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.
Ads of the Week: 12 Campaigns That Caught Our Eye, From Adidas to Canva
The weekly roundup from Cannes Lions spotlights twelve standout ads, ranging from Adidas’ Timothée Chalamet‑led World Cup narrative to Canva’s absurdist squirrel stunt in Brooklyn. Brands leaned heavily on humor, unexpected casting, and unscripted moments, with Lewis Hamilton’s dinner chat for S.Pellegrino and Liquid Death’s danger‑filled outdoor visuals. Disney+ reinforced the power of nostalgic storytelling, while the Most Effective Ad of the Week, in partnership with EDO, delivered a sweet, data‑driven payoff. Collectively, the campaigns illustrate how bold creative concepts continue to dominate premium advertising spaces.
Prioritize Genuine Value over AI Loophole Shortcuts
🚨 Focusing your AI search optimization strategy on exploiting AI systems’ weaknesses and shortcomings to achieve faster results is a déjà vu for anyone who has been doing SEO for more than five minutes, and it rarely ends well. Creating parallel...
Mortgage Broker Agrees to Hand Out Facebook Competition Prize After Complaint
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) intervened after a customer could not claim a £50 (≈$62) voucher from Mortgages One Stop, a trading name of The Right Mortgage Ltd. The broker agreed to honour the prize and the ASA closed the...
Is Google Quietly Losing? YouTube “Stations” Impact? 3 Big Questions for Google | Behind the Numbers
In this episode, senior forecasting analyst Drew Spink and newsletter analyst Marissa Jones dissect Google’s Q1 2026 results, focusing on three big questions: whether Google will introduce ads to its Gemini chatbot, how the company’s massive AI spending is being...
WTF Is a Unified Ad Platform?
Unified Advertising Platforms (UAP) are emerging as end‑to‑end ad‑tech solutions that combine demand‑side and supply‑side capabilities in a single system. The concept, coined by analyst Karsten Weide, promises 100 % data‑match rates by sharing a common data layer between buyers and publishers....
How To Optimize Facebook Ads To Boost Online Sales
Facebook ad optimization is essential for ecommerce brands seeking higher ROAS and lower CAC. Retail conversion rates average 3.26%, but marketers can exceed this by consolidating campaigns, aligning budget across the funnel, and leveraging Meta’s Advantage Plus and dynamic product ads....
Video Futures Collective & Omnicom Launch Research Initiative As Ad Industry Hits ‘Inflection Point’
The Video Futures Collective (VFC) has teamed with Omnicom Media Australia to launch a research initiative that will modernise streaming‑video ad planning, measurement and optimisation in Australia. The first phase will focus on establishing evidence‑based frequency guidance that aligns with...
Google Captures Intent; Meta Builds Demand
Google Ads capture existing intent—people already searching for a solution. Meta Ads create demand by putting your offer in front of people before they even start searching.
Sorry Millennials, Gen Z Isn’t Reading All that Copy
Brands are increasingly tailoring marketing copy to the distinct communication styles of Millennials and Gen Z, a trend amplified on social media. Millennials favor longer, polished storytelling, while Gen Z responds to brief, emoji‑laden, lowercase captions that convey a “vibe” tone. Companies...
Allianz Debuts Fully Generative AI Campaign
Allianz Australia has launched its first fully generative AI‑created advertising campaign for its car insurance line. The short‑form videos, outdoor and social assets were produced by Howatson and Company’s new Unicorn studio, with every frame generated by AI. The agency...
Oktopost Deploys Claude AI Plugin to Automate B2B Social Campaigns
Oktopost announced the general availability of its Claude Plugin, the first Claude Code skill built for B2B social media execution. The open‑source tool lets marketing and revenue teams create, approve, and analyze multi‑network campaigns entirely within Claude, tightening the link...
Wunderkind and Bloomreach Launch Integration to Monetize Anonymous Traffic
Wunderkind announced a native integration of its Autonomous Marketing Platform with Bloomreach’s Loomi AI, enabling ecommerce brands to identify more anonymous site visitors and trigger higher‑performing campaigns. Early adopters reported a three‑fold increase in triggered email revenue, highlighting the partnership’s...
OpenAI Rolls Out ChatGPT Ads to UK, Brazil, Japan and Five More Markets
OpenAI announced that its ChatGPT advertising pilot will begin testing in the United Kingdom, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Mexico and other regions, joining the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The move follows strong advertiser interest and a $109 million average...
OpenAI Expands ChatGPT Ads Pilot to UK, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and Mexico Just Two Days After Launching Self-Serve Ads
OpenAI is expanding its ChatGPT ads pilot to the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and Mexico, following the launch of a self‑serve ad platform in the United States two days earlier. Users in the new regions will encounter sponsored...
The Trade Desk Revenue Rises 12 per Cent
The Trade Desk posted March‑quarter revenue of A$953 million (about $630 million), a 12% year‑on‑year increase, while net income slipped to A$55 million ($36 million). Operating income rose to A$92 million ($61 million) but diluted EPS fell to A$0.11 from A$0.14. The company retained over 95%...
Google Analytics Data API Gains Cross‑Channel Conversion Reporting in Alpha
Google announced an alpha release of cross‑channel conversion reporting for its Analytics Data API, enabling marketers to pull conversion data across paid, organic, and other channels via programmatic calls. The feature aims to streamline measurement, attribution and automation for digital...
AI Search Strategy Perfectly Powers Influencer Marketing
Tim gets it, too. AI search strategy (or AEO, or GEO...whatever you want to call it) is a perfect match for influencer/creator marketing work. Take those two programs and combine them into one. https://t.co/JKkeX942Hs
Agencies Push Video Futures Collective to Simplify Buying and Unify Data
The Video Futures Collective (VFC), a coalition of eight streaming and ad platforms including Amazon Prime, Disney Advertising, Foxtel Media, Netflix, Samsung Ads, SBS, Vevo and YouTube, is under pressure from agencies to simplify the buying process and deliver consistent,...
The Trade Desk Has A Grand Vision, But Needs A New Breed Of CMO To Make It A Reality
The Trade Desk posted Q1 2026 revenue of $689 million, a 12% year‑over‑year increase, while net income slipped to $40 million and profit margin to 6%. Shares tumbled 15% in after‑hours trading as investors reacted to cautious macro‑economic outlooks. CEO Jeff Green outlined...
The Trade Desk Has A Grand Vision, But Needs A New Breed Of CMO To Make It A Reality
The Trade Desk posted Q1 2026 revenue of $689 million, up 12% YoY, while net income fell to $40 million, delivering a 6% profit margin. CEO Jeff Green cited macro headwinds but unveiled a bold forecast that the open internet will become...
Threads Adds New Posting Options and Animated Mini Stickers
Meta’s Threads introduced two new tools aimed at boosting user posting frequency. The platform now automatically splits any pasted text longer than 500 characters into a series of linked updates, eliminating the need for manual trimming. In parallel, Threads is...
637: The AI Automation Stack Behind The Fastest Growing Ecommerce Brands With Leo Sgovio
In this episode, Leo Segovia reveals his AI‑driven automation stack that handles influencer outreach, video ad creation, and product launches without giveaways or paid ads, enabling him to sell 5,000 units before Christmas. He explains how his system scrapes and...
Google Shopping Kept Winning While You Chased TikTok Shop
Google Shopping continues to dominate e‑commerce in 2026 thanks to three structural advantages: deep commercial intent, multi‑placement reach, and downstream influence on AI shopping agents like ChatGPT and Gemini. A single Merchant Center feed now powers paid ads, free listings,...
Ali Wong Dials up the Pressure on Big Telco Pricing in Latest Vodafone Work via Howatson+Co
Vodafone has launched the next phase of its Ali Wong campaign with Howatson+Company, positioning the brand as a cheaper alternative to traditional big‑telco pricing. The ads feature a tongue‑in‑cheek legal‑team skit that underscores the message that a premium telco experience...
ANZ NZ Appoints MBM as New Media Agency; Ends Long-Standing Partnership with PHD + Omnicom
ANZ New Zealand has appointed MBM, the Publicis Group’s media arm, as its new media agency, ending a 15‑year relationship with PHD and Omnicom. The decision followed a competitive RFP that evaluated five agencies on strategy, technology and marketing effectiveness. MBM...
TikTok Users Are Motivated by Affiliate Links
TikTok’s shopping ecosystem is accelerating, with affiliate links prompting deeper consumer research. Donte Murry reports that 77 % of viewers who encounter affiliate content immediately search for additional product information. Comments from other users serve as a powerful social‑proof layer, influencing first‑time...
Google Wants Non-Commodity Content. These B2B Brands Show You What It Looks Like.
Google Search Central highlighted a split between commodity and non‑commodity content, declaring that only the latter thrives in AI‑driven search results. Non‑commodity pieces are defined by uniqueness, specificity, and authenticity—attributes that founder‑led B2B brands like 6Sense, Clarify and Beehiiv already...
AI-Driven Cost Surge Forces B2B SaaS to Rethink Paid Acquisition Budgets
New benchmark data shows AI‑powered marketing is driving paid‑acquisition costs higher for B2B SaaS firms, pushing CAC payback periods to up to two years. Companies are scrambling to redesign go‑to‑market budgets and focus on customer quality to protect growth.
The Summer of 1999: How Instacart & Linqia Unlocked Full-Funnel Results via Nostalgic Creator-Led Storytelling
Instacart teamed with performance‑marketing platform Linqia to launch a summer‑1999 nostalgic creator‑led campaign that blended retro storytelling with shoppable video. The initiative leveraged a network of micro‑influencers to produce authentic, era‑specific content that was distributed across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and...
Amperity Rolls Out AI Assistants for Real‑Time Retail Customer Action
Amperity introduced a suite of AI assistants that combine identity‑resolved profiles with real‑time decisioning, enabling retailers to personalize sessions, recover abandoned carts and track cost impact instantly. The launch targets more than 400 brands seeking to move from static campaigns...
Microsoft Ads Expands Custom Columns to Include All Conversion Metrics
Microsoft Ads has upgraded its custom columns feature to accept every conversion metric available on the platform, including both primary and all‑conversion counts. The change lets advertisers construct bespoke columns that combine ratios, blended CPA, cost per qualified lead, and...
Viant Buys TVision Insights for $40 M to Embed AI‑driven Attention Metrics in Its DSP
Viant has completed a $40 million cash‑and‑stock acquisition of attention‑measurement firm TVision Insights, integrating second‑by‑second eye‑tracking data into its AI‑powered demand‑side platform. The move aims to shift advertisers from impression‑based buying to attention‑adjusted outcomes and to compete more directly with Google...
BidVid Hires Priya Bhatia as CRO to Spearhead Asia‑Pacific Expansion
BidVid, the Singapore‑based programmatic video‑ad platform, announced the appointment of Priya Bhatia as chief revenue officer for the Asia‑Pacific region. The move underscores the company’s strategic drive to capture a rapidly expanding APAC ad spend market.
An Age-Old Approach to Promoting Produce on Social Media
Retail merchandisers are turning to social media to drive fresh-produce sales, but generational preferences dictate platform choice. According to FMI’s Power of Produce 2026 report, 48% of Gen Z shoppers use social cues for fruit and vegetable ideas, compared with only 20%...
DIAMO Wins RMS Platform of the Year at 2026 TravelTech Breakthrough Awards
DIAMO, an AI‑driven revenue management and digital marketing platform for independent hotels, was named RMS Platform of the Year in the 4th annual TravelTech Breakthrough Awards. The accolade underscores the growing importance of automated pricing and marketing tools for smaller...
TikTok Risks Google Penalty for Back‑Button Hijacking
More about 'Back button hijacking'. @DMFanGossip13 replied to me last week that TikTok could be impacted by the new spam policy. It's an interesting example, since you are taken into the app when on mobile (for those that have the...
Amazon Launches Multi‑Marketplace Dashboard, Slashing Seller Time by 83%
Amazon unveiled a Multi‑Marketplace Command Center that lets sellers control listings, inventory and ads across Amazon, eBay and Walmart from a single interface. Early beta data show an 83% reduction in daily management time and a 112% lift in cross‑platform...
Adobe Completes Semrush Acquisition, Expands AI Search Suite
Adobe announced the completion of its acquisition of Semrush, integrating the SEO platform into its Experience Cloud. The move gives Adobe AI‑powered search and brand‑visibility tools as marketers grapple with a surge in AI‑driven traffic, which Adobe says rose 269%...
How to Measure Influencer Marketing Success: A Complete Guide for Brands
Influencer Marketing Hub released a comprehensive guide on measuring influencer marketing success, outlining the key performance indicators brands should track. The guide highlights benchmarks such as average engagement rates, cost‑per‑engagement, and a 5.2‑times return on investment reported in the 2026...
The Hidden Cost of Friction
The article reveals that mobile‑first campaigns often stumble after the tap, not because of creative or targeting, but due to hidden after‑click friction such as in‑app browsers, consent prompts, and redirect chains. These micro‑obstacles break session continuity, inflate acquisition costs,...
Creator Leverages 170k Followers for Brand Partnerships
People complaining brands like DJI, Insta360, and GoPro only offer free product deals but honestly I’m into it. I already use the gear, get millions of reel views, and constantly have people asking about my camera setup. I’ve got 170k...
Your Content Gets Views, Not Credit
Misunderstood Marketing - : Your Content Is Being Read. It Just Isn't Being Credited. https://t.co/gIwpPzEI8o
ContinuumGlobal Launches Campaign Optimizer to Improve Messaging Performance
ContinuumGlobal introduced Campaign Optimizer, an AI‑driven add‑on to its Smart Marketing Engine that promises to boost email engagement by over 15 %. The tool lets marketers refresh existing copy or draw inspiration from other brands, automatically generating brand‑compliant, production‑ready HTML in...
Real‑World SEO Data Defies Traditional Textbook Advice
I know the textbook SEO crowd doesn't really wanna hear this... but the data doesn't lie folks. 👇👇👇 I am seeing this pattern over and over again. Client after client after client. https://t.co/FlqOTv0E7X
Turn Hours of Content Into Actionable Results
Imagine spending hours on a blog post Imagine spending hours on a YouTube video Imagine spending hours on a podcast episode And then doing nothing with it.... Many do it. People who use https://t.co/M8688t4CuW could never.
22 Proven Ranking Factors for AI Citations Revealed
New: AI Citation Ranking Factors Everyone talks about AI Citations as a way to boost visibility + traffic, but what works? To find out, I gathered every study/experiment from the past 2 years, and scored the biggest wins 22 Ranking Factors associated with...
AI‑Curated Viral Pipelines Are the Future of Social Media
Love it or hate it, this is where social media is heading. Why force originality when you can curate viral trends, run them through Claude agents, strip the AI smell, and auto-publish? Robin just open-sourced this pipeline (Claude Code, Postiz, Apify). Fascinating to...
Hiring Content Marketing Manager for Fast‑Growing AI Platform
we're hiring a Content Marketing Campaign Manager at @CustomersAI 🧵 we help Shopify and Klaviyo brands identify website visitors and turn them into high-intent email flows and AI-powered audiences. last two months were our strongest ever from a revenue bookings...
Live Sports Streaming Ads Plagued by Fraud, Victims Identified
Over the last few months, several advertising experts have told @FOS that the live sports streaming ad market is rife with fraud. This is what is happening and who it hurts the most: https://t.co/dPEZBOGlUX
Reddit: The Untapped Truth Engine for $10M Brands
Reddit is a goldmine for brands scaling to 8-9 figures. People are searching “best [product] reddit” because that's where the truth lives. Here's how I'd use it to scale a brand to $10M: 1. Reddit is the platform where your customers tell...