Today's Digital Marketing Pulse

Consumer journeys go non‑linear, MiQ study finds
MiQ’s ‘From Funnel to Flexibility’ study, analyzing data from 53 million households and 700 trillion signals, shows 87 % of shoppers change digital activities at least hourly and 42 % describe their purchase path as random. The research, based on surveys of over 4,000 consumers and 600 marketers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, challenges the traditional linear marketing funnel.
Also developing:
By the numbers: DOJO AI raises $6M Seed round
Video Innovation Drives 2x Higher Purchase Intent, Study Finds
A new "State of Video Technology" study of 2,500 U.S. and U.K. adults finds 80% of consumers want more brand video, yet 46% say they never receive it. Personalized video content makes shoppers twice as likely to buy, and AI‑generated video interest jumped to 74% from 65% last year. Gen Z leads demand, with 92% wanting more video and 89% insisting on personalization. Executives are eager: 88% would increase production if AI could create videos in minutes.

Why Brand Size No Longer Determines Visibility in AI Answers
The rise of AI answer engines is reshaping how brand visibility is earned, shifting focus from sheer scale to the clarity, credibility, and structure of content. Traditional PR tactics that rely on reach and long‑standing narratives no longer guarantee inclusion...

AI Digital Relaunches Elevate: The AI-Powered Intelligence Platform Built to Break Open the Black Box
AI Digital has relaunched Elevate, an AI‑powered marketing intelligence platform that unifies research, planning, optimization and reporting across the digital ecosystem. The tool promises up to 90% reduction in manual research and planning time and 70% faster reporting, while remaining...
Inside Walmart’s Creator-Driven Social Commerce Playbook
Walmart is building a creator‑driven social commerce engine that blends shoppable ads, influencer networks, and AI‑powered trend tools. The retailer treats social platforms as search venues, targeting Gen Z and millennial users who spend hours daily online. Its Walmart Creator program,...

The Key to Building a Personal Brand Is to Talk About It
The post argues that the fastest way to build an unforgettable personal brand is through live speaking, not just more written content. It cites Steven Bartlett’s rise, where relentless speaking engagements generated the bulk of his client pipeline and revenue....
Use Bonus Scenes to Grow Your Author Newsletter
How to build a newsletter when you’re just starting as an author… I will always suggest adding bonus scenes to the end of your books to newsletter build. It builds your list with organic, already invested readers… But what if...

Sell-Side Decisioning for Media Owners: How To Create More Value in Programmatic
Sell-side decisioning is reshaping programmatic advertising by giving media owners direct control over inventory, data and pricing at the moment an impression is generated. Index Exchange’s recent Live event highlighted that the top 100 owners using its Index Marketplaces saw...
Unlock Claude's Untapped Power Beyond Simple Automation
anthropic's growth marketer just explained why most people only use <10% of Claude's potential most people use ai to do the same stuff faster. simple automations of their existing workflows. but the real edge is when claude lets you tackle workflows that...

Happydemics Launches ‘In-Flight Mode’ to Optimise Brand Outcomes While Campaigns Are Still Airborne
Happydemics has introduced “In‑Flight Mode,” a real‑time brand‑lift measurement tool that embeds outcome tracking directly into live campaigns. Marketers can now monitor consideration, purchase intent and other brand KPIs as ads run, and instantly tweak creative, targeting or media mix....
Social Media Editor
The Axis, a podcast production agency serving aesthetic medicine, plastic surgery, and addiction‑recovery clients, is hiring a freelance Social Media Clip Editor for $50 per episode. The remote‑US role focuses solely on editing 1‑3 short‑form clips per episode for YouTube...
Digible and Engrain Integrate All‑In Pricing Into Google Ads to Meet Fee‑Transparency Rules
Digible, a leading multifamily marketing agency, has teamed with Engrain, the interactive touring and data‑visualization platform, to feed structured pricing data into paid media. The integration lets advertisers display an “all‑in” price—including rent and mandatory fees—in Google Ads, addressing regulator‑driven...

Clarvos Unveils AI-Driven Workflow Platform to Streamline Marketing for Smaller Businesses
Marketing tech startup Clarvos LLC launched an early‑access AI‑driven workflow platform aimed at small and midsized businesses. The agentic system integrates audience discovery, creative generation and multi‑platform campaign execution across Google, Meta and TikTok, allowing users to move from concept...
Dairy-Free Creamer Brand Nutpods Is Cracking Fragmentation With AI-Powered Insights
AI Digital launched Elevate, an AI‑powered marketing intelligence platform to combat ad tech fragmentation. Nutpods, a dairy‑free creamer brand, used Elevate to unify data across channels and receive near‑real‑time insights. The platform revealed audio ads outperformed other placements, allowing Nutpods...
Dairy-Free Creamer Brand Nutpods Is Cracking Fragmentation With AI-Powered Insights
Nutpods, a non‑dairy creamer brand, partnered with AI Digital to use its new Elevate platform, an AI‑powered marketing intelligence suite designed to dissolve ad‑tech fragmentation. The tool slashed Nutpods’ reporting lag from weeks to roughly one day, delivering real‑time performance...
Instagram Now Lets Creators Tag Affiliate Links Directly in Reels
Instagram is rolling out a new feature that lets creators tag shoppable products directly in Reels, supporting up to 30 items per video. Creators can add products by pasting affiliate URLs or selecting items from a brand’s Meta commerce catalog,...

Affiliates, To Stay Relevant, Move Beyond Mere Execution
Artificial intelligence is rapidly automating routine tasks in affiliate marketing, from matching affiliates to offers to generating performance dashboards. While AI boosts efficiency, it also exposes limits, requiring human oversight to correct errors and prevent fraud. The article argues that...
Flamel.ai Launches Luna to Fix Franchise Marketing Execution
Flamel.ai unveiled Luna, an AI‑powered agent that executes, analyzes, and optimizes franchise marketing across all locations, completing a broader platform expansion that unifies paid media, local SEO, social and review tools. The system lets corporate teams build a single campaign...

Lucozade Woos ‘Believers’ for Grafruitti Flavour Relaunch
Lucozade is re‑launching its Grafruitti flavour, first introduced as a limited edition in 2015, with a community‑centric campaign aimed at the brand’s self‑identified “Believers.” The rollout, crafted by We Are Social, began with teaser posts and a logo swap before...

From T-Shaped To M-Shaped: The PPC Career Evolution Nobody Is Talking About
The article argues that the traditional T‑shaped PPC professional—deep in one specialty with a broad supporting base—has become the industry floor due to AI‑driven skill inflation. It introduces the M‑shaped model, featuring two or three deep pillars built on a...
How Reuters Unlocked 58% More Suitable Inventory with IAS Context Control
Reuters partnered with Integral Ad Science to replace traditional keyword blocklists with IAS’s Context Control semantic solution. By analyzing meaning, sentiment, and entity relationships, the platform identified safe articles previously flagged by keywords, especially on the Lifestyle subdomain where 13.4%...
Volkswagen Appoints Global Social Media Agency
Volkswagen has appointed a new global social media agency to steer its digital presence across markets. The agency won the account following a rigorous, multi‑stage pitch that evaluated creative, data, and technology capabilities. The partnership is intended to refresh Volkswagen’s...
Mid‑funnel Nurturing Cuts CPA 38% in 60 Days
Lately, more businesses are coming with ₹3L+ ad spend but declining ROI. There’s a silent doubt — “Are ads just getting expensive now?” They assume rising CPMs are the problem. But deeper inside, it’s poor funnel depth — no mid-stage nurturing, only cold-to-sale...
KFC Takes a New Step with Its Marketing: An Entire Music Track
KFC launched a 90‑second music single titled “Finger Lickin’ Machine” to promote its new Value Feast menu, featuring bundled meals priced at $7, $9 and $11. The ad, produced by agency Highdive and music house Heavy Duty, showcases Colonel Sanders...
When Fashion Influencer Campaigns Go Wrong: How Bad Briefs Break Influencer Collaborations (and How to Fix Them)
Fashion influencer campaigns often stumble not because of the wrong creator, but due to poorly crafted briefs. Vague prompts, over‑scripted captions, and conflicting instructions lead to off‑brand, inauthentic content that frustrates both brands and influencers. The article outlines common brief...

5 Content Marketing Ideas for May 2026
May 2026 presents ecommerce marketers with five timely content ideas—from the historic Freedom 7 anniversary to Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, National Paper Airplane Day, and Miles Davis’s centennial. Each theme is positioned to generate organic search traffic, feed‑algorithm visibility, and AI‑readable snippets that...
Teach Your Process, Not Just the Results
Don't just share what works. Share your exact process for discovering what works. Example: "How I test content ideas" is more valuable than "10 content ideas" because it teaches readers to fish.

Could Gaming's 'Epic' Struggles Open the Door for More Advertisers?
Epic Games announced a layoff of roughly 1,000 employees as Fortnite’s player base and in‑game currency value decline, highlighting the title’s struggle to stay fresh. The broader gaming sector is experiencing a wave of cuts, prompting advertisers to wonder if...

Google Explains Why It Doesn’t Matter That Websites Are Getting Larger via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
Google’s Gary Illyes and Martin Splitt clarified that growing page weight isn’t inherently harmful, emphasizing that page size depends on what’s measured—HTML alone or the full bundle of assets. They highlighted how compression, especially Brotli, can mask the true amount...

How Marketing Leaders Are Getting Unstuck From Salesforce by Stitch
Stitch is hosting an April 14 fireside chat for brand‑side marketers who feel trapped by Salesforce Marketing Cloud. The session will explore why many enterprises view their data as tangled, contracts as restrictive, and email programs as stagnant. Attendees will learn...

How Marketing Leaders Are Getting Unstuck From Salesforce by Stitch
Stitch is hosting a fireside chat for brand‑side marketers who feel trapped by Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s complexity and contractual lock‑ins. Attendees will hear why data entanglement, repetitive email flows, and patchwork solutions are common complaints. The session outlines how moving...

Ex-Organic Chiefs Launch Digital Transformation Start-Up
Two former Organic executives, Ben Scoggins and Tim Burley, have launched Committed Citizens, a marketing consultancy aimed at eliminating the operational drag that hampers campaign performance. The firm uses six‑week, results‑focused cycles instead of open‑ended digital‑transformation programmes, promising measurable outcomes...

How To Crowdsource Content Ideas From Your Audience Using Social Media
The article outlines a step‑by‑step guide for creators to crowdsource content ideas directly from their audience across social platforms. It recommends using social listening tools, monitoring DMs and comments, and leveraging interactive features like polls on Instagram, Twitter (X), YouTube...
OpenAI Buys TBPN for Low‑hundreds‑of‑millions, Bolstering AI‑driven Marketing Push
OpenAI has acquired the tech‑media podcast TBPN in a deal valued in the low hundreds of millions of dollars, placing the show under its communications and marketing division. The move signals a strategic push to control AI‑centric brand narratives ahead...
Medvi’s $401 M Revenue Surge Shadowed by Fake Doctor Ads Probe
Medvi, an AI‑powered telehealth startup, posted $401 million in revenue and $65 million profit last year and projects $1.8 billion in sales this year. The company now faces FTC and FDA scrutiny after investigations uncovered affiliate‑driven ads that feature non‑existent doctors and AI‑generated...
Nutella’s Zero‑Gravity Cameo on Artemis II Becomes the Biggest Free Ad in Digital Marketing History
During NASA’s Artemis II lunar flyby, a jar of Nutella drifted across the live stream, instantly trending worldwide. The unplanned sight generated millions of social‑media impressions and a brand‑owned post that called it the "greatest free advert in history," highlighting a...
Turning Engagement Data Into Content that Gets Results
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School’s communications team uses weekly engagement data to shape its editorial calendar, focusing on student‑centered stories that resonate with families. By tracking open rates, click‑throughs and social interactions, the team pivots content themes toward high‑performing topics such...

How Meta’s AI Push Is Changing Ad Creation
Meta is pushing to automate ad creation, targeting a fully AI‑driven process by the end of 2026. The rollout includes the Andromeda ad retrieval system and expanded Advantage+ tools that handle creative, targeting, and budget decisions. Marketers report mixed results:...

Do Behavioural Biometrics Solve the Fraud Problem, or Blur Brands’ Vision?
Lead fraud—automated bots, disposable emails, and human‑staffed farms—drains marketing budgets and sales capacity. Traditional static checks like email validation and IP tracking struggle to differentiate genuine prospects from fabricated ones. Behavioural biometrics, which monitor typing cadence, mouse movements, and form‑completion...

Ocean Outdoor Opens 2026 Digital Creative Competition for Entries Across Europe
Ocean Outdoor has opened entries for its 2026 Digital Creative Competition across the UK, the Netherlands, the Nordics and Germany. The contest runs from April 7 to August 21, is free to enter, and offers a total prize fund of €2.675 million (about...

AI Video Editing: Save Time and Create Better Videos
In this episode, host Michael Stelzner talks with AI educator Greg Priest about using artificial intelligence to streamline video editing rather than generate videos from scratch. Greg shares his journey from a marketing role to solo content creator, highlighting how...

Meta Refresh Experiments Fail, Documentation Needed
Results are dropping. The experiment: refreshing meta titles and meta descriptions to increase CTR of current rankings. Additions: factual information, queries not in the text (automated via GSC), missed words, etc. I really need to take these experiments more seriously and document...
AI Is Now a Business Essential, or Lose
Every company I’m involved in is using AI. Content. Ads. Customer acquisition. It cuts costs, improves output, and gives you an edge. And if you’re not using it? Your competitor is. https://t.co/o1iv7sKBST

Google’s Mueller On SEO Gurus Who Are “Clueless Imposters” Via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
Preeti Gupta argues that the term “guru” is being diluted in the SEO industry, turning a culturally sacred title into a marketing buzzword. John Mueller reinforced this view, labeling self‑declared SEO gurus as “clueless imposters” and emphasizing SEO’s ever‑changing nature....
AI Marketing Tools List Keeps Expanding with New Additions
The best list of #AI #marketing tools anywhere continues to expand: https://t.co/1MqMiJPCBB New tools added recently include StationOne, @scale_AI, Alemia AI, https://t.co/uZmhN1618N, @poe_platform, Coldi, @fuserstudio, https://t.co/DbgdgVlnZ6, and Atrtificio.
AI Generates 500+ UGC Videos Daily, No Camera
R.I.P. manual UGC creation. OpenCreator + OpenClaw = 500+ videos/day without touching a camera. One prompt and my bot cranked out multiple UGC videos. No filming, no actors, just done. https://t.co/1wYMz6Z76I

Stream of Consciousness: How CTV and Household Targeting Keeps Brands Top of Mind
Streaming television overtook broadcast and cable in May 2025, capturing 44.8% of U.S. TV viewing and climbing to a 47.5% peak in December 2025. The surge has accelerated ad‑supported models, with Netflix’s ad tier rising from 26% to 40% of...
Introducing SERPLens: The All‑In‑One SEO Browser
This is like no SEO tool you’ve used before. At @SERPLens, we’ve built the web browser for SEO pros. It includes: • Fast, built-in VPN • Live prompt/agentic insights • Annotate screenshots • Track projects + loads more Start a 7-day free trial now: https://t.co/wBjS72XB6U https://t.co/h0UTY6XlkF
Three-Step Cart Flow Boosts Recovery From 2% to 16.5%
Beardbrand automated 10% of their monthly revenue with a 3-step abandoned cart flow that recovered 16.5% of all carts. Meanwhile you're sending one generic abandoned cart email and wondering why your recovery rate is stuck at 2%.

Leveraging SGAI for Longtail Live Sports
FloSports is piloting Server‑Generated Ad Insertion (SGAI) to tackle quality and revenue challenges in long‑tail sports streaming. The platform gains end‑to‑end observability of its video pipeline, allowing it to monitor performance without blind spots. SGAI also enables side‑by‑side programmatic ads...
Assess Your Dependence on Google and AI
If your biggest competitor disappeared tomorrow, would Google and AI put you in the top spot? If not, why not? Answer that question and you'll know what to do next.