Today's Digital Marketing Pulse
Ad tech vendors pivot to cloud‑hardware ownership to cut latency and costs
Vendors are splitting between owning their own cloud infrastructure and renting from public clouds such as AWS, Google Cloud and Azure. SSPs PubMatic and Index Exchange introduced containerized solutions—Decision Fabric and Index Cloud—that let DSPs run models on‑premise, lowering latency and data‑transfer expenses. The shift balances cost savings against control of the stack.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Accenture Song acquires influencer marketing agency Whalar
How Ben & Jerry’s Turned TikTok Fans Into DoorDash Orders
Ben & Jerry’s leveraged DoorDash Offsite Ads, powered by Symbiosis, to turn its highly engaged TikTok audience into same‑day delivery orders. By pairing TikTok’s targeting tools with DoorDash’s first‑party retail data, the brand delivered shoppable ads that linked directly to DoorDash landing pages during peak ice‑cream season. The effort generated a 4.4× return on ad spend, a 16% increase in average order value, and 49% of orders from new DoorDash customers. The success is prompting the brand to expand the strategy to other digital channels.
Why Tech Startups Are Pivoting to Localised Digital Marketing in 2026
Tech startups are abandoning broad, global ad campaigns in favor of hyper‑local digital marketing as venture capitalists demand early profitability. Rising customer acquisition costs in 2026 make generic outreach inefficient, prompting founders to target specific geographic markets. Partnerships with local...
As Customer Journeys Fragment Across AI and Chat, Contentsquare Adds New Analytics Tools. Here’s What’s New
Contentsquare has expanded its digital analytics platform with tools that surface interactions with large language models, on‑site chat, and support channels. An out‑of‑the‑box dashboard now reports LLM traffic share and conversion, while the acquisition of conversation‑intelligence firm Loris adds sentiment,...
How to Build an Award-Winning Social Media Campaign
The ET Trendies Awards recognize India’s most viral and effective influencer and social‑media campaigns, judging impact, brand metrics, and business results. Winners start with a human insight‑driven story, then choose a single platform—Instagram Reels, YouTube, or X—and tailor content to...
Google Search Console Desktop Data Currently Inflated and Unreliable
Heads-up: there is something bizarre going on with Google Search Console data right now. Similar to the changes that came to light after the disabling of &num=100, impressions are again skyrocketing for specific surfaces on desktop. For example, using the 'merchant listings'...
Google Gemini Sends More Traffic To Sites Than Perplexity: Report via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Google Gemini more than doubled its referral traffic to websites between November and January, posting a combined 115% gain after the Gemini 3 rollout. In January Gemini sent 29% more visitors than Perplexity worldwide and 41% more in the U.S., reversing...
Stop Hiding Behind Complexity: Take a Data‑Backed Stance
The biggest lie in B2B marketing is that your industry is too complex for good content... It is not complex. You are just scared to have an opinion. Take a stance. Defend it with data. Watch the industry wake up.
Pinterest Bets Measurement and SMBs Will Boost Performance Revenue
Pinterest has reorganized its monetization team, appointing Vik Gupta as VP and GM of Monetization and Sumanth Jagannath as VP of Measurement. The duo will fuse product, engineering and data‑science functions to tighten ad measurement and attribution, targeting greater spend...
What to Look for and How to Measure Your Brand’s Algorithmic Presence
Brands are increasingly discovered through AI assistants that synthesize digital footprints, shifting the focus from traditional SEO to Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews now drive the majority of chatbot-to-website referrals, shaping consumer perception...
BuzzFeed Shopping’s 24 Walmart Picks Drive Influencer‑Powered Traffic to Retail Giant
BuzzFeed Shopping released a roundup of 24 trending Walmart items, pairing each product with real‑world influencer reviews. The media‑driven curation is already funneling shoppers to Walmart.com, underscoring the growing clout of editorial commerce in the ecommerce ecosystem.
Melbourne Holocaust Museum Appoints TAG to Elevate Social Strategy
The Melbourne Holocaust Museum has engaged digital growth consultancy TAG to overhaul its social media strategy, emphasizing a purpose‑driven, future‑focused approach. The partnership will spotlight the museum’s corporate engagement programs, aiming to deepen business‑sector understanding of Holocaust history and prejudice....
Australian Eggs Reclaims Its ‘OG’ Status in Satirical Big Chocolate Social Film via Liquid Ideas
Australian Eggs refreshed its "The Easter OG" platform for 2026 with a social‑first hero film created by Liquid Ideas. The satirical "Big Chocolate" boardroom spot positions real eggs as the original Easter hero and underscores a dual‑play with chocolate. The...
Your Profile Is the Ultimate Social Selling Pitch
The “Secret Sauce” of Social Selling: Why Your Profile is Your Best Pitch by @Timothy_Hughes https://t.co/8dMzYaxhZ9 @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #SalesTips #SalesLeader #Salesforce #SalesEnablement #RevOps #Leadership #Marketing #MarketingStrategy https://t.co/GQv8ZWRNVk
Broken Ranks Scores Android Playtest Success, Teases New Boss Character
Broken Ranks announced that its recent Android playtest exceeded internal targets and revealed a forthcoming boss character. The results showcase the studio’s user‑acquisition, influencer outreach, and performance‑based advertising strategies, offering a case study for mobile game marketers.
GumGum Reveals The Land Down Under To Be A Strong ‘Growth Market’ For Contextual Ads
GumGum’s chief revenue officer says Australia is a strong growth market for its contextual advertising platform, citing the nation’s high per‑capita digital ad spend of $769 per person and $568 per internet user. The company’s Attentive Lift solution, launched globally...
LinkedIn Will No Longer Allow Real-Time Livestreams
LinkedIn announced that, starting June 22, 2026, all LinkedIn Live broadcasts must be scheduled in advance, ending the ability to stream spontaneously. The platform allows short‑notice scheduling, letting users set a start time minutes before going live. The change follows...
LinkedIn Will No Longer Allow Real-Time Live Streams
LinkedIn announced that, effective June 22, 2026, members can no longer start live streams spontaneously; all broadcasts must be scheduled in advance, though events can be set up minutes before airing. The change follows a 24 % quarter‑over‑quarter rise in LinkedIn events and...
Tooheys Ultra Highlights ‘The Sliding Schooner’ In Campaign Via Thinkerbell
Tooheys Ultra has launched a new multi‑channel campaign created by Thinkerbell, centered on a sliding schooner visual that symbolizes the beer’s smooth, low‑carb profile. The spot features Australian cricket legend Mike Whitney and indie band Dune Rats, tying the brand’s historic jingle...
New X Features Simplify Tracking Tech and News Interests
Gary has thousands of people studying social media. He's right. It's so easy to break in now. And X is about to turn on new features that will make it even easier to follow interests. And those of you who...
Clarity Over Quantity: Simple Marketing Drives 8‑Figure Growth
The second I stopped obsessing over how much I was posting and got laser clear on what I was saying and who I was saying it to? My marketing got simple. And simple is what scales. Less content. More clarity. 8 figures. 👇Comment...
Spirit Crossing Devs Reveal New In‑Game Ad and Data‑Driven Monetization Roadmap
Spirit Crossing developers published a blog post detailing past monetization tactics and future strategies, highlighting a pivot toward programmatic in‑game advertising and AI‑powered pricing. The shift reflects broader industry moves to blend ad‑tech with traditional purchases to boost revenue and...
Lead Magnet Finally Tried, Email List Grew
For >10 yrs, I have been reading advice in various places to put a lead magnet on my personal website, in order to capture more email addresses. I finally took this advice approximately one month ago and, perhaps unsurprisingly, it worked. Follow...
6 Simple LinkedIn Engagement Strategies When You Don’t Know What to Post
LinkedIn now rewards personal engagement over brand‑only posting, making consistent interaction essential for professionals. The article outlines six low‑effort tactics—such as using the My Network catch‑up prompts, replying to comments on past posts, and searching industry keywords—to stay visible without...
Programmatic AI Content Won’t Give You Competitive Edge
Could not have said this any better myself. I am working with an early stage founder right now that is HUNGRY to scale scale scale with programmatic content -- yet this creates zero competitive advantage if you are just automating...
Sharp Communication Beats Product Noise in AI Era
Most startups think they have a product problem. A lot of them have a 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺. 📡 In a world drowning in AI-generated noise, the companies that win won’t just build better. They’ll 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗿. ⚡ I just ran a demo of...
Shopify Launches Tinker, a Free Mobile App that Builds Brand Assets and Store Visuals From a Plain-Language Prompt
Shopify unveiled Tinker, a free mobile app that bundles more than 100 AI tools from OpenAI, Google and Anthropic into a single interface. Merchants can create logos, product images, social media videos and 360‑degree product views by entering plain‑language prompts,...
Youtube Rolls Out Major Creator and Monetisation Upgrades
YouTube announced a sweeping set of creator‑focused upgrades, boosting visual tools, monetisation options, and safety features. Thumbnail file limits jump from 2 MB to 50 MB and localized thumbnails become widely available. The platform expands its Shopping Affiliate programme, launches a unified...
Empower Employees to Share Authentically, No Quotas Needed
It's much easier to do influencer marketing when you have influencers on your marketing team. HubSpot has done well in this regard with more than our share of people across the org that have a following. How did we do...
VDX.tv’s 90‑Day Cookie Harvest Triggers Privacy Alarm
Exponential Interactive’s VDX.tv is gathering extensive personal and behavioural data through cookies that last up to 90 days, including IP addresses, device identifiers and browsing histories. The practice has ignited privacy‑governance concerns among regulators and consumer‑rights groups, highlighting the tension...
Indie Devs Turn to New Monetization and Ad‑Tech Playbooks as Clipping Economy Booms
Indie developers behind Spirit Crossing and Broken Ranks posted new blogs outlining fresh in‑game monetization tactics and ad‑tech integrations. At the same time, the clipping startup Clipping reported a $1.5 billion sales impact, underscoring a shift that digital marketers are racing...
AI Builds Full‑stack Prospect Dossier in Days, No Code
i just used ai to code an app that scrapes x, ig, tiktok, youtube, reddit, linkedin, google and it analyses that data, does competitor analysis, creates landing pages for these people, creates the copy, makes ai photos from their profile...
Fundamental SEO Beats Flashy Hacks Every Time
Boring SEO beats clever SEO every time. Nobody wants to hear it - speed, crawlability, content depth, internal links still win. Stop switching tactics. Do the unsexy stuff for 6 months. The "hack of the week" crowd will still be experimenting while you're...
Zoom Launches "Zoom Ahead" Campaign to Spotlight Enterprise Suite and AI Companion
Zoom's chief marketing and communications officer, Kimberly Storin, unveiled the "Zoom Ahead" demand‑generation campaign, pairing a satirical TV spot with a New York pop‑up burger shop. The effort targets corporate users by highlighting Zoom's broader portfolio and AI Companion tool,...
Algorithms Turn Content Into Ultraprocessed, Irresistible Streams
Much of the digital content that ensnares our attention is "ultraprocessed", i.e. "the result of vast databases of user-generated content that are sifted, broken down and recombined by algorithms into personalized streams designed to be irresistible". https://t.co/QDr9Jzu8Y9
Open‑source AI Workflows Slash Costs, Boost Revenue
Open-sourced our skills that help grow revenues. Actual workflows: scripts, scoring algorithms, expert panels, and automation pipelines you can plug into Claude Code (or any AI coding agent) and run today. Resurrect deals, create expert panels to ship content that performs, turn...
Should You Hire a Writer or Use AI? Here’s Why Journalists Still Win
Marketing teams are weighing whether to fund human writers or rely on AI‑generated copy. While AI can produce text quickly and cheaply, it struggles to replicate the depth of source relationships and storytelling instincts that journalists develop. Journalists bring years...
AI Tool Injects Behavioral Psychology Into Every Marketing Copy
I built a skill for Claude Code that applies behavioral psychology to your marketing — anchoring, loss aversion, social proof, the decoy effect, and more. You tell it what you're working on (pricing page, landing page, email, ad) and it identifies...
LinkedIn’s AI Feed Rewards True Expertise Over Hacks
LinkedIn just rebuilt its entire feed with a unified LLM-powered system + Generative Recommender. Goodbye to early velocity hacks, keyword stuffing, and engagement pods. The new AI feed actually rewards true expertise and deep, specific value. Here’s what changed and how to win...
Finland Gives Away Free Lake District Getaway to Six Pairs of Travelers
Finland’s official tourism board has launched a contest that will award six pairs of non‑Finnish travelers an all‑expenses‑paid seven‑day vacation in the country’s Lakeland region. Applications close on March 29, 2026, and winners will be announced on April 21, 2026.
Hire Right: Clarify Expectations, Train, Motivate
The two biggest lessons I've learned running an agency for 13 years… Came from watching things fail in front of me and figuring out why. I wish I could’ve told this to my younger self. 1. THE BROKEN HIRING SYSTEM I watched us waste...
Mirror Customer Language, Double Your Conversion Rate
i taught Claude to write in my customers’ EXACT language and now my copy converts 2x better hormozi says it all the time: "he who is closest to the customer wins." this is how you get close. you stop guessing at what...
Walmart Makes Walmart.com Login Required on New Vizio Smart TVs
Walmart is mandating that owners of its newly released Vizio smart TVs sign in with a Walmart.com account to access streaming apps. The policy follows Walmart’s 2024 $2.3 billion purchase of Vizio and is designed to fuse TV viewing with shoppable...
Optimized Thumbnails Can Revive Evergreen Content After Months
This video is by no means viral BUT it does show the value of evergreen content that people can comeback to as well as the power of optimizing your thumbnails and titles. This was the 3rd thumbnail for a video...
Meta's Inconsistent Rollout Sparks Advertiser Panic
I’ve been emailing Meta this rollout has been poor. This is why. Multiple versions of ad copy, confusing messaging, some accounts have a banner announcing the change / others don’t. This is a big shift for some advertisers and waking...
Heidi Sturrock Shares How a Costly Mistake Became a Competitive Advantage
Heidi Sturrock recounts a costly broad‑match error that flooded a B2B SaaS client’s call centre with competitor complaints after a Friday launch. The client turned the crisis into a revenue opportunity by offering switchers a 50% discount and splitting the...
Expanding Your Network Won’t Sacrifice Existing Engagement
If I start connecting with a completely new ecosystem of people, will I lose the engagement of my current network? https://t.co/83JZyxQupB via @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #SalesTips #SalesLeader #Marketing #MarketingSuccess #MarketingStrategy #ArtificialIntelligence
Google Spurned VCG for Complexity and Higher Bids
Google initially rejected the VCG auction design in 2002 because (1) it would be harder for advertisers to understand than GSP and (2) it would likely require them to increase their bids, since it incentivizes truthful bidding. https://t.co/jgf9YOpSZ0
ChatGPT’s Site: Queries Fail on Exa, Work Elsewhere
Fun fact: the site: search operator only works on Google and Bing, but not Exa. ChatGPT uses site: search operators in fan-out queries. 😅
Ad Platform's Broken AI Support Leaves Users Stranded
cannot run X ads and they route you to ai chat support in DMs that dont work. stuck. can't pay Elon money. not sure he'll make his car payment this month. https://t.co/pGPuhmNEiU
Video Ads Out‑earn Print, Thanks to Google’s Monopoly
NYT is a subscription business so it's a much more complex calculus but for every other media company operating on the open web video CPMs blow written CPMs out of the water in part because Google's monopoly on programmatic ads