Maintaining Brand Safety and Integrity in the AI Slop Era
A recent AD Week House Possible panel, co‑hosted by Silverpush, highlighted the surge of low‑quality AI‑generated content—dubbed “AI slop”—and its threat to brand safety. Speakers from Silverpush, Best Friend Animal Society, and Crispin urged brands to create bespoke guardrails that define acceptable placements and to actively exclude AI slop that misaligns with brand values. The discussion noted that while some consumers tolerate AI‑filled feeds, mismatched content can erode authenticity. Panelists are optimistic that algorithms will eventually filter out true AI slop, leading to higher‑quality, purpose‑driven AI media.
Using Agentic AI to Connect Across the Funnel
Top marketers gathered at Brandweek’s ADWEEK House Possible session, co‑hosted with Mutinex, to discuss how AI is moving from hype to daily workflow. Speakers from Hershey, PubMatic, Breeze Airways and Mutinex emphasized that a solid data infrastructure is the prerequisite...
Borrell: Local Digital Ad Growth Slows as Share Wars Begin
Borrell Associates’ 24th annual Local Digital Advertising report shows that growth in local digital ad revenue has slipped to low single‑digit percentages, the slowest pace since the Great Recession. Digital now accounts for 72% of local ad spend, totaling about...
Attribution Gap in Agentic Search: How to Close It
A growing share of purchase decisions now occurs inside AI tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Mode, creating an “attribution gap” where analytics cannot record the influence. The gap appears as invisible brand mentions in AI answers and...
Why Direct Advertisers Are Making a Comeback in iGaming Affiliate Marketing
The iGaming affiliate landscape is seeing a resurgence of direct advertiser relationships, moving away from the traditional network‑centric model. Affiliates are opting for fewer, tightly managed offers to gain faster negotiations, flexible deal structures, and shorter feedback loops with product...
Australia’s Social Selling Is Booming, PayPal Data Shows
PayPal’s eCommerce Index shows that 67% of Australian businesses now sell through social media, making social selling a mainstream channel. Social platforms account for 11% of all online sales, rising to 14% among firms that actively use them. Small and...
Koddi and Comcast’s Universal Ads Ink Deal to Target Streaming Ads With Commerce Data
Koddi, a commerce‑media adtech firm, has partnered with Comcast’s self‑service platform Universal Ads to let advertisers purchase streaming inventory using first‑party shopper audiences. The integration opens access to ad slots from more than 20 publishers, including DirecTV, Fox, NBCUniversal, Paramount,...
A “Pay-For-Performance” Ad Industry? Brands And Agencies Will Need A Referee
WPP announced it will pivot toward fee structures tied to sales and brand performance, citing Jaguar Land Rover as a proof point. By 2026 the firm aims to generate 25% of Monks agency revenue from subscription‑based solutions rather than hourly...
A “Pay-For-Performance” Ad Industry? Brands And Agencies Will Need A Referee
WPP announced a strategic shift toward fee structures tied to measurable sales and brand performance, using Jaguar Land Rover as a pilot. By the end of 2026 the firm aims to generate 25% of Monks agency revenue from subscription‑based solutions rather than...
Some Micro Influencers Find Promising Security in Brand Ownership over Sponsorships
Micro influencers are turning to brand ownership and equity stakes as a hedge against platform volatility. Creator Colin Rocker recently invested seed capital in Favikon, hoping for a future IPO or acquisition, while the broader creator economy sees $13.7 billion in...
The End of the Walled Garden? Analysing Meta’s Strategic Pivot to Open AI Connectors
Meta is dismantling its traditional walled‑garden by releasing AI Connectors that use the open Model Context Protocol (MCP) to let third‑party agents manage ad accounts, diagnostics and product catalogs via natural‑language commands. This shift moves digital advertising from isolated generative...
The AI Illusion: Everyone’s a ‘Copywriter’ Now – and Brands Are Paying for It
AI‑generated copy is now so polished that marketers question the need for human copywriters, prompting cost‑cutting plans across the industry. A Wall Street Journal survey shows 36% of CMOs expect to eliminate copywriting roles within the next two years, while...
Havas Thailand Scores Marketing and Media Mandate for Budweiser 0.0 FIFA World Cup 2026™
Havas Thailand has been named the lead marketing and media partner for AB InBev’s Budweiser 0.0 FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in Thailand. The agency will combine data intelligence, media strategy and cultural insight to deliver a locally resonant yet globally consistent brand...
If Social Goes More Private, Where Do Brands Go Next?
The social media playbook is being upended as Instagram tests a standalone "Instants" app for one‑view, 24‑hour disappearing content and legacy Friendster re‑emerges as a private, friend‑to‑friend network. Alongside Snapchat and Locket, these platforms prioritize intimate, low‑pressure sharing over mass...
Google On Keyword Fragmentation And User Needs In AI Search via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
Google’s search product lead Liz Reid told Bloomberg’s Odd Lots that AI Mode and AI Overviews are prompting users to type longer, need‑based queries. These queries are fragmented by Google into multiple precise sub‑queries, which are then answered with synthesized...
Google On AI Search & Why Browsy Queries Favor Full SERPs via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
Google’s Liz Reid explained that AI Search, classic Search and the Gemini app coexist, creating a non‑monolithic search ecosystem. She introduced the term “browsy queries,” describing discovery‑level searches where users prefer a full SERP over a single AI‑generated answer. Reid...
RSA America, URM Stores Begin Digital Transformation Partnership
RSA America has partnered with URM Stores, a Spokane‑based wholesaler serving roughly 265 independent grocery retailers, to roll out a centrally managed loyalty, digital marketing, retail media and AI‑enabled commerce platform. More than 60 URM‑affiliated stores are already live, with...
Threads Expands Trending Topic Summaries to More Regions
Threads has expanded its AI‑generated trending‑topic summaries to Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan and Brazil, adding the feature to the Explore section in those markets. The summaries, first launched in the U.S. in February 2024, condense the most active conversations into short snippets...
Reddit Releases New Small Business Marketing Guide
Reddit unveiled a 13‑page guide aimed at small businesses seeking to leverage its growing advertising suite and highly engaged subreddit communities. The release follows a Q1 report showing Reddit’s ad revenue jumped 74% year‑over‑year, underscoring the platform’s rising role in...
Instagram Adds AI Creator Labels
Instagram introduced an “AI creator” label that creators can toggle on their profiles and posts, signaling regular use of generative‑AI tools. The label supersedes the existing “AI info” tag on individual pieces of content, aiming to reduce confusion and misinformation....
Everyone Is a Media Brand Now
OpenAI recently acquired the tech talk show TBPN, signaling a broader trend of companies turning into content studios. Brands from Adobe to Crocs are launching sitcoms, microdramas, and podcasts to capture fragmented consumer attention. Traditional ads are losing effectiveness as...
Why This Zoom Exec Built an Internal ‘SWAT Team’ to Prepare for AI Search
Zoom’s chief marketing officer Kimberly Storin has formed an internal “SWAT team” to ensure the video‑conferencing firm appears in AI‑driven search results. A recent G2 survey shows 87 percent of B2B buyers say AI reshapes their research, with half using chatbots...
LinksFrog Unveils Scalable SaaS-Focused Link Building Platform to Help Brands Drive Measurable SEO Growth
LinksFrog unveiled a SaaS‑focused link‑building platform that delivers high‑authority backlinks, guest posts, niche edits, and digital‑PR campaigns. The service targets digital‑first brands seeking scalable, white‑hat SEO growth and promises transparent performance tracking. Early client data show measurable lifts in search...
Adthena Launches Industry-First Tool for ChatGPT Ads Campaigns
Adthena unveiled ChatGPT AdBridge, a free migration tool that converts existing Google Ads campaigns into keyword and negative‑keyword lists ready for the new ChatGPT Ads platform. The solution uses AI to enrich keywords, broaden coverage and streamline negatives, then delivers...
Fox News Media Leads News Brands on YouTube in April
Fox News Media closed April as the top news brand on YouTube, racking up 605 million video views across its channels. The flagship Fox News YouTube channel alone delivered 471.9 million views, outpacing MS NOW, CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS. The network also...
How Video Marketing for Hotels Is Driving Direct Bookings
Hotels are turning to video marketing to replace static images and third‑party listings, aiming to boost direct bookings. Virtual tours, guest testimonial clips, and short social video ads engage travelers early in the planning process and keep them on hotel...
AI Search Visibility Index: Influencer Marketing Platforms, May 2026
Net Influencer and Grow and Convert analyzed how AI chat tools surface influencer‑marketing platforms. Across 40 query runs on ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, 50 platforms were mentioned, but visibility is heavily skewed toward the top....
Tracking Pixels, EU Regulators, and You: A Calm Person’s Guide to What Just Happened
In March and April 2026 France’s CNIL and Italy’s Garante issued guidance clarifying how the ePrivacy Directive and GDPR apply to email tracking pixels. Both regulators treat pixel data as ePrivacy‑subject, requiring consent unless a narrow exemption applies. France allows...
All Things Creator Marketing with Mae Karwowski
Mae Karwowski, founder and CEO of influencer agency Obviously, will speak at Marketing Brew’s "The Next Phase of Social & Creator Marketing" on May 12. She notes U.S. creator ad spend is expanding four times faster than the broader media...
A College Student Is Suing a Dating App that Allegedly Used Her TikTok Videos to Target Men in Her Dormitory
A 19‑year‑old University of Tennessee student has filed a lawsuit against the dating app Meete, alleging the company repurposed her TikTok video into an advertisement without permission and used geofencing to target men in her dormitory. The complaint, filed in...
How to Write Content That Lands With Decision Makers
B2B marketers are producing more content than ever, yet senior buyers rarely act on it. The guide argues that the root cause is a mismatch between content focus and the executive decisions readers must make. By reframing briefs around specific...
Google Fixes Search Console’s Year-Long Data Logging Issue – Well, Kind Of…
Google announced that it has resolved a logging error in Search Console that misreported impressions, click‑through rate (CTR) and average position from May 13, 2025 through April 27, 2026. The fix applies only to data collected after the announcement; historical data for the 50‑week...
DoorDash Delivers Memes, Reality TV Moms for Mother’s Day Campaign
DoorDash launched a Mother’s Day campaign that mixes meme‑driven video spots with a reality‑TV‑style series called “The Real Moms of the Group Chat.” The multichannel effort, built with Loop, Get Engaged Media and Gut Los Angeles, runs on Instagram, TikTok and...
The End of the Marketing Blast: Retail Enters the Conversation Era
Retail CRM Endear reports a 50% year‑over‑year rise in personalized messaging, signaling a move away from one‑off blasts toward continuous, relationship‑driven conversations. Email open rates now peak in February at 56.1%, outpacing the traditional November surge. Brands are integrating email,...
Is the Retail Media Network Gold Rush Over?
Retail media networks are moving from a gold‑rush expansion to a consolidation phase as marketers reallocate spend toward platforms that prove clear ROI. New data from Keen Decision Systems shows over a quarter of retail marketers pulling budget from RMNs...
The State of eCommerce for Marketers – 2026 Edition
The 2026 State of eCommerce for Marketers report shows a decisive pivot from user acquisition to re‑engagement as paid install volumes dip across more than 13 markets. Remarketing now commands a larger share of ad spend worldwide, while geopolitical tariffs...
Our Vision for Building an Open Ecosystem for the Agent Era
HubSpot announced an open, agent‑ready platform that exposes both its data layer—contacts, deals, tickets, and activity—and a new intelligence layer that delivers pre‑computed risk scores and benchmarks drawn from over 280,000 customers. The move lets third‑party AI agents run on...
7 Tools for Doing AEO Right Now
The article outlines a concise, seven‑tool stack for Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), focusing on four core solutions—AI assistants (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity), Profound, Google Trends/Keyword Planner, and Google Search Console + Analytics—and three emerging options: AI Trust Signals, Ahrefs, and Roadway AI. It...
Microsoft and Postel: An Innovative New Data and AI-Driven Solution to Optimize Italian SMEs' Relationships with Their Customers
Microsoft, Postel (a Poste Italiane Group company) and Audiencerate have expanded their partnership to launch a Marketing Data Platform that blends AI‑powered market intelligence, first‑party data, and omnichannel activation for Italian small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs). The solution integrates Postel’s...
Dollar General Launches Unified Retail Media Platform
Dollar General, together with Kevel and The Trade Desk, unveiled a unified retail media platform that merges its onsite ad inventory with offsite digital channels. The solution lets advertisers plan, execute and measure campaigns across the full purchase funnel from...
How RevOps Teams Should Adapt as Martech and Adtech Converge
As martech, adtech, and sales tech converge into a unified revenue stack, B2B firms must restructure RevOps from siloed support functions to a strategic hub. Centralizing RevOps under the CRO creates a single source of truth and aligns data flow...
Saudi Aviation Club Reveals Influencer Strategy that Led to 50 Million Views for Sand & Fun
Saudi Aviation Club partnered with Bold Influence to rebrand its Sand & Fun 2025 airshow from a pure aviation exhibition into a national lifestyle platform. The agency assembled a hybrid influencer roster—aviation specialists like Captain Joe and mass‑appeal creators such as Dr. Kholoud and...
Why AI Visibility Starts Before Search and Ends with Citations
The article argues that AI visibility now starts before a user types a query and ends with being cited by generative models. Influencing audiences across fragmented channels—social, news, niche communities—is essential because AI assistants pull from those signals when answering....
Is Influencer Campaign ROI Really That Hard to Measure?
Influencer marketing’s promised 11x return on investment is largely a myth, according to the latest guide from Influencer Marketing Hub. The article outlines practical frameworks for measuring campaign impact, including multi‑touch attribution, UTM parameters, and benchmark data from a survey...
The Best Time to Send an Email (2026 Research)
Omnisend analyzed roughly 26 billion emails to map optimal send times. The data shows Tuesdays generate the strongest open and click rates, while Fridays produce the highest conversion rates, especially at 7 AM. Open rates peak between 9 AM‑11 AM, clicks at 7‑8 AM and...
Could a Unified, Independent Measurement System for CTV Be Close?
Industry leaders at an ADWEEK House Possible chat highlighted that Connected TV (CTV) has become a powerful ad channel but still suffers from fragmented, opaque measurement. Viant’s recent acquisition of TVision, which uses camera‑based eye‑tracking to count viewers and gauge...
How Marketers Can Get Clean Incrementality Measurements in a Messy World
Marketers are under mounting pressure to prove the incremental impact of their spend, yet only about 8% of brands have a formal incrementality program. Panelists highlighted that attribution is both technically hard and organizationally fragmented, making it difficult to isolate...
Turning Complex Data Into Genuine Audience Connections
Brandweek highlighted how brands are moving beyond single‑source analytics to build richer audience profiles by layering multiple data sets, AI insights, and traditional research. Speakers from Inmar Media, HalloweenCostumes.com, and Mars showed that combining digital signals with human‑centered tactics—like co‑creation...
Upfronts Advertisers Say They Want Outcomes – And Amazon Licks Its Chops
Amazon Ads is pivoting to outcome‑based TV advertising as advertisers demand measurable sales impact. The company unveiled upgrades—including an expanded Prime Video Insights beta, a new long‑term sales metric, and longer measurement look‑back windows—leveraging its proprietary Authenticated Graph. This graph...
Upfronts Advertisers Say They Want Outcomes – And Amazon Licks Its Chops
Amazon Ads is rolling out a suite of measurement upgrades aimed at TV and streaming advertisers who are demanding outcome‑based buying. The new Prime Video Insights beta lets brands match first‑party data to specific genres and shows, while a long‑term...