistent posting and high engagement increase earnings substantially. Eligibility typically requires meeting a minimum follower count and a set number of views over a defined period. Once accepted into the fund, creators earn money as their eligible videos generate views, with more interaction translating to higher potential payments.
Live gifts and diamonds allow creators to interact with audiences in real time during streaming sessions. Viewers can purchase virtual gifts using TikTok coins, which they send to their favourite creators during live broadcasts. Creators then convert these virtual gifts into diamonds, which can be exchanged for actual money. This system creates a direct support channel between audiences and creators, offering immediate interaction and feedback while tying revenue to live performance quality.
Leveraging business relationships
Brand partnerships and sponsored content represent one of the most lucrative earning methods on TikTok. Companies pay creators to produce content featuring or promoting products and services. These partnerships vary widely, from single-post sponsorships to long-term collaborations involving multiple videos or entire campaigns. The value of these deals depends on audience size, engagement rate, niche relevance and creative influence. Brands seek TikTok creators with authentic voices and loyal followers since genuine endorsements tend to perform better than traditional advertisements.
Affiliate marketing allows creators to earn commissions by promoting products and linking to online stores. When followers click unique links and make purchases, creators earn a percentage of the sale. TikTok supports affiliate integrations and shopping features that make it easier to tag products and track revenue, creating passive income potential that works especially well with product reviews, tutorials and recommendations.
Direct sales opportunities
TikTok Shop enables creators to sell products directly through the platform, whether merchandise, digital goods or curated items. The integrated shopping experience allows followers to buy without leaving the app, combining social engagement with direct sales in a seamless way.
Selling digital products and services like ebooks, courses, tutorials, presets and templates positions creators as experts in their fields while turning knowledge into income. Educational and specialized content often attracts dedicated followers willing to invest in tools and learning materials.
Building deeper connections
Fan subscriptions and exclusive content offer subscription-based access to special perks or private communities. These subscriptions can be hosted on TikTok or external platforms that link through social profiles, providing benefits like behind-the-scenes videos, exclusive tutorials, early content access and personalized messages. This model creates steady revenue streams while fostering deeper connections with fans.
Crowdfunding through platforms like Patreon, Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee allows followers to contribute financially to support ongoing content creation. TikTok videos can drive traffic to these external pages, turning engagement into recurring support with predictable monthly income and diverse reward tiers.
Expanding beyond the platform
Licensing and media opportunities emerge when viral content attracts attention from television programs, advertising agencies or larger media networks, leading to paid appearances and extended creative collaborations.
Cross-platform monetization converts TikTok popularity into wider opportunities on YouTube, Instagram or podcasts, each with their own monetization systems. This approach amplifies audience reach and diversifies income streams.
Success requires strategy, consistency and creativity combined with authentic engagement that resonates with audiences.
Feature image credit: Shutterstock.com / 19 STUDIO
Tega Egwabor is a writer with RollingOut, covering diverse stories that span politics, health, fitness, finance, and more. Guided by a philosophical background, Tega approaches stories with depth, balance, and nuance. Passionate about connecting ideas with everyday life, her work seeks to spark curiosity, encourage reflection, and open up meaningful conversations.
