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 all marketing functions, shifting AI from a productivity add‑on to a core strategic engine. The analysis notes early adopters are using generative tools, while the next wave will involve autonomous agents that orchestrate decisions across workflows, guided by a five‑step implementation roadmap.
Video Innovation Drives 2x Higher Purchase Intent, Study Finds
A new "State of Video Technology" study of 2,500 U.S. and U.K. adults finds 80% of consumers want more brand video, yet 46% say they never receive it. Personalized video content makes shoppers twice as likely to buy, and AI‑generated video interest jumped to 74% from 65% last year. Gen Z leads demand, with 92% wanting more video and 89% insisting on personalization. Executives are eager: 88% would increase production if AI could create videos in minutes.
Does Your Brand Feel Sluggish? Here’s Why.
The piece argues that many brands feel sluggish because they carry a hidden backlog of unanswered questions and indecisive decisions. This ambiguity creates vague messaging, endless approval loops, and slower execution. The author recommends embracing "good enough" decisions and choosing...
6 A/B Tests Every App Growth Team Should Run
App growth teams often launch acquisition campaigns without knowing which funnel elements actually drive quality users. The article outlines six critical A/B tests—from routing paid traffic to mobile web smart banners versus direct app‑store links, to customizing app‑store pages and...
Building Business: A Strategic Approach to Referrals and COIs
Brian Shapiro argues that referrals and centers of influence (COIs) remain the most cost‑effective lead sources for wealth‑management advisors. He outlines a four‑step referral process—identifying ideal referrers, simplifying the ask, timing requests, and acknowledging contributors. The article also details a...
Why Brand Size No Longer Determines Visibility in AI Answers
The rise of AI answer engines is reshaping how brand visibility is earned, shifting focus from sheer scale to the clarity, credibility, and structure of content. Traditional PR tactics that rely on reach and long‑standing narratives no longer guarantee inclusion...
AI Digital Relaunches Elevate: The AI-Powered Intelligence Platform Built to Break Open the Black Box
AI Digital has relaunched Elevate, an AI‑powered marketing intelligence platform that unifies research, planning, optimization and reporting across the digital ecosystem. The tool promises up to 90% reduction in manual research and planning time and 70% faster reporting, while remaining...
Inside Walmart’s Creator-Driven Social Commerce Playbook
Walmart is building a creator‑driven social commerce engine that blends shoppable ads, influencer networks, and AI‑powered trend tools. The retailer treats social platforms as search venues, targeting Gen Z and millennial users who spend hours daily online. Its Walmart Creator program,...
The Key to Building a Personal Brand Is to Talk About It
The post argues that the fastest way to build an unforgettable personal brand is through live speaking, not just more written content. It cites Steven Bartlett’s rise, where relentless speaking engagements generated the bulk of his client pipeline and revenue....
Use Bonus Scenes to Grow Your Author Newsletter
How to build a newsletter when you’re just starting as an author… I will always suggest adding bonus scenes to the end of your books to newsletter build. It builds your list with organic, already invested readers… But what if...
Unlock Claude's Untapped Power Beyond Simple Automation
anthropic's growth marketer just explained why most people only use <10% of Claude's potential most people use ai to do the same stuff faster. simple automations of their existing workflows. but the real edge is when claude lets you tackle workflows that...
Cold Email Sequence: 5 Sequences with Ready-to-Use Examples
The guide reveals that a single cold email typically nets only 1‑2% replies, while a structured 4‑5‑email sequence can lift response rates to 8‑15%. It outlines optimal cadence—starting with a two‑day gap and widening to up to ten days—plus the...
Happydemics Launches ‘In-Flight Mode’ to Optimise Brand Outcomes While Campaigns Are Still Airborne
Happydemics has introduced “In‑Flight Mode,” a real‑time brand‑lift measurement tool that embeds outcome tracking directly into live campaigns. Marketers can now monitor consideration, purchase intent and other brand KPIs as ads run, and instantly tweak creative, targeting or media mix....
Starbucks Revives S'mores and Unicorn Frappuccinos to Spark Sales Rebound
Starbucks announced the summer 2026 return of its S'mores and Unicorn Frappuccinos, tying the move to its "Back to Starbucks" strategy. Early Q1 fiscal 2026 data shows a 4% rise in North America comparable store sales, signaling the nostalgia push...
Digible and Engrain Integrate All‑In Pricing Into Google Ads to Meet Fee‑Transparency Rules
Digible, a leading multifamily marketing agency, has teamed with Engrain, the interactive touring and data‑visualization platform, to feed structured pricing data into paid media. The integration lets advertisers display an “all‑in” price—including rent and mandatory fees—in Google Ads, addressing regulator‑driven...
Clarvos Unveils AI-Driven Workflow Platform to Streamline Marketing for Smaller Businesses
Marketing tech startup Clarvos LLC launched an early‑access AI‑driven workflow platform aimed at small and midsized businesses. The agentic system integrates audience discovery, creative generation and multi‑platform campaign execution across Google, Meta and TikTok, allowing users to move from concept...
How Dogfish Head Finally Found Growth Again — With the Grateful Dead
Dogfish Head partnered with the Grateful Dead to launch the Juicy Pale Ale and later the Citrus Daydream Lager, sparking its fastest‑growing beer ever and reversing a multi‑year sales decline. The collaboration taps the Dead’s cult following, using vibrant branding...
Dairy-Free Creamer Brand Nutpods Is Cracking Fragmentation With AI-Powered Insights
AI Digital launched Elevate, an AI‑powered marketing intelligence platform to combat ad tech fragmentation. Nutpods, a dairy‑free creamer brand, used Elevate to unify data across channels and receive near‑real‑time insights. The platform revealed audio ads outperformed other placements, allowing Nutpods...
Dairy-Free Creamer Brand Nutpods Is Cracking Fragmentation With AI-Powered Insights
Nutpods, a non‑dairy creamer brand, partnered with AI Digital to use its new Elevate platform, an AI‑powered marketing intelligence suite designed to dissolve ad‑tech fragmentation. The tool slashed Nutpods’ reporting lag from weeks to roughly one day, delivering real‑time performance...
Instagram Now Lets Creators Tag Affiliate Links Directly in Reels
Instagram is rolling out a new feature that lets creators tag shoppable products directly in Reels, supporting up to 30 items per video. Creators can add products by pasting affiliate URLs or selecting items from a brand’s Meta commerce catalog,...
Don’t Hardcode Content
A client’s outbound communications were locked in Visualforce emails and Apex‑hardcoded SMS, making updates painful. The consultant migrated the emails to Lightning Email Templates (LET) with Enhanced Letterheads, simplifying edits to a Word‑like experience. Order details were moved to a...
Flamel.ai Launches Luna to Fix Franchise Marketing Execution
Flamel.ai unveiled Luna, an AI‑powered agent that executes, analyzes, and optimizes franchise marketing across all locations, completing a broader platform expansion that unifies paid media, local SEO, social and review tools. The system lets corporate teams build a single campaign...
Lucozade Woos ‘Believers’ for Grafruitti Flavour Relaunch
Lucozade is re‑launching its Grafruitti flavour, first introduced as a limited edition in 2015, with a community‑centric campaign aimed at the brand’s self‑identified “Believers.” The rollout, crafted by We Are Social, began with teaser posts and a logo swap before...
AI‑crafted Referral Programs Boost Growth with Double‑sided Rewards
I built a skill for Claude Code that designs referral programs that actually grow — incentive structure, placement, and tracking. It builds the full program: double-sided rewards (both referrer and referred get something), what the incentives should be, when payouts trigger,...
How Reuters Unlocked 58% More Suitable Inventory with IAS Context Control
Reuters partnered with Integral Ad Science to replace traditional keyword blocklists with IAS’s Context Control semantic solution. By analyzing meaning, sentiment, and entity relationships, the platform identified safe articles previously flagged by keywords, especially on the Lifestyle subdomain where 13.4%...
SunLife Aims to Strike Gold with Frontman Martin Kemp
SunLife, the UK specialist for consumers over 50, has named former Spandau Ballet frontman Martin Kemp as its new brand ambassador. The move reinforces the insurer’s “Everyday Confidence” platform launched in 2025, which uses humour and warm storytelling to encourage...
Volkswagen Appoints Global Social Media Agency
Volkswagen has appointed a new global social media agency to steer its digital presence across markets. The agency won the account following a rigorous, multi‑stage pitch that evaluated creative, data, and technology capabilities. The partnership is intended to refresh Volkswagen’s...
Mid‑funnel Nurturing Cuts CPA 38% in 60 Days
Lately, more businesses are coming with ₹3L+ ad spend but declining ROI. There’s a silent doubt — “Are ads just getting expensive now?” They assume rising CPMs are the problem. But deeper inside, it’s poor funnel depth — no mid-stage nurturing, only cold-to-sale...
KFC Takes a New Step with Its Marketing: An Entire Music Track
KFC launched a 90‑second music single titled “Finger Lickin’ Machine” to promote its new Value Feast menu, featuring bundled meals priced at $7, $9 and $11. The ad, produced by agency Highdive and music house Heavy Duty, showcases Colonel Sanders...
When Fashion Influencer Campaigns Go Wrong: How Bad Briefs Break Influencer Collaborations (and How to Fix Them)
Fashion influencer campaigns often stumble not because of the wrong creator, but due to poorly crafted briefs. Vague prompts, over‑scripted captions, and conflicting instructions lead to off‑brand, inauthentic content that frustrates both brands and influencers. The article outlines common brief...
Brooks CMO on Shaping a Global Brand Vision, with Help From Cynthia Erivo
Brooks Running, a century‑old challenger to giants like Nike, posted record growth in 2025 and broadened its CMO Melanie Allen's remit to steer a global brand vision and retail rollout. The company launched the "Shine Under Pressure" campaign starring actress‑runner...
PÜR Gum Founder Jay Klein on Growth and Dragons’ Den
Jay Klein’s PÜR Gum has evolved from a Toronto startup in 2010 to a global better‑for‑you confectionery brand, now available in over 50 countries and 50,000 retail locations. The sugar‑free gum, which uses xylitol and avoids artificial additives, drives annual...
JELL-O Unveils the JELL-OMETER: The World's First-Ever Device to Quantifiably Measure Fan Intensity
JELL-O has launched the JELL-OMETER, a proprietary device that translates crowd noise, movement, and excitement into a new metric called Jiggles (Js). The system uses plate‑sensing technology to convert atmospheric sound pressure into mechanical motion, displaying intensity on a one‑to‑ten...
5 Content Marketing Ideas for May 2026
May 2026 presents ecommerce marketers with five timely content ideas—from the historic Freedom 7 anniversary to Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, National Paper Airplane Day, and Miles Davis’s centennial. Each theme is positioned to generate organic search traffic, feed‑algorithm visibility, and AI‑readable snippets that...
Weirdo Snacks Illustrates Flavor With Cartoon Hijinx
Weirdo Snacks, a brand from MABA, has launched a bold visual identity that turns each flavor into a cartoon character. The packaging features expressive, chunky typography and vibrant color palettes designed to resonate with Gen Z humor. By treating snack packs...
Teach Your Process, Not Just the Results
Don't just share what works. Share your exact process for discovering what works. Example: "How I test content ideas" is more valuable than "10 content ideas" because it teaches readers to fish.
AI Is Now a Business Essential, or Lose
Every company I’m involved in is using AI. Content. Ads. Customer acquisition. It cuts costs, improves output, and gives you an edge. And if you’re not using it? Your competitor is. https://t.co/o1iv7sKBST
Could Gaming's 'Epic' Struggles Open the Door for More Advertisers?
Epic Games announced a layoff of roughly 1,000 employees as Fortnite’s player base and in‑game currency value decline, highlighting the title’s struggle to stay fresh. The broader gaming sector is experiencing a wave of cuts, prompting advertisers to wonder if...
Early Metrics That Predict Scaling Account Failures
Behind the scenes of how we audit scaling accounts → The metrics that predict failure early https://t.co/npvd3PXcwG
AI Marketing Tools List Keeps Expanding with New Additions
The best list of #AI #marketing tools anywhere continues to expand: https://t.co/1MqMiJPCBB New tools added recently include StationOne, @scale_AI, Alemia AI, https://t.co/uZmhN1618N, @poe_platform, Coldi, @fuserstudio, https://t.co/DbgdgVlnZ6, and Atrtificio.
Google Explains Why It Doesn’t Matter That Websites Are Getting Larger via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
Google’s Gary Illyes and Martin Splitt clarified that growing page weight isn’t inherently harmful, emphasizing that page size depends on what’s measured—HTML alone or the full bundle of assets. They highlighted how compression, especially Brotli, can mask the true amount...
AI Generates 500+ UGC Videos Daily, No Camera
R.I.P. manual UGC creation. OpenCreator + OpenClaw = 500+ videos/day without touching a camera. One prompt and my bot cranked out multiple UGC videos. No filming, no actors, just done. https://t.co/1wYMz6Z76I
Introducing SERPLens: The All‑In‑One SEO Browser
This is like no SEO tool you’ve used before. At @SERPLens, we’ve built the web browser for SEO pros. It includes: • Fast, built-in VPN • Live prompt/agentic insights • Annotate screenshots • Track projects + loads more Start a 7-day free trial now: https://t.co/wBjS72XB6U https://t.co/h0UTY6XlkF
How Marketing Leaders Are Getting Unstuck From Salesforce by Stitch
Stitch is hosting an April 14 fireside chat for brand‑side marketers who feel trapped by Salesforce Marketing Cloud. The session will explore why many enterprises view their data as tangled, contracts as restrictive, and email programs as stagnant. Attendees will learn...
Three-Step Cart Flow Boosts Recovery From 2% to 16.5%
Beardbrand automated 10% of their monthly revenue with a 3-step abandoned cart flow that recovered 16.5% of all carts. Meanwhile you're sending one generic abandoned cart email and wondering why your recovery rate is stuck at 2%.
How Marketing Leaders Are Getting Unstuck From Salesforce by Stitch
Stitch is hosting a fireside chat for brand‑side marketers who feel trapped by Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s complexity and contractual lock‑ins. Attendees will hear why data entanglement, repetitive email flows, and patchwork solutions are common complaints. The session outlines how moving...
How To Crowdsource Content Ideas From Your Audience Using Social Media
The article outlines a step‑by‑step guide for creators to crowdsource content ideas directly from their audience across social platforms. It recommends using social listening tools, monitoring DMs and comments, and leveraging interactive features like polls on Instagram, Twitter (X), YouTube...
Gnarly Suds: Opprobriations Uses Skate Nostalgia to Brand Wax’s THC ‘Brewskis’
Wax has introduced a THC‑infused non‑alcoholic beer line, with branding and packaging created by Opprobriations. The design draws on vintage skate and surf culture, aiming to differentiate the product in a market dominated by seltzer‑style cannabis drinks. Future Market Insights...
Jockey Celebrates 150 Years with New Heritage‑Driven Product Strategy
Jockey International commemorated its 150th anniversary by outlining a heritage‑centric product roadmap. CEO Debra S. Waller highlighted the brand’s commitment to comfort, while VP of design Laetitia Lecigne explained how the company is refining classic pieces for today’s shoppers.
OpenAI Buys TBPN for Low‑hundreds‑of‑millions, Bolstering AI‑driven Marketing Push
OpenAI has acquired the tech‑media podcast TBPN in a deal valued in the low hundreds of millions of dollars, placing the show under its communications and marketing division. The move signals a strategic push to control AI‑centric brand narratives ahead...
Anthropic’s Growth Lead Credits $19 B Revenue Surge to Culture and Niche Focus
Amol Avasare, Anthropic’s head of growth, says the AI firm’s revenue climbed from a few hundred million to roughly $19 billion as a 40‑person growth team leveraged a narrow enterprise AI focus and an open culture. The interview reveals how the...