Expedia Bets on Creator-Led Marketing with IShowSpeed Partnership
Expedia has signed a global partnership with livestream star IShowSpeed to capture Gen Z travelers, launching a Caribbean‑focused, 12‑hour livestream and a dedicated Exspeedia.com hub. The campaign blends real‑time travel discovery with fan‑driven interactivity, allowing users to watch behind‑the‑scenes footage, book trips, and vote on future destinations. Expedia will extend the initiative to major North American cities and offers a chance to meet IShowSpeed for customers who book full trips. The move reflects a broader industry shift toward creator‑led advertising, with creator ad spend projected at $44 billion this year.
Retail Media Silos, Measurement, and Misconceptions Continue to Stymie Growth
Retail media spend is projected to near $70 billion in 2024, yet growth remains uneven. Amazon and Walmart dominate the market, using scale and first‑party data that smaller retailers can’t easily replicate. Executives at an ADWEEK House forum highlighted persistent challenges...
Will Social Media Bans Reshape the Future of Marketing?
A wave of social‑media bans targeting users under 16 is reshaping how marketers reach younger audiences. Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia have already enacted strict age‑verification rules with fines up to roughly $33 million USD, while U.S. states impose varied limits and...
Tapper Appoints Steven Ghoussain as Head of Data Science as Regional Expansion Continues
Tapper, the traffic‑quality platform serving Google, Meta, TikTok and mobile‑app advertisers, has named Steven Ghoussain as Head of Data and AI. Ghoussain arrives with senior fraud‑prevention and machine‑learning experience from Careem, Emirates NBD and Uber. In his new role he will steer...
CallRail Connects Voice Assist to HubSpot, Bringing Real-Time Customer Context to Every Call
CallRail announced an upgrade to its HubSpot integration, enabling the AI‑powered Voice Assist to pull CRM data in real time as a call begins. The assistant instantly matches returning callers, delivers personalized greetings, and skips questions already stored in HubSpot,...
SEO Is Filed Under Marketing — That’s The Whole Problem via @Sejournal, @Pedrodias
The article argues that SEO’s chronic placement under marketing creates a structural flaw: SEOs are accountable for technical site elements they cannot control. This “responsibility without authority” forces them to negotiate with engineering for changes, often unsuccessfully. The mismatch between...
Omnicom Routinizes Agentic Buys, Compresses Media Supply Chain
Omnicom has moved its home‑grown OMNI platform from pilot to routine use, employing an agentic media‑buying protocol that enables direct, agent‑to‑agent transactions with publishers. The approach, described as a way to shorten the media supply chain, is powered by the...
Bloomreach Launches Loomi AI for Shopify: A Single App for Personalizing the Entire Customer Journey
Bloomreach unveiled Loomi AI for Shopify, an embedded app that links Shopify stores directly to Bloomreach’s AI‑driven marketing and search suite. The solution lets merchants personalize search, browse, email, SMS and on‑site experiences using real‑time customer, product and commerce data,...
Ndovesha AI Launches Unified AI Agent Platform for Marketing, Content Creation and Digital Growth
Ndodesha AI unveiled an expanded all‑in‑one AI agent platform that lets businesses generate marketing assets, automate content creation, and launch digital properties from a single workspace. The suite includes agents for social media images, ad creatives, videos, logos, landing pages,...
Can AI Support Solo Advisors and Their Content Marketing Goals?
The article examines how solo financial advisors can leverage AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini for content marketing. It highlights AI’s strength in brainstorming topics and repurposing existing material, which can accelerate LinkedIn posts, newsletters, and blog creation. However,...
How Brands Block AI Crawlers & Then Pay To Get Seen: The Protection Paradox via @Sejournal, @Billhunt
The article defines the "Protection Paradox": B2B brands lock premium content behind lengthy forms, which removes it from search and AI discovery, then pay third‑party aggregators to surface the same ideas for a fee. This self‑tax leads companies to buy...
The Confidence Layer: Building Data Foundations Marketers Can Trust
The May 6 MarTech Conference will host a panel titled “The confidence layer: Building data foundations marketers can trust.” Moderated by Cyndi Greenglass, the session features Ben Vigneron (Blackbird PPC), Stephen Williams (Marketing Evolution) and Josh Wilson (Whitefish Credit Union). Speakers will discuss how a unified, reliable...
B2B Buyers Choose A Vendor Before They Reach Out – 3 Ways To Be Visible When It Counts via @Sejournal,...
Most B2B buyers complete the bulk of their research before contacting vendors, with 61% of the journey finished unseen by sales teams. Traditional SEO alone no longer captures this invisible buying process; buyers now rely on AI answer engines, peer‑review...
A New Standard For Transparency In CTV: What Advertisers Should Expect
The 2026 CTV/OTT advertiser survey shows a decisive shift toward transparency as a non‑negotiable entry requirement. Ninety‑two percent of advertisers say inventory quality and transparency are critical, while 90% demand clear reporting and 88% expect upfront pricing. Advertisers now link transparency directly...
Q1 2026 Ad Fraud Benchmarks Report for EMEA
Pixalate released its Q1 2026 Invalid Traffic (IVT) and ad‑fraud benchmark reports for the EMEA region, focusing on the United Kingdom and Germany across desktop/web, mobile apps, and Connected TV (CTV). The data show IVT rates of 17% (UK) and 14%...
Agentic AI Will Transform CX — But Only if Brands Unify Their Data
Agentic AI is moving beyond simple content generation to orchestrate entire marketing campaigns, allowing a small team to achieve the output of many. The technology can design, publish, and optimize content in real time, but its effectiveness hinges on a...
Why the Next Era of Commerce Media Is a Human Challenge
The article argues that commerce media’s biggest obstacle has shifted from technology to organizational dysfunction. Brands remain trapped in siloed structures where brand, media, e‑commerce and commerce teams operate with separate budgets and KPIs, leading to duplicated effort and lost...
Google AdSense Vignette Ads Setting May Trigger Back Button Hijack Penalty
Google AdSense’s vignette ad configuration includes a hidden option called “Allow additional triggers for vignette ads.” When enabled, it can launch ads on a user’s back‑button click, violating Google’s new back‑button hijacking spam rule. Publishers who have this setting turned...
Intent Data Vs. AI in B2B Marketing: Do You Need Both?
The article argues that intent data and AI are complementary, not substitutes, for B2B marketers. Intent data uncovers anonymous activity in the “dark funnel,” while AI processes those signals to prioritize and personalize outreach. Companies that combine both see faster...
Neverland Wins IG Creative Account
Neverland, a boutique creative agency, has been awarded the global creative account for IG, the UK‑based online trading platform. The win came after a tightly contested pitch that pitted several top agencies against each other. Under the new partnership, Neverland...
Brands Being Blindsided by Lack of Clear Vision for CRM
The 2026 CRM Maturity Index, based on a survey of 100 UK marketers, finds that 41% consider their CRM platforms inadequate, largely due to strategic and execution gaps rather than technology flaws. Over half (56%) lack a clearly defined CRM...
Animmoov Partners with PubMatic for APAC Digital Advertising Push
Animmoov has teamed up with PubMatic to expand its AI‑driven creative suite across the Asia‑Pacific digital advertising ecosystem. The partnership integrates Animmoov’s interactive rich‑media, dynamic creative optimisation and measurement tools with PubMatic’s premium inventory on CTV, OTT, mobile and desktop....
Advertisers Set to Double Down on Audio Spend
A new Campaign research survey of 1,000 European agencies and advertisers reveals that audio advertising spend is set to rise sharply in the coming year. Respondents indicated plans to increase budgets for podcasts, streaming platforms, and digital radio, with many...
Comparison Of AI Citation Patterns Offers Strategic SEO Insights via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
BrightEdge’s new study reveals that five AI search surfaces—ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Google Gemini, and Perplexity—cite vastly different source mixes, with source overlap ranging from 16% to 59%. Despite this divergence, brand‑name citations are more consistent, overlapping...
How to Build Brand Visibility in AI Search
The article explains that AI Overviews on Google and other large‑language‑model platforms now answer queries directly, reducing clicks to traditional organic results. However, visitors arriving from AI‑generated answers convert at roughly 4.4 times the rate of standard organic traffic. To...
Optimizing Content for GEO Means Fixing What Audiences Can’t See
At the Ragan Social Media Conference, Sparkcade Marketing founder Brent Bowen emphasized that GEO optimization goes beyond readable copy—it requires precise metadata such as descriptions, tags, and file names. He explained that large language models (LLMs) rely on these hidden...
Rewriting the Rules of Ad Tech: From Black Boxes to AI Operating Systems
The ad tech industry in 2026 is undergoing a fundamental rewrite, with AI now serving as the core operating system that automates bidding, creative generation, and real‑time optimization. Privacy‑first regulations and the loss of cookie‑based IDs are forcing a shift...
Content Marketing Funnel: Stages, Templates & Metrics
Content marketing funnels translate buyer intent into measurable revenue, but only when they align with real search behavior and stage‑specific metrics. In B2B, 67% of buyers now prefer a rep‑free experience, relying on digital content throughout the journey. Marketers can...
Kargo Drives Measurable Store Visits for UCB India with Immersive Festive Campaign
Kargo partnered with United Colours of Benetton (UCB) India to launch an immersive festive‑season campaign using its Runway Expandable ad format. The full‑screen creative embedded a Store Locator, allowing shoppers to find nearby UCB outlets directly from the ad. Leveraging...
Europe’s Audio Ad Gap Has a Lesson for US Advertisers
A Bauer Media Audio and Elevate Consultancy study of over 1,000 senior agency and advertiser leaders across nine European markets reveals a stark mismatch between belief and spend in audio advertising. While 96% intend to maintain or increase audio budgets...
Traditional Channels ‘Smash Digital ROI for Retailers’
Independent Marketing Sciences (IMS) analyzed over 270 retail campaigns across 24 channels and found traditional media delivering the highest return on investment. Magazine and newspaper ads topped the list with a 9.6x ROI, followed by partnerships (8.9x) and retargeting (7.3x)....
I Reviewed 7 Best Social Media Management Tools for 2026
Harshita Tewari reviewed seven social‑media management platforms—HubSpot, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Birdeye, Zoho Social, SOCi and Vista Social—testing them against real‑world workflows. The analysis highlights each tool’s strengths in scheduling, collaboration, analytics, integrations and AI features. Market data shows the global...
11 SEO Blog Tips to Rank in Google and Get Cited by AI
The article redefines blog SEO, emphasizing not just Google rankings but also visibility in AI‑generated answers like Chat‑GPT. It outlines four pillars—trustworthiness, machine readability, answer‑first writing, and topical authority—and presents 11 actionable tips ranging from keyword research to schema markup....
Mirror, Mirror… Are LLMs the Fairest of Them All?
Shirley Marschall’s column argues that large language models (LLMs) have become the default answer in ad‑tech, eclipsing more specialized machine‑learning tools. She highlights the mirror‑room effect where hype, mega‑deals and endless prompts create a self‑reinforcing narrative. The piece warns that...
![Why Your Content Isn’t Being Cited in AI Answers (And How to Fix It) [Webinar] via @Sejournal, @Lorenbaker](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://cdn.searchenginejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/3-1-437.png)
Why Your Content Isn’t Being Cited in AI Answers (And How to Fix It) [Webinar] via @Sejournal, @Lorenbaker
The Search Engine Journal webinar, hosted by iQuanti’s VP of Search & Site Experience Wayne Cichanski, explains why many brands’ content is omitted from AI‑generated answers. AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini select sources based on topical authority, structural clarity,...
The Social CliQ Merges Content Agency, Appoints Isabella Biffi as GM
The Social CliQ has merged its sister firm The Content CliQ and created a unified agency that combines social‑media strategy, creator‑driven content, and influencer marketing. Isabella Biffi, who started as an intern in 2020, was appointed General Manager of the combined group. The...
Bauer Unveils Study on Attitudes to Audio Advertising
Bauer Media Audio’s Sound Check Europe 2026 study, based on over 1,000 senior decision‑makers across nine markets, finds audio now sits at the core of most advertisers’ strategies. Eighty‑six percent say audio is central, and 96 % expect their audio budgets...
Supergoop Partners With Target and the PGA as It Chases Mass Appeal
Supergoop has named January Digital as its agency of record for media planning and buying, covering brand, performance and retail spend. The decision follows the hiring of former Peloton CMO Lauren Weinberg, who met January Digital founder Vic Drabicky early...
Dhar Mann Bets on Speed Dating to Fix Creator-Brand Matchmaking
Dhar Mann Studios launched a creator‑brand speed‑dating event in Los Angeles, pairing more than 50 influencers with marketers during its Creator Economy Summit. The participating creators collectively command over 650 million followers, spanning emerging talent and established names like Jordan Matter and Jena Frumes. The...
Stop Scaling Mediocre Ads: How AI Can Actually Elevate Performance Marketing
Performance marketers are flooding platforms with AI‑generated ad variants, hoping volume will boost clicks, but this often results in bland, culturally tone‑deaf creative. The article argues that AI should not replace human insight but instead amplify nuance, helping brands detect...
Stop Scaling Mediocre Ads: How AI Can Actually Elevate Performance Marketing
Erin Emmerson argues that performance‑marketing teams are flooding the market with high‑volume, low‑creativity ads, and that AI should be used to amplify cultural nuance rather than simply churn more variants. She warns that relying on AI‑driven click metrics can erode...
Inside Thayers’ TikToker-Led Product Development Strategy, with Nina Pool and Shelby Ann Bell
Thayers turned TikTok stars Nina Pool and Shelby Ann Bell into product consultants for a new Hydrating Milky Mist priced at $14.99. The concept originated from Pool’s June 5, 2025 TikTok, prompting Bell’s DIY spray test and a flood of community requests. Within 24 hours...
WPP CFO Says The Trade Desk Operates in a Smaller Slice of the Ad Market
WPP’s chief financial officer, Joanne Wilson, told analysts that The Trade Desk operates in a relatively small, long‑tail portion of the advertising market, the open internet. WPP’s 2023 spend with The Trade Desk was about $1.1 billion, compared with $1.4 billion on...
‘That Is an Objective’: Omnicom Tests AI Agents to Cut Out the Ad Tech Middlemen
Omnicom Group has begun using autonomous AI agents to purchase media inventory directly from publishers, bypassing traditional demand‑side and supply‑side platforms. The company reported live client buys through its agent‑to‑agent framework during its Q1 2026 earnings call, citing the Ad...
‘The Bridge Between Intuition and ROI’: The M&A Race to Own Advertising’s Last Unmeasured Lever
The advertising sector is witnessing an M&A wave focused on creative intelligence – the data and AI layer that pre‑tests and predicts creative performance. Recent deals include Havas acquiring Ctrl Digital, Publicis Groupe paying roughly $100 million for AdgeAI, and Brave...
The 20+ Best Digital Marketing Tools in 2026
Zapier’s 2026 roundup lists more than 20 top digital‑marketing tools across website building, SEO, graphics, social media, email, SMS, chat, automation and AI content creation. Each entry includes standout features, pricing tiers and a direct link, highlighting free plans and...
OpenAI Crawl Activity Tripled Since GPT-5, Data Shows via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
OpenAI’s automated crawl activity surged after the August 2025 launch of GPT‑5, with OAI‑SearchBot events climbing 3.5× and GPTBot events rising 2.9×, adding roughly 4 billion log entries to Botify’s dataset. The search‑oriented bot now generates more events than the training bot,...
How VEED Evolved Its AI Search Strategy
VEED, an AI video creation platform, is reshaping its SEO strategy to target AI‑generated search results, or AEO, after data shows 800 million weekly ChatGPT users and 2 billion monthly AI Overviews users. The company now monitors a new visibility score that...
Making AI Search Count (and Convert)
AI search has shifted from a ranking‑centric model to one where brands must earn citations from large language models. Georgie Kemp of VEED highlights Amplitude's AI Visibility add‑on, which now measures visibility scores, sentiment, and revenue impact of AI‑sourced traffic....
Meta Updates Transparency Rules for Third-Party Ad Platforms
Meta announced updated developer policies that tighten ad‑spending transparency for third‑party platforms. The new rules require ad‑buying tools to break out Meta’s fees from the platform’s service charge, and to provide full campaign configuration and post‑campaign reporting. Advertisers must keep...