Why Poppi hired 250 college students

No dark-mode styles — this email renders the same in a dark client.

[Later Logo](https://later.com/social-media-management-tools/)

Welcome to The Influence
The Influence is Later's read on where the creator economy is headed, and what it means for the marketers building inside it.​Each edition will catch you up on what's changing, why it matters, and where the industry is moving next. Let's get into it.

https://www.glossy.co/pop/glossy-pop-newsletter-pepsico-owned-poppi-hires-250-paid-student-ambassadors-to-lead-on-campus-marketing-identify-sales-channels/

[Poppi just hired 250 paid student ambassadors](https://www.glossy.co/pop/glossy-pop-newsletter-pepsico-owned-poppi-hires-250-paid-student-ambassadors-to-lead-on-campus-marketing-identify-sales-channels/) to create buzz on campus, build community, and uncover new sales opportunities. It’s part of a bigger shift toward tapping people who already have credibility within the communities brands want to reach.​And it’s not just Poppi. RushTok-style content helped [USC drive more than 2,500 sorority recruitment sign-ups](https://www.sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2026/08/rushtok-hashtag-uofsc-sorority-recruitment-greek-life-usc-most-potential-new-members.php), while NIL deals have turned student-athletes into creator businesses of their own.​The takeaway is simple: some of the most effective content can come from people who are already part of the conversation.

[Read more →](https://www.glossy.co/pop/glossy-pop-newsletter-pepsico-owned-poppi-hires-250-paid-student-ambassadors-to-lead-on-campus-marketing-identify-sales-channels/)

  The Feed Update

This week’s top creator economy news you should know:

-

YouTube Shopping now lets creators tag Amazon products. [YouTube’s blog announces](https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/youtube-shopping-amazon-creator-affiliates/) that YouTube Shopping is expanding to include Amazon affiliate products, allowing creators to tag and earn commission on Amazon items directly within video content, and giving creators multiple commerce partners to monetize through.

-

Facebook Groups are Google’s number 2 forum source for search results. Search [Engine Journal reports](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/facebook-groups-are-googles-no-2-forum-source/587545/) that Facebook Groups now rank second only to Reddit as a source for forum content, validating that community-driven content is increasingly visible in search.

-

Running app Share Aura is expanding into a social network. The Strava-like app [now offers a social feed](https://www.instagram.com/reels/Dct4DSFC-5u/) for runners to connect and share fitness content, and a feature to share links to their workout gear.

-

Meta reaches settlement in child safety lawsuit. [NPR reports](https://www.npr.org/2026/08/26/nx-s1-5944781/meta-settlement-child-safety-lawsuit) that Meta agreed to a settlement addressing child safety concerns on its platforms, underscoring the importance of brands being thoughtful about how they activate creators and young audiences.

  By the numbers

Key stats shaping the creator economy this week:

-

[Only 15% of shoppers](https://www.tvscientific.com/2026-holiday-seasonal-shopping-report) wait until BFCM to purchase gifts, while 33% are researching gifts before October. TV Scientific’s holiday report found that holiday shopping is starting earlier than ever.

-

[Gen Z and millennials drive over 41% of wellness spending](https://whatstrending.com/gen-z-is-spending-on-living-longer-and-going-out-less/) despite making up only 36% of US adults.

-

[People spend nearly four hours a day watching creator content](https://www.askattest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/US-2026-Media-Consumption-report_digital_v2.pdf), more than live TV and streaming. Attest’s media consumption report reveals that creator content now dominates daily media consumption, outpacing traditional entertainment.

-

[Grey Goose sold more than 730,000 Honey Deuce cocktails](https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/grey-goose-honey-deuce-us-open) at last year’s US Open. Marketing Brew reports that the cocktail became a cultural moment through creator promotion and social amplification.

Turn the trend into your next Reel

When the right trend hits the feed, getting content out quickly matters. With Later, you can plan your Reel, write your caption, add Instagram audio, and schedule it all in one workflow.

[Create your next Reel →](https://later.com/pricing/)

  Inside Later

-

Mavely is now Later: Affiliate linking, creator activation, and performance-based partnerships are all inside the same platform. Learn more about how this update helps brands build full-funnel creator programs with Later. [Read more](https://later.com/blog/mavely-is-now-later/).

-

Kick off a week of fashion with Later and TikTok: Join us on September 10th in NYC for an evening with the creators and brands driving culture forward in fashion. Connect with the people who are setting trends, building communities, and moving the needle in creator-led fashion. [Request your spot](https://later.com/events/fashion-for-you/).

-

Later Creator Live is here: We're bringing together top creators, brands, and platform partners in NYC on November 17 for a night of real connections, firsthand creator stories, and a first look at what's next from Later. [Applications are open now](https://later.com/events/later-creator-live-2026).

[Custom](https://instagram.com/latermedia)
[Custom](https://www.tiktok.com/@later.com)
[Custom](https://www.linkedin.com/company/latergram-me/)
[Custom](https://www.youtube.com/latermedia)
[Custom](https://www.threads.net/@latermedia)
[Custom](https://www.facebook.com/latermedia)
[Custom](https://www.pinterest.com/latermedia)

© 2026 Mavrck LLC dba Later. All rights reserved. Later, Mavrck and associated designs are registered trademark, You are receiving this email from the Later Group Company that you have business relationship with Victory Square Media Inc. or Mavrck LLC.
 810 – 60 State Street, Boston, MA 02109, US
 No longer want to receive these emails? [Unsubscribe](https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/unsubscribe?a=YdHW8e&c=01M1HC1XXKK45YN6VCD9ENMB41&k=c86ca80b6d7ab06b5796a313e62182b8&se=b-later-znf0ps%40mail.newslettersearchengine.com&m=01M1MDA1R3MEEVYXR1VJP0FP8K&r=01M1MDDNKNDP6AYJSHC8T01HZP)

[Later Logo](http://www.later.com)

Accession

nse/later/2026-09-03/442

From

Later · newsletter@later.com

Sent

3 September 2026 · 20:00 UTC