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.
Navigate The Next Era Of Search At Forrester’s CX Forums
Zero‑click search has become mainstream, with 26% of U.S. online adults using ChatGPT in the past month to research products. This shift pushes answer engines like Google AI Mode and ChatGPT to the top of the discovery funnel, delivering high‑quality, view‑through traffic that often converts better than traditional clicks. Marketers now face the challenge of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), a discipline that extends beyond classic SEO to address synthesized answers and zero‑click commerce. Forrester’s CX Forums in New York and San Francisco will showcase how brands such as Bridgestone and PetSmart are adapting their content, technical, and measurement strategies for this new reality.
Toast Debuts Toast IQ Grow
Toast launched Toast IQ Grow, an AI‑powered marketing platform that adds more than 20 new features across marketing, payroll, inventory and operations. The solution pairs a Marketing Agent that automatically builds audiences and runs campaigns with a dedicated human marketer...
AI Promises Creative Scale. Marketers Discover They Now Need 10 Times More Ads
Marketers are confronting an unprecedented demand for creative assets as AI platforms enable rapid production at scale. A joint Ipsos‑Smartly study finds brands are now creating roughly ten times more ads to stay competitive, yet effectiveness hinges on combining high...
5 Essential Landing Page Rules for Conversions
Your landing page is where most of your traffic decides whether to convert or leave. Here are 5 landing page rules you need to know: → Match the page headline to the headline that got the click → Use the hero to confirm...
Wayfair Teams with Perplexity, OpenAI and Google to Embed Agentic AI Across Its Platform
Wayfair disclosed that it is working with Perplexity, OpenAI and Google to integrate agentic AI into its shopping experience and ad units. The retailer also said it is testing AI‑driven advertising with Meta and Pinterest, signaling a broad push into...
Yahoo Teams with Kochava to Launch Agentic AI DSP Workflow Platform
Yahoo has partnered with Kochava to embed a dedicated Yahoo DSP workspace inside Kochava's StationOne platform, creating an AI‑driven “agentic” workflow for programmatic buying. The move signals a shift toward autonomous media‑buying tools and could redefine how demand‑side platforms operate.
Influ2 Launches Contact-Level GTM Orchestration
Influ2 unveiled a contact‑level go‑to‑market orchestration platform on May 6, enabling B2B revenue teams to trigger personalized actions for individual buyers rather than relying on account‑wide averages. The new suite includes signal‑to‑topic matching, cross‑platform context sync, omni‑channel orchestration, and automatic Salesforce...
Organic Power Drives Sales, While Ad Attribution Conflicts
Lately, around 2 months ago, an established brand came to us after replacing 2 agencies. They were spending around ₹6 lakh/month and generating ₹36 lakh in Shopify sales. But nearly ₹24 lakh was coming from organic traffic and the strength...
One LinkedIn Creator Drives AI‑search Visibility and Leads
$48K. Six months. One creator on LinkedIn. That's what it took for a mid-market B2B SaaS company to go from invisible in ChatGPT and Perplexity to showing up in answers for their category's most-asked prompts. AI-driven demo requests? From <2% of pipeline...
Despite Enthusiasm over Its ChatGPT Tie-Up, Criteo’s Shares Slide on Downgraded Revenue Forecast
Criteo announced a partnership with OpenAI that generated excitement, but its Q1 results fell short of expectations, prompting a share‑price decline. Revenue dropped 6% year‑on‑year to $425 million, with retail‑media revenue plunging 31% to $41.3 million. The company cut its 2026 revenue...
Bigger Agency ≠ Better: Creative Fatigue Hurts Performance
One of our clients swapped to a larger well known agency around 6-7 months ago but kept us on as view access to the account. 6 months later and our ads are still spending 45% of the total budget. Very little...
Amedia Ignored Older Subscribers to Attract Younger Ones
Norway’s largest newspaper publisher, Amedia, discovered that its subscriber base skewed heavily toward readers over 80, outnumbering those under 40. To reverse this, the company concealed 90% of older subscribers in its analytics tools and refocused editorial teams on content...
Google Analytics Data API Adds Cross-Channel Conversion Reporting (Alpha)
Google has extended its Analytics Data API to include cross‑channel conversion reporting, now available in an alpha release. The new endpoint mirrors the Conversion performance report in the Analytics UI, delivering paid and organic conversion data via programmatic calls. Developers...
David North America Casts Jessica Alba In Luna Bar Campaign
Actress Jessica Alba has been signed as the inaugural ambassador for Luna Bar’s new “Easy to Love” campaign, created by David North America and media‑planned by VaynerMedia. The campaign, Luna Bar’s first major creative push in seven years, features four...
Bundle Sponsorships Across Platforms for Steady $10K Income
The approach I take that has turned sponsorship revenue into a (fairly consistent) $7-10k/mo stream: Multiple touch points. My channel is small (31.6k), but I have my mailing list, my socials, and my website with a fairly high domain authority. Combine that with...
Agentic AI for Marketing: Reimagine End-to-End Customer Experiences
Agentic AI is emerging as the next evolution of marketing technology, moving beyond content creation to orchestrate decisions and execution across the customer journey. Adobe positions its unified platform to connect AI agents with real‑time data, governance, and workflow automation,...
First 25‑Minute Clip of 'The Mandalorian & Grogu' Sparks Mixed Fan Reactions
Disney invited influencers to an IMAX preview of the first 25 minutes of the upcoming film 'The Mandalorian & Grogu.' Fans lauded the action, sound and score, while others warned the movie may feel like an extended TV episode rather...
Meta Optimizes Only What You Tell It: Feed Quality Signals
Too many advertisers give Meta weak signals, so it optimizes poorly. When Meta optimizes poorly, advertisers trust it less. Give Meta better signals, it optimizes better, you trust it more. Giving Meta the right signals is hard. The advertisers who trust Meta most are...
Adobe and OpenAI Integrate ChatGPT Ads Into GenStudio for Performance Marketing
Adobe and OpenAI announced that Adobe GenStudio for Performance Marketing now integrates ChatGPT ads, letting marketers create brand‑approved copy and assets and launch them in ChatGPT with a single click. The workflow pulls assets from Adobe Experience Manager or third‑party...
How I Engineer Substack Titles that Pull 84+ Subscribers (in Under 20 Minutes)
The post reveals that Substack writers lose growth because they craft titles after the article, a practice the author calls writing titles backwards. By engineering headlines first—using a 20‑minute systematic process—writers can boost subscriber acquisition, with examples showing 84+ new...
New York Startup GLORION MEDIA Enters Podcast, Influencer Space With Social Listening-Powered Model
GLORION MEDIA, a New York‑based startup launched in March 2026, offers podcast production, influencer talent management, and performance‑driven digital advertising. The company’s core differentiator is a social‑listening intelligence platform that captures real‑time audience signals to inform campaign targeting. Its flagship...
Entravision Q1 2026 Revenue Jumps 204% in Advertising Tech Segment as Media Grows 4%
Entravision Communications posted a 204% jump in its Advertising and Technology Services revenue for Q1 2026, while overall media revenue rose 4% year‑over‑year. The growth was driven by AI‑enhanced platform upgrades and higher monthly active advertisers, offset by a dip...
Google Launches Data Manager Map View, GeoX and Meridian Studio to Revamp Ad Measurement
Google announced a trio of measurement tools—Data Manager’s new Map View, GeoX geo‑experimentation, and Meridian Studio MMM—ahead of Marketing Live 2026. The upgrades aim to simplify data integration, prove incremental impact and speed up media‑mix modelling, with early adopters reporting...
Zyg Secures $60M Series A at $500M Valuation, Pushing Agentic AI in E‑Commerce
Zyg, the agentic AI platform for direct‑to‑consumer sellers, raised $60 million in a Series A led by Accel, bringing its post‑money valuation to $500 million. The round, which also included Bessemer Venture Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners, follows a $58 million seed round and...
Teads & Lumen Research Bring Proven Attention Science to CTV for Omnichannel Impact
Teads announced an expanded partnership with Lumen Research to embed attention‑measurement technology into its connected‑TV (CTV) HomeScreen inventory. Lumen’s eye‑tracking models generate an industry‑first attention prediction for CTV, giving advertisers a quantifiable view of how viewers engage with ads across...
How to Use AI to Write Better Meta Ad Copy Without Losing the Human Touch
In this episode, SmartMarketer’s senior paid performance specialist Dominique Noble walks listeners through a repeatable, AI‑driven process for crafting Meta ad copy that retains human insight and brand voice. She emphasizes three core rules: feed AI detailed brand context, be...
Pixalate Releases Global Q1 2026 Rankings For Connected TV Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) Bundle IDs With Highest IVT Rates: ‘Sling...
Pixalate released its Q1 2026 rankings of Free Ad‑Supported TV (FAST) bundle IDs with the highest invalid‑traffic (IVT) rates across Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV and Amazon Fire TV. The study examined over 4 billion global impressions from more than 7,000 CTV apps. Sling TV led Roku...
StackAdapt Announces AI-Powered Marketing Capabilities Through Ads in ChatGPT Pilot
StackAdapt announced it will serve ads within OpenAI's ChatGPT as part of a pilot program. The AI‑powered placement lets marketers reach users while they research and compare products, with ads clearly labeled and context‑driven. StackAdapt adds vertical expertise, cross‑channel orchestration,...
Lamar Launches $2M Ronald McDonald House DOOH Partnership
Lamar Advertising has pledged more than $2 million in donated digital out‑of‑home (DOOH) inventory for a year‑long partnership with Ronald McDonald House, launching on May 15 for International Family Day. The initiative will run across Lamar’s 5,500 digital billboards nationwide, aiming to raise awareness,...
Comparative Advertising: How To Use Comparative Ads
Comparative advertising lets brands pit their products against rivals, highlighting differences in features, price, or performance to accelerate purchase decisions. When executed well—such as Dixie’s side‑by‑side plate test, Apple’s “Get a Mac” campaign (which drove about a 39 % sales lift),...
No-Code AI Agents Automate My Entire Workflow
Ok this is wild. I just built a team of 5 AI agents in plain English. No code. > Inbox agent replying to emails in my tone 24/7 > Research agent pulling competitor intel every morning > Calendar agent booking and rescheduling meetings > Content...
Invest in Reddit Now to Capture B2B Intent
The best time to invest in Reddit was last year. The second-best time is now. B2B buyers openly compare tools there every day. Install the Reddit Pixel. Retarget pricing-page visitors. Run always-on ads. Capture intent while competitors wait. https://t.co/OF7FNXFH4b
Howard Tattersall on Why Footasylum’s Marketing Strategy Is the ‘Blueprint’
Footasylum’s entertainment‑first social media strategy, launched in 2018, has become a benchmark for UK retailers. By prioritising TikTok, YouTube and culturally‑relevant influencers, the brand cuts through digital noise and embeds itself in consumers’ daily routines. The approach leverages hyper‑local campaign...
Map Content, Build Pillars, Cluster, Link—Skip Random Blogs
Chill and Think Boomer Mike beats Huff N Puff Millenial Dwayne just for this one thing: No random blogs. Instead, Uncle Mike: - Map its content - Creates pillar pages - Builds supporting clusters - Connect everything with internal links No need to overcomplicate it.
LinkedIn Ranks Among Top Three AI Citation Sources for B2B
Ope look another report showing LinkedIn is in the top 3 list for generating AI search citations in core B2B categories. Full report: https://t.co/v8vNkqSkea https://t.co/4TqipPgFTM
Is Influencer Marketing Still Just a Channel Or Has It Become the System?
Influencer marketing is evolving from a supplemental channel into a system that sits at the core of brand communication. Brands are now auditing campaigns across TV, retail, e‑commerce and press to embed creator‑led content from the outset, rather than tacking...
Data-Driven Thumbnails and Titles Drive YouTube Growth
YouTube growth isn't just about great content anymore. 👀 It's about testing what gets people to click. Thumbnails. Titles. Data. Creativity still matters. But data is what scales it. 🎯 https://t.co/E6UezYOUCh
Client's Sudden Rebrand and Migration Destroys SEO Partnership
Client of mine decided to nuke the SEO program all at once. 1. Domain migration to dot AI 2. Changed their brand name 3. Hired a new VP the following week Didn't tell me about any of these things happening. And just like...
From Downloads To Daily Use: Rethinking The Value Exchange In App Marketing
App marketers have shifted from focusing solely on downloads to prioritizing sustained user engagement. eMarketer reports that 90% of new users abandon an app within seven days, and by Day 30 churn exceeds 95%. Patrick Callinan of T‑Mobile Advertising Solutions argues...
BigMailer + Amazon SES Achieves Strong Open Rates
Definitely getting a decent open rate on BigMailer + Amazon SES so far 👀 https://t.co/VwdR4Vc8LW
LinkedIn Evolves Into Powerful Ad Network for Software Buyers
Everything is an ad network, and LinkedIn is getting *really smart* about how to leverage authority and creator audiences there. I think we're going to see more brands lean into this, esp. in the software space, because it's *the* social network...
The 42 Minute Playbook on Live Shopping
In this episode of the Gary Vee Audio Experience, Gary Vaynerchuk and Super Ordinary founder discuss the explosive rise of live shopping, especially on TikTok, and why brands are missing the wave due to corporate inertia and a misunderstanding of...
LLMs Thrive on Unstructured Text; GEO/AEO Merely SEO Rebrand
LLMs read unstructured language by design. The GEO/AEO playbook is SEO best practices repackaged as novelty. https://t.co/XINrtRZXdM via @pedrodias, @sejournal
Boost Authority: Link New Posts to Multiple Existing Articles
Internal linking golden rules: > Every new post should link to 3-5 existing posts in the cluster > Every existing post should gain 1-2 internal links from the cluster at the moment of publishing Topical authority in the making
The Influencers That Make Men Shop for Beauty
Male beauty consumption is accelerating as Gen‑Z influencers like TikTok star Bach Buquen and Dwayne Johnson’s Papatui brand normalize makeup and premium skincare for men. Wellness clubs such as Remedy Place are rebranding spa experiences to attract male members, while...
Google Ads Adds Automatic Site Visits Metric
Running Google Ads? -> Google Officially Introduces Site Visits Asset "Site visits is an automated asset that shows how many times your website has been visited. This non-clickable text appears directly in your ads, giving potential customers a clear...
Rethink SEO: Modern Metrics Over Outdated Reporting
Most Old SEO Reporting Metrics Are Outdated... Here's How We SHOULD Be Thinking About Results https://t.co/e2eLme2cQ3
Sofa Club Appoints Agency for Digital Marketing Boost
Sofa Club, the fashion‑forward sofa retailer, has hired Verde Digital to lead its organic search strategy. Verde will deliver a full suite of SEO services—including on‑page, technical, local and AI‑search optimization—to increase organic revenue. The brand, founded in 2012 and...
Influencer Marketing Spend Nears Tipping Point, Creators Brace
The way advertisers spend money on influencer marketing is heading toward a tipping point. @dwhate & I break down what it means for creators: https://t.co/Iq6mouafEU
Nostalgic for Transparent Website Traffic Sources
I miss the days when you could see where your website traffic came from... https://t.co/jr9lsumvYk