Today's Digital Marketing Pulse
Accenture Song acquires creator agency Whalar to boost influencer capabilities
Accenture Song announced the acquisition of Whalar, adding a 170‑person global creator and social team while keeping co‑CEOs Emma Harman and Jo Cronk in place. The deal 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 tools.
Dentsu Woos Back Robinson as First Chief Growth Officer
Dentsu UK&I has appointed Amy Robinson as its first Chief Growth and Marketing Officer, tasked with uncovering new market opportunities for the agency and its clients, including prospects such as Tapestry, Vodafone, BMW and Comic Relief. Robinson returns from Publicis, where she spent eight years driving growth and brand strategy, and brings more than two decades of experience across media, new‑business development and multi‑agency integration. In her new role she will coordinate Dentsu's media, creative, technology and data practices under the Media ++ strategy. She joins the executive leadership team, reporting to CEO Annette Male.
Google Fixed a Serving Issue with Search Results
Google experienced a brief serving issue affecting search results early Wednesday, February 25, around 1:30 am ET. The outage lasted roughly 15 minutes before engineers resolved it, and the status page confirmed the fix. The incident generated minimal user complaints, but...
Why Voice AI Is Ready for Prime Time
In the Duct Tape Marketing podcast, Ryan Mrha of Yodify explains how voice AI has evolved from a novelty FAQ tool into a core revenue infrastructure. Purpose‑built voice agents, trained on a brand’s content library and orchestrated through multiple LLM...
Unlocking Programmatic Performance: The Demand Gen Report Interview with StackAdapt’s Yang Han
StackAdapt’s CTO Yang Han says artificial intelligence has graduated from a feature to the connective intelligence layer that links creative, data and optimization in programmatic advertising. Marketers investing meaningfully in AI are already seeing a 20‑point performance gap, with dynamic...
TxtCart Accelerates Growth as Bootstrapped AI-Powered SMS Marketing Platform for Shopify
TxtCart, an AI‑powered SMS marketing platform built exclusively for Shopify merchants, announced it has helped its users generate over $100 million in SMS‑attributed revenue while remaining fully bootstrapped. Founded in 2019, the company has expanded from abandoned‑cart recovery to a two‑way...
How Agencies Use Semrush for AI Visibility
Agencies are confronting a new client demand: visibility in AI‑driven answers like ChatGPT. Using Semrush’s Position Tracking, AI Visibility Toolkit and My Reports, firms such as Earned Media Australia, Sure Oak, Activate Digital and Coalition Technologies are quantifying AI overview...
Adform Becomes First-Ever DSP to Join ISBA’s Partner Programme, Championing Digital Sovereignty for British Advertisers
Adform announced it is the first demand‑side platform to join the Institute of Shared Business Advertising (ISBA) Partner Programme, positioning itself as a champion of digital sovereignty for UK brands. The partnership aims to give advertisers greater visibility, accountability and...
Are Your Job Ads Invisible? Here's Why the Best Candidates Aren't Applying
Recruiters are increasingly treating hiring as a performance‑marketing channel, where visual appeal and brand perception dictate candidate interest. Traditional text‑only job ads are losing to platform‑driven, image‑rich campaigns, creating a visibility gap for top talent. Chatly’s AI image generator and...
Love Your Customers
Seth Godin’s February 25, 2026 column urges businesses to love customers through service, not sentiment. He argues that personal intimacy isn’t required; what matters is delivering measurable impact and transformation. The piece emphasizes pride in helping customers move from their current state...
Small Teams Can Automate Growth at Scale
I think a lot of people are still underestimating how much leverage a small team can have right now. We have been running on organic inbound growth for +1 year. Getting new customers 100% from SEO/AIO/referrals. I'm one engineer focusing...
Limelight Inc.’s Case Study: Adaptive Rules Centre Delivers Near-3x Revenue Uplift & 10x Fill Rate Improvement for APAC Ad Exchange
Limelight Inc. released a case study showing its Adaptive Rules Centre (ARC) boosted a leading APAC ad exchange’s revenue by 289% and lift fill rates tenfold. The exchange replaced manual reporting with two account‑wide automation rules that dynamically adjusted QPS...
TapClicks Introduces SmartStory: Turning Campaign Data Into Stakeholder-Ready Presentations in Minutes
TapClicks launched SmartStory, an AI‑driven platform that converts live marketing data into polished PowerPoint and PDF decks within minutes. Built on TapClicks' enterprise‑grade data management layer, the solution pulls from thousands of MarTech and AdTech connectors to create unified, insight‑rich...
Retail Media Measurement: Absence of Evidence Is NOT Evidence of Absence
Retail media measurement is often portrayed as broken, yet the same sampling‑based, attention‑agnostic methods underpin TV, radio and outdoor metrics. Industry bodies such as IAB Europe and the MRC have already issued standardized frameworks that enable closed‑loop attribution and incrementality...
ITVibes Shows How AI Turns Websites Into Lead Engines
ITVibes, a Houston digital‑marketing agency, is showing local service firms how AI‑backed website optimization can convert static sites into active lead generators. By analyzing real‑time user behavior, the agency identifies friction points, content gaps, and intent mismatches that hinder conversions....
Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem Ad Campaign Involves a Faux Lawsuit Against Nissin Foods (UPDATE)
Capcom is promoting the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem (Feb. 27 2026) with a tongue‑in‑cheek partnership with Nissin Foods. The campaign pretends Umbrella Corporation is suing Nissin over its Cup Noodles, framing the stunt as an IP infringement claim. A commercial featuring the...
Writing For Email: 19 Tips To Help You Stand Out In Inboxes
Claire Medcalf’s guide outlines 19 actionable email‑copy tips that blend strategy, engagement, and accessibility. Marketers are urged to define a single call‑to‑action, personalize content with data, and maintain a consistent brand voice throughout. The article emphasizes compelling subject lines, microcopy,...
ETGIRS 2026: Manish Malhotra Maps the Journey From Costume Designer to Global Luxury Brand Builder
At ETRetail GIRS 2026, designer Manish Malhotra outlined his 20‑year evolution from Bollywood costume artist to global luxury label. He highlighted the discipline learned on film sets, the pivotal Delhi flagship opening, and the need for a distinct, cinema‑inspired brand...
Stop Shouting: A Case for a Quieter Honesty in Behaviour Change Campaigns
Erin Moy highlights the New Zealand Herpes Foundation’s campaign as a benchmark for behavior‑change communication, swapping shock tactics for radical honesty, wit, and empathy. The ad dismantles long‑standing stigma around genital herpes by inviting viewers into a relatable conversation rather...
From Avoiding Bad Ads To Demanding ROI
Integral Ad Science (IAS) is shifting from merely blocking bad ads to proving that media quality drives measurable ROI for brands. CEO Lisa Utzschneider says advertisers now demand evidence that premium placements improve efficiency, prompting IAS to deploy AI models...
Automation Gives You Freedom to Say No
Declining a $5K consulting gig because it doesn't fit your schedule. Ignoring partnership requests that don't excite you. Taking a month off without worrying about revenue. You can only do this when you have dialed in automated systems. → Email sequences that nurture and...
Google Clamps Down on Automated SEO Content Scaling
Lots of new viral threads on here discussing how Google cracks down on sites that scale content with automated tools / otherwise violate their policies. Welcome to the SEO industry 😆 I made this video in 2024 which might be...
The "Unlearning" Curve for India's FMCG Giants
India’s seven FMCG powerhouses posted a modest 7.4% sales rise in Q3 FY26 despite an unusually supportive macro backdrop of tax cuts, GST tweaks and low‑interest rates. The growth gap is widening as digital‑first food and beauty brands have seized...
Thompson Spencer Appoints Ex-OMG Group Director As Head Of Performance
Thompson Spencer announced the appointment of Sam Casey, former OMG Group Director of Media Implementation, as its new Head of Performance. Casey brings extensive experience in programmatic, paid social and search across New Zealand, Australia and global markets. The hire coincides...
KAIFUN Asks “What Will You Bring to the Table?” In New Campaign via ROCK YU Creative Taiwan
Rock YU Creative Taiwan re‑imagined Sichuan chain KAIFUN’s messaging by shifting from menu‑centric ads to emphasizing the social moments of group dining. The agency leveraged the Mandarin colloquialism “kaifun” as an invitation to share conversation, launching the “What will you bring...
LinkedIn Shares Top Skills on the Rise in Marketing for 2026
LinkedIn has released its 2026 "Skills on the Rise" list for marketing, combining profile updates with hiring outcomes to highlight emerging competencies. Performance analysis tops the ranking, followed by AI literacy, while social media branding and community engagement also climb....
Taboola.com Ltd (TBLA) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Taboola.com Ltd reported Q3 2025 revenue of $496.8 million, a 15% year‑over‑year increase, driven by stronger advertiser adoption of its Realize platform. Ex‑TAC gross profit rose 6.3% to $176.8 million and adjusted EBITDA reached $48.2 million, delivering a 27.3% margin....
IProspect Indonesia’s Faheem Merchant: When AI Kills the Click, Brands Must Earn Inclusion
iProspect Indonesia’s Faheem Merchant warns that generative AI is ending the era of click‑centric digital advertising and ushering an intent‑driven economy. Brands must shift from demographic targeting to solving the user’s problem at the exact moment an AI model decides...
Kochava Launches First Supply Performance System for Premium Publishers
Kochava unveiled Atlas Performance, the industry’s first Supply Performance System built for premium publishers and platforms. The solution plugs directly into existing ad servers, SSPs and DSPs, avoiding costly technology overhauls, and is powered by the StationOne AI workspace for...
Pinterest Publishes Inaugural Parenting Trend Report
Pinterest released its first Parenting Trend Report, revealing a sharp rise in searches for screen‑free activities, no‑phone summer plans, and digital detox aesthetics. The data shows a 200% increase in “screen free activities” queries, a 340% jump for “no phone...
The Low-Stress Business Model That Scales Quickly and Doesn’t Require You to Create Anything New
Curation—organizing and presenting existing information—has emerged as a scalable, low‑effort business model. By filtering the endless flow of data, curators provide trusted shortcuts for time‑pressed audiences, reducing creative pressure and accelerating growth. The model can be monetized through newsletters, affiliate...
Put Your AI Stack to the Test: Offer Performance Based On Cost Per Sale
The article urges marketers to shift from CPM and traditional CPA models to Cost‑Per‑Sale (CPS) pricing, leveraging AI‑driven personalization, real‑time A/B testing, and predictive analytics. Recent AI advances have improved conversion rate optimization, allowing campaigns to predict and deliver higher...
Fresh Step’s Valentine’s Day Campaign Bolsters Its Brand Refresh – and Cat Adoptions
Fresh Step partnered with Bumble and Best Friends Animal Society for a Valentine’s Day "Date Cats, Not Humans" campaign, encouraging single users to swipe for adoptable cats. The initiative covered adoption fees and offered free litter throughout February, resulting in...
Netflix Ad Revenue Set to Soar Past $8bn by 2030, Outpacing CTV Rivals: Warc
Netflix’s ad‑supported tier is on track to generate $8 billion in advertising revenue by 2030, far outpacing the broader connected‑TV (CTV) market. The company posted $1.5 billion in ad sales in 2025, more than 2.5 times its 2024 figure, and aims to double...
Profound
Profound is a GenAI‑powered marketing intelligence platform that gives enterprise brands real‑time visibility into how they appear across AI‑driven discovery channels. The solution combines analytics, competitive intelligence and actionable recommendations across the entire GenAI ecosystem. Founded by Albert Malikov, the...
Start Every Post with TLDR and Question H2s
Hey marketers, want more wins with AI summaries and citations? Yeah, me too. Here are two simple actions we've seen work really well with clients over the last 90 days: 1. Include a TLDR summary to start EVERY blog article...
Google Ad Grants Now Lets Nonprofits Optimize for Shop Visits
Google has lifted the restriction on using “shop visits” as a goal in its Ad Grants program, allowing eligible nonprofit accounts to optimize campaigns for real‑world foot traffic. The change lets advertisers align bidding with Maps and location‑driven search results,...
Study: Premium Video Ads Outperform YouTube
A new Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) study, conducted with TVision, finds premium video platforms on connected TV outperform YouTube in key engagement metrics. Across Disney+, Netflix, HBO Max and other services, premium platforms deliver 33% higher co‑viewing, 49% longer session...
Comcast Advertising Names James Borow GM Of Universal Ads
Comcast Advertising promoted James Borow to general manager of its Universal Ads self‑service platform. Borow, formerly VP of product management and engineering, helped launch the product and will now steer strategy, operations, and execution as the service enters its second...
Wix Bookings Now Bookable Directly From Google Search
New Wix partnership with Google -> Google Search, Maps, and AI mode can book services through Wix websites "Wix’s new partnership with Google will allow businesses using Wix Bookings to have their services, pricing, and real-time availability shown in Google Search,...
Stop Delaying AI: Start Small, Involve Legal, Gain Time
I continue to hear from companies and marketing teams that are reticent to lean in holistically on the AI opportunity. So here I've parsed the most common push-backs as well as how I respond to each. 1️⃣ “We don’t have...
Sony Pictures Networks India Names Shruti Aneja as Lead – Agency Partnerships & Key Network Initiatives
Sony Pictures Networks India appointed Shruti Aneja as Lead – Agency Partnerships to deepen agency collaboration and drive ad‑revenue growth across its channel suite. Aneja, with 12 years at SPNI, will steer integrated sales and brand‑integration initiatives. Meanwhile, Raj Cooling Systems launched...
AI Writing Quirks Benefit Consumers More Than Marketers Realize
I think most of the AI writing quirks that marketers complain about are probablyyy better for the average consumer than marketers admit.
Skip Stressed‑desk Videos: Launch Monaco with Fresh Approach
We just launched Monaco. Here’s the exact playbook we used. I hope it's helpful to other founders and startups: 1. The launch video: most launch videos I see orient around some stressed out person at their desk or some philosophical approach...
Share AI Prompts Repeatedly to Go Viral on Twitter
The best way to go viral on Twitter right now: - Share AI Prompts to make jobs easier - Share more AI prompts to make more jobs easier
SEO Traffic Drop Mirrors ChatGPT Citation Decline
Another well-known SEO publisher with Google traffic/visibility tanking fast, and exacerbated by the ~Jan 21 volatility Total citations in ChatGPT follows the same trend line (@ahrefs & @sistrix data) https://t.co/ekgcGumPWz
Choosing Between a $2,100 Burst or $2,100 Spread
Would you rather spend $700 / day for 3 days or $100 / day for 21 to test a new campaign (creative)?
Great Discover Insights, but Google Removed Publisher Center
Really great information in here that aligns closely with the findings we see in our Discover clients' performance Except Google took away Publisher Center last year 😢 Nice work @metehan777
Unexpected SEO/AEO Insight for Argentina Revealed
Preparing for my upcoming talk about SEO/AEO in Argentina and just found this gem 😅 https://t.co/oL1qa35aiV
Entrepreneurs Trade Netflix for Nighttime Retargeting
Everyone at 9pm: Watching Netflix. Ecom founders at 9pm: Setting up a new retargeting campaign for a winning ad. Different mindset. Different life.
AdSense for AI: Koala Labs Unlocks New Monetization Channels
There is no consumer AI wave without new monetization channels for consumer AI businesses. @koahlabs is AdSense for AI. In 13 months, they've processed 170M queries and 35M native ad impressions. @nicoleahjohnson led the seed last year and we've now invested again...