Meta Expands WhatsApp Ad Options

Plus: Why last click undervalues channel revenue by over 90%

Author

Avinash Duggempudi
September 17, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

The Paid Social Marketer

Here's what's happening this week in the world of paid social:
- YouTube makes creator sponsorships dynamic and resellable.
- YouTube Live adds dual-format streams and side-by-side ads.
- Meta connects FB/IG to WhatsApp Status with chat CTAs.
- How brands can tap into Gen Z’s ‘Fall Curriculum’ trend
- Q4 spend surges; OTT and retail media accelerate.

⏱️Why Last Click Undervalues Channel Revenue By Over 90%?

The majority of channels are undervalued by over 90% by Last Click. Add marketplace sales into the mix, and brands see a 37% ROAS uplift, yet most tools still ignore it.

See why the future of growth depends on full-funnel, unified measurement across DTC + marketplaces.

Watch Dom Devlin explain this at #etailboston

📌WEEKLY MUST-KNOWS

Meta enabled click-to-WhatsApp ads to run in the WhatsApp Status placement via Facebook and Instagram, sending users into a business chat from a full-screen Status ad. This expands high-intent DM funnels on a platform now at 100M U.S. users and creates new upper-to-lower-funnel pathways. Impact hits performance teams running lead gen, service, and commerce on WhatsApp; availability varies by region.

YouTube will let creators insert swappable sponsorship slots in long-form videos, add AI-driven product auto-tagging/timestamps, and offer brand links in Shorts while expanding YouTube Shopping. This turns evergreen videos into renewable media inventory and tightens product discovery and attribution across formats. Brands and creators negotiating paid integrations and commerce programs face more flexible deal structures and always-on optimization; tests begin early next year.

Ad Age spotlights a fresh wave of creative campaigns — from Barilla’s calming pasta spot to Dunkin’s bold activations and EA’s gaming tie-ins. McDonald’s, Modelo, and Topgolf also feature with storytelling-led ads designed to spark cultural conversation. For marketers, the roundup underscores the value of blending brand voice with cultural moments, proving that breakthrough creative often comes from unexpected hooks and emotional resonance.

Gen Z is embracing “fall curriculum” — a back-to-school–inspired lifestyle trend centered on self-improvement, routines, and aesthetic resets. For brands, it’s a chance to connect with younger consumers through content, products, and campaigns that frame learning, wellness, and personal growth as aspirational rituals. The opportunity lies in blending functionality with creativity, positioning products as tools for a fresh start each season.

Meet Fospha at Shoptalk Fall 2025

Fospha is heading to Chicago for Shoptalk Fall. From GenAI reshaping search to marketplace measurement and scaling creative, their team is ready to explore the topics defining retail growth with industry peers.

⚡QUICK READS

State Of Digital Advertising 2025: U.S. digital ad spend hit $137B in 2025 (+12% YoY) with OTT the fastest grower (+21%) and retail media impressions up 25% YoY—expect Q4 spend to top $40B, warranting early reallocations.(More)

YouTube To Use AI To Help Podcasters Promote With Clips And Shorts: AI-assisted clipping and Shorts generation for podcasts will reduce repurposing costs and expand top-of-funnel video supply for creator and brand partnerships starting in the coming months.(More)

Snap To Power AR Glasses With Updated Operating System: Snap previewed Snap OS 2.0 for 2026 Spectacles with WebXR and an integrated Spotlight feed, signaling future AR ad experiences and Lens commerce beyond smartphones.(More)

Meta’s Automation Push Will Reshape Agency Roles: As Meta moves toward fully automated ad creation, experts warn creative commoditization and a pivot toward upstream strategy, measurement and attribution will separate agencies that adapt from those that fade.(More)

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