The TR Report | AUG 2025

What’s Hot:

TR On Set, Riyadh Bound, & Creative Globals

The Savannah Bananas Celebrate at Sugar Factory Boston

This past month, Talent Resources made major waves, on set from Miami, to London, and extending into the global entertainment moment.

Matt Kirschner, TR Partner & President, was in Miami working on a high-profile shoot with IShowSpeed, showcasing content quality and creative partnership at scale. At the same time, CEO Mike Heller was in London, on set with KSI while also enhancing relationships with creative talent and accelerating new media-tech ventures through TR Ventures. Both shoots were directed by the well-known Gibson Hazard.

On the world stage, the talent team is excited to be part of the first-ever Riyadh Comedy Festival, set to take place from September 26 to October 9, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The festival will feature icons like Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Chris Tucker, Whitney Cummings, Pete Davidson, Russell Peters, and more!

PR Spotlight:

Sweet, Simple, Viral: SUMM! Apple Pie Rolls Hit Again

When the product’s this craveable, and the pitch is this strategic, it’s no surprise it’s making media waves. Our PR client SUMM! just re-launched their seasonal Apple Pie Rolls with Caramel Sauce at Sam’s Club, and the buzz is already picking up. These aren’t just another frozen dessert: they’re nostalgic, TikTok-worthy, and perfectly built for shareable content (hello, gooey caramel slow-mo dips 👀).

We worked closely with SUMM! to position this drop as the snack of the season, securing top-tier press hits (like Parade) and making sure creators and editors had early access to help drive the hype.

If you're a brand thinking about how to make seasonal drops stick or a creator looking for your next "OMG you have to try this" moment, this one’s a case study in how smart timing, creator-first storytelling, and media momentum come together.

Social Strategy:

Content Indexing + Hooks That Stick

Instagram and Meta are shifting to content-first algorithms. This means your content is being “read” based on keywords, visual cues, and how it aligns with trending topics, not just likes or hashtags anymore.

💡 TR Social Tip:

To stand out in this environment, you need two things:

• Searchable language (text, audio, alt tags, filenames)

• A killer hook.

What Makes a Good Hook:

• “No one talks about this enough but…” → creates curiosity

• “What I wish I knew before…” → builds immediate value

• “If you're [insert niche], stop scrolling.” → instant relevance

• “This just changed the game for me.” → promises transformation

What Doesn’t Work:

• “Hey guys” or “So today I wanted to…” — too slow, too vague

• Over-explaining without a clear punch

• Burying your insight in intro fluff

Creators: Try testing 2-3 hooks with the same clip and track which one drives better retention.

Agencies: Let us help you structure your campaign content around data-proven frameworks. Want more guidance? Hit up our team!

Instagram Just Launched A Long-Anticipated Feature: Reposts to Your Main Feed

Creators and brands can now reshare public Reels and posts directly to their grid, where they live under a dedicated “Reposts” tab and still credit the original creator! How cool is that!?

Why this matters for brands & creators:

• Amplify UGC with more longevity than Stories

• Boost visibility for creator collabs without losing ownership of the content

• Create social proof with just a few taps, it’s like a gallery of credibility!

• Increase discoverability, reposts now surface in feeds, even if someone doesn’t follow the original poster - this is super cool!

At TR, we’re already baking this into campaign strategies. Think: resharing influencer content as part of a launch push, spotlighting fan moments, or co-creating visuals that travel further together.

Creator Resources:

Build Your Knowledge Base

Want to go deeper into where influencer marketing is headed? Explore these vetted sources:

• Sprout Social: The Future of Influencer Marketing, tackling AI, creator-brand relationships, and metrics beyond likes.

  
  

• Radaar: 2025 Influencer Trends, including transparency, micro-creator dominance, and ROI evolution.

  
  

• GWI: Breakdown of influencer shift—from paid posts to cultural narrative leaders.

^^You can also catch our CEO, Mike Heller’s Instagram Reel, where he dives into engagement-driven creator strategy and shares his thoughts on the future of influencer marketing.

From the Talent Team:

Where Creators Go To Scale

This year, our brand clients aren’t just looking for numbers. They’re looking for alignment. That’s why we’re building campaign rosters that mix celebrity, macro, and micro placing real community leaders in the same room (and same budget) as celebs and established creators.

We’re working with creators in:

• Music & streetwear

• Health & high-performance wellness

• Lifestyle and Home Decor

• Beauty, comedy, and UGC-first lifestyle brands

  
  

If you’ve got a roster we should know about, or you’re a creator looking to level up, fill out our Contact Form and mention you’d like to speak to our influencer marketing team! Fall and Q4 campaigns are in motion.

Stay In The Loop

Our team is planning fall activations, client launches, and IRL moments. You want in? Join the TR Creator Community for first access to brand opportunities, creative sessions, and media invites.