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.
Indonesia Leads SEA's US$14b Gaming Opportunity as Brands Lag in Localisation
Indonesia now dominates Southeast Asia’s gaming landscape, housing more than 150 million players and accounting for over half of the region’s 290 million gamers. The broader gaming ecosystem—including creators, eSports and brand activations—is projected to expand from $6.6 bn in 2025 to $14 bn by 2030. Yet many brands continue to apply generic, Western‑style marketing playbooks that ignore Indonesia’s creator‑centric discovery model. Success will hinge on localized, community‑driven strategies rather than short‑term influencer deals.
EXCLUSIVE: Through Our Partnerships with MI and KKR, We Are Placing the Brand at the Centre of Culture — Madhav...
Ai+ Smartphone has signed strategic partnership deals with two Indian Premier League powerhouses, Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, to embed its brand within Indian pop culture. CEO Madhur Sheth says the aim is to move beyond simple logo placement...
Chipotle Relaunches Loyalty Program to Capture Younger, Rewards-Driven Diners
Chipotle Mexican Grill has relaunched its loyalty program as “Rewards on Repeat,” targeting younger, rewards‑driven diners. The revamped scheme, now live in the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec), expands benefits for its 21 million members, including a one‑year point expiration, monthly...
Focus on TikTok Affiliate Marketing
TikTok affiliate marketing leverages the Creator Marketplace to pair brands with vetted creators who promote products for a commission. The model emphasizes micro‑influencers and niche communities, where authentic recommendations outperform polished celebrity ads. By integrating affiliate links into TikTok Lives,...
Iconic Skipping Girl Reimagined as ‘Scrolling Girl’ in Dairy Farmers’ Call to Get Aussie Kids Moving Again in New Campaign...
Dairy Farmers, together with creative agency The Royals, has transformed Melbourne’s historic Skipping Girl neon sign into a new "Scrolling Girl" installation to spotlight rising screen‑time concerns among Australian children. The campaign, backed by research from YouGov, launches a 10‑week...
Launching AI Tool to Boost Your X Followers
ANNOUNCEMENT Just landed in Lisbon to lock in with @vitaliidodonov for the next 10 days. Past 3 months, I helped him go from 0 to almost 10K followers on X. Together, we're building an AI you can use to grow your...
AI Is Changing How Your Shoppers Feel About Your Brand
Retail shoppers are increasingly using large language models (LLMs) as the first point of product discovery, with eight in ten shoppers under 44 relying on AI before visiting a retailer’s site. The Rithum survey of 1,046 U.S. and U.K. shoppers...
Adobe Summit 2026: How Adobe Hopes to Redesign Marketing and Creativity with AI
Adobe’s annual Summit kicks off in Las Vegas on April 20, 2026, with a parallel virtual stream, marking a pivotal moment as CEO Shantanu Narayen announces his departure after 18 years. The event will spotlight Adobe’s response to the surge...
Artificial Intelligence Tools Shape Content Organization Strategies for Modern Business Websites
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how businesses structure website content, moving from static menus to dynamic, data‑driven hierarchies. AI tools analyze visitor behavior, identify gaps, and recommend structural tweaks that align with real‑world usage patterns. These systems also automate internal linking,...
LynkDog Launches the First Backlink Monitoring Platform Built for the AEO and GEO Era
LynkDog has launched the first backlink and directory monitoring platform built for Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), targeting AI‑driven search tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. The service already supports more than 500...
BFJ Digital Outlines the ‘Human-First’ Framework for AI Integration in Modern Marketing Teams
BFJ Digital released a "human‑first" AI integration framework for marketing and sales teams, drawing on IBM’s recent rollout that automated 94% of routine interactions. The analysis highlighted a critical 6% gap where judgment, nuance and brand trust are built. BFJ’s...
Stop Using AI to Scale Mediocrity
HMD Global’s Haris Munif warns that while 74% of Middle East and Africa consumers view generative‑AI ads positively—the highest global acceptance—brands are falling into the trap of churning out generic content at scale. He argues AI should be leveraged for...
The Newest Character on Netflix’s Running Point? Jake From State Farm
State Farm’s long‑running mascot Jake made a high‑profile appearance at the 2025 NBA Draft, stepping onto the red carpet, joining the anchors’ desk and appearing on the Jumbotron. The cameo underscores a growing trend of advertising characters moving into live‑event...
Digest: OpenAI Lowers Minimum Spend for Ads Pilot; Meta Pulls Ads for Addiction Lawsuits; YouTube Tests 90-Second Unskippable Ads Amid...
OpenAI has quietly launched an Ads Manager and slashed the minimum spend for its pilot program to $50,000, aiming to attract a broader range of advertisers. Meta Platforms is pulling dozens of ads that recruit plaintiffs for social‑media addiction lawsuits...
Plan Ahead: Year‑Long Event Calendar for PR
🚨 Introducing "Plan Ahead" in Finchling: See relevant upcoming events up to 1 year in advance for your brand: Festivals, TV launches, regulation changes, and more - all on one timeline, tailored to your brand 👇 With this new feature, we...
Big4Travel, Horizon FCB Launch Campaign for Those Who’d Rather Miss the FIFA World Cup 2026
Big4Travel, a leading Bangkok travel agency, teamed with Horizon FCB Dubai to launch a contrarian campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Instead of joining the flood of football‑centric promotions, the brand offered a travel guide to "Non‑Qualified Countries" and...
How L’Oréal Paris’ Sit Al Bait ست البيت Moved From Cultural Truth to the Classroom
L’Oréal Paris’ Sit Al Bait campaign, launched in 2025 under the Women of Worth platform, transformed the Arabic term “Sit Bait” (housewife) into “Sit Al Bait” (woman of the house), reframing women’s roles across the MENA region. The initiative, created with FP7 McCANN Dubai, McCANN Paris and...
Should Brands Invest in Virtual and AI Influencers?
Campaign Middle East surveyed regional marketers about virtual and AI influencers, revealing a split between proponents and skeptics. Advocates cite scalability, cost efficiency and creative control, while detractors argue that authenticity and trust remain essential for influencer success. The discussion...
Airbnb Doesn’t Want to Be Your Host Anymore.
Airbnb has rolled out private airport transfer services in 125 cities across Europe, Asia and Latin America, letting guests book rides directly through its app via a partnership with Welcome Pickups. The move marks the latest step in Airbnb’s evolution...
From Skipping to Scrolling: ‘Bega Girl’ Reinvented for New Campaign
Bega has launched a new health‑focused campaign that swaps Melbourne’s iconic “Skipping Girl” sign with a temporary “Scrolling Girl” version for eight days. The initiative responds to YouGov data showing teenagers spend nearly three hours daily on small screens, far...
From Media Channel to Brand Architecture: How Influencer Marketing Grew Up
Influencer marketing in the Middle East has evolved from a budget‑line vanity channel into a core, always‑on pillar of the marketing mix. Brands now run multi‑month creator programmes that simultaneously drive brand awareness, generate platform‑native content, and deliver measurable sales...
Google Core Update Favors Strong Brands Over Aggregators
📊 Search Updates & Top SEO News Of the Week - From the Latest #SEOFOMO: * Google completed the rollout of the March 2026 Core Update: Here are the Top Visibility Shifts & Patterns In the US: One of the clearest early...
Rosa’s Thai Celebrates Songkran with Bangkok Trip Giveaway and Special Menu for April
Rosa’s Thai is marking Thailand’s Songkran festival with a UK‑wide promotion that includes a prize draw for a round‑trip flight and five‑night stay in Bangkok, two limited‑edition dishes, and daily free Pad Thai giveaways at three locations. Diners who book and...
Special Editions, Seasonal Podcasts, and the Art of Low-Key Book Marketing with Sara Rosett
Indie author Sara Rosett, a USA Today bestseller, has moved away from traditional retailer‑first launches toward a low‑key, personality‑driven marketing model. She now sells directly through a Shopify store, runs seasonal mystery podcasts, and leverages special editions, Kickstarter campaigns, and...
Should Affiliates Focus on SEO or GEO?
Affiliates face a false choice between traditional SEO and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Recent research shows AI citations depend heavily on existing search authority, with 40.58% of AI citations originating from Google’s top‑10 results. While GEO demands structured, source‑rich content,...
From Refugee to Hot Sauce Billionaire, No Ads Needed
This guy fled Vietnam with nothing in his pockets. Today, he has become the first hot sauce billionaire of America. His company Huy Fong's Sriracha does an annual revenue of $150M without any advertisements or sales team. Here's the story:
Audio Ads Are Coming to 6,000 More Dollar General Stores
Dollar General is expanding its in‑store audio advertising network, partnering with retail ad‑tech firm Qsic to equip an additional 6,000 locations. The rollout will bring audio ads to 12,000 stores—about half of the retailer’s 21,000‑store footprint—by the end of Q2....
ADWEEK Agencies Advantage: Publicis Groupe Takes a Major Shot to Grab Sports Spend
Live sports remains the only mass‑media format where audiences gather in real time, giving brands a rare chance at cultural relevance at scale. Ad buyers now expect sports to account for roughly 60% of their upfront media spend, up from...
Can Denza Really Establish Itself as a Luxury Brand?
Denza, the BYD‑owned EV maker, launched its Z9 GT shooting‑brake at a lavish Paris opera house event, signaling its entry into the European luxury market. The Z9 GT is priced around £100,000 (about $125,000) and boasts over 1,100 bhp, positioning it...
Industry Snapshot: The New Social Playbook
Brands are shifting from platform‑first to audience‑first ecosystems, concentrating spend on fewer high‑impact channels and treating owned social feeds as media products. AI is redefining content planning, moving decisions from intuition to data‑driven signals while accelerating iteration. Creator partnerships have...
Pinterest Pushes Real-World Inspiration as Social Media Backlash Grows
Pinterest has launched a new campaign urging users to put their phones down and seek real‑world inspiration, marking the first major initiative under new CMO Claudine Cheever. The 60‑second spot stitches together home movies from the 1950s‑80s and is narrated...
Hollywood Star Jude Law Hired by Legora to Front Its New Global Brand Campaign
Legal AI platform Legora has hired Hollywood star Jude Law to front a new global brand campaign titled “Law just got more attractive.” The multi‑channel rollout targets the UK, US and Nordics and follows a $550 million Series D round, the acquisition...
Alt Protein Strategies: ‘Identity Priming’ and Hybrid Meat
Researchers highlight two levers to accelerate alternative‑protein adoption: identity‑priming messaging that frames plant‑based foods as extensions of shared meat‑eater values, and hybrid meat products that blend plant and animal proteins. Experiments showed omnivores responded more positively to ads featuring a...
Yas Island Owns the ‘Effortless Holidays’ Space with ‘The Answer Is Yas’
Yas Island launched "The Answer is Yas" campaign to dominate the "effortless holiday" segment, positioning the destination as a one‑stop, all‑inclusive family getaway. The multi‑channel effort, anchored by a narrative‑driven video, was rolled out on April 8 across PR, paid, owned...
BoF Professional Masterclass | The Fashion Marketer’s Guide to AI
The Business of Fashion will host a Professional Masterclass on April 15, focusing on how AI has become a core component of fashion marketing and offering practical frameworks for its implementation. The event features case‑study author Haley Crawford, BoF editor Marc Bain,...
Hugo Boss Bets on Tennis With Australian Open Partnership
Hugo Boss has signed a multi‑year partnership to become the official apparel sponsor of the Australian Open, starting with the 2024 tournament. The deal brings the German label's branding to courtside signage, player wardrobes and a line of co‑created merchandise sold...
Case Study | The Fashion Marketer’s Guide to AI
Fashion and beauty brands are integrating artificial intelligence across the entire marketing funnel. Luxury houses such as Prada and Valentino have launched AI‑driven campaigns that cut through clutter, while beauty label Beekman 1802 is positioning its products to dominate AI‑powered search...
For Mother’s Day, Kendra Scott Invests in Its Largest Influencer Activation to Date
Kendra Scott unveiled its "Mark It: Jewelry for the Moments That Matter" campaign for Mother’s Day, fronted by influencer Sara Foster and featuring more than 200 short‑form videos across TikTok, YouTube, Meta and Pinterest. The effort represents the brand’s largest influencer...
With the World Cup Around the Corner, Media Buyers Expect Streaming Prices to Soar
Marketers are rolling out World Cup campaigns, highlighted by Unilever’s Rexona ad starring top soccer stars, while media agencies brace for a steep rise in streaming ad prices. In the U.S., Fox and Telemundo have set minimum spends of $5 million...
Sol De Janeiro’s Director of Global Influence on the Rise of ‘Non-Followers’ and the New Rules of Social Engagement
Sol de Janeiro’s new director of global influence, Avrielle Cortes, says the brand is shifting from a TikTok‑centric strategy to a fragmented, multi‑platform approach. She highlights the rise of “non‑followers” – viewers reached through algorithmic feeds – as a key...
Kohl’s Is Stepping up Its Creator Efforts as It Attempts a Sales Reset
Kohl’s is expanding its creator marketing program to reverse a 4% drop in net sales and a softer‑than‑expected fourth‑quarter. The retailer now works with about 1,500 nano‑creators, offering commissions, free products and exclusive event access, while maintaining a roster of...
Creator Content Has Become Critical for Retail Media Networks
Retail media networks are weaving creator‑led content into brand campaigns, leveraging sales data to pinpoint influencers with the highest conversion potential. Walmart Connect has expanded its Omnicom partnership to include Meta insights, while Best Buy will run seasonal YouTube spots with...
I Evaluated the 10 Best SMS Marketing Software for 2026
Marketers are shifting from email to SMS as 25% of businesses now adopt text messaging for its high engagement. After testing over 20 solutions, G2’s Devyani Mehta identified the ten best SMS marketing platforms for 2026, ranging from AI‑driven tools...
When AI Removes Friction, Marketing Becomes More Human
Sam Hoare’s op‑ed highlights a rapid surge in AI adoption across marketing, with 96% of CMOs flagging AI as a priority. Yet only 65% of firms are making substantive investments, and just 18% report reduced reliance on developers. The Atlantic...
Authors: Share Life, Not Just Book Promotions
Author Real talk… If you are an author and all you ever post and share on your social media platforms is promotional book content… Buy my book content… Oh look more generic book posts… You will not A. Increase your following count like...
AI Workflows Will Eclipse $5k SEO Agencies by 2026
By Q4 2026, traditional SEO agencies charging $5k+/month for content will lose 90% of their clients to solopreneurs using AI workflows. The moat isn't publishing, but knowing which workflows move the needle.
Thailand’s TCEB and TAT Launch $132 M MICE Drive to Boost Hotel Occupancy
Thailand’s Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced a joint "Thailand Power Up" campaign that aims to attract 65,000 premium meeting‑and‑incentive travelers and generate roughly $132 million in revenue. The partnership offers financial and non‑financial...
Twitter Growth Now Affordable for All, No $5k Ghostwriter
We're on a generational lock-in to make Twitter growth accessible to everyone (without a $5k/m ghostwriter price-tag). Follow @vitaliidodonov to stay tuned + drop a comment on his post for early access.
SEO Pros Need SERP Lens—Stop Missing Out
If you’re an SEO and haven’t yet tried @serplens : what are you even doing?
French Garden Centre Gamm Vert Releases ‘Grow It Yourself’ Groceries
French garden‑centre chain Gamm vert has rolled out a new "Grow’ceries" campaign in partnership with Ogilvy Paris. The initiative repurposes familiar supermarket packaging – tomato‑sauce cans, soup cartons, pesto jars and crisps packets – to contain seeds and young plants for home...