News•Jan 28, 2026
TMW Reigns Supreme in Major Accenture Song Shake-Out
Accenture Song has officially retired the Unlimited brand, a move that follows TMW’s earlier decision to drop the name and marks a broader restructuring of the firm’s UK marketing practice. Nelson Bostock, Sport Unlimited and Unlimited Health have been folded into the TMW umbrella, with the former becoming part of TMW’s B2B Communications division and the latter merging with the Life Sciences unit. Rebecca Bezzina’s remit now covers the UK, Ireland, Africa and the wider EMEA region, while former Unlimited CEO Chris Mellish remains TMW CEO. The reshuffle is part of Accenture Song’s effort to consolidate more than 40 acquisitions under a single profit‑and‑loss structure.
By DecisionMarketing
News•Jan 28, 2026
Gemini 3 Powering Google AI Overviews Globally
Google has made Gemini 3 the default model for AI Overviews on its search engine worldwide. The new model delivers concise, context‑aware answers directly on the results page, replacing earlier pilots of Gemini 3 Pro for complex queries. The rollout starts in English...
By Search Engine Roundtable
News•Jan 28, 2026
Visible2 Launches as Independent AI Visibility Consultancy Focused on AI-Driven Search and Discovery
Visible2 has launched as an independent AI visibility consultancy helping businesses understand how artificial‑intelligence systems interpret, trust, and recommend websites in AI‑driven search. The firm moves beyond traditional SEO, focusing on structural and semantic signals that influence AI recommendation engines....
By AiThority
News•Jan 28, 2026
Fasturtle Rebrands as FT Media, Marking 25 Years of Growth and the Launch of a New Era in Marketing and...
Fasturtle has rebranded as FT Media, marking its 25‑year anniversary and a shift toward integrated digital marketing, sales automation, and CRM solutions. The new FT Media brand introduces DealRx, a proprietary CRM platform that unifies lead management and pipeline tracking...
By MarTech Series
News•Jan 28, 2026
What Are URL Parameters? A Guide on How to Use Them
The article explains what URL parameters (or query strings) are, how they’re structured, and why they’re essential for filtering, personalization, pagination, search, session tracking, and campaign analytics. It highlights the SEO risks they pose, such as duplicate content, wasted crawl...
By Semrush Blog
News•Jan 28, 2026
What Recession Pop Reveals About the Psychology of Nostalgia
The resurgence of “recession pop” sees millennials and older Gen Z gravitating toward late‑2000s music, fashion and media as a comfort amid economic volatility. Marketers are recognizing nostalgia not just as a creative hook but as a measurable audience signal that...
By Retail Customer Experience
News•Jan 28, 2026
Google Exploring Ways To Allow Sites To Opt Out Of AI Overviews & AI Mode
Google announced it is exploring new controls that would let website owners opt out of having their content used in Search’s generative AI features, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. The move follows the UK Competition and Markets Authority’s...
By Search Engine Roundtable
News•Jan 28, 2026
12 Alternative Search Engines to Try (Instead of Google)
The article lists twelve search‑engine alternatives to Google, emphasizing how each can serve different user needs. It highlights Bing as a standout option, noting its AI‑powered Copilot chat, integrated result sources, and a rewards program that grants points for queries....
By Semrush Blog
News•Jan 28, 2026
Medialab Raids Brainlabs for New Chief Product Officer
Medialab has appointed Mark Syal, former global chief product officer at Brainlabs, as its new chief product officer. Syal will sharpen the agency’s product vision, scale digital delivery, and enhance its Apollo operating system. He brings five years of product...
By DecisionMarketing
News•Jan 28, 2026
Digital Element Announces NAT Detector — Industry’s New Standard for Accurate IP Geolocation and Risk Intelligence
Digital Element launched NAT Detector, a new feature in its NetAcuity IP intelligence platform that identifies Network Address Translation (NAT) and Carrier‑Grade NAT connections. The tool flags shared‑IP environments, helping advertisers, security teams, DRM providers, and fintech firms interpret IP...
By MarTech Series
News•Jan 28, 2026
PubMatic Expands Commercial Leadership Team to Accelerate Buy-Side and Publisher Growth
PubMatic announced a major expansion of its commercial leadership, appointing Joseph Dressler as SVP of Advertiser Solutions (Brands) and Bill McLaughlin as SVP of Advertiser Solutions (Agencies). The new team will accelerate adoption of PubMatic’s AI‑driven AgenticOS and Agentic Accelerator...
By MarTech Series
News•Jan 28, 2026
MetaRouter Strengthens Executive Leadership Team to Accelerate Global Growth in AI-Ready Marketing and Commerce Infrastructure
MetaRouter announced three senior executive hires—Ana Laura Zain as chief marketing officer, Jason Bagg as chief financial officer, and Jon Flugstad as chief business officer—to strengthen its leadership as it scales a privacy‑first, AI‑ready data orchestration platform. The appointments bring...
By MarTech Series
News•Jan 28, 2026
TikTok Partners with Fluency to Grow Its New Automotive Ads Category
TikTok has teamed with Fluency to embed its new automotive ad category into Fluency’s Digital Advertising Operating System. The integration lets agencies and brands launch, manage, and optimize TikTok automotive ads—such as Product Cards and Multi‑link Carousels—directly from a single...
By MarTech Series
News•Jan 28, 2026
Why Ethical Products Struggle to Sell — and the Simple Pricing Fix That Could Change That
New research from Toronto Metropolitan University finds ethical products can boost sales by offering the same shelf price as conventional items but in slightly smaller, clearly labeled quantities. Six experiments with about 2,500 shoppers in Canada, the United States and...
By Retail Insider Canada
News•Jan 28, 2026
GASPARD PREMIER Charts Measured Growth as Niche Fragrance Maker Leans on Small-Batch Model
GASPARD PREMIER, a Montreal‑based niche fragrance and skincare label, has sustained growth by producing ultra‑small batches of natural, botanical‑based products. Founder Raphaël Gaspard keeps production, bottling and distribution under one roof, resulting in frequent sell‑outs, including two December launches. The...
By Retail Insider Canada
News•Jan 28, 2026
Science-Led CX: Why Proof Builds Loyalty in Health Retail
Health‑focused retailers are moving beyond flashy trends to a science‑led customer experience, where proof of efficacy replaces hype. Consumers in wellness, skincare and family‑health categories now demand clinical backing, clear ingredient origins and regulatory compliance before they commit. Brands like...
By Inside Retail Australia
News•Jan 28, 2026
What Jaimee Vilela Learnt Building a $3m Haircare Business
Jaimee Vilela grew Cooki from $179,000 to $3 million in revenue by keeping the business capital‑light and founder‑led. She limited growth channels to Meta advertising for acquisition and email for retention, avoiding agencies, investors and extra staff. A strategic rebrand from...
By Inside Retail Australia
News•Jan 27, 2026
X Launches ‘Brand Ranx’ to Measure Super Bowl Ad Response
X has launched Brand Ranx, a new mini‑site that tracks Super Bowl ad performance using real‑time discussion on its platform. The tool ranks campaigns in four categories—most loved, most talked about, most shared, and most disruptive outside TV—mirroring Twitter’s former...
By Social Media Today
News•Jan 27, 2026
Edits Gets Simplified Copy and Paste, Improved Track Linking
Meta’s Edits app introduced a copy‑and‑paste feature for fonts and clips, enabling creators to maintain visual consistency across projects while saving time. A new drop‑down menu centralizes access to guides, frames, and snapping tools, simplifying the mobile editing workflow. The...
By Social Media Today
News•Jan 27, 2026
Bing Webmaster Tools Testing New AI Performance Report
Microsoft is testing a new AI Performance report within Bing Webmaster Tools, offering beta‑level visibility into how often Bing Chat and Copilot cite a site. The report displays daily citation counts, cited pages, grounding queries, and query intent, but it...
By Search Engine Land
News•Jan 27, 2026
Stadium Goods’ Strategy Behind a 268% Jump in Email Revenue
Stadium Goods lifted email revenue 268% YoY on Black Friday after a year of CRM overhaul. The company reactivated cold subscribers, shifted merchandising to spotlight high‑demand sneaker drops like the Air Jordan 4 “Black Cat,” and streamlined the email‑to‑checkout flow by...
By Total Retail
News•Jan 27, 2026
Meta Cleans up as ‘High Risk’ Dodgy Finance Ads Spread
Meta’s ad platform is exposing users to an estimated 15 billion high‑risk finance advertisements each day, generating roughly $7 billion in annual revenue. A study by BrokerChooser of over 1,200 active finance ads found that 43.36% of UK‑targeted ads are classified as...
By DecisionMarketing
News•Jan 27, 2026
How Brands Can Drive Change in the Automotive Space
In 2026 vehicles will evolve from static media channels into rolling operating systems that deliver real‑time, contextual brand experiences. Early pilots in China already show drivers receiving traffic‑aware prompts and personalized content, a model that can expand globally as connected...
By DecisionMarketing
News•Jan 27, 2026
GRIN Opens Instant, Self-Serve Access to Its Creator Marketing Platform
GRIN, a leading creator management platform, introduced instant, self‑serve access with month‑to‑month pricing, eliminating demos, contracts, and long‑term commitments. The new offering includes a 30‑day free trial and credit‑card billing, allowing brands of any size to launch and scale creator...
By MarTech Series
News•Jan 27, 2026
MGID and Marfeel Mark One Year of Partnership, Enhancing Real-Time Monitoring of Editorial Performance for Publishers
MGID celebrates the one‑year anniversary of its partnership with Marfeel, embedding Marfeel’s advanced analytics into the MGID+ suite. The integration delivers real‑time and historical content performance data, revenue analytics, and audience insights across all publisher sites. By combining content metrics...
By MarTech Series
News•Jan 27, 2026
AirOps Launches Page360, the First Unified Content Performance Layer for the AI Search Era
AirOps unveiled Page360, a unified data layer that brings together SEO metrics, web analytics, and AI search signals into a single real‑time dashboard. The platform lets marketers see how content performs across Google Search, AI assistants like ChatGPT, and engagement...
By MarTech Series
News•Jan 27, 2026
Google Posts Tips To Write Better Review Replies
Google has refreshed its Business Profiles help center, adding a dedicated section on crafting better review replies. The guidance emphasizes friendly, concise, and professional responses, urging merchants to avoid sales pitches and only reply when they have new, relevant information....
By Search Engine Roundtable
News•Jan 27, 2026
Google Search Ranking Volatility Remains Super Heated
Google’s search algorithm has entered a period of heightened volatility, with notable update spikes on January 6, 15, 21 and a lingering effect from the December 2025 core update. Multiple SEO monitoring platforms—including Semrush, Mozcast, and SERPstat—show synchronized ranking swings across the board. Publishers...
By Search Engine Roundtable
News•Jan 27, 2026
IPA Reveals Why Investing in Trust Pays Big Dividends
The IPA Effectiveness Databank analysis of 812 campaigns shows that advertising focused on building brand trust delivers markedly stronger business results. Ninety‑three percent of campaigns reporting very large trust gains also recorded at least one very large business effect, compared...
By DecisionMarketing
News•Jan 27, 2026
EU Puts Google’s AI and Search Data Under DMA Spotlight
The European Commission has launched two formal specification proceedings under the Digital Markets Act to dictate how Google must share Android AI capabilities and anonymized search data with rivals. The moves target Google’s control over hardware features used by its...
By Search Engine Land
News•Jan 27, 2026
Oreo Creme Egg Cookie Channels the Spoilt Nepo-Baby
Mondelez International is rolling out a limited‑edition Oreo Creme Egg Cookie, blending two iconic UK confectionery brands. The “Born of Two Icons” campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, leans into a tongue‑in‑cheek nepo‑baby narrative across OOH, DOOH, radio, social and podcast channels throughout the...
By DecisionMarketing
News•Jan 27, 2026
Walmart Connect Mexico Taps Advertima for In-Store Retail Media Strategy
Walmart Connect Mexico has teamed with Advertima to deploy Audience AI sensors across hundreds of Walmart Supercenters, creating a large‑scale in‑store audience intelligence network. The 3D sensors capture shop‑floor activity over 30 meters and support multi‑zone zoning, feeding data to both digital...
By Retail Customer Experience
News•Jan 27, 2026
Virgin Wines Reports Strong Christmas Trading
Virgin Wines UK posted a 5% year‑on‑year revenue increase during the Christmas period, driven by a 40% surge in new customers. In the six months to 2 January, total revenue rose 2% to £34.7 million, with commercial partnerships and corporate gifting outperforming...
By The Retail Bulletin
News•Jan 27, 2026
Krispy Kreme Jumps Aboard Ark for Advertising Rethink
Krispy Kreme has hired Ark Agency as its lead creative partner for the UK and Ireland, aiming to revamp its advertising in response to the UK’s new Less Healthy Food (LHF) legislation. The law, effective Jan. 5, imposes a near‑total ban...
By DecisionMarketing
News•Jan 27, 2026
Hackers Exploit SEO Poisoning to Target Users Seeking Legitimate Tools
Hackers are leveraging SEO poisoning to push malicious ZIP archives that contain BAT scripts masquerading as legitimate tools. The fraudulent pages rank highly in search results, directing users to fake repositories where the scripts contact command‑and‑control servers and download remote...
By GBHackers On Security
News•Jan 27, 2026
Visa Urges Banks to Rethink Loyalty Beyond Credit Card Rewards
Visa is urging banks to move beyond credit‑card‑centric loyalty programs toward contextual, data‑driven rewards. Margin pressure on interchange fees and the proliferation of consumer loyalty accounts are forcing banks to seek new funding sources, such as merchant‑backed offers. Visa’s suite...
By PYMNTS
News•Jan 27, 2026
95% of Shoppers Research Influencer Picks Before Buying
A new PYMNTS Intelligence study of 3,196 U.S. consumers finds that influencers act more as discovery catalysts than direct sales drivers. While 56% of shoppers purchase an influencer‑recommended item at least once a year, 95% conduct additional research before checkout,...
By PYMNTS
News•Jan 27, 2026
Canadian Retailers Urged to Build Trust and Personalization Through Technology: SOTI Study
Canadian retailers are under pressure to rebuild consumer trust and deliver personalized experiences as inflation curtails spending, according to SOTI’s latest global retail tech study. The survey of 1,000 Canadians shows 83% are shopping more carefully, while 53% expect retailers...
By Retail Insider Canada
News•Jan 27, 2026
Sam Altman Says OpenAI “Screwed Up” GPT-5.2 Writing Quality via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Sam Altman publicly acknowledged that OpenAI "screwed up" the writing quality of GPT‑5.2, noting it feels unwieldy compared to the earlier GPT‑4.5. The company deliberately prioritized technical strengths—reasoning, coding, and engineering—over prose in the 5.2 release. GPT‑4.5 was marketed for...
By Search Engine Journal
News•Jan 27, 2026
Why the Brain Rejects Ads Marketers Love
The article presents a five‑question framework—attention, memory, choice, trust, and emotion—derived from cognitive psychology to evaluate ad effectiveness. It shows how inattentional blindness, the serial‑position effect, choice overload, thin‑slicing, and emotional resonance shape a viewer’s split‑second decisions. Practical tips include...
By MarTech Series
News•Jan 27, 2026
Aligne Appoints Ellie Dickinson as Global DTC Director
Aligne, the London‑based contemporary womenswear label, has named Ellie Dickinson as its global Direct‑to‑Consumer (DTC) director. Dickinson arrives from a commercial director role at Australian brand Dissh, where she oversaw the UK, EU and US markets since September 2024. Her...
By The Retail Bulletin
News•Jan 27, 2026
Seeing Through the Marketing Data Mirage - and How to Avoid It!
DemandScience’s 2026 State of Performance Marketing reveals a pervasive "Marketing Data Mirage," where 99% of marketers rely on signals that don’t reflect real buyer intent. AI tools amplify the problem by producing generic, non‑data‑driven content that erodes brand distinction. The...
By Diginomica
News•Jan 27, 2026
What Does It Mean to Be Visible in an AI-Curated World?
AI is reshaping FMCG product discovery by moving visibility from shelf placement to algorithmic shortlists that act as trusted advisers. Brands that lack structured, natural‑language product data risk disappearing from these AI‑curated conversations. Experts cite earned‑media signals—reviews, awards, editorial coverage—as...
By Inside Retail Australia
![LinkedIn Shares Tips on How to Boost Organic Posts [Infographic]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/bf0ec38bafdf50231836edfbd95f9d5c.webp)
News•Jan 26, 2026
LinkedIn Shares Tips on How to Boost Organic Posts [Infographic]
LinkedIn has published an infographic detailing how marketers can use its paid “Boost” feature to amplify organic posts, mirroring Facebook’s simple boost workflow. The tool now supports boosting content created by other members, extending reach beyond a brand’s own updates....
By Social Media Today
News•Jan 26, 2026
Are Social Platform Subscriptions Becoming More Accepted?
Elon Musk predicts paid social will dominate, citing X Premium’s modest 1.5 million subscribers as a proof‑of‑concept. Major platforms—Meta, Snapchat, LinkedIn, YouTube—have launched or expanded subscription tiers that offer verification, ad‑free viewing, and exclusive tools. These add‑ons serve dual purposes: new...
By Social Media Today
News•Jan 26, 2026
ChatGPT Ads Come with Premium Prices — and Limited Data
OpenAI is rolling out ads inside ChatGPT at roughly $60 CPM, about three times the cost of typical Meta placements. Advertisers will receive only high‑level metrics—total impressions and clicks—without insight into downstream actions such as purchases. The first wave targets...
By Search Engine Land
News•Jan 26, 2026
How to Build a High-Quality Local Business Database That Drives Real Growth
Local businesses increasingly rely on high‑quality databases to drive sales and marketing efficiency. Fragmented lists and outdated spreadsheets cost time and revenue, while a systematic, verified data set enables precise targeting and stronger customer relationships. The article outlines a step‑by‑step...
By TechBullion
News•Jan 26, 2026
ADWEEK to Debut the Super Bowl AI Influence Index
ADWEEK is partnering with AI‑search startup Emberos to debut the first Real‑Time AI Influence Index on Super Bowl 60 day, displaying the top seven advertisers based on their visibility in generative search engines. The index, embedded on ADWEEK.com’s sidebar, updates live...
By Adweek AI
News•Jan 26, 2026
From Cringe to Fandom: Social Media Reigns Supreme
We Are Social’s "Think Forward 2026" study finds 95% of marketers view social media as essential for brand building, with 63% already leveraging social selling and another 17% planning to start. AI‑generated content is flooding feeds, prompting a pivot toward...
By DecisionMarketing
News•Jan 26, 2026
Researchers Uncover “Haxor” SEO Poisoning Marketplace
Security researchers uncovered the HaxorSEO (HxSEO) marketplace, a Telegram and WhatsApp‑based service that sells over 1,000 malicious backlinks from compromised, decades‑old domains. Each listing includes trust scores such as domain authority and is priced at $6, allowing threat actors to...
By Infosecurity Magazine