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.
Google Patent Signals New Search Layer
Google secured U.S. patent US 12536233 B1 for a system that creates AI‑generated landing pages tailored to individual users and queries. The invention evaluates candidate pages, grades them, and dynamically produces customized versions that feed user‑behavior signals back into the model. If deployed, the technology could deliver unique, purchase‑oriented pages directly in search results, extending Google’s existing AI Overviews. The patent marks another layer in the evolving economics of search, potentially reshaping how ecommerce sites reach shoppers.
Wavelength Appoints Matt Kline as Chief Growth Officer Amid LA Campus Expansion
Wavelength announced the hiring of Matt Kline as Chief Growth Officer as it opens a new 10,000‑square‑foot campus in Los Angeles. The move pairs a seasoned brand‑commerce executive with a physical hub designed to accelerate the studio’s branded‑entertainment projects across...
5 Ways to Turn Instagram Demand Into Direct Bookings
GuestCentric warns that many hotels treat Instagram as a siloed channel, missing out on direct bookings. A €250 ($275) stay can lose $41‑$68 in OTA commissions when guests are diverted from Instagram to third‑party sites. The article outlines five tactics—clear...
U.S. Judge Orders Google to Share Search Data, Shaking Up SEO Strategies
U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google must disclose portions of its search index and user‑interaction data to qualified competitors. The decision, detailed in a 230‑page opinion released on Sept. 2, threatens the search giant’s near‑90% market dominance and...
Popeyes Bites Into Anime Fandom with ‘One Piece’ Collaboration
Popeyes announced its first anime partnership, teaming with Toei Animation’s One Piece. The collaboration launches a limited‑time menu named after the Straw Hat crew, exclusive bento‑box packaging and merchandise available in select U.S. markets. The move targets Gen Z, leveraging the...
How To Measure PPC Performance When AI Controls The Auction via @Sejournal, @Brookeosmundson
The rise of AI‑driven campaign types like Performance Max and AI Max is upending traditional pay‑per‑click measurement, as ads now appear on keyword‑less queries and across multiple Google channels. Conversions increasingly stem from AI‑generated assets and multi‑step journeys, making click‑level...
How Malaysia Airlines Is Using AI to Speed up Campaign Production
Malaysia Airlines has partnered with creative‑automation firm Kingdom Digital to overhaul its marketing workflow. The AI‑driven Digital Creative Automation model can slash campaign production times by up to 80% while supporting human oversight. The system generates localized assets for more...
Top 100 Connected TV (CTV) Bundle IDs in March 2026
Pixalate released its March 2026 Top 100 Connected TV (CTV) Bundle ID rankings, analyzing over 1 billion programmatic impressions across 851 apps. The data show Hulu’s bundle ID (2285) topping the Roku list, while PlutoTV (ID 751712884) leads on Apple TV. Rankings span Roku, Apple TV,...
Why Marketing Is Now the Operating System for Growth
Artificial intelligence is elevating marketing from a creative function to the operating system that drives corporate growth. Marketers now craft narratives and data signals that influence both human consumers and AI agents that power discovery and purchase decisions. This shift...
Yiayia and Friends Brings Its Whimsical Brand World to Tea
Greek lifestyle brand Yiayia and Friends is extending its whimsical universe into the beverage sector with a line of four organic Greek mountain teas. The products are sourced from Greek tea maker Symbeeosis and feature packaging designed by the Greek...
Google Update Favours Brands Over Aggregators, Directories
📊 Google March 2026 Core Update Visibility Shifts & Patterns In the US - I’ve analyzed the biggest US domain level visibility shifts in @sistrix , along with the top keyword changes behind them. One of the clearest early patterns...
Google Engineer Proposes Unified Agentic Engine Optimization Stack
New post from @addyosmani (a Google engineer working on Gemini and Cloud). And yep, he has a new version of the acronym AEO -> Agentic Engine Optimization (AEO) I think at some point, Google needs to come out with an official...
The Irony of Having to Pay to Show up for Your Own Name
Zerodha discovers it must purchase its own brand keyword to appear at the top of Google and app‑store searches, otherwise rivals’ ads capture the prime position. The practice forces the broker to pay for visibility even when customers are explicitly...
Be Top‑of‑Mind: Buyers Choose the First Idea
Your buyer’s brain is lazy. That’s why your positioning can’t be. Have you lost work to someone you’re objectively better than? It stings. Maybe you found out later. Maybe you just suspected. The thinking was shallower, the track record thinner—but they got...
AI Is Reshaping Earned Media, and PR Pros Need to Adapt
Artificial intelligence is reshaping earned media by influencing editorial decisions and search discoverability. A recent study shows AI‑optimized stories are 68% more likely to be run, while 230 million weekly global health queries rely on ChatGPT, with 82% of citations drawn...
Wilson Golf Launches Brand Awareness Campaign in Times Square
Wilson Golf debuted its Play Original brand campaign on the iconic 20 Times Square LED façade, a nine‑story, 17,000‑square‑foot 8K curved screen that draws roughly 360,000 pedestrians daily. The campaign runs through April, promoting the company’s 2026 product line—including Staff Model...
Creepy Elon Musk ‘Robot Dog’ Spotted Roaming San Francisco Streets
A hyper‑realistic silicone head of Elon Musk was mounted on a four‑legged robot dog that roamed San Francisco’s Oracle Park and SoMa districts. The stunt promoted Beeple’s upcoming "Infinite Loop" exhibition, opening April 18 at the Node digital art center in Palo Alto. The...
A Framework for Auditing Generative AI Outputs Pre-Launch
Marketing teams are urged to view generative AI outputs as draft inputs and run them through a four‑stage audit before publication. The framework starts with source and prompt validation, then checks brand‑voice alignment, followed by originality and copyright screening, and...
Scribbld Bags Digital Mandate for Brushers Co
Independent agency Scribbld has secured the digital mandate for oral‑care startup Brushers Co as it prepares to enter India. The Mumbai‑based team will steer the brand’s go‑to‑market strategy across pre‑launch, launch and post‑launch phases, handling social‑media, performance and awareness initiatives....
Build an Unreplicable Moat: Story, System, Trust
Your moat is what competitors can't replicate: your story, your system, your audience's trust. What does your brand win on?
Earn $400k with AI Newsletter, 4‑hour Weeks
Our paid “Write With AI” newsletter does around $400k/year. This is over *double* my old Wall Street salary. That job required 80-hour weeks. But this newsletter only takes 4 hours every week. Use this to build your own newsletter:
Playing the Wrong Game
On March 25, a California jury held Meta and Google liable for deliberately engineering their platforms to addict children, sidestepping the long‑standing federal shield that has protected Silicon Valley. The ruling marks the most consequential Big‑Tech verdict to date and signals...
AI Is Nothing Without Data Fidelity. Here’s A Four-Step Approach to Protect It
AI’s effectiveness in advertising hinges on the fidelity of the data that fuels it. The industry often relies on inferred or fragmented signals, which degrade model accuracy and erode trust. A four‑step framework—starting with quality inputs, building low‑degradation infrastructure, demanding...
Experiential Marketing Trend of the Week: Charm Bars
Brands are turning to tactile "charm bars" to combat digital fatigue, offering attendees hands‑on personalization that extends event life. The trend aligns with Pinterest’s 2026 "Gimme Gummy" aesthetic, emphasizing flexible textures and ASMR‑inspired experiences. Major players such as NYX, Coach,...
Meet the Newest ‘Running Point’ Character: Jake From State Farm
State Farm announced a co‑branded partnership with Netflix’s basketball comedy *Running Point*, inserting its mascot Jake from State Farm into Season 2 as a scripted character. The move marks the first time Jake appears in a television narrative rather than a...
Connecting Search and Social
In this episode, host Jordan Cooney talks with Celeste Gonzalez, SEO Testing Director at RicketyRoo and founder of the LA SEO Meetup, about Search Experience Optimization (SXO) and the shifting landscape where nearly 60% of Google searches end without a...
How Jake From State Farm Made His TV Debut in Netflix’s ‘Running Point’
State Farm has teamed with Netflix for an integrated campaign around the sports comedy series “Running Point,” featuring its mascot Jake from State Farm in a first‑ever TV debut within the show. The partnership includes a co‑branded pre‑roll spot starring...
Deeper Influencer Messaging For Linear's Old-School Ad Ecosystem?
Influencer creators are increasingly being featured in traditional 30‑second linear TV spots, blurring the line between social‑media ads and broadcast commercials. Brands argue that a personal, influencer‑driven tone can counteract consumer fatigue with corporate‑sounding messaging. The article examines whether addressable...
Trendos Launches in the UK, Giving Brands Free Access to AI Visibility Insights
Trendos, a global AI search‑visibility platform, has launched its free service in the United Kingdom and across Europe. The tool aggregates real‑time data from AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overview and Gemini, covering more than 13 regions and...
AI-Powered Search Is Reshaping How Consumers Find Local Businesses, Creating an Invisible Gap for Small Companies
AI‑driven search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI mode are replacing traditional keyword queries, delivering only a few direct business recommendations instead of long result lists. Small local firms that lack a coherent, authoritative digital footprint are being omitted...
Google AdSense Will Experiment With New Ad Technology Partners
Google announced that AdSense will begin experimenting with an updated roster of commonly used ad‑technology partners on August 20, 2026, after a preliminary rollout starting April 20, 2026. The trial will assess partner performance and privacy compliance, with a full list update slated for...
When Platforms Become Part of the Channel
Affiliate operators are witnessing a fundamental shift as major platforms move from pure traffic sources to active shopping environments. Google’s Sponsored Shops, Shopify’s ChatGPT‑linked storefronts, and Meta’s creator‑tagged “Buy Now” flows embed product discovery, comparison, and cart building inside the platform...
Google Search Console Testing AI Contribution Report
Google Search Console is quietly testing a new AI contribution report, a feature hinted at by John Mueller in early February. The pilot appears in the Help documentation but lacks screenshots or detailed explanations. Analysts suspect the report will surface...
Battle of the Brands: Legora Signs Jude Law as Harvey & Legora PR Deals Grow
Legal GenAI firm Legora announced a global advertising campaign featuring actor Jude Law, positioning its technology as a core component of modern legal work. The high‑profile spot, directed by SNL veteran Rhys Thomas and shot by Oscar‑winning cinematographer Hoyte van...
Building a Fully AI‑Native Marketing Organization
Office Hours with Tomasz Tunguz & Lena Waters: The Fully AI-Native Marketing Organization https://t.co/obhGQqsFeo via @YouTube #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology #Tech #TechNews #SocialSelling
Google Denies New “Still Processing” Sitemap Status
Google has nothing to announce about a new "still processing" status for XML sitemaps https://t.co/zCxzSN0Lv8 https://t.co/DppnVvBaTL
Google Still Processing Status To XML Sitemaps - Nothing To Announce
Google has confirmed that it will not be adding a new “still processing” status to XML‑sitemap error reports at this time. The request, raised by SEO specialist Kyle Risley, sought a clearer signal for sitemaps that have been crawled but...
The SB Podcast: Why Distribution Needs a Shake-Up
Eoin Bara, founder of Tipple, argues that spirits brands must generate demand before chasing distribution. After burning out selling his own Mór Irish Gin, he created Tipple, a digital platform that lets brands sell directly to consumers and businesses while...
Google May Disregard Links From Spam‑violating Sites
Google's @johnmu reiterates that Google may ignore links from sites that violate its spam policies https://t.co/uXnMAKuuWg https://t.co/82ekVwtzSX
Displayce Powers Ubisoft’s Multi-Country DOOH Campaign for Just Dance 2026
Ubisoft teamed with Displayce, Artefact and VIOOH to launch a programmatic digital‑out‑of‑home (DOOH) campaign for Just Dance 2026 across the UK, France, Germany and Australia. The effort ran on 179 premium screens—86% in shopping malls—targeting families within 0.5‑1 km of key retailers such...
What World Cup Advertisers Can Learn From the Super Bowl and Olympics
The piece extracts advertising playbooks from the Super Bowl to guide brands entering the World Cup and Olympics. Testing of more than 600 Super Bowl spots shows that emotionally‑driven, purpose‑first creative outperforms pure media weight. Brands are urged to craft...
Clear Tagline Boosted Olipop to $200M Revenue
Olipop doubled revenue to $200M in one year by changing their tagline from "A Sparkling Tonic" to "A New Kind of Soda." Meanwhile you're using confusing niche jargon on your packaging and wondering why you can't scale past your early...
5 Key Insights From the 2026 Campaign Optimization Series (#COSeries)
Demand Gen Report’s 2026 Campaign Optimization Series gathered leaders from Demandbase, NetLine and Docket to dissect how B2B buying has moved far upstream. The webinars revealed that 83% of buyers define their requirements before ever speaking to a salesperson, forcing...
Premier Inn Hires SNL UK Star for Social Campaign on Sleep Science
Premier Inn, the UK’s largest budget hotel chain, has hired SNL UK star Al Nash to front a new social‑media campaign centered on sleep science. The initiative aligns with a refreshed brand positioning that emphasizes wellness over price. By using Nash’s...
Kayali’s Mona Kattan on Building a Fragrance Empire that Taps Into the ‘Personal’
Kayali, founded in 2018 by Mona Kattan, has evolved from a Huda Beauty offshoot into a standalone fragrance brand backed by private‑equity firm General Atlantic. The company’s "fragrance wardrobe" strategy encourages consumers to layer scents, resulting in some of the...
Ready or Not
A SaaS vendor overloaded its marketing with AI‑centric language, ignoring its established value proposition, which led to a period of stagnation. After a year of refocusing on clear, outcome‑based messaging, the company regained momentum. The article cites Optimizely’s recent column...
Huda Beauty Taps Into Y2K Café Culture for US Pop-Up Celebrating New Collection
Huda Beauty is launching its Strawberry Latte Collection with a one‑day takeover of three Fellini Café locations in New York City on April 18. Customers who purchase Huda products at Sephora receive a free strawberry latte, while surprise gifting and shareable...
Volvo's Aging Lineup Triggers First‑Quarter Sales Slump and Dealer Frustration
Volvo reported its weakest first‑quarter sales since 2020, a decline driven by an aging product portfolio and inconsistent factory support. The slump has amplified dealer frustration, exposing a misalignment between the brand’s all‑electric push and current consumer demand.
Tinder CMO Melissa Hobley Discusses AI, IRL Events on Forbes C‑Suite Unscripted
Tinder's chief marketing officer Melissa Hobley appeared on Forbes' C‑Suite Unscripted podcast, outlining the brand's push into AI‑driven profile tools, in‑person events, and heightened safety measures. The interview signals a broader shift among consumer‑app marketers toward technology‑enabled engagement and community...
Costco Rolls Out "More Stay, Less Pay" Hotel Bundles, Promising Savings for Millions
Costco is adding a "More Stay, Less Pay" option to its travel platform, letting members book longer hotel stays at a reduced rate and receive digital Costco Shop Cards. The move targets budget‑conscious travelers and could pressure online travel agencies...