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.
Astrotalk Taps Everyday Uncertainties in New Ad Films
Astrotalk has launched a three‑film digital campaign for the IPL, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, that spotlights everyday dilemmas in relationships, careers and finances. Each short film shows a character turning to the Astrotalk app for a personalized astrological reading to gain clarity. The ads emphasize that uncertainty often stems from lack of insight, positioning astrology as a practical decision‑support tool. The campaign rolls out across digital platforms and will be amplified throughout the IPL season.
United Spirits Ropes in Virat Kohli for Johnnie Walker Luxe Blended Water Campaign
United Spirits, Diageo’s Indian arm, launched a new campaign for its Johnnie Walker Luxe Blended Water brand featuring cricket legend Virat Kohli. The film, set to a re‑recorded KISS track by YUNGBLUD, portrays Kohli in multiple roles to reinforce the “Keep...
Social Media For Advisors: Market Scalably With Evergreen Content
Social media marketing promises low‑cost visibility for financial advisors, but Kitces research shows acquiring a client via these channels averages $16,700 when hard and soft costs are included. The approach is time‑intensive, with only about 10% of posts driving most...
Joy Personal Care Launches Hydra Refresh Gel TVC Featuring Sanya Malhotra
Joy Personal Care introduced a television commercial for its Hydra Refresh Gel, featuring Bollywood star Sanya Malhotra. The ad positions the gel as a lightweight, fast‑absorbing solution for skin hydration during India’s hot, humid summer. Executives from RSH Global highlighted the...
Parle-G Spotlights Bihu Festival with Culture-Led Campaign
Parle‑G unveiled a two‑part Bihu‑focused campaign that blends music, culture and shared experiences in Assam. The first film, starring Assamese actor Partha Hazarika with a soundtrack by Nilotpal Bora, amassed over 7 million YouTube views and 5 million Instagram views in its...
Fever-Tree: "A Pivotal Moment"
Fever‑Tree’s U.S. tonic market share climbed to roughly 28% in 2025, driven by its partnership with Molson Coors and aggressive marketing spend. In the U.K., the once‑dominant tonic line shrank to about 20% of revenue, with sales falling from roughly $151 million...
SXSW 2026 Reemerges as Top Hub for Founders, Marketers and VCs
The 2026 SXSW festival returned in Austin with a revamped format that attracted roughly 5,000 daily participants in its new Clubhouse spaces. Founders, marketers and venture capitalists converged for networking, film premieres and high‑profile keynotes, signaling the event’s renewed influence...
Tracy McCoy Honored by Marquis Who’s Who for Business and Marketing Leadership
Tracy McCoy, founder and CEO of digital marketing firm Get Fish Slapped, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who, a biographical series that profiles leaders based on visibility and accomplishment. The honor underscores her role in expanding a...
MetaDine Debuts AR‑Powered Guest App for Caffè Milano, Boosting Digital Dining
MetaDine, the hospitality‑tech arm of Strong Interactive, has rolled out a next‑generation guest‑experience app for Miami‑based Caffè Milano. The platform blends augmented‑reality dish previews, live Instagram engagement and WhatsApp reservations into a single browser‑based interface, aiming to lift guest satisfaction...
Disney Unveils World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris, Expanding Disney Adventure World
Disney has opened the World of Frozen land inside the newly renamed Disney Adventure World at Disneyland Paris, marking the first major expansion of the park. The $2 billion rebranding effort doubles the park’s size and leverages Frozen’s $2.7 billion global box‑office...
Google Faces Antitrust Data‑Share Order and Rapid Algorithm Updates, Shaking SEO Playbooks
A U.S. district court ordered Google to share portions of its search index and user‑interaction data with rivals, and the company released a spam update and a core update within 72 hours. The twin shocks are prompting marketers to overhaul...
MobiKwik Joins Rajasthan Royals as Official Payments Partner for IPL 2026
MobiKwik has become the official payments partner of the Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2026, marking its first sports sponsorship. The partnership includes co‑branded campaigns, on‑ground activations and integration of UPI, loan and credit services across fan‑engagement touchpoints. MobiKwik aims to capture...
How Sportsbooks Plan to Turn Bracket-Mania Into Long-Term Betting Interest
Sportsbooks are leveraging March Madness to turn casual bracket participants into long‑term bettors. BetMGM and Fanatics deployed former college athletes—Haley and Hanna Cavinder and gymnast Livvy Dunne—as social‑first influencers to attract younger, especially female, audiences. The campaigns combine digital content,...
How Cashfree Payments’ ‘One of Your Kind’ Brand Campaign Is Forcing Us to Look at Businesses Differently
Cashfree Payments launched the "One of Your Kind" brand campaign, showcasing real Indian merchants like BigBasket, RedBus and Third Wave Coffee instead of generic product demos. The film emphasizes each merchant’s unique challenges and how Cashfree’s tailored payment solutions helped them...
Brand Safety in Influencer Marketing: Why AI Is Now the Only Answer at Scale
Brand safety has moved from a low‑priority checkbox to a strategic imperative for influencer marketers, especially after Meta scaled back its third‑party fact‑checking in early 2025. While only 5 % of brands cite safety as their top challenge, a staggering 63 %...
Metals, Models and Mandates: Decoding the Cultural Translation of Modern Marketing
Oura, the Finnish maker of premium smart rings, is launching its recovery‑focused wearable in India, positioning the device as a fashion status symbol rather than a step counter. Chief Marketing Officer Doug Sweeny is shifting the narrative from bio‑hacking metrics...
Mercedes-Maybach Takes to Driver’s Seat for ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’
Mercedes‑Maybach has launched “The Art of Arrival,” a global, 360‑degree campaign tied to the upcoming film *The Devil Wears Prada 2*. The partnership revives a two‑decade‑old product‑placement link, featuring a custom short film and exclusive footage of the new 2026 Maybach S‑Class. The...
The Battle for Attention on CTV: Premium Video Platforms Vs. YouTube
Connected TVs will be in 83% of U.S. households by 2027, prompting advertisers to lift CTV spend, with 70% planning a 17% increase in 2026. A VAB‑TVision study of 21 premium video platforms versus YouTube measured hard‑working impressions—co‑viewing, attention, and...
How to Turn the Insights You Already Have Into Better Commercial Outcomes
A global beauty brand shifted a large portion of its media budget to influencer and social channels to win Gen Z, but sales stalled despite higher engagement. The post‑campaign analysis showed the brand ignored existing consumer research that highlighted the continued...
China's AI Chatbots Are Advanced and Versatile — and Begging for More Users
Chinese tech giants are turning AI chatbots into transaction hubs, pouring over $1.1 billion into Lunar New Year promotions to spark user adoption. The giveaways drove record daily active users—Qwen hit 73.5 million on Feb 7 and Doubao surged past 144 million during the...
The Most Respectful Thing a Brand Can Say Is “No”
Brands that simply ignore customer feedback erode trust, but a well‑explained “no” can reinforce respect and loyalty. By treating input as evidence rather than a vote, companies can close the feedback loop with a brief, transparent note that outlines the...
Superdry CEO on Transforming Its Core Consumer and Bringing Back Bench
Superdry CEO Julian Dunkerton announced the relaunch of the Bench label, partnering with his teenage daughter to co‑design the new collection. The move is aimed at revitalizing Bench’s streetwear heritage while appealing to Gen Z consumers. Dunkerton said the strategy...
How Ben & Jerry’s Turned TikTok Fans Into DoorDash Orders
Ben & Jerry’s leveraged DoorDash Offsite Ads, powered by Symbiosis, to turn its highly engaged TikTok audience into same‑day delivery orders. By pairing TikTok’s targeting tools with DoorDash’s first‑party retail data, the brand delivered shoppable ads that linked directly to...
Why Tech Startups Are Pivoting to Localised Digital Marketing in 2026
Tech startups are abandoning broad, global ad campaigns in favor of hyper‑local digital marketing as venture capitalists demand early profitability. Rising customer acquisition costs in 2026 make generic outreach inefficient, prompting founders to target specific geographic markets. Partnerships with local...
Guardian’s First Substack Experiment Is Republishing Food Newsletter
The Guardian is piloting Substack by cross‑publishing its weekly food newsletter, Feast, which boasts over 100,000 subscribers and an almost 70% open rate. The experiment is part of the multi‑year Project Berger transformation plan to make the newsroom more visual,...
The Changi Experience: Inside One of Aviation’s Most Recognised Brands
Singapore Changi Airport is redefining itself from a high‑efficiency hub to a branded destination, embedding personalized experiences, extensive connectivity and sustainability into its core identity. The airport’s marketing team leverages AI, data analytics and a real‑time digital platform to deliver...
As Customer Journeys Fragment Across AI and Chat, Contentsquare Adds New Analytics Tools. Here’s What’s New
Contentsquare has expanded its digital analytics platform with tools that surface interactions with large language models, on‑site chat, and support channels. An out‑of‑the‑box dashboard now reports LLM traffic share and conversion, while the acquisition of conversation‑intelligence firm Loris adds sentiment,...
Vanity-Led Demand: Vitagen Taps Female Audience with Beauty-Focused Drinks
Malaysia Dairy Industries is targeting women over 25 with Vitagen Collagen Less Sugar, a probiotic drink that adds marine collagen and vitamin C while cutting sugar. The product leverages the growing vanity‑led demand for functional beauty, positioning gut health and skin...
REPLAY - Substack 0-$10k
Claire Venus, a Substack veteran, hosted a replay class on monetising newsletters, outlining four core models: paid newsletters, membership communities, live‑community experiences, and patron‑support. She shared her own pricing—about $27 per month for a membership—and emphasized mapping subscriber values over...
How to Build an Award-Winning Social Media Campaign
The ET Trendies Awards recognize India’s most viral and effective influencer and social‑media campaigns, judging impact, brand metrics, and business results. Winners start with a human insight‑driven story, then choose a single platform—Instagram Reels, YouTube, or X—and tailor content to...
Google Search Console Desktop Data Currently Inflated and Unreliable
Heads-up: there is something bizarre going on with Google Search Console data right now. Similar to the changes that came to light after the disabling of &num=100, impressions are again skyrocketing for specific surfaces on desktop. For example, using the 'merchant listings'...
Bing Expands Ads Within Product Carousel Format
Bing tests more ads in its products carousel format https://t.co/vF3JldUz6i found by @SachuPatel53124 covered by @MordyOberstein https://t.co/Z9shE076of
Google Gemini Sends More Traffic To Sites Than Perplexity: Report via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Google Gemini more than doubled its referral traffic to websites between November and January, posting a combined 115% gain after the Gemini 3 rollout. In January Gemini sent 29% more visitors than Perplexity worldwide and 41% more in the U.S., reversing...
Focus on Who, Not What, for Effective Content
The “who” is more important than “what” when it comes to content by @Timothy_Hughes https://t.co/gZ6eMM3Aoy @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #SalesTips #SalesLeader #Salesforce #Marketing #Leadership #MarketingSuccess #MarketingStrategy https://t.co/3kbRVolR3k
Weekend-Built Lead Automation Proves Naysayers Wrong
Mine is automating my leads. Mostly built this weekend. Love the naysayers. But there is real work underway here.
Triumph’s China Exit Exposes the Real Reasons Western Brands Fail in the World’s Largest Market
Triumph, the German lingerie maker, shut its China operations in December after 31 years, joining a wave of Western brands exiting the market. While trade wars and geopolitics are often cited, company insiders point to falling sales, shrinking market share,...
Stop Hiding Behind Complexity: Take a Data‑Backed Stance
The biggest lie in B2B marketing is that your industry is too complex for good content... It is not complex. You are just scared to have an opinion. Take a stance. Defend it with data. Watch the industry wake up.
Pinterest Bets Measurement and SMBs Will Boost Performance Revenue
Pinterest has reorganized its monetization team, appointing Vik Gupta as VP and GM of Monetization and Sumanth Jagannath as VP of Measurement. The duo will fuse product, engineering and data‑science functions to tighten ad measurement and attribution, targeting greater spend...
Shein Teams with Celebrity Stylist Scot Louie for Spring/Summer ’26 Trend Collection
Shein has unveiled a curated Spring/Summer ’26 collection created with celebrity stylist Scot Louie, marking the retailer’s first high‑profile partnership with a renowned fashion tastemaker. The edit highlights seven emerging trends and is supported by an exclusive virtual styling series.
Mulberry Names Christopher Kane Creative Director, Aiming to Revive Ready-to-Wear
British luxury house Mulberry has appointed Scottish designer Christopher Kane as creative director of its women's ready‑to‑wear line. The partnership, set to debut in September with sales slated for early 2027, marks Mulberry’s first major expansion beyond its iconic leather...
Lowe's Adds Same-Day Mulch Delivery to Boost Spring Sales
Lowe's introduced free same‑day delivery on mulch for MyLowe's Rewards and Pro Rewards members, tying the perk to a broader SpringFest campaign. The move aims to revive foot traffic and sales as the housing market remains sluggish and comparable sales...
Surfshark Names COO Dovydas Godelis CEO, Aims to Turn VPN Into Mass‑Adopted Cybersecurity Suite
Surfshark announced that COO Dovydas Godelis will replace founder Vytautas Kaziukonis as chief executive. Godelis, 36, says the company will evolve from a niche VPN provider into a full‑stack cybersecurity solution for everyday users worldwide.
Kroger Launches 4X Fuel Points Events to Offset $4 Gas Prices
Kroger announced two limited‑time 4X Fuel Points Spring Weekend events (Mar 27‑29 and Apr 3‑5) that let shoppers earn up to five times the usual points, translating to a maximum $1 discount per gallon. The move targets price‑sensitive customers as national gasoline...
What to Look for and How to Measure Your Brand’s Algorithmic Presence
Brands are increasingly discovered through AI assistants that synthesize digital footprints, shifting the focus from traditional SEO to Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews now drive the majority of chatbot-to-website referrals, shaping consumer perception...
Substack Hits 35 Million Users, Cementing Its Status as the Hottest Social Platform
Substack’s monthly active subscribers climbed from 20 million in 2025 to over 35 million in 2026, making the newsletter platform the fastest‑growing social‑media venue. The surge reflects a broader appetite for curated, long‑form content and underscores the strategic direction set by founder‑CEO...
BuzzFeed Shopping’s 24 Walmart Picks Drive Influencer‑Powered Traffic to Retail Giant
BuzzFeed Shopping released a roundup of 24 trending Walmart items, pairing each product with real‑world influencer reviews. The media‑driven curation is already funneling shoppers to Walmart.com, underscoring the growing clout of editorial commerce in the ecommerce ecosystem.
Melbourne Holocaust Museum Appoints TAG to Elevate Social Strategy
The Melbourne Holocaust Museum has engaged digital growth consultancy TAG to overhaul its social media strategy, emphasizing a purpose‑driven, future‑focused approach. The partnership will spotlight the museum’s corporate engagement programs, aiming to deepen business‑sector understanding of Holocaust history and prejudice....
Lululemon Taps EVH as Australian PR and Communications Agency
Lululemon has appointed EVH as its Australian public‑relations and communications agency, effective immediately. The partnership follows two high‑profile campaigns featuring global ambassadors Min Woo Lee and Lewis Hamilton that boosted brand visibility. Lululemon now operates 38 stores across Australia, a market it entered...
Australian Eggs Reclaims Its ‘OG’ Status in Satirical Big Chocolate Social Film via Liquid Ideas
Australian Eggs refreshed its "The Easter OG" platform for 2026 with a social‑first hero film created by Liquid Ideas. The satirical "Big Chocolate" boardroom spot positions real eggs as the original Easter hero and underscores a dual‑play with chocolate. The...
Why Toyota Ditched The Blue Badges For Its Hybrids
Toyota has phased out its iconic blue‑halo hybrid badge, replacing it with a new HEV logo and a blue‑dot emblem that signals the company’s Beyond Zero electrification strategy. The change coincides with the launch of a more powerful fifth‑generation Camry...