On Wednesday, June 25, APPLE TREE, the agency that applies NEW THINKING to help clients increase brand relevance and improve business results, presented the second edition of its study, ‘Brands under the tyranny of the algorithm‘, an analysis of key trends in digital communication based on a survey of more than 1,000 Spaniards aged 18 to 65 who use social media.

Following the presentation,a round table discussion was held with Roberto Tamayo, Global Director Social Media, Consumer PR & Influencer Marketing at Radisson Hotel Group, and José Luis García Manso, Chief Marketing Officer at GOIKO.

According to the study, artificial intelligence (6.5%) is now the third most common tool for searching information, narrowing the gap with Google which, while still dominant at 72.5%, is seeing social networks steadily gain ground, particularly among younger users. YouTube ranks second, used by 9.4% of Spaniards as an information source.

APPLE TREE’s digital team also explored how social networks have evolved from peer-to-peer communication spaces into mass media in their own right , where influential users battle to create content that algorithms deem relevant. This fight for attention makes it increasingly difficult for brands to secure visibility amd position their content.

As Julio Fernández-Sanguino, Partner and Digital Director at APPLE TREE, explains:

“This shift in habits creates a clear challenge for brands and creators: content must be easy to find within social platforms, not just through external search engines. At the same time, credibility and usefulness matter more than ever. In spaces where anyone can surface as a result, clarity and informational value will be key to standing out.”

TikTok and X lead among young people

Instagram remains the leading social network in Spain, preferred by 32.1% of users, followed by YouTube at 30.8%. But among those aged 18 to 30, the picture changes:X (formerly Twitter) leads with 23.1%, followed by TikTok at 17.3%. This shows that Elon Musk’s platform continues to hold strong appeal for younger audiences.

Video formats dominate social platforms, but this year marks a notable shift: long-form video is on the rise, up 112% compared to last year. While short vertical videos still lead (30.1%, +9.1 points), longer content is becoming more popular across broader age groups, especially for those seeking depth, context, or full explanations.

YouTube (31.8%) is the clear leader for staying informed, underscoring the consolidation of long-form video as a preferred way to understand current events in context. Audiovisual content overall is gaining traction, even outpacing more traditional formats such as newsletters and podcasts.

Managers and companies regain trust in social networks

In a content-saturated environment, trust is a key factor in deciding what to pay attention to. The most trusted profiles are once again friends, acquaintances, and close contacts (with a trust index of 5.6), followed by the media and journalists (5.3), who maintain their legitimacy, especially among those over 46.

Trust in business leadershas grown by 20.3% this year among the general population, a clear opportunity for executives looking to build personal brands through their leadership

While user trust in content creators has declined from last year, authenticity (29.3%) has solidified as the most important value when following or trusting a creator.

This confirms a clear trend: users want more than just entertaining or informative content; they want to feel that the creator is using their own genuine voice, without pretence or excessive artifice.

Social networks in the buying process

Social media is consolidating its role as the main source of inspiration before making a purchase. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram (10.8%) lead the way, especially among under-30s, who turn to videos, reels, and visual recommendations as their first step in the decision-making process.

This trend confirms a major shift: the buying journey no longer starts on Google: it starts with the scroll.