It's the most wonderful time of the year. Well, kind of. It's the time of year when Adweek releases its annual Young Influentials list, highlighting 29 savvy stars that are changing the way we think about branding. At the top of that list is motivational speaker Jay Shetty. If you don't already follow him, you have definitely seen him on your social media feed. His posts easily rack up hundreds of thousands of likes. Others on the list include actress Yara Shahidi, soccer star Megan Rapinoe and Girlboss founder Sophia Amoruso.

Read more: Young Influentials cover star, Jay Shetty, is changing people's perspectives.

If you ask someone about their favorite podcasts, chances are they'll say Yeah, That's Probably an Ad (let's hope) and then they'll say The Daily. With the podcast, The New York Times has broken through the noise to win over consumer attention. As the ad business of The Daily continues to grow, Adweek publishing editor Sara Jerde looks into how it's going and what's next.

Read more: How The Daily podcast paved the way for the NYT to grow its audio business.

When it comes to influencer marketing, money is an important factor. But what marketers may not know is that influencers like to take a stand. We did the research and turns out, the majority of them are more likely to work with a cause-based brand. In fact, some of the most important causes to influencers include the environment, marginalized communities and animals.

Read more: Understanding influencers' perspectives.

Airbnb is looking to shore up customer trust with a new pledge to verify its listings and now Experiences, with several more safety measures in the works. The home-sharing app says going forward, it will be introducing “tools that verify the quality and accuracy of Experiences using a series of signals, including information from guests.” However, there hasn't been a timeline released for the changes. Here's what we know:

Read more: AirBnB expands company's pledge to verify all homes to events.

Best of the Rest: Today’s Top News and Insights

• The Warner Bros. Shield Logo Just Got a Sleek, Modern Makeover
• Cannes Adds a New Lion for Creative Business Transformation
• Here’s What We Learned From Ad Tech’s End-of-Year Health Check
• Come Aboard the SS Brandweek for Key Marketing Lessons
• 3 Learnings as Holiday Retail Forecast Looks More Upbeat

The activation garnered 4.4 billion impressions and was a "100% a brand engagement moment."

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How does your company help younger or new employees effectively convey ideas and feel like their voice is welcomed in the room?

David Rosenbaum, evp, group account director, Havas Media

Havas Media hosts new hire breakfasts each month where they have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with our senior leadership team. We also have a great mentorship program and village training opportunities for career development.

Caitlin Roark, HR director, Levelwing

We have an open-door policy that extends from interns to the CEO. From small group brainstorms to our Friday company-wide standup, we provide varying opportunities for all team members to let their voices be heard. We establish mutual trust early on in each team member’s career with the understanding that all thoughts are valued. This trust carries through from internal discussions to client-facing meetings.

Garrison Gibbons, head of people, Knotch

One of our core values is inclusion, and we practice Radical Candor so all employees can lend their voice and perspective. We ask that every employee give and receive praise and criticism in order to foster growth. Through this concept, younger and/or newer employees are offered the opportunity to lend their perspective without fear or hesitation, and as a result, they grow quicker and perform better.

Facebook’s VR unit surprised people attending a screening of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

The premium German airline has 'recalibrated' its strategy.

A mural is the brand's first big ad play to drive subscriptions.

The streaming service donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters for Klaus campaign.

What agencies can steal from big tech.