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.
Basis Wants To Help Marketers Bring Agentic AI Into Media Planning
Basis introduced Compass, an agentic campaign‑planning platform that integrates directly with its DSP and other buying systems. The solution synthesizes advertisers' first‑party data and broader market signals to auto‑generate omnichannel media strategies and audience personas. Early adopter SMZ found the tool unbiased toward Basis’s own inventory and praised its ability to streamline brief uploads, budget discussions, and presentation creation. A summer upgrade will pull full historical data via Model Context Protocol, enabling deeper AI‑driven recommendations.
Post on Saturdays for 40% More Views
Most Threads creators think weekdays are the best time to post. We analyzed 20,000+ posts from 255 creators last month. Saturday averaged 2,912 views per post. That's 40% higher than Wednesday. Everyone takes weekends off. That's exactly why you shouldn't.
LinkedIn Is Rewriting the Rules of Visibility
In this episode, host Michael Stelzner and co‑host Jerry Potter sit down with LinkedIn ads authority AJ Wilcox to unpack LinkedIn’s new visibility mechanics—from AI‑driven content discovery and semantic markup to revamped ad personalization tools and stricter rules on automated...
GWM Tank Asks: What Happens when the Map Disappears?
Great Wall Motors' Tank division launched the Najm Suhail navigation system in Saudi Arabia, a free, key‑chain‑mounted device that guides drivers when mobile signals drop. The digital‑first campaign, rolled out on March 15, 2026, targets Saudi males aged 18‑34 who rely heavily...
Bata to Step up India Growth, Double Turnover in 5 Yrs
Bata’s new CEO Panos Mytaros announced an aggressive plan to double the company’s Indian turnover within five years. The strategy hinges on expanding owned and franchise stores, boosting e‑commerce, and launching a dedicated sneaker line aimed at Gen Z shoppers. India...
Cameo Bets on TikTok Creators to Revamp Its Platform
Cameo is partnering with TikTok to let U.S. creators sell personalized video shoutouts directly within the TikTok app, moving transactions and discovery onto the platform. The integration aims to revive Cameo’s waning cultural relevance by leveraging TikTok’s massive audience and...
The RealReal Combats AI Fakes in ‘I Am Real’
The RealReal has launched an AI‑generated short film called “I Am Real,” created with advertising agency Team One and director Sebastian Strasser, to spotlight the platform’s authentication guarantee. The film deliberately inserts visual glitches that reveal the limits of generative video tools, ending with...
Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt Press Ads: Print and Be Grand
Cadbury’s latest Easter activation uses four bespoke print ads that double as hidden egg containers, created with VCCP and Girl&Bear. Each ad mimics a household object—books, wooden pegs, tea bags, or an alarm clock—so families can conceal chocolate eggs in...
9 Storytelling Strategies To Help Coworking Spaces Stand Out
The article outlines nine storytelling angles coworking operators can use to differentiate their spaces, ranging from origin stories and core values to community profiles and unique advantages. By shifting focus from merely solving workspace problems to sharing human‑centric narratives, operators...
Boost Milkshake Finds ‘The New Secret of Mahi Energy’ in VML India Campaign
Boost Milkshake, a Hindustan Unilever brand, has launched "The New Secret of Mahi Energy" with VML India, featuring cricket legend MS Dhoni. The social‑first, month‑long campaign blends out‑of‑home billboards in Mumbai, Chennai, Guwahati and a national digital push, targeting Gen Z fans...
Attekmi’s Roman Vrublivskyi on Ad Tech Trends, Ad Strategy, and AI
Attekmi CEO Roman Vrublivskyi outlines the five ad‑tech trends shaping 2026, highlighting first‑party data and AI as the top drivers. He explains that privacy‑driven first‑party data is replacing third‑party identifiers, while AI now powers bidding, creative generation and forecasting. Supply‑path...
Colbert Collection to Debut in Italy as Minor Hotels Targets Soft Brand Growth
Minor Hotels has launched the Colbert Collection, a premium soft‑brand aimed at independent hotels that prioritize culinary and cultural experiences. The brand lets properties retain their unique identity while tapping into Minor's global distribution, revenue‑management and loyalty systems. Its debut...
Performance Max for Hotels: Pros & Cons To Consider
Google Performance Max (PMax) consolidates ads across Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps into a single AI‑driven campaign for hotels. Independent properties can leverage the platform to broaden reach, automate bidding and creative optimization, and capture more direct bookings....
Philips Avent Taps Yami Gautam Dhar to Question Boiling for Baby Bottle Hygiene
Philips Avent has launched a campaign in India questioning the long‑standing practice of boiling baby bottles, promoting its steriliser as a more effective hygiene solution. The brand cites internal survey data showing up to twice the germ protection and fewer...
Glad U Came Bags PR Mandate for Alpino
Mumbai‑based PR firm Glad U Came has won the public‑relations and influencer‑marketing mandate for Alpino, a leading health‑focused food brand. The agency will design and execute integrated PR campaigns across digital platforms to strengthen Alpino’s positioning among fitness enthusiasts and health‑conscious consumers....
Samsung Galaxy M17e 5G Campaign Taps Nostalgia and Biking Culture
Samsung India, with Cheil India, launched a high‑impact campaign for the Galaxy M17e 5G that blends motorbike stunts and nostalgia for early adventure reality shows. Featuring Indian TV icons Rannvijay Singha and Nikhil Chinapa, the ads portray the phone as...
The "Software Finder" Cash Machine
In this episode, Adnan Malik, founder and CEO of Software Finder, explains how his bootstrapped B2B software marketplace generates $20‑$25 million in annual revenue with 15‑20% profit margins by offering free, 10‑minute human consultations to buyers and charging software vendors for...
Cathay and Leo Hong Kong’s New Campaign Dials up the Chaos for Hong Kong Rugby Sevens
Cathay Pacific and Leo Hong Kong have launched a high‑octane campaign to mark the 50th anniversary of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, reinforcing the tournament’s reputation as the world’s biggest rugby party. The activation rebranded Twickenham’s iconic Scrummery pub to...
Why Most Gaming Partnerships Fail to Deliver – and How to Fix Them
Gaming in the Middle East has exploded to an estimated 68‑72 million active players, out‑spending traditional media on platforms like YouTube, Twitch and TikTok. Yet many brands treat gaming as a short‑term experiment, measuring success only by immediate ROI and impressions....
Anak Launches New Brand for National Space Agency of Singapore
Singapore has launched the National Space Agency (NSAS) as an autonomous entity, announced at the Singapore Space Summit 2026. Global branding firm Anak created a new visual identity and tagline, "Spaceborne, Earthready," to convey that space technology directly impacts daily...
The Phone- A-Friend Brand
The article highlights how brands that stay open during holidays, strikes or peak‑demand periods—such as bakeries, pharmacies, 24/7 convenience stores and ride‑hailing apps—strengthen a "Friend‑in‑Need" (FIN) attribute and attract new, loyal customers. It cites examples from Mumbai, Vietnam, Singapore and...
Meta’s Bid to Woo Creators to Facebook Just Might Work, Despite Its Recent Legal Woes
Meta unveiled the Facebook Creator Fast Track, promising $1,000 a month for creators with at least 100,000 followers and $3,000 for those exceeding one million, with payouts lasting three months and a perpetual reach boost. The initiative aims to tap...
Why AI-Powered Wellness Chatbots Will Be ‘Table Stakes’ for Supplement Brands, with Thorne CSO Dr. Nathan Price
Thorne, a leading supplement brand, launched Taia, a generative AI wellness chatbot, on its website. In its first six months, Taia processed over 200,000 messages, delivered more than 350,000 product and lifestyle recommendations, and generated an 8% higher average order...
KFC Launches $7‑$11 Box Feast Value Menu Across U.S. Restaurants
KFC is rolling out a new Box Feast lineup nationwide, offering three price points—$7, $9 and $11—that bundle chicken, fries and a drink. The move aims to capture budget‑conscious consumers as fast‑food margins tighten and competitors double down on value...
Wendy’s Revamps Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Faces Mixed Fan Reaction
Wendy’s launched a refreshed Spicy Chicken Sandwich on March 30, featuring a juicier marinade, sweet‑potato bun and panko‑style breading. While the chain’s U.S. CMO hailed the upgrade, many longtime fans voiced disappointment on social media, highlighting the challenges of rebranding...
Criteo Unveils Self‑Service AI Platform GO and Hires Former Google Shopping Lead Courtney MacConnell
Criteo announced a full self‑service version of its AI‑powered GO platform, letting small and mid‑size advertisers launch cross‑channel campaigns in as few as five clicks. At the same time, the company named former Google Head of Shopping Courtney MacConnell as Vice...
Why Retail Media Is Your Secret Weapon Against Inflation
An energy‑driven inflation cycle is compressing consumer baskets, forcing shoppers to drop items and focus on price. Retailers face shrinking margins as freight, fertilizer and packaging costs cascade to shelves. The article argues that retail media—screens, digital shelves and sponsored...
Create a Distinct Sonic Identity for Modern Brands
Spotify just released a report: The Sound-On Era It includes tips for marketers on building a sonic identity, which might mean: 🎙️ A distinctive voice or tone 🎙️ A consistent music world 🎙️ A repeatable sonic mnemonic or signature https://ads.spotify.com/en-US/news-and-insights/sound-on-era/
Threads Thrives on Reposted Viral Images, No Credit
The key to Threads success is taking a viral image from another platform and posting it here with the caption "this wins the internet today" and no other attribution
Brands Struggle with AI Disclosure as Usage Surges Across Marketing
Nearly 80% of multinational brands now incorporate AI‑generated or AI‑enhanced assets into their consumer‑facing marketing, according to the World Federation of Advertisers. While 67% have drafted internal disclosure policies, eight‑in‑ten still call for clear global guidance as regulations remain fragmented....
Mars Petcare Spotlights Canine Oral Health in Pedigree Dentastix Campaign via Colenso BBDO
Mars Petcare has rolled out a global "Good Dogs Have Bad Mouth" campaign for Pedigree Dentastix, aiming to make canine oral health impossible to ignore. The initiative highlights that eight in ten dogs face dental issues and positions Dentastix as...
Creators Need To Be In The New Media Plan
TikTok’s new whitepaper projects Australia’s creator‑driven commercial contribution to reach US$100 billion (≈AUD $144 billion) by 2030, a 1.3‑fold increase from 2025. The growth is spreading beyond beauty and fashion into gaming, financial services, apps and consumer electronics, as brands seek authentic creator...
Leverage View-Through Attribution to Boost Meta Campaign ROI
Something we're noticing across multiple 8-figure brands we're managing. After the changes to click attribution Meta started to heavily favor and over-utilize view-through attribution. As we swapped some brands over to 1DC/7DC exclusive optimization the total back-end performance and profitability is growing...
CMO and CIO Merge Roles in Workday’s AI Marketing
When the CMO and CIO Share the Same Job: Inside Workday's AI Marketing Build https://t.co/tjsP1WGw7C
Estée Lauder Pushes ‘One Team, One Culture’ Model as WPP Deal Details Emerge
Estée Lauder has appointed WPP as its first global media partner, launching a new “One ELC” operating model that unifies media, data and commerce across the company. The model consolidates previously fragmented regional structures into a single AI‑enabled ecosystem, aiming to accelerate...
2degrees and TBWA New Zealand Launch ‘Ring Ring’ to Stop the Scroll and Start the Call
New Zealand telecom provider 2degrees, together with TBWA New Zealand, has introduced Ring Ring – a limited‑edition thumb ring engraved with a phone number to nudge users toward voice calls instead of endless scrolling. The campaign follows research showing over two‑thirds...
Sea Cleaners, JCDecaux Target Litter as Brand Risk
Sea Cleaners and JCDecaux have launched Reverse Media Schedules, a model that treats littered branded packaging as negative outdoor advertising. The system blends litter audits, audience data and media modelling to estimate how many people see branded waste and its...
Honda Turns to The Isley Brothers to Prove CR-V Hybrid Smoothness in New Campaign via Special
Honda Australia unveiled its 2026 CR‑V hybrid, extending the e:HEV powertrain across the model range to attract entry‑level hybrid buyers. The launch is anchored by a single‑take commercial that mounts a record player on the roof, playing The Isley Brothers’...
Why Every Social Strategy Needs a Performance Audit Before Q2
A social media audit is a structured review of account health, content performance, competitors, and goals, providing an objective snapshot of what works and what doesn’t. Teams that conduct quarterly audits grow faster than those that only react to problems,...
Timing and Messaging Triple Paywall Conversion Rates
I built a skill for Claude Code that optimizes in-app upgrade screens so free users actually convert to paid. It rewrites your paywall from the ground up — triggering it at the moment of value (not buried in settings), showing what...
YouTube Connects AI Chatbot to Smart TVs
YouTube has extended its conversational AI chatbot to select smart‑TV platforms, letting viewers ask spoken questions via the remote’s microphone while watching videos. The feature, tested since February 2026, appears as an “Ask” button that delivers in‑stream answers and recommendations....
The YouTube Mentorship Is Finally Here
Leea’s new YouTube 101 Mentorship launches, offering entrepreneurs a one‑on‑one, done‑with‑you program to turn YouTube into a revenue engine. The mentorship covers branding, website integration, channel setup, and a systematic content strategy, with Leea personally reviewing each participant’s work. It targets...
I Discovered What the Notes Algorithm Actually Loves. (Hint: It’s Not Your Writing Quality.)
The author reveals that Substack’s Notes feed rewards subscriber growth, not polished prose. Quick, story‑focused notes consistently attract more followers than meticulously edited essays. By using templates and publishing daily, the writer grew to 16,000 subscribers and over $100K in...
Meta’s March Bug Skews Click‑only Attribution, Hurting Optimization
I think this is a good visualization for the impact of TWO major Meta items in March. 1. An overspend bug that occurred on Sunday 3/16. Spend spiked against 0 reported value. (lots of refund coming) 2. The changes to click based...
Balancing Growth and Ethics in AI Marketing
#TimTalk - How can companies balance growth with the need to be ethical in AI-driven marketing? with Nicole Alexander https://t.co/3iLT5JKwip via @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #TechNews #Marketing #MarketingStrategy #MarketingSuccess #AI
How OLLY Is Staying Visible in AI-Driven Search
OLLY, the wellness supplement brand, is leveraging AI‑driven search technologies to keep its products front‑and‑center in an increasingly algorithmic retail landscape. By deploying generative‑AI keyword clustering, structured‑data markup, and voice‑search optimization, the company has lifted organic traffic and captured higher‑intent...
Baidu's New English Wiki Boosts US Visibility
Baidu's English pages appear to be exploding in visibility in the U.S. It looks like it's tied to the core update, but I think it's actually that they launched an English Wiki site within the last week: https://t.co/O54gTff7C8 https://t.co/R6b5Ntxk0B
Maine Businesses Rally Against Data‑Privacy Bill Threatening Targeted Online Ads
Maine business leaders and trade groups are intensifying opposition to LD 1822, a data‑privacy bill that could curb targeted online advertising and biometric data collection. More than 200 owners signed a letter warning the measure would put the state at...
Product Transparency: The Ecommerce Trust Signal You’re Ignoring
Product transparency is emerging as a core conversion lever for ecommerce brands, moving beyond basic FAQs to verifiable, data‑rich disclosures about sourcing, testing and manufacturing. The article highlights how niche players like Herbilabs use batch‑specific Certificates of Analysis to turn...
Monetizing Thought Leadership
Alan Weiss’s "Monetizing Thought Leadership" program targets seasoned consultants, speakers, and coaches who want to replace tactical advice with an identity shift that commands six‑ and seven‑figure fees. The curriculum covers economics of expertise, positioning as an indispensable authority, and...