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.
Integral Ad Science Unveils IAS Total TV Suite, Bringing Linear‑TV Transparency to CTV
Integral Ad Science rolled out IAS Total TV, a new measurement suite that delivers show‑level transparency for connected‑TV ads on Disney, NBCUniversal, Paramount and Prime Video. The platform combines content insights, media‑quality verification and supply‑path data, aiming to curb $1 billion in wasted CTV spend and give marketers the same granularity they enjoy on linear TV.
AI Ads Need Governance, Not Blind Automation
Would you use an LLM to file your taxes without reviewing them? Hear the conversation of two people building AdTech discussing exactly that—inside a Zen lounge. Yes, this actually happened. On this episode of Preach on the Beach, @HannahKasoff and @JeremyBloomHere...
IAB Tech Lab Updates OpenRTB to Better Define Live Content
IAB Tech Lab announced updates to the OpenRTB specification that introduce new optional fields and clarify existing ones to more precisely label live, real‑time, and first‑broadcast content in bid requests. The changes also refine substitution macros, giving demand‑side platforms clearer...
AI Carousels Will Flood Feeds With Identical Content
Honestly... I am not actually all that worried about the quality of these AI-generated carousels, I am worried about the quantity. Some AI carousels are going to be genuinely good. The issue is that hundreds of them are going to...
Somali Influencer Drives $310 M Cross‑Border E‑Commerce Surge From China’s Hubei Hub
Somali influencer Mohamed Issa Omar, CEO of Ezhou Shahai Business Bridge Trading, has turned Ezhou’s pilot zone into a $310 million cross‑border e‑commerce engine, selling AI‑powered glasses to a global audience. His live‑stream model, backed by China’s cargo infrastructure, showcases how...
Generative AI Tools for Marketing in 2026: From Standalone Apps to Agentic Workflows
The 2026 Martech landscape now hosts over 15,000 AI‑enhanced tools, moving from simple assistants to autonomous agents that can make decisions and act. A new Model Context Protocol (MCP), adopted by OpenAI, Google DeepMind and dozens of vendors, provides a...
Consultwebs Forecasts 2026 Digital Marketing Shift: GEO, E‑E‑A‑T and AI‑Driven Search Volatility
Consultwebs released its 2026 Digital Marketing Forecast, warning that Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and AI‑driven search will make “zero‑click” prompts the norm. The report urges law firms and broader marketers to double down on E‑E‑A‑T, first‑party data and human‑centric content...
Marketing Must Mirror Real, Non‑Linear Human Journeys
Founder to founder: Your marketing needs to be built for real human behavior. Specifically, the behavior of the humans you serve. Your audience doesn’t move through your funnel in a straight line. They bounce around. They might find you on Instagram, then read a blog...
Exclusive: Rakuten and impact.com Form Strategic Alliance to Scale Connected Performance Ecosystem
Rakuten and impact.com announced a strategic alliance that makes impact.com the exclusive technology platform for Rakuten’s advertising and rewards businesses. Over time, Rakuten will migrate all of its customers onto impact.com’s infrastructure, creating a unified, global affiliate‑marketing ecosystem. The partnership...
SARAL
SARAL positions itself as an InfluencerOS for DTC eCommerce, unifying discovery, outreach, affiliate tracking and content management into a single platform. Brands using SARAL reported an average $2.1 million incremental revenue and a 7.68× ROAS last year. Quarterly pricing ranges from...
Google Warns SEO Prompt Injection as Emerging Manipulation Threat
Google just published a study about indirect prompt injection. Important for SEOs and site owners to understand -> Google Says Prompt Injection Moving From Theory Into Real Abuse From @btabke: "This is the AI-era cousin of hidden text, doorway tactics, comment...
Metaprofile Rolls Out metaADS For Scene-Level Contextual Ad Targeting In CTV
Metaprofile has launched metaADS, an AI-driven contextual ad placement engine that scans dialogue and narrative structure to identify high‑value ad moments at the scene level in film and TV content. The platform delivers scene‑level metadata—including emotional tone, narrative significance and...
Back‑Button Vignette Ads Risk Google Spam Penalty
So, I've had some people ping me about an interesting 'back button hijacking' situation wondering how Google will treat it. Vignette Ads, which most people hate with a passion, include additional triggers that a site owner can activate. One trigger...
What A Lead Generation Conference Taught Me About Fixing Ad Ops
eHealth, an online insurance marketplace, transformed its lead‑generation model by moving from a single‑transaction focus to a lifetime‑value approach, assigning each customer a primary advisor and tracking renewals, add‑ons, and retention. This strategic shift lifted the company from near‑$100 million annual...
New to PPC? 7 Tips to Build Skills and Confidence Fast
The article offers seven practical tips for newcomers to pay‑per‑click (PPC) management, emphasizing curiosity, community learning, and balanced use of AI. It warns against over‑reliance on platform certifications and the allure of every new feature, urging marketers to focus on...
Why SEO Should Be Part of Every Physical Retailer’s Omnichannel Strategy
Physical retailers can no longer rely on street‑level foot traffic alone; modern shoppers begin their buying journey online, using search to locate and evaluate stores. In 2026, the line between e‑commerce and brick‑and‑mortar has vanished, making SEO the gateway that...
Google Sends Warning Notices On Back Button Hijacking Spam Penalty
Google has begun sending warning emails through Search Console to sites suspected of back‑button hijacking, a practice that interferes with users’ browser navigation. The new spam policy gives site owners until June 15, 2026 to remove such behavior, after which manual or...
Debunking the Myth That Retailers Have a Demand Problem in Retail Media
Retail media growth isn’t hampered by a lack of advertisers; it’s limited by weak sales execution. Most ad spend comes from existing endemic brands, so retailers must convert those supplier relationships into media revenue. Integrating trade and media teams creates...
Google Now Displays Deleted Review Counts on Profiles
Google showing how many reviews were deleted on some Google Business Profiles https://www.seroundtable.com/google-number-reviews-deleted-41226.html via Szturmaj #googlebusinessprofiles
Google Shopping Ads Tests Pricing In Superscript
Google is piloting a new typographic treatment for the cents portion of product prices in its Shopping Ads, displaying the cents in superscript (e.g., $99.99 becomes $99⁹⁹). The test was first identified by analyst Sachin Patel, who shared screenshots on...
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15 Best B2B Intent Data Providers [2026]
The article ranks the 15 leading B2B intent data providers for 2026, grouping them by coverage type—broad third‑party networks, first‑party website tracking, review‑based high‑intent sources, marketplace aggregators, and hybrid intent‑plus‑contact platforms. It highlights key players such as Bombora, 6sense, Demandbase,...
The Brave New World of AI Marketing – Rebecca Sykes, Brandtech
Brandtech partner Rebecca Sykes discussed on the UKTN podcast how artificial intelligence is reshaping marketing. The firm’s AI platform acts as a “nervous system,” linking cultural signals, media performance and sales data to generate content at scale. While AI‑generated creative...
AdMarketplace Is Piloting Performance Ads In AI Chat
adMarketplace has launched the beta version of AI Discover, a performance‑ad product that inserts sponsored placements directly into AI chat conversations. During a six‑month alpha with Opera’s AI assistant, the system delivered over 2 million ads across roughly 700,000 queries, revealing...
AdMarketplace Is Piloting Performance Ads In AI Chat
adMarketplace has launched the beta version of AI Discover, a performance‑ad product that inserts sponsored placements directly into AI chat conversations. The pilot builds on a six‑month alpha with Opera’s AI assistant Aria, during which more than 2 million ads were...
Add Organization and WebSite Schema for AI‑search SEO
Google recently reminded SEOs of the importance of structured data when it comes to AI Search – here's my take: We all know that structured data is important for SEO more generally, but there are some common aspects that are missed,...
Short Videos Inspire Donors, Drive Results
Short-form video has become a must‑have tool for nonprofit fundraising, delivering roughly 2.5 times more engagement than longer content. Platforms such as Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts let organizations showcase impact in under‑minute clips, overcoming the sector’s modest 0.6 % average...
TikTok Is Now the #1 Platform for Beauty Influencer Marketing
TikTok has overtaken Instagram as the top platform for beauty influencer marketing, generating more than $18 billion in earned media value (EMV). The short‑form video format fuels high‑volume, authentic content that scales quickly, while Instagram’s value now hinges on specific formats...
TikTok Unveils UK’s First #BookTok Bestseller List, Women Authors Claim All Top 20
TikTok has launched the United Kingdom’s first official #BookTok bestseller list, a hybrid chart that blends physical‑store sales with in‑app engagement data. The inaugural top‑20 is composed exclusively of women writers, highlighting the platform’s power to drive a £86 million (≈$108 million)...
How Debenhams Quadrupled Retail Media Revenue with Mirakl Ads
Debenhams revamped its retail media offering by adopting Mirakl Ads, a platform built for marketplace sellers. Leveraging AI‑driven hybrid search and multi‑armed bandit algorithms, the migration of 1,300 campaigns and 6 million products was completed in three weeks. Within two months,...
McKinsey Forecasts Agentic AI Could Run Two‑thirds of Marketing Tasks, Lift Revenue 10‑30%
McKinsey predicts that agentic AI will power as much as two‑thirds of marketing activities and could add 10‑30% to company revenue. The consultancy says the technology will shift marketers from isolated generative‑AI pilots to a unified, real‑time growth engine, demanding...
Netflix Expands Ad‑supported Tier, CPMs Fall to $20s, Ad Revenue up 16%
Netflix has rolled out a broader ad‑supported subscription tier, cutting CPMs to the low $20s and prompting a 16.2% jump in quarterly revenue to $12.25 bn. The move signals the streamer’s shift from experimental ad sales to a core revenue pillar.
Marketecture Media Hires Jackelyn Keller as CCO to Steer $1M Seed-Funded Growth
Marketecture Media announced Jackelyn Keller as its new chief commercial officer, a move timed with a fresh $1 million seed funding round. The hire is aimed at accelerating the company’s live‑event and content platform as it expands its media‑tech footprint.
VIOOH Expands Programmatic DOOH Reach Across Brazil’s Major Cities With We OOH Partnership
VIOOH, the global premium DOOH supply‑side platform, has partnered with Brazil’s We OOH to bring programmatic access to its extensive digital billboard network. The deal unlocks 320 screens that generate more than 1.3 billion monthly impressions, roughly 5% of the country’s...
One Billion Views and Counting: How Digital Publisher 'Brut' Is Rethinking Cannes for Gen Z
Since 2022, digital‑first outlet Brut has been the official producer and broadcaster of Cannes Film Festival’s online coverage, turning the traditionally elite event into a billion‑view digital experience. By repurposing red‑carpet moments into short‑form videos optimized for TikTok, Instagram Reels...
My Instore Radio Launches Reporting Feature to Track In‑Store Audio Campaigns
My Instore Radio unveiled a reporting feature that lets retailers see exactly how often each in‑store audio message plays and match that data to foot‑traffic patterns. The tool, available across single‑ and multi‑location setups, aims to turn a traditionally opaque...
Social Media Updates and New Features to Know This Week
Meta faces a class‑action lawsuit from the Consumer Federation of America alleging the company profited from scam ads that may represent roughly 10% of its revenue, raising questions about its enforcement practices. The tech giant also introduced a parental AI...
Ready, Set, Upfront
Amazon is preparing its third annual upfront event in New York, joining Netflix as a digital‑first challenger to traditional broadcasters for premium TV ad budgets. The company will showcase a full‑stack offering that combines Fire TV inventory, Amazon’s e‑commerce shopper...
Optimize Old Content for New Traffic with Quick SEO Fixes
Optimize Old Content = Get New Traffic Here are 10 quick fixes you can do to improve your SEO Rankings + AI Citations THIS WEEK: 1. Humanize AI Content 2. Improve your site speed 3. Add Schema where necessary 4. Optimize for AI search: no...
Near‑Zero Hit Rate Forces Relaunch Pause Until Meta Fixes
Same here. For the accounts seeing the degraded performance the hit rate is near 0. We keep notes and just plan to relaunch when things improve whenever Meta figures out the issues
Snapchat Users Will Soon Be Able to Chat Directly with Agentic Ads Served to Them Via DM
Snapchat will soon let its 900 million monthly active users chat directly with AI‑powered branded Snaps that appear in the Chat tab. The new "agentic‑ad" format turns a standard promoted Snap into an interactive conversation, where users can ask travel, retail...
LinkedIn Newsletters Now Outpacing External Platforms
I have a sneaking suspicion that LinkedIn is becoming a more valuable place to host a newsletter than an external platform, and they're leaning into that. Still keeping my external list, but the organic growth on the version I put on...
Sensationalism Fuels Profits, Education Gets Sidelined
Media Math… More Negative/Sensationalist = More Viewers = Higher Prices for Advertising = Larger Profits = Happier Shareholders Nowhere in the formula will you find educating, informing and empowering people. https://t.co/rcUyU7l7fT
Microsoft Prepares AI Max for Search Pilot Across Bing and Copilot
Microsoft Advertising will open an AI Max pilot in May, extending AI‑enhanced query matching and URL routing to Bing and Copilot Search campaigns. The tool adds brand, term and messaging controls, plus real‑time search‑term and asset reporting for advertisers who opt‑in....
Google Warns Sites About New Back‑button Hijacking Penalty
Google sends warning notices on the new back button hijacking search spam penalty to those sites that have them https://t.co/11SLR9bebx via @glenngabe https://t.co/I7A91hKzD3
Traffic without Conversions Is Just Content for Its Own Sake
A client insisted on going after a keyword I wasn't interested in. They liked the volume. We hit 1M clicks/mo. Got 14 sign-ups. LOL. Every page you publish should have one job: move someone closer to buying. If it doesn't, it's just content for content's...
Stagwell Eyes SaaS Growth With Agent Cloud Launch for SMBs
Stagwell’s Marketing Cloud has launched Agent Cloud, a new AI‑driven platform that bundles ten specialized marketing agents into a single toolkit for small and medium‑sized businesses. The offering is positioned as a subscription‑based SaaS solution that lets lean teams run full‑funnel...
What AI Means for Law Firm SEO
AI-driven answers from platforms like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini are reshaping how prospective clients discover legal services, often delivering information before a website click. This shift reduces traditional click‑through rates and forces law firms to compete with AI‑generated snippets. Firms...
You May Not Notice if an AI Chatbot Responds with Ads. Here’s How to Tell
Artificial intelligence chatbots are increasingly being used as covert advertising channels, embedding personalized product promotions directly into conversational replies. A recent ACM‑published study found that such embedded ads sway user choices, and most participants did not realize they were being...
Obligatory Registration at Radio-Canada: A Successful Gamble
Radio-Canada rolled out a mandatory registration wall across its iOS, Android, TV and web platforms on July 3 2024, becoming the first public broadcaster to do so. One year later the move delivered an 83% jump in monthly active accounts and a...
PR Packages: How Brands Use Product Seeding to Drive Awareness, UGC, and ROI
Product seeding is a low‑cost influencer marketing tactic where brands ship free products to creators, prompting authentic user‑generated content (UGC) that fuels awareness and sales. The approach leverages curated gifting, data tracking, and dedicated platforms to turn casual gifting into...