Social Rocket
The US media group People Inc. is cutting another 29 jobs, according to a report from 2026 October 195, roughly six percent of its workforce. According to Adweek, which relies on an internal memo from CEO Neil Vogel, the positions are concentrated mainly in print and older web properties. A publicly available company report that independently confirms the exact figure or fully lists the affected brands has not yet been published.
The job cuts are more than a personnel story: this very publisher increased digital revenue in the second quarter, while classic reach and print revenue declined. For social media and publisher teams, the case shows that a growing digital business alone does not guarantee a stable organisation.
The financial figures explain the pressure better than the term “AI crisis”
The quarterly figures for People Incorporated, filed on 3 August 2026 with the US Securities and Exchange Commission[](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1800227/000162828026051836/ex_991q22026ppli-pressrele.htm), show contradictory developments in the publishing business:
| Metric, Q2 2026 | Change compared with Q2 2025 | | --- | ---: | | Digital revenue: 289,9 million US dollars | +6% | | Print revenue: 132,6 million US dollars | -16% | | Digital advertising revenue: 174,2 million US dollars | roughly unchanged | | Performance marketing revenue: 68,8 million US dollars | +13% | | Licensing and other digital revenue: 47,0 million US dollars | +23% | | Core sessions: 1,707 billion | -22% |
The company attributes the decline in its core sessions mainly to the stronger presence of Google AI Overviews in search results. This is the company's own explanation, not independent evidence that all losses were caused exclusively by AI search results.
At the same time, affiliate commerce revenue and licensing income rose, for example through Apple News+ and content partnerships. People Inc. also reported an adjusted EBITDA contribution from its digital division that was 18 percent higher. The current round of layoffs therefore cannot credibly be presented as proof of a general digital sales crisis. Revenue, margins, staffing needs and distribution channels are developing differently.
From search clicks to social formats and direct audience relationships
As early as 28 April, chairman Barry Diller explained in an official shareholder letter that the group is increasingly organising reach through social channels, Apple News and live events. At the same time, People Inc. developed D/Cipher, its own advertising offering based on first-party data, and pursued standalone products for its media brands.
How such a shift can be marketed in practice is shown by the already running example of InStyle's social series “The Intern”: instead of selling only display ads next to website articles, the magazine integrates sponsors into recurring vertical video formats.
This is a new revenue model, but not an automatic replacement for every print or search position. An elaborate social format requires editorial work, production, community management, rights clearance and measurable sales. The changes at Motherly with social video, WhatsApp and events illustrate that several paths to direct audience loyalty are conceivable.
Second round of layoffs – not the same report as 2025
The new figure of 195 positions in October 2026 must not be confused with the job cuts of 9 October 2025. Back then, TheWrap reported 226 affected employees, likewise roughly six percent of the workforce at the time.
The publicly reported employee count of 3,500 from the shareholder letter in April 2026 is also not a precise basis for extrapolating today's workforce from both rounds. Hires and departures in the meantime, as well as the consolidation of holding and publishing functions, can change the denominator. The two reported measures are separate events; the available data does not allow a reliable current total headcount to be derived.
What German publishers and social marketing teams can learn from this
The case highlights a central metrics question: How can a publisher tell whether a new distribution strategy is a viable business? Reach on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube only yields economic stability if it can be turned into sponsorship, licensing, memberships, commerce or proprietary products.
For German media houses, it makes sense to look at revenue from website impressions, social sponsorship, events, affiliate commerce and licensing separately, and to track production costs per format. Our piece on publisher traffic beyond page views explains why the same reach is not worth equally much on every platform. The Daily Mail's social video strategy shows another revenue approach.
The job cuts at People Inc. are therefore not proof that social video doesn't work. But they show how expensive it can become to finance old and new production and distribution structures in parallel. Whether the current realignment will ultimately offset the cuts can only be assessed with later headcount, revenue and earnings reports.
Sources: Adweek, 29.10.2026, People Incorporated, Q2-2026-SEC filing, IAC/People, shareholder letter of 28.04.2026, TheWrap, 09.10.2025.