Today's Marketing Pulse
McKinsey predicts agentic AI will power two‑thirds of marketing activities
McKinsey’s new report forecasts that agentic AI could drive up to two‑thirds of marketing activities, shifting AI from a productivity add‑on to a core campaign engine. Early adopters are already using generative tools, while the next wave will involve autonomous agents that coordinate decisions across workflows. The firm outlines a five‑step roadmap for implementation.
Analytic Edge Gains TikTok Measurement Partner Badge, Expands MMM Capabilities
Analytic Edge, an AI‑driven marketing analytics firm, secured official TikTok Measurement Partner status, allowing it to feed granular TikTok campaign data into its Demand Drivers™ Media Mix Modeling platform. The move gives advertisers real‑time insight into short‑form video performance and promises tighter media‑spend optimization.
More Isn’t Better; Smarter Data‑driven Decisions Drive Growth
The general advice in the business space is to add more. More channels, more content, more campaigns. That's usually the first instinct when growth slows down. But after 15 years doing this, what I keep seeing is that more rarely fixes...
Demandbase AI Now Available for Modern GTM Teams
Demandbase unveiled Demandbase AI at its April 14 conference, positioning it as the first AI‑first platform built for modern go‑to‑market (GTM) teams. The solution leverages proprietary Context Intelligence to filter noisy signals and align account data with pipeline objectives. New...
Attracting Clients Vs. Selling to Them
Accounting firms struggle to grow, with half reporting difficulty creating opportunities and 25% lacking closing skills. The article argues that firms should abandon pushy selling and instead attract clients by demonstrating expertise and building genuine relationships. By positioning themselves as...
Fake Campaigns Are Being Used to Boost Bands, Why Not Stocks Too?
Wired exposed Chaotic Good Projects' "trend simulation" campaign that manufactured viral buzz for Brooklyn rock band Geese by deploying thousands of TikTok and YouTube accounts. The firm’s playbook—seeding content to trigger platform algorithms—could be duplicated on financial social media to...
AI Neutralizes SEO Tricks, only Deserving Brands Rank
The main difference between SEO vs GEO is that you can't really bulldoze your way into getting brand recommendations for something you don't deserve. For example, "best insider threat management" There is a company named Exabeam doing a self-promotional list page...
EXTRA Intros New SOURS by EXTRA Gum and Launches Cheworkout Sweepstakes with Dancer Hailey Bills
EXTRA Gum, a Mars brand, introduced SOURS by EXTRA, a new sweet‑and‑sour gum line available nationwide in Blue Raspberry and Strawberry. The launch is anchored by a social‑first partnership with TikTok dancer Hailey Bills, who fronts the #CheworkoutSweepstakes. Consumers can...
Social Traffic Kinda Stinks for News Publishers Now, in 3 Charts
Chartbeat data shows global news publishers have lost 70% of Twitter referral traffic since Elon Musk’s 2022 acquisition, while Facebook referrals have also fallen sharply. In addition, users who arrive via these social platforms now spend less time on publisher...
Locala Unveils Planning Agents That Push Agentic Advertising Beyond Automation
Locala launched Planning Agents, an evolution of its Omni Planner platform that links advanced market insights directly to activation-ready strategies. The new agents combine proprietary signals, strategic reasoning, and activation readiness in a single workflow, enabling brands to execute granular,...
HubSpot Launches AEO Tool to Help Brands Compete in AI Search
HubSpot unveiled an Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) tool within its Marketing Hub, giving brands visibility into how often AI systems like ChatGPT and Gemini cite them in generated answers. The feature delivers an AI visibility score, prompt‑level citation tracking, competitor...
Build It and They Will Come? Not Always in the Auto Biz
Dodge’s 2012 Dart configurator let shoppers customize dozens of options, but dealers couldn’t stock every possible build, leading to frustrated buyers. Recognizing the mismatch, automakers have been trimming the number of trims and options, a trend J.D. Power quantifies as...
How to Get Chosen by AI Platforms that Control Search
ChatGPT’s ascent to the fifth‑largest website marks the emergence of Web 4.0, where AI platforms act as the primary search interface, interpreting intent and delivering answers. Marketers must shift focus from human clicks to being chosen by these AI models, which...
Rosé in Focus: Maison Mirabeau Collabs with Hong Kong Deli Chain
Maison Mirabeau has teamed with Hong Kong’s leading grocer and restaurant group Feather & Bone to roll out a multi‑channel activation of its Provence rosé portfolio. The partnership spans brick‑and‑mortar stores, online platforms, and on‑trade dining venues, featuring large‑format bottles, bespoke...
Patrón Takes Shot at Sponsoring Prime Video’s NBA Nightcap Through the Playoffs
Amazon Prime Video is elevating its NBA playoff coverage by naming Patrón Tequila the presenting sponsor of the post‑game show, NBA Nightcap. The partnership will run throughout the postseason, delivering brand integrations across every playoff broadcast and custom content pieces....
Doner Revisits 'Flick Your Bic' In 'Saxy' Spot
Bic Lighters has relaunched its iconic “Flick Your Bic” tagline with Doner’s new “Waxy Saxy” ad, a flamboyant YouTube‑centric spot that reimagines the brand’s 1970s vibe for today’s edgy consumers. The campaign positions Bic as a lifestyle catalyst rather than...
GRAB PARTNERS WITH HO CHI MINH CITY TOURISM FESTIVAL 2026
Grab Vietnam partnered with the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival 2026, spotlighting the city’s culinary scene through the “Iconic Eateries” Awards that recognized 60 restaurants across three categories. The initiative introduced a Travel Pass, bundling rides, meals and shopping for international...
In-N-Out’s Owner Says the Chain Will Never Offer Online Ordering. Here’s Why.
In‑N‑Out’s owner Lynsi Snyder‑Ellingson reaffirmed the chain’s refusal to adopt online ordering, emphasizing that real‑time customer interaction and ingredient freshness are core to the brand. She explained that digital platforms would erode the personal experience that defines the company’s culture....
FreeWheel’s AI-Driven Context Engine Enables Global Contextual Targeting Across Premium Video
FreeWheel launched Context Engine, an AI‑driven feature inside its Streaming Hub that automatically tags premium video content with contextual signals such as emotion, location and objects. The tool combines computer vision, machine learning and generative AI to process millions of...
Optimizely ‘Opal University’ Participants Build 375 AI Agents in Five Days as Demand Grows for Hands-On AI Training
Optimizely’s free Opal University program attracted over 1,500 senior marketing leaders in its first two weeks, with participants building 375 AI agents across two five‑day cohorts. The hands‑on training delivered 80‑95% time savings on recurring workflows such as SEO, CRO,...
Separate Campaigns Prevent ROAS Inflation and Prospecting Starvation
Your Meta campaign is feeding past purchasers and starving new customers. You just can't see it in the ROAS. So we run a 3-to-4 campaign architecture. When you consolidate cold, warm, and retention into one campaign, the algorithm gravitates toward the...
Save A Lot Debuts La Tierra De Sabores Hispanic Private Label Brand
Save A Lot is relaunching its Hispanic private‑label line as La Tierra de Sabores, merging the former Tio Santi and Caracara brands into a single offering. The refreshed assortment keeps core items such as tortillas, seasonings and cheese while adding...
Rank and Headings Drive AI Citations, Not Authority
The Fan-Out Effect: What Happens Between a Query and a Citation - From a research developed by @Kevin_Indig & @AirOpsHQ analyzing 16,851 queries and +353K pages across ChatGPT's full retrieval pipeline: * Retrieval rank is the #1 signal. A...
Vulnerable Content Builds Loyalty; Viral Content Draws New Eyes
Your best content and your most viral content are probably not the same post. The vulnerable stuff builds trust and deepens loyalty with the people already paying attention. The viral stuff attracts new eyeballs. You need both but they serve...
Coachella Brand Houses Are the New Norm… So Who Did It Best in 2026?
Coachella 2026 saw brand houses solidify as the festival’s new marketing staple, with companies constructing fully immersive, content‑focused villas for influencers. The trend has evolved from modest gifting suites to large‑scale experiential hubs designed to generate thousands of social posts...
E‑commerce Brands Test only Subject Lines—Miss Five Steps
Most ecom brands A/B test subject lines and stop there. That's step one out of six. Here's the full priority list: https://t.co/JdpTVaeubz
Cut Budget, Boost Pipeline: Focus High-Intent Yields 119% Target
Budget cut 20%. Pipeline still exceeded target. What we did: • stopped funding low-impact campaigns • reallocated to high-intent • refreshed top content instead of adding more Results: • MQLs at 72% • pipeline at 119% Less volume. More revenue. https://t.co/zwh1WOxnj5
Philo Selects Reelgood to Power Content Intelligence and Personalization Across Its Streaming Platform
Philo, the San Francisco‑based live TV streaming service, has partnered with Reelgood to ingest the latter’s AI‑driven metadata and historical availability data across its entire catalog. Reelgood will deliver daily‑refreshed, deduplicated metadata for over 4 million titles, covering more than 300 streaming...
Google to Penalize Back‑Button Hijacking Starting June 15
Google Search new spam penalty for back button hijacking kicks in June 15th https://t.co/kKEcy16MOG https://t.co/gskMbjcUoO
Long “Ultimate Guides” Underperform Short, Focused Pages
We analyzed 815,000 query-page pairs. The "ultimate guide" strategy produces worse citation results than a focused shorter page. https://t.co/rwNXL7kLMo via @Kevin_Indig, @sejournal
SMYS 3 | From Clay Tables to Intent HQ: Building the BDR Action Layer
Rick Koleta’s GTM Vault episode spotlights Garrett Wolfe’s end‑to‑end BDR action layer built on Clay tables and a custom Intent HQ web app. By scoring tens of thousands of accounts with firmographic and technographic data, the system filters out low‑fit prospects...
AI Marketing Toolkit Grows: New Tools Added
The best list of #AI #marketing tools anywhere continues to expand: https://t.co/1MqMiJPCBB New tools added recently include Marey by @moonvalley, @SalesAPE_AI, @coachvox, @gradialai, @aivideocut, Cora AI, @UpsurgeCRM, @withdelphi, @UnwrapAi, and @TailwindApp.
We Ran AI on 50 Real Prospects. Here Is What Actually Happened
A managed AI service tested its platform on 50 warm B2B prospects, using AI to research each target, uncover hiring trends, and draft opening messages. The AI accelerated research from 45 minutes to under three minutes per prospect and identified...
☕🤖 Tutorial: Replace Your $2K/Month Video Editor With AI (Claude Code)
The post shows how to replace a $2,000‑per‑month video editor with an AI‑driven video studio built on Claude Code. By creating a single BRAND.md file and leveraging the open‑source Remotion framework, users can generate on‑brand 5‑second intros, 15‑second teasers, data...
Leverage One Piece of Content Across All Channels
Most teams don’t need more content. They need leverage. Turn one blog, video, or podcast into emails, LinkedIn posts, and X updates automatically. Same ideas. More surfaces. Less manual work. https://t.co/TMyyX29S08
Brands Briefing: 40-Year-Old Travelpro Invests in Video, Creators to Compete with Béis, Away and Other Digitally-Native Players
Travelpro, the 40‑year‑old luggage maker famed among airline crews, is revamping its marketing to attract Gen Z and millennial travelers. The brand is pouring resources into short‑form video, creator collaborations, and educational content, launching a "Made to Move" campaign across TikTok,...
Walmart Marks First Triple-A Game Integration with EA Sports FC 26 Campaign | Exclusive
Walmart is debuting its first brand integration inside a triple‑A video game by partnering with EA Sports FC 26. The retailer’s campaign, launched on April 16, centers on a two‑week “Full Throttle” in‑game challenge that awards Ultimate Team packs and other virtual...
StackAdapt Launches Industry First Live Events Campaign Workflow for CTV
StackAdapt, the AI‑driven advertising platform, unveiled an industry‑first Live Events campaign workflow for connected‑TV (CTV) that targets premium live‑sports moments. The new workflow adds a dedicated campaign subtype, a centralized planning hub, and granular pacing and frequency controls to handle...
Betterment’s ‘Anti‑Marketing’ Machine
Betterment’s chief marketing officer Kim Rosenblum describes an “anti‑marketing” playbook that deliberately discourages frequent user engagement, urging customers to leave their money invested for long‑term compounding. The firm has shifted from a pure focus on low customer‑acquisition cost to metrics...
Betterment’s ‘Anti‑Marketing’ Machine
Betterment has adopted an “anti‑marketing” playbook that tells users to stay hands‑off and let long‑term compounding work, rather than nudging frequent trades. CMO Kim Rosenblum shifted the focus from low customer‑acquisition cost to return on ad spend, lifetime value and...
From Missed Leads to Measurable Growth: How The Tax Guys Transformed Their Client Acquisition with AI
The Tax Guys, a UK accounting firm, adopted Hannah AI, an AI‑driven lead‑engagement tool, to address slow response times to inbound enquiries. Since its April 2025 rollout, the bot has handled 128 leads, replying within 30 seconds and automatically scheduling...
‘Don’t Trust Those Models’: How Marketers Are Thinking About the Next Era of Transparency
At the ARF AudiencexScience conference, Horizon Media’s Bob Lord warned marketers not to trust black‑box AI models that run ads, citing risks of opaque decision‑making. He advocated for open‑source collaboration, highlighting tools such as Claude and Google’s recently released Meridian...
O2 Pens SSE Arena Belfast Naming Rights Partnership
Telecom giant O2 has signed a 10‑year naming‑rights deal for Belfast’s SSE Arena, rebranding the 11,200‑seat venue and its surrounding 23‑acre complex as The O2 Belfast from July. The partnership adds an exclusive O2 Blueroom VIP bar, 48‑hour pre‑sale ticket...
Focus on Meta Until $50M Revenue, Skip Distractions
Because would rather find a problem elsewhere than fix what's truly wrong with their funnel. Most brands should put 90% of their focus on Meta exclusively until $50M+ in revenue.
YFCon Is Turning TikTok Commerce Into a Contact Sport
YFCon, a TikTok Shop‑focused expo in Los Angeles, is set for April 14‑15 and expects over 13,000 attendees, 300+ brands and 150 speakers. Organized by FastMoss and YooFinds, the event sold out 80% of its exhibitor booths a month early,...
The Fight for Media Strategy: Will Agencies or In-House Teams Win?
New research reveals that almost 50% of brands intend to shift media strategy and audience planning in‑house within the next two years. While agencies acknowledge the trend, many report that the migration is not yet materialising at scale. The study...
Air Canada Vacations Launches Second Annual Travellers’ Top Picks Awards with $5,000 Contest
Air Canada Vacations has opened voting for its second annual Travellers’ Top Picks Awards, inviting Canadians to choose favorite destinations across ten categories and enter a contest for a $5,000 Air Canada eGift Card. The campaign runs until June 30,...
Ally Shifts Ad Spend From Cable to Women's Sports
Financial-services firm Ally wanted to increase the ad dollars it spent on women's sports. To do so, it cut the commercials it ran on traditional entertainment-focused cable networks.... https://t.co/BmFwrCvBNw via @variety
Christina Tosi's Milk Bar Opens in Sydney for AMEX Delicious Month
Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar will operate from May 1‑3 at Ace Hotel Sydney’s Good Chemistry café, offering Cereal Milk soft‑serve and a limited‑edition Aussie‑inspired dessert. The pop‑up is tied to American Express’s Delicious Month, a campaign that has poured over $216 million...
Nonsense Hub Expands Summer Ops as Nonprofit Marketing Budgets Surge
Nonsense Hub, a nonprofit‑focused marketing agency, announced a summer expansion to meet rising donor‑acquisition budgets. The move reflects a broader shift toward human‑centered outreach as charities pour millions into awareness campaigns.
‘Absolutely No Intention’: Publicis Group CEO Rules Out Building a Trade Desk Rival Amid Ongoing Dispute
Publicis Groupe told clients to pull spend from The Trade Desk after an audit flagged transparency issues, but offered no clear alternative. CEO Arthur Sadoun confirmed on the earnings call that the firm will not build its own demand‑side platform,...