
Omnicom Media has appointed Stevie Johnson as head of its UK influencer arm, Creo, to steer the agency group’s creator‑marketing capabilities. Creo, launched in 2025, unifies Omnicom’s influencer services and taps data partnerships across the creator ecosystem. Johnson, formerly managing director at Disrupt and senior leader at Open Influence and Brandbassador, will deliver audience‑first, data‑led strategies that integrate influencers into full‑funnel campaigns. The move underscores the growing importance of the creator economy as a core media channel.
Amazon announced an open‑beta of its Ads Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server, a unified gateway that lets AI agents connect to Amazon Ads with a single integration. The MCP translates natural‑language prompts into structured API calls, turning multi‑step advertising tasks...
Moore, a leading constituent experience management firm, announced Dan Thain as its new chief integrated creative officer. Thain will set the strategic direction for Moore’s integrated creative function and oversee the digital creative team, leveraging his background in nonprofit fundraising...

A Chrome extension called Amazon Ads Blocker, marketed as an ad‑hider, was found to silently replace creator affiliate tags on Amazon product links with its own identifier (10xprofit‑20). Socket researchers discovered the extension injects the tag on page load and...

The article urges marketers to integrate competitive research for both traditional SEO and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) in 2026. It contrasts the benefits of SEO tools—keyword intent, demand capture—with AEO tools that shape demand, influence early‑funnel decisions, and dictate brand...
Google Ads has replaced its traditional support form with an AI‑driven chat agent, accessible via the usual support URL. The chatbot introduces itself as an AI advisor, prompting users to describe issues before offering assistance or escalating to human help....

The article argues that the long‑standing in‑house versus agency debate overlooks the real paid‑media challenge: how performance leadership is structured. Companies often see campaigns run smoothly, yet growth stalls because tracking, strategic ownership, and systematic testing are weak. The author...

Google has dramatically increased ad presence on search results that feature AI Overviews, jumping from 5.17% in March 2025 to 25.56% by October—a 394% rise. The growth is uneven across placements, with bottom‑of‑SERP ads now appearing on roughly a quarter...

Custom Channels has launched a unified in‑store engagement platform that links audio promotions with digital signage and loyalty applications, aiming to influence purchase decisions at the point of sale. The solution moves music from background ambience to a data‑driven communication...

A proposal by David E. Weekly suggests a new HTML attribute on the element to label AI‑generated sections of a page. It aims to meet the EU AI Act Article 50 requirement for machine‑readable AI content disclosure, addressing the gap...

Motorsport UK has selected digital agency Engage to spearhead a long‑term strategic transformation, beginning with a comprehensive website refresh. The governing body, representing over 100,000 members across grassroots to elite racing, aims to modernise its digital presence, improve accessibility, and...

Havas Helia has secured a three‑year extension—potentially up to 2030—to continue managing Avanti West Coast’s CRM and loyalty programmes after a five‑agency pitch. The renewal builds on a partnership that began in 2020 and includes full‑service delivery from acquisition strategy...

Faire and Spring Fair have launched the "Voices of Retail" campaign, a national survey inviting UK independent retailers to share insights via a five‑minute questionnaire available at the Spring Fair exhibition and online. The survey runs until 2 March 2026 and will...
Mobile app developers must move beyond acquisition to a nuanced monetization strategy that blends multiple revenue streams. A hybrid mix of in‑app purchases, ads, and subscriptions mitigates market volatility while increasing lifetime value. Understanding user segments and behavioral signals enables...

Primark has introduced a new youth‑focused label called The Primark Scene, aimed at Gen Z shoppers who feel underserved by traditional kids’ ranges and adult fashion. The line, shaped over an 18‑month research period with direct input from teenagers, features low‑rise...

Estée Lauder’s MAC brand is launching a first‑ever beauty partnership with resale platform Depop to tap Gen‑Z shoppers. The collaboration features influencers Jordyn Woods and Leah Kateb curating wardrobes, with each purchase rewarding buyers a MAC lipstick and custom Depop...

Jennifer Lai, a former Adidas and Dyson executive, has joined Gymshark to design and launch its first North American brick‑and‑mortar stores. She will oversee expansion, operations and people, creating a community‑first retail experience that mirrors the brand’s digital DNA. Lai...
TikTok announced its first large‑scale Live Fest, scheduled for February 12 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Emmy‑winner Keke Palmer will host a showcase that mixes Hollywood star Demi Lovato with top global TikTok creators and competition winners across multiple creator leagues. The...
TikTok announced its 2026 Black History Month showcase, spotlighting a curated roster of #BlackTikTok creators across fashion, entertainment, sports, food and more. The platform highlighted an 11‑fold increase in unique #BlackTikTok posts since 2020 and promised in‑app exposure, branded‑account promotion,...
Meta has upgraded its Creator Marketplace with smarter recommendation engines that surface creators who have previously engaged with a brand, tagged its products, or shown explicit interest. The platform now includes a “Similar Creators” search that mirrors top‑performing past partners...
With AI chatbots and shopping agents siphoning organic visits, ecommerce marketers are shifting toward smarter ad targeting to sustain growth in 2026. A Harvard Business Review survey shows 74% of U.S. adults 18‑30 used an AI chatbot in the past...

David Brackin shows eBay sellers how a manual bulk relist of stale inventory can dramatically boost visibility without spending on Promoted Listings. By ending and restarting the bottom third of low‑engagement listings during their scheduled renewal, the items receive a...

Tapjoy, now part of Unity, has rebuilt its offerwall publisher dashboard to deliver a unified, data‑rich interface. The redesign adds advanced filtering, dynamic visual reports, and new app‑level metrics such as DAU, DUV, and DUC. A refreshed placement page gives...

WordPress unveiled wp‑playground, an AI agent skill that integrates with the Playground CLI to spin up a full WordPress sandbox instantly. The skill automatically mounts generated code, launches the site, and provides built‑in scripts that shrink startup time from roughly...
App store screenshots are the decisive first‑impression element that can turn a casual browse into a download. Effective screenshots tell a concise story, highlighting core benefits and guiding users through the app’s value proposition. AI‑driven screenshot generators now let developers...
The blog revisits the Long Tail theory, noting how platforms like YouTube and Netflix shifted consumer choice from a few hits to millions of options. It argues that large language models now push this trend further, enabling AI to generate...
Financial services lead generation has become a critical growth engine for wealth‑management and advisory firms as investors shift to digital research. The article outlines how compliance‑heavy, trust‑driven environments require a blend of content marketing, SEO, precise paid ads, email nurturing,...

Kirk Williams, founder of PPC micro‑agency Zato, warns that taking on mis‑aligned clients is the biggest mistake agencies make. He identifies emotional, time, and financial taxes that accrue when expectations and agency capabilities diverge. By overhauling his discovery process to...
In the debut episode of Google Ads Decoded, Eleanor Stribling outlined a two‑phase roadmap for GA4. In the short term, Google plans to turn GA4 into a cross‑channel, full‑funnel measurement hub that unifies media data. Over the next three‑plus years,...
Google rolled out several product tweaks on January 30, 2026, including a test of third‑party endorsement content in search ads, new one‑click previews for Performance Max campaigns, and official help documentation for Preferred Sources. At the same time, Google Business Profile review appeals...
Intentsify, a global B2B intent‑data provider, announced the acquisition of Salutary Data, a specialist in curated contacts and company intelligence. The deal marks Intentsify’s second strategic purchase in two years and follows a 21% overall revenue increase and 50% growth...

Search Engine Land outlines seven custom GPT prompts that let SEO teams automate routine workflows, from annual project planning to technical audits. Each prompt includes setup steps, example inputs, and optional integrations with tools like Google Analytics, Ahrefs, and Slack....
Stacker, the earned‑media distribution platform, has announced a strategic partnership with AI analytics firm Scrunch to embed AI search visibility and citation reporting directly into its product. The integration merges Scrunch’s data on prompt responses, brand mentions and citations with...
Market My Website announced early access to an AI‑powered analytics assistant aimed at founders and solo operators. The tool links directly to Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console, delivering a concise weekly report that highlights traffic shifts, conversion issues,...

Google is piloting a new feature that places third‑party endorsement content directly within Search ad descriptions. The format will display the endorsing site’s name, logo, and a brief testimonial beneath the ad copy. This test aims to leverage external credibility...
Google has published official help documentation for its Preferred Sources feature, which lets users designate trusted news sites in Google Search. The feature, rolled out globally after earlier releases in the US, India, and a beta phase, influences Top Stories...

Google Ads click volume can tumble for several reasons, most commonly a dip in Quality Score, reduced impression share, disruptive ad changes, or aggressive competitor bidding. Benchmarks show average CTRs ranging from 1.4 % on Shopify sites to 6.66 % across all...

Google released the SAGE research paper, introducing a dual‑agent system that automatically generates complex question‑answer pairs for training AI search agents. Existing datasets like Musique and HotpotQA average fewer than three search steps, leaving a gap for deep‑research tasks. SAGE’s...

The 28th annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (CLEI) identifies Levi Strauss, Walmart and Amazon as the top loyalty leaders for 2026, alongside sector champions such as Dick’s, Costco and Whole Foods. The study highlights a rapid rise in...

Ad fraud is escalating into a systemic threat that undermines the digital economy’s trust. In 2024 mobile ad fraud rose 21% and programmatic scams siphoned nearly $50 billion, while the ad‑fraud detection market is set to exceed $2 billion by 2034. Dhiraj...

The post traces advertising from early display ads and direct‑marketing concepts to today’s searchable, intent‑based model. Google refined paid placement by keeping a clear line between organic results and sponsored listings, turning tiny clicks into multi‑million‑dollar revenues. Amazon, however, blurred...

Xumo, the Comcast‑Charter streaming joint venture, has linked its premium CTV inventory to The Trade Desk’s OpenPath through FreeWheel, creating the first direct‑supply path of its kind. The integration gives advertisers programmatic access to more than 60 million monthly active users...

Canada’s retail sector shows mixed signals as e‑commerce orders surged 20% in 2025 while payroll employment slipped 1.5% in November. Major players are investing heavily: GoodLife Fitness rolled out a year‑long multichannel campaign, Empire Company expects a $95 million operating‑income lift...

GoodLife Fitness, Canada’s largest fitness‑club chain, unveiled a national marketing campaign titled “Canada’s Gym. Built Here, Built for Everyone.” The rollout coincides with the opening of 14 new locations in 2026, including two clubs focused exclusively on women’s programming. The...

Fine jewelry has become the standout performer in luxury, outpacing fashion and leather goods. LVMH’s watches and jewelry division posted an 8% earnings increase in 2025, driven by Bulgari and Tiffany & Co.’s repositioning. Richemont similarly benefits from its jewelry...

Canadian ecommerce order volume jumped 20% year‑over‑year in 2025, but the surge was unevenly distributed. The top 10% of brands captured half of all order growth, highlighting a widening performance gap. Shoppers engaged with marketing less often, yet those interactions...

The article exposes how most Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) are vague wish‑lists and introduces a MarketFit Method that frames the ICP as three testable hypotheses—targeting, need, and solution. It adds a three‑layer targeting model (firmographics, persona, behavioral signals) to turn...
Decathlon has launched a dedicated mobile app for iOS and Android that consolidates its full product catalog, promotions, membership benefits, and order management in a single interface. Shoppers can browse inventory, check in‑store stock, scan barcodes for detailed product data,...
X has struck a partnership with Warner Brothers Discovery to deliver exclusive Winter Olympics content across Europe and the U.K. The deal merges X’s real‑time sports conversation engine with Eurosport and TNT Sports broadcast feeds, while integrating HBO Max and discovery+ streams. Brands...
LinkedIn’s latest quarter posted a record $5 billion in revenue, marking the first time the platform crossed that threshold. Membership climbed to 1.3 billion, with double‑digit growth reported across new regions. Active‑user estimates hover around 450 million, roughly 36 % of the EU base,...