Build Your First AI Agent at Social Media Week
At ADWEEK’s Social Media Week on March 15, Code and Theory will run a hands‑on workshop teaching marketers how to build their first AI agents. Attendees will leave with three functional agents—a Trend Pulse Report, a Partnership Evaluator, and an Analytics Interpreter—designed to streamline social‑media workflows. The session targets non‑technical professionals, emphasizing practical, repeatable skills rather than theory. Seats are limited and must be booked through the SMW app.
EXCLUSIVE: Intuit Is Shutting Down Its Ad Network for Small Businesses
Intuit announced it will shut down SMB MediaLabs, the ad network launched in 2023 to let advertisers reach QuickBooks users. The platform was intended to create a new revenue stream by leveraging small‑business data. The closure comes less than three...
YouTube 90-Second Unskippable Ads on TVs Spotted
YouTube is testing 90‑second unskippable ads on TV devices, extending the previous 30‑second limit. The ads appear before any content and can exceed 90 seconds before a skip button becomes available. The move creates premium, TV‑style inventory with digital targeting,...
All Things Creator Marketing with Tiffany Rivers
Tiffany Rivers, VP of emerging media and influencer marketing at Media Cause, will speak at Marketing Brew’s "The Next Phase of Social and Creator Marketing" on May 12. She advises nonprofit clients such as the University of Florida, Parkinson’s Foundation,...
Jung Von Matt SPREE To Lead VW's Global Social Media
Jung von Matt SPREE has been named Volkswagen’s global social‑media lead agency, tasked with strategy, channel management and content creation across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads and Facebook. The partnership aims to make VW a culturally resonant, digitally‑first brand. In parallel,...
Googly Eyes, Zero Budget Energy, and the Art of Not Trying Too Hard
Half Batch Brewing, with creative agency Stereo Creative, launched the “100% Beer” campaign featuring beer cans with googly eyes. The low‑budget, DIY‑style production reportedly cost about $17 and was shot with simple craft‑store supplies. By using lo‑fi, character‑driven visuals, the...
Did Verification Catch It? Exploring Made for Advertising Sites and DV’s Measurement Standards
DoubleVerify (DV) has launched a proprietary solution to identify and classify Made for Advertising (MFA) sites using a blend of AI and human audits. The platform assigns sites to High, Medium, or Low MFA tiers, giving brands granular control over...
How to Humanize Your Mission to Drive Video Engagement
Video marketers in education‑heavy niches often see low engagement because content lacks an emotional hook. By putting a relatable human face on the brand, companies can build trust and drive viewer interaction. Short‑form, conversational videos outperform traditional lecture‑style formats, delivering...
How Abercrombie & Fitch Uses Geofencing for Customer Feedback
Abercrombie & Fitch is leveraging geofencing through its mobile app to capture feedback from shoppers who leave stores without purchasing. By detecting entry and exit from a store’s virtual perimeter, the retailer sends a push survey about an hour after...
TikTok Content Ideas: Real Examples and Where to Get Them
The article outlines a systematic approach to generating TikTok video ideas, highlighting the platform’s Creative Center, the For‑You Page, search suggestions, and direct audience feedback as primary inspiration sources. It emphasizes crafting detailed AI prompts for tools like ChatGPT to accelerate...
SAMY & L’Oréal Launched TikTok Shop in Spain Together: Here’s What the First Year Taught Them
When TikTok Shop launched in Spain in late 2024, L’Oréal partnered with influencer agency SAMY to test social commerce. Over the first year, SAMY produced 18 live shopping events—42 hours of content—expanding from L’Oréal Paris to Maybelline, NYX and Garnier....
What Does Contextual AI Look Like at Scale?
At Streaming Media Connect 2026, Tavant convened leaders from Roku, DAZN, Philo and Intersection to discuss how contextual AI is being woven into core advertising operations. The panel revealed that AI is no longer a peripheral feature but a foundational layer...
YouTube Launches Unskippable 90-Second Ads
Google’s YouTube is rolling out mandatory 90‑second ads for viewers using the platform on smart TVs, replacing the traditional skippable format. The move follows a March announcement about unskippable 30‑second spots and aligns with YouTube’s goal to treat TV viewers...
Your Owned Content Is Losing To A Stranger’s Reddit Comment via @Sejournal, @DuaneForrester
AI assistants increasingly source answers from Reddit rather than brand sites, thanks to licensing deals that give Google and other models real‑time access to Reddit content. Between August 2024 and June 2025 Reddit was the top‑cited domain in Google AI Overviews and...
LoopMe Launches Chartboost Direct, Bringing Brands Into Mobile Apps to Drive Publisher Growth
LoopMe has unveiled Chartboost Direct, a brand‑focused SDK that lets mobile app publishers tap directly into brand demand without overhauling their ad tech stack. The solution offers direct pay, direct deals and marketplace deals, enabling real‑time transactions with premium brand...
Where Mobile Scale Meets Mediation Power: Unity LevelPlay Now Available with PubMatic
PubMatic announced that its OpenWrap SDK now integrates Unity LevelPlay, joining Google AdMob/Manager and AppLovin MAX. The three mediation platforms together command roughly 90% of global gaming ad inventory, a segment projected to exceed $235 billion in U.S. spend by 2027....
Code in OpenAI’s Ads Manager Suggests the Company Is Building Conversion Tracking Into ChatGPT
OpenAI's internal ads manager code indicates the company is adding conversion‑tracking to ChatGPT, moving beyond its current impression‑only model. The system, codenamed “bazaar” and built on the “tapestry” infrastructure, hints at support for click‑ and conversion‑based campaigns. This development could...
Why Your New SEO Vendor Can’t Build on a Broken Foundation via @Sejournal, @TaylorDanRW
The article warns that a new SEO vendor inherits a website’s existing technical debt, thin content, and low‑quality backlink profile, so quick fixes alone won’t deliver lasting results. Early engagement focuses on audits, crawl‑error remediation, and rebuilding trust with search...
12 Actionable B2B Content Marketing Ideas
The article outlines twelve actionable B2B content‑marketing ideas, starting with a reminder to define clear objectives and metrics before execution. It emphasizes foundational tactics such as optimizing meta titles and descriptions to improve click‑through rates, then expands into thought‑leadership assets...
5 Years Of ATT: What We’ve Learned, And What The Future Of iOS Performance Looks Like
Apple's AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) rollout in 2021 saw roughly 80% of iOS users block IDFA tracking, forcing marketers onto the aggregated SKAdNetwork (SKAN) and later Apple’s AdAttributionKit (AAK). The industry split between short‑term probabilistic workarounds and early SKAN‑centric optimization, with the...
AI-Caution Prompts Rising Demand for Authentic, Human-Led Content in Social Buying Journeys
New research from the Retail Technology Show surveyed over 1,000 shoppers and found that 53% distrust AI‑generated social content, rising to 58% among Gen Z. More than half (51%) believe AI threatens brand trust on social platforms, while 43% say authentic,...
Will ChatGPT Ads Become a Meaningful Part of the Performance Media Mix?
ChatGPT advertising is entering the performance media arena, drawing early spend thanks to its large, intent‑rich audience. The article argues that lasting budget allocation will depend less on user numbers and more on the ability to measure outcomes against other...
Yospace Tops 10 Billion Monthly Ad Insertions Amid Streaming Growth
Yospace reported a historic month, stitching over 10 billion ads and delivering 11.6 billion one‑to‑one addressable impressions—a 35% year‑on‑year rise. The growth was fueled by a dense international sports schedule, including Six Nations and the start of the 2026 Formula One season. Yospace...
Google’s CEO Predicts Search Will Become An AI Agent Manager via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said search is evolving from a simple results list into an AI‑driven agent manager that can plan, execute, and coordinate tasks. He envisions future queries becoming "agentic" searches where multiple AI agents run in parallel to...
Body Parts Get Vocal in New Holland & Barrett Ad Push
Holland & Barrett, working with agency Lucky Generals, launched the "Back Your Body" platform to encourage a proactive health mindset. The multi‑million‑pound (≈ $3 million US) campaign features TV spots where body parts sing Robin S’s 1990s hit, complemented by creator‑led social and out‑of‑home activations. The...
GeeLark
GeeLark launches a cloud‑based social media marketing platform that blends mobile‑first cloud phones, antidetect browser profiles, automation, and AI tools for high‑volume, multi‑account growth. Its modular pricing starts with a free tier, then $9.75 Base and $14.25 Pro plans, while...
Stop Optimizing Channels. Start Managing a Marketing Portfolio.
Marketing leaders are moving away from channel‑centric planning toward a portfolio‑based model that treats platforms like Google, Amazon, and Meta as strategic assets. AI‑driven decision engines now automate audience targeting, creative selection and real‑time optimization across these ecosystems, collapsing traditional...
I Quadrupled My Revenue With a Newsletter in 6 Months. Here’s How Startup Founders Can Do the Same
Newsletter platforms are experiencing explosive growth, with Beehiiv reporting $19 million in paid subscriptions for 2025—a 138% jump from 2024. A founder who focused on email newsletters doubled his revenue every quarter, ultimately quadrupling earnings in six months. The piece outlines...
Brands Vs. Bots: CMOs, Ad Agencies Tell All About What They’ve Learned Marketing to Our New AI Overlords
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is emerging as the new frontier for brand visibility as large language models (LLMs) become primary sources of product recommendations. A McKinsey report projects AI‑summarized searches to generate $750 billion in U.S. revenue by 2028, warning that...
How to Monitor Live Streams for Optimal Ad Server Performance
Industry leaders at Streaming Media Connect 2026 highlighted the observability gaps that can cripple live‑stream ad insertion. They stressed that encoding quality, manifest integrity, and SCTE‑35 cue signals are the first line of defense against broken ad breaks. Real‑time “eyes on...
TikTok vs Instagram vs YouTube: Which Platform Converts Fastest?
The article compares time‑to‑conversion across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, showing that TikTok fuels impulse buys in minutes, Instagram spreads purchases over several days, and YouTube’s trusted long‑form content can shave up to six days off a buyer’s journey. It highlights...
2026 FIFA World Cup Viewing Set to Fragment Across Linear & Streaming in UK, Nexxen Forecast Finds
Nexxen released a forecast for UK audiences of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, showing that while TV remains dominant, viewing is increasingly split between linear and streaming platforms. The report finds 24% of fans will blend traditional TV and streaming,...
Meta Rolls Out AI-Led Shopping Tools Across Reels and Creator Ecosystem
Meta unveiled a suite of AI‑driven shopping tools that embed product tagging directly into Reels and expand creator‑brand collaborations. The updates add generative AI voiceovers, automatic translation, and product‑set optimisation to streamline multilingual video ad creation. Reels Trending Ads now...
Rapido Rolls Out ‘First Ride Free’ Campaign During IPL 2026
Rapido has launched a "First Ride Free" campaign timed with IPL 2026, featuring 10‑second regional‑language films that dramatize the instant confirmation of a ride. Created by tgthr. and directed by Arjuna Gaur, the ads blend exaggerated scenarios with everyday commuter...
Grab Uses AI to Change How Brands Are Discovered in Its App
Grab Holdings announced 13 AI‑driven features at its GrabX 2026 event, branding the app as an "Everyday AI Companion" that suggests food, rides and payments based on user habits. The new Intelligence Layer draws on more than 20 billion rides and...
Livpure Appoints SW Network to Handle Digital Communications
Livpure has appointed SW Network as its digital communications partner to shift the brand narrative from product‑centric messaging to a lifestyle‑led focus on health and wellbeing. The agency will develop social‑first campaigns that tie everyday water consumption to broader wellness...
Brunei Tourism Names Global Agency for Digital Content and Strategy
Brunei Tourism has appointed Denver‑based ELMNTL as its first international agency of record to drive social media strategy and content production. The partnership gives ELMNTL responsibility for creative direction, paid‑media optimisation, and performance reporting across key markets, while collaborating with...
Google’s March 2026 Core Update Hit Affiliate Sites Harder Than Any Other Category
Google’s March 2026 Core Update, rolled out on March 27, dealt the steepest ranking blows to affiliate sites, with 71% of the 600,000+ pages tracked showing measurable drops. The update followed a spam‑targeted sweep and re‑evaluated rankings without link‑spam signals, exposing thin,...
Rodd & Gunn Appoints The Thoughtful Agency for Full-Service Digital Performance in Australia
Rodd & Gunn, the New Zealand premium menswear brand, has appointed The Thoughtful Agency as its full‑service digital performance partner for the Australian market. The collaboration will manage the brand’s e‑commerce operations and its hospitality division, The Lodge Group, delivering...
INTERVIEW: How Wayfair Uses Creators and TikTok to Drive Growth
Wayfair is leveraging TikTok creators and influencer‑driven content to fuel its next growth phase, positioning social platforms as the primary discovery engine for home‑ware shoppers. The company pairs inspirational videos with personalized product curation, encouraging users to explore multiple style...
Scaling Success: How AI Is Reshaping Publisher Deals
Advertisers and publishers are turning to contextual AI to replace static private marketplace (PMP) deals with dynamic, real‑time audience expansion. Illuma’s AI analyzes live content consumption, scaling reach while preserving relevance without relying on cookies or personal identifiers. A pilot...
Digest: CMO and Execs Exit The Trade Desk; BBC Studios Launches Airline Streaming; Tesco Media Introduces Premium Video Ads
The Trade Desk announced a leadership shake‑up, with CMO Matthew Henick and two senior executives departing and Anna Sayre stepping in as interim CMO while Rob Caruso leads its Ventura TV platform. BBC Studios launched BBC Player, a rights‑cleared streaming...
Martech in 2026: The Shift Toward Data-Centric Engagement Platforms
Martech in 2026 is defined by data‑centric engagement platforms that fuse data, analytics, automation and personalization into a single ecosystem. The shift eliminates siloed tools, giving marketers a unified view of every customer touchpoint from web to in‑store. AI and...
Nectar Social and Reddit Announce Strategic Data Partnership
AI‑native social commerce platform Nectar Social has entered a strategic data partnership with Reddit, gaining access to the Reddit Data API. The integration allows enterprise brands to pull real‑time conversations from over 100,000 Reddit communities and combine them with data...
YouTube Cuts Affiliate Shopping Threshold Eligibility to 500 Subscribers as Platform Race Heats Up
YouTube announced on March 25, 2026 that creators need only 500 subscribers—down from 1,000—to join its Shopping affiliate program, which lets them tag products and earn commissions. The reduction applies across Shorts, long‑form video, and Live, but creators must still...
Rare Perth Brings Media Capability Fully In-House as the Final Step in Integrated Agency Model
Perth’s largest independent creative communications firm Rare has fully brought its media capability in‑house, ending its licensing agreement with Hearts & Science. The integration folds planning, buying and partnership functions into Rare’s Client Solutions unit, completing a three‑year restructuring that...
The Washington Post’s Arc XP Adds TollBit to Help Publishers Make Money From AI Bot Traffic
The Washington Post’s Arc XP platform is integrating TollBit to let publishers block and charge AI bots that scrape their content. AI‑bot traffic has surged, with a 300% year‑over‑year rise and a ratio of one bot for every 31 human visits...
Ford, Nissan and State Farm Are Embedding Their Brands in Sports as They Chase Fandoms
Ford, Nissan and State Farm are moving beyond traditional sports sponsorships by creating original, brand‑centric content that lives within streaming and digital platforms. Ford’s "Bronco Off Course" pairs its SUV with a desert‑golf challenge, while Nissan’s "CarJitsu" stages jiu‑jitsu inside...
Coca-Cola’s New Campaign Challenges Japan to Separate the Fizz From the Sizz
Coca‑Cola Japan launched the “Fizz or Sizz” campaign, a sound‑based guessing game that asks consumers to tell whether they hear the fizz of a Coke or the sizzle of karaage. The activation runs for a week across radio, digital out‑of‑home,...
SharkNinja Powers Sales Surge Through Retail Media Campaign via Zitcha and Market Media
SharkNinja partnered with Zitcha and Market Media to run an always‑on retail media campaign across Noel Leeming’s in‑store screens, on‑site displays, EDMs and off‑site social ads. The full‑funnel effort generated more than 830,000 impressions, 6,400 clicks and delivered a return...