Today's Digital Marketing Pulse
Accenture Song Acquires Whalar to Bolster Influencer Marketing
Accenture Song announced the acquisition of Whalar, adding a 170‑person global creator agency and keeping co‑CEOs Emma Harman and Jo Cronk in place. The deal also includes a three‑year strategic partnership that gives Accenture access to Whalar’s talent‑management, technology and venture assets, integrating the creator network with Accenture’s data and AI capabilities.
How Do You Fix Thin Content Across Similar Ecommerce Product Pages? – Ask An SEO via @Sejournal, @Rollerblader
The article advises ecommerce sites facing thin‑content penalties to stop individually optimizing every product page. Instead, it recommends implementing variant schema, focusing SEO effort on category or collection pages, and using robust internal linking. Authority is built through high‑quality blog content and external brand signals, while canonical tags prevent duplicate‑content issues. This holistic approach shifts ranking power from thin PDPs to more valuable, user‑centric assets.
Fix Funnels Now or Rebrand First? Choose Wisely
I was in a discovery call this week with a large charity that's got two fundraising products in decline. Both showing appetite from users, but conversion rates are dropping. One product launched strong a few years back but has been falling...
2026 Marketing Playbook: From Organic Social to Live Shopping
In this episode Gary Vaynerchuk explores the shift from traditional, cost‑cutting marketing to a consumer‑centric, social‑first approach, emphasizing that high‑performing organic content can be repurposed as TV‑level ads. He argues that brands should only spend on lower‑funnel creative after it...
6 Steps for Creating GEO Friendly Social Posts
Brent Bowen of Sparkcade Marketing outlined six practical steps for making social media posts GEO‑friendly, emphasizing structure that appeals to AI discovery tools. He urged marketers to frontload questions and answers, use list formats, and be precise while retaining brand...
The Boring Infrastructure That Could Make Agentic AI Happen For Ad Tech
MadConnect has made its Intelligent Connectivity Layer (ICL) generally available, offering a plug‑and‑play infrastructure that links CRMs, CDPs, clean rooms, DSPs and other ad‑tech systems. Built to natively support the open‑source Model Context Protocol (MCP), ICL acts as a switchboard...
The Boring Infrastructure That Could Make Agentic AI Happen For Ad Tech
MadConnect has made its Intelligent Connectivity Layer (ICL) generally available, offering a neutral infrastructure that links CRMs, CDPs, clean rooms, DSPs and other ad‑tech systems for AI agents. The ICL natively supports the open‑source Model Context Protocol (MCP), acting as...
Google Search Ranking Volatility Still Heated
Google’s search ranking volatility remains high, with daily fluctuations despite no officially announced core update. The February 2026 Discover Core Update ran from February 5 to February 27, followed by a series of rank swings throughout March. Earlier, the December 2025 core update spanned...
The Quarterly Review: Wise’s Scott Viohl Wins Audiences Through Humor and Creator-Led Marketing
Wise’s North American marketing lead, Scott Viohl, has spent the last four months scaling the fintech’s regional footprint through its largest TV campaign to date, reaching over 80% of adults in key U.S. markets and 60% in target Canadian regions....
Outra Targets Agency Sector with First Dedicated Team
Data analytics consultancy Outra announced the creation of its first dedicated agency team, headed by Kimberley Joyce, to help advertisers harness household‑level, privacy‑first data for performance‑driven campaigns. The unit will build strategic partnerships and guide clients in adopting Outra's AI‑powered...
Google AI Voice Models Coming To Google Ads PMax Videos
Google is adding AI‑generated voice‑overs to Performance Max video ads, automatically turning silent creatives into narrated assets. The system pulls text from existing headlines and descriptions, synthesizes natural‑sounding speech, and layers it onto the original video. Advertisers can opt out...
Crypto and Trading Campaigns in the Finance Vertical: Traffic Sources & Geos That Work
Crypto and trading offers remain the most lucrative segment of the finance affiliate vertical, but strict policies on Google and Facebook force marketers to seek alternative traffic sources. Push notifications, pop‑traffic and Telegram ads have emerged as the primary channels,...
Why Chrome’s HTTPS-First Policy Matters for Retail Media
Google Chrome’s new HTTPS‑First policy forces browsers to load sites over encrypted connections by default, warning users when only HTTP is available. Because Chrome commands a dominant share of global browsing, the change compels retail media networks to ensure every...
The AI Tool Stack That Saves Creators Hours Every Week
In this episode, host Michael Stelzner chats with AI educator and founder Rene Remschik about how creators can leverage a curated AI tool stack to dramatically cut content production time. Rene shares his journey from early ChatGPT adopter to building...
From Influencer Matching to an AI-Driven Operating System - Inside Humanz' Bet on Agentic to Scale Creator-Led Performance Ads
Humanz has launched Humanz+, an AI‑native operating system that automates the full lifecycle of creator‑led advertising, from research and brief creation to media buying and conversion optimization. The platform deploys seven specialized AI agents and still incorporates a human‑in‑the‑loop for...
Advocacy vs Advertorial: Brands on Bringing ‘Storytelling’ to Influencer Gifting
Influencer gifting remains common, yet its impact is waning as audiences detect inauthenticity. A Socially Powerful survey shows 93% of marketers send free products, but only 19% receive genuine advocacy and 35% blame creator fatigue for declining effectiveness. Brands such...
Zee Media Appoints Mayank Jain as Senior VP – Digital Ad Sales
Zee Media has appointed Mayank Jain as senior vice‑president of digital ad sales, positioning him to lead the company’s monetisation across publishing, streaming and broadcast assets. Jain arrives with over 25 years of media sales experience, most recently heading digital...
Royal Stag and FCB Neo Decode Rohit Sharma’s Success in ‘Code of Large’ Campaign
Royal Stag, in partnership with FCB Neo, launched the data‑driven "Royal Stag Code of Large" campaign featuring cricketer Rohit Sharma and mental‑conditioning coach Paddy Upton. The initiative uses an AI‑powered RS Code Finder that translates four success traits—Selfless, Driven, Fearless, Inspiring—into personalized video...
Walmart’s Vizio Acquisition Finally Opens Up Retail Advertising’s Growth
Walmart’s purchase of Vizio gives the retailer control of a smart‑TV operating system that blends content discovery, advertising, payments and commerce on the living‑room screen. The move transforms retail media from search‑based placements to first‑screen TV inventory, especially as 2026‑model...
The Leaf Creates Creator-Led Film for OPPO Find X9
The Leaf, a Bengaluru‑based agency, launched a short‑form film for OPPO showcasing the Find X9 through the day of a Gen Z creator. The narrative follows the creator’s multiple roles—from yoga to directing and late‑night art—using rapid cinematic cuts that mirror modern...
Mayank Jain Joins Zee Media as Senior Vice President, Digital Ad Sales
Zee Media has appointed Mayank Jain as Senior Vice President of Digital Ad Sales, bringing over two decades of cross‑platform media experience. Jain previously drove digital revenue at TV9 and Times Internet, and will spearhead Zee’s push into the fast‑growing...
Behind NYT’s First Foray Into In-Game Advertising
New York Times has introduced Crossplay, its first two‑player word game that embeds ads directly within gameplay. The ad‑supported format targets non‑subscribing users, with six‑second mandatory video ads after each turn. JPMorgan Chase partnered for the launch, aiming at financially active, digitally savvy...
Creators Meet Commerce: How They Guide Customers From Inspiration to Checkout | Behind the Numbers Special Edition
In this special edition of the eMarketer "Behind the Numbers" podcast, senior analyst Minda Smiley moderates a panel with Corey Weaver, Head of Influence at Gap Inc., and Alexis Call, Director of Digital Merchandising at Stanley 1913. The discussion explores...
On TikTok Shop, a Brand for the Looksmaxxers Emerges
Based Bodyworks, a digitally native men’s grooming brand founded by influencer‑barber Lance Baker, has become a TikTok Shop sensation, posting roughly $5 million in U.S. sales in February and ranking fourth among beauty brands on the platform. The brand’s product line,...
OpenAI Is B Building the Ad Tech Stack It’s Currently Borrowing
OpenAI is rapidly assembling an internal advertising infrastructure, hiring engineers, product designers, and trust‑and‑safety staff to replace its current reliance on third‑party vendors. In the short term it is partnering with Criteo and The Trade Desk to bring advertisers into...
TikTok After the Legal Fight: Why It’s Coming for Meta’s Ad Dollars
In this episode, Digiday’s Kamiko McCoy and Tim Peterson sit down with TikTok US platform reporter Crystal Scanlan to unpack TikTok’s post‑legal‑battle strategy. With the U.S. ban threat lifted, TikTok is shifting from defensive mode to aggressively courting ad dollars,...
SEO's Future: AI Summaries Threaten Clicks, Video Gains
As a B2B SaaS this terrifies me: I have basically stopped clicking on google results. The AI summary is good enough, and for other things I just ask ChatGPT. My business relies on SEO, so my own actions are filling me...
Google Rankings Remain Volatile Despite No Confirmed Update
Google Search ranking volatility continues to be heated without a confirmed core update https://t.co/NDlsRBeWPM https://t.co/keIZ4jJRKU
Arsenal F.C. Turns Corner Jokes Into Comedy in a Star-Studded App Ad
Arsenal F.C. turned the long‑standing corner‑kick joke into a star‑studded promotional film for its Arsenal App. The short comedy‑sketch features actors Asa Butterfield and Aaron Pierre alongside players like Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and women’s stars such as Kim Little. Legends David Seaman and...
Google Ads Adds AI Voice to Performance Max Videos
Google AI voice models coming to PMax video campaigns in Google Ads https://t.co/HdEjC1qd7C via @beXtremeArpan https://t.co/K39CiSxc7P
Google Search Console's Crawl Stats Date Selector Malfunctioning
Google Search Console crawl stats date selector toggle is a bit broken https://t.co/kzAvtYkPIA via @gaganghotra_ https://t.co/DSlz03IJQq
Snapchat Adds New Tools to Help Brands Tap Into India’s Cricket Season
Snapchat unveiled a Cricket in a Snap ad suite to let brands ride India’s cricket frenzy, featuring a Live Sports API, AR fan zones, surface‑tracking lenses and sponsored stickers. The platform now exceeds 250 million Indian users, with cricket emerging as...
Howatson Releases In-House AI Creative Platform as ‘a Moat Around Our Core Work’
Australian agency Howatson has launched Unicorn, an in‑house AI platform that automates the rollout of master creative into hundreds of digital and out‑of‑home formats. The service costs $5,000 per campaign—roughly a 95% reduction from traditional $100,000 rollouts—and delivers assets within...
An Amish Avatar and an A.I. Monk Are Pitching Supplements on Social Media
An AI‑generated Amish avatar named Melanskia, with over 300,000 Instagram followers, is promoting the dietary supplement Modern Antidote without disclosing her synthetic nature. The avatar is operated by entrepreneur Josemaria Silvestrini, who uses AI tools to create realistic video content...
When Likes Lead to Lawsuits - Social Media Marketing Risks
Social media has evolved into a primary advertising channel, but rapid posting and influencer collaborations expose brands to a maze of legal obligations. Missteps—such as inadequate influencer disclosures, poorly structured sweepstakes, and missing content‑ownership agreements—can trigger enforcement actions from regulators,...
People Spent Less Time on Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn Last Year. Here's Why
Buffer’s 2026 State of Social Media Engagement study, analyzing 52 million posts and 191,000 monthly users, found engagement rates on Instagram, LinkedIn and Threads fell in 2025 compared with 2024. While overall post volume doubled across most platforms, half of the...
Magnite’s Ryan Kenney On Why FAST Feels More Like “TV” Again.
Magnite senior VP Ryan Kenney says FAST is stabilizing but still faces performance gaps, especially around fill rates and transparency. Advertisers are shifting to contextual signals and first‑party data for inventory insight, moving away from traditional show‑level reporting. VOD inventory...
DemandScience’s Content-IQ Increases AI Visibility for B2B Brands
DemandScience has launched Content‑IQ, a proprietary platform that unifies AI Visibility Optimization, content architecture, and web personalization to transform B2B content into a measurable pipeline engine. The system uses patented content opportunity scoring to build pillar‑based topic networks that boost...
3 AI Search Changes Every Marketer Needs A Plan For In Q2 via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
AI‑driven search has moved from a simple visibility problem to a complex measurement and budgeting challenge in Q1 2026. Within weeks, three major AI answer platforms began serving ads directly inside AI‑generated answers, reshaping how content is discovered and monetized....
As AI Agents Transform Digital Advertising, Where’s the Privacy Architecture?
AI agents are automating every stage of digital advertising, from creative generation to media buying, promising massive efficiency gains. However, discussions have largely ignored privacy, leaving consumer data vulnerable as bots make autonomous decisions. The article highlights unanswered questions around...
Fame ≠ Clarity: AI Reveals Hidden Brand Value G
Being well known does not mean being clearly understood. 💡 I used SocialBrilliance to run a simple AI test on @ServiceNow messaging. What it surfaced is something many marketing leaders feel but rarely quantify: A brand can be highly respected, widely recognized, and...
Google Dominates; ChatGPT Strong, Yahoo Lags Behind
97% of visitors to Google perform a search 56% of visitors to ChatGPT enter a prompt And only 35% of visitors to Yahoo perform a search Using this data (from last week's report), we made some updates to SparkToro's platform on which search...
Google’s AI Ranking Prioritizes Expertise over Generic Content
Liz Reid on how Google designs ranking algorithms in the age of AI content Wired ⚡️: Personal Perspectives, Expertise, Effort Tired 😴: Content that says what everyone else knows https://t.co/JFS1su3Sha
Grok AI Agents Rank Among Top SEO Tools Today
Grok AI Agents are here. I’m beyond excited to “make” my own agent for content. Out of all the SEO tools I’ve tested since 2018, Grok is in the top 3. https://t.co/ChuecWNsGd
Twitter Ads Remain Horrifically Ineffective After 3.5 Years
the fact that 3.5 years in @elonmusk had no idea how devastatingly awful advertising is on the platform says a lot... https://t.co/mmECdzItht
Original Thinking Beats Automated Content Volume Every Time
Every 2nd post in my feed is somebody bragging about their automated content creation system Volume ≠ Value Viral ≠ Authority The real advantage in this new landscape isn't volume, polish, or even engineered engagement—it’s original thinking Act accordingly
Google Consolidates Entities and Social Profiles in Discover
This is cool. And it fits with the larger trend Google has been implementing across Discover and News for years - highlighting entities, brands, recognized authors, and linking their social profiles all in one place
ChatGPT Traffic Mirrors Google Organic Rankings
Screenshot 1: Grokipedia - projected organic traffic 2. Grokipedia ChatGPT citations 3. Grokipedia AIO citations 4. Grokipedia AI mode citations Interesting how closely ChatGPT aligns with Google organic traffic 👀 All data from @ahrefs https://t.co/insLf5sN2u
AI Shifts to Execution, Redefining 2026 Martech Budgets
Is AI finally moving from experimentation to execution inside marketing ops? How are martech budgets changing in 2026, and where is that money going? And what does the shift away from agencies mean for marketing leaders? Find those answers and more...
Big Data Boosts Facebook Ad Campaign Effectiveness
RT @VoxOptima How big data is affecting social media metrics and Facebook ad strategies, Elianna Hyde | https://t.co/LO7kUfX8DB SmartData Collective "Facebook’s own advertising platform allows the marketers to maximize their campaign effectiveness, by utilizing big data analytics indirectly."
Authentic iPhone Shots Boost Conversions, Not Pricey Studio
I spent $8k on a professional product photoshoot. The photos flopped. I took some raw, authentic photos with my iPhone. Conversions went up 30%. The market doesn't care about 'professional'. It cares about 'real'. Test everything.