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.
Brands For Less Shows up for Small Businesses with ‘By the Community, For the Community’
Brands For Less, a leading discount retailer in the Middle East, has launched the “By the Community, For the Community” platform to help UAE small businesses weather a slowdown in demand. The initiative offers rent‑free shelf space, in‑store activations, and exposure through the chain’s café and digital channels. It focuses on home‑grown brands, giving them direct access to BFL’s customer base and marketing resources. Interested entrepreneurs can apply by emailing community@bflgroup.ae.
Music Labels Hire ‘Clippers’ to Fake Viral Hits
Music Labels Turn to “Clippers” to Manufacture Fake Viral Buzz at Scale “Clipping” is a viral marketing tactic where teams flood social platforms with content to fake organic virality Labels and agencies hire ‘clippers’ to mass-post memes, clips, and content across TikTok,...
Yap Era: Authentic Voices Replace Polished Tech‑bro Content
I'm convinced the "yap era" of social content is not a trend... It's a course correction. People got tired of over-produced content that felt empty (and WAY too tech bro-y). They want real information, real stories, from real people.
The Analytics Infrastructure Shift Happening Now: How Conversational Analytics Is Reshaping Marketing Intelligence
Marketing analytics is undergoing a fundamental shift as large language models become answer engines, turning zero‑click searches—now about 60% of queries—into the primary consumer touchpoint. Traditional dashboards, built for static reporting, can no longer provide the real‑time why behind sudden...
Tenetic Takes On ‘Gaps’ in Ad Performance, Measurement
Tenetic, an AI‑driven insights platform, has launched the Tenetic Institute to tackle structural gaps in advertising performance measurement as spend shifts toward retail media, creator channels, and AI‑influenced environments. The initiative will examine the disconnect between spend allocation and measurement,...
Master Three Metrics to Scale Beyond Q2 Chaos
You just spent 3 crazy months reacting to • Tariff chaos • Targeting changes • Algorithm shifts But ask yourself these 3 questions to help you scale consistently in Q1 without worrying about any chaos in Q2. QUESTION 1: Does your offer convert...
Rebuild B2B Marketing Foundations in 90 Days
Most B2B CMOs inherit a broken system. - Random campaigns - Sales blaming marketing - Marketing blaming sales - Board asking why pipeline is down The instinct is to launch something new. But that just adds more chaos to the...
New Balance Launches ‘Local Legends’ with Jumeirah Johns Running Club
New Balance has teamed up with the Jumeirah Johns Running Club to launch “Local Legends,” a community‑driven running series across Dubai. The program invites runners to nominate neighborhood businesses—such as laundromats, cafés and barbershops—to be featured on weekly routes, giving...
Stop Overthinking: Comparison Sabotages Your Content Confidence
I've been talking to clients who overthink and question everything when it comes to posting content. And there are 2 camps they find themselves in. The first is they are so deep in comparison that it makes them question everything they...
Meta Rolls Out AI‑powered Small Business Platform as It Ups Texas Data‑center Spend to $10 B
Meta announced a dedicated Small Business platform that bundles AI‑enhanced sales tools, marketplace integrations and analytics for entrepreneurs. The launch coincides with a $10 billion boost to its El Paso AI data center, underscoring the company’s broader bet on AI to power...
Los Angeles Jury Orders Meta and YouTube to Pay $3 Million for Teen Social Media Addiction
A Los Angeles jury held Meta Platforms and Google-owned YouTube liable for designing addictive features that harmed a teenage user, ordering $3 million in compensatory damages—$2.1 million from Meta and $900,000 from YouTube. The verdict, the first of its kind, could reshape...
Embrace Progress Says Sephora As ChatGPT Pilot Expands Across U.S.
Sephora has launched a U.S. pilot that embeds a dedicated beauty‑advisor experience inside the ChatGPT app, allowing shoppers to ask natural‑language questions and receive personalized product recommendations. The service taps into customers’ Beauty Insider loyalty data to tailor advice on...
Essential Site Assets: The Big
If you want more and better talks, you’ll need a few key marketing assets on your site. This is the big 3. Or maybe the big 103?
March 2026 SEO Updates: Core, Spam, AI Title Links
SEO Video recap covering the March 2026 core update and the fast Google March 2026 spam update, AI-generated title links in Google, new Bing AI reporting, PPC and so much more https://t.co/qvTqfZ540s Sponsored by @DudaPlatform with industry mentions of @glenngabe @mordyoberstein...
Google Adds Seasonal Creative Theming to PMax Asset Groups
Google has introduced Asset Group Theming within Performance Max, allowing advertisers to apply seasonal motifs to existing asset groups without rebuilding them. The feature clones a high‑performing group, adds themed image backgrounds, and suggests matching headlines and descriptions while preserving...
Most FIFA World Cup Sponsors Are Paying for a Logo Instead of Building a World
Major FIFA World Cup sponsors continue to pour millions into logo placements, yet many neglect to craft immersive fan experiences. The article argues that visibility alone fails to generate cultural moments, and that brands that build “worlds” where fans gather...
AI Powers Agency Boom, Small Firms Match Giants
Hot take from the 4A's Decisions event in Boston this week: While SaaS companies wrestle with AI angst, agencies and service providers are quietly entering their best era. More clients need more help than ever. AI lets small firms do what used...
Google Ads Expanding Loyalty Program
Google Ads and Merchant Center are rolling out new Loyalty program capabilities that embed member perks directly into product listings. The update adds highlighted pricing and shipping benefits, extends loyalty annotations to local inventory and regional Shopping ads, and launches...
Costa Coffee Embarks on Tour of the UK with Giant Iced Matcha Cup
British coffee chain Costa Coffee has kicked off a nationwide promotional tour featuring a giant, walk‑around iced matcha cup. The oversized prop, created by creative agency Circle Agency, will travel to major UK cities over the next several weeks to...
Budweiser 0.0 Joins Five IPL Teams in Debut Move
Budweiser 0.0 has signed partnership deals with five Indian Premier League franchises—Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals—marking its first IPL involvement. The agreement will deliver city‑specific fan activations and limited‑edition merchandise tied to each team. This...
DTOM Soft Launch Breadth Edits AI Motion Engine for SaaS Promos
DTOM Soft announced the beta launch of Breadth Edits, an AI Motion Engine that delivers studio‑grade 1080p product promos with pixel‑perfect typography. The platform uses a code‑to‑video rendering architecture to eliminate distorted text and removes the need for post‑production tools...
Revolut ‘Welcome To My Bank’: Norton in the Saddle
Revolut has rolled out its first advertising campaign as a fully licensed UK bank, featuring Irish TV star Graham Norton in a 30‑second film titled “Welcome To My Bank.” The spot, created with agency Anomaly, positions Revolut as a "Banking...
AI Impact Newsletter Warns AI May Be Making Marketing Overly Efficient
An AI Impact newsletter flagged that AI is making marketing too efficient, while Google, Meta and other firms roll out new AI features such as Search Live, Gemini chat transfer and WhatsApp AI replies. Marketers applaud the speed gains, but...
NYT Games Releases 39‑Article Strands Hint Bundle for March 26, 2026
The New York Times Games division published a comprehensive hint and answer guide for its daily Strands puzzle on March 26, 2026, aggregating 39 articles from eight publishers. The bundle, part of a broader “cluster + search enrichment” effort, aims to boost engagement among...
Telesto Hires Sarah McHugh to Lead Growth Services, Targeting Private‑equity and Healthcare Brands
Telesto announced that former Huron chief marketing officer Sarah McHugh has joined as head of growth services. She will oversee brand strategy, demand generation and go‑to‑market programs for private‑equity, healthcare and industrial portfolios. The hire signals Telesto’s push to turn...
IR Impact Awards Spotlight Privacy‑First Attribution and Martech Integration
The IR Impact Awards in the United States showcased emerging best practices in marketing measurement, emphasizing privacy‑first attribution, tighter martech integration and AI‑enabled performance analytics. Executives highlighted the growing reliance on TCF‑compliant vendors and the need for unified reporting across...
Prologis’ Head of Social on Why People-First Beats Brand-First
Prologis’ head of social, Natalie Calvo, explains that a people‑first approach—amplifying employee voices—outperforms a brand‑first strategy for niche B2B sectors like industrial real estate. She notes the team posts only three to four times a week, spending most of her time...
JK Maxx Paints Names Akshay Kumar as Brand Ambassador
JK Maxx Paints has tapped Bollywood star Akshay Kumar as its brand ambassador to heighten visibility in the decorative paints segment. The partnership will be promoted through print, television, digital, outdoor and retail campaigns. Launched in 2023, JK Maxx sits...
OSN+ Launches Music-Led Campaign Built Around Its Biggest Genres
OSN+ has rolled out a music‑led campaign featuring a multi‑genre brand anthem that maps the platform’s core genres—drama, horror, thriller, action and comedy—into a single sonic identity. The anthem was created in‑house, leveraging AI to prototype over 160 lyric and...
Digital PR Amplifies Brand Visibility in AI Search
Why Digital PR matters in AI search 👇 Digital PR is becoming more important in AI search because it helps put your brand into the broader web conversation beyond your own site. 1. Repeated third-party coverage can help reinforce public associations between...
20 Marketing KPIs to Track & Improve in 2026
The article outlines a comprehensive guide to 20 essential marketing KPIs for 2026, spanning AI‑driven search metrics, traditional SEO, paid advertising, social media, email, and multi‑channel performance. It explains how AI visibility, brand mentions, and citations are becoming critical as...
TechnoSport Taps IPL Buzz with ‘Real Movement’ Campaign
TechnoSport unveiled a brand film titled “Real Movement” during the Indian Premier League, shifting its narrative from gym‑centric performance to everyday activity. The campaign, part of a broader identity refresh, will run on connected TV, digital platforms and transit media...
Marketing Is an Investment, Not a Cost Center
Marketing is not a cost center. When you treat it like overhead, you cut the engine that drives growth. Marketing builds assets: brand, trust, demand, lower CAC. It fuels sales, funds future pipeline, and primes the 95% who are not ready to buy. Stop...
Custom App Covers Boost Brand, Worth the Effort
One decision we made on the Kit App Store is to make custom cover graphics for every app. It's a decent amount of work for our brand team since there are so many indie apps, but the end result looks...
Transparent Partners and Kana Announce Strategic Partnership to Deliver Enterprise-Grade Agentic AI for Marketing
Transparent Partners and Kana have formed a strategic partnership to deliver enterprise‑grade, agentic AI for marketing. The consultancy brings end‑to‑end data strategy, architecture, and change‑management expertise, while Kana supplies a unified platform that learns, decides, and acts on real‑time data....
Unity's AI-Powered Ad Platform Vector Transforms Mobile Advertising
In this week’s episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast, I speak to Felix The, the SVP of Advertising Product and Engineering at Unity. We discuss Unity’s AI-enabled advertising system, Vector. https://t.co/YKAGMtaYaP
Creating Your Own Ad Media Boosts Sales in AI Era
Building your own advertising media to grow sales in the age of AI. What I’ve been doing since January. It seems to be working so far.. https://t.co/6JLvoZiqA8 #SmallBusiness & Deal Making #SMB https://t.co/QXBIMMaGJE
The One with Central Perk - Where We Buy #376
In this episode, host James Cook talks with Phil Colicchio, co‑founder of Central Perk Coffee Company, about turning the iconic Friends coffee shop set into a real‑world brand. Phil explains how a chance licensing deal with Warner Bros., a complex...
OpenAI’s $100M Ad Spend Fueled by Novelty Demand
OpenAI’s $100MM advertising run rate is almost entirely a function of “novelty demand” since they launched a primitive product with little optimization capacity. Relevant questions: 1) How much better does the platform get?, 2) Where does demand settle when they...
Own a Unique Belief, Not Just a Point of View
What’s the difference between a point of view and an ownable idea? Commitment What differentiated belief do you have, that your audience doesn’t know they want to hear, that no one else is saying? That’s the foundation of your ownable idea But you must...
How to Write an Article: A Step-by-Step Guide
The guide breaks article creation into a repeatable, step‑by‑step workflow, starting with choosing a topic and understanding the audience, then selecting the right publishing platform. It stresses thorough research, brainstorming, outlining, and using proven copywriting formulas to craft compelling introductions...
Larry David Headlines New YES Network Ad Campaign
Our partners @YESNetwork are bringing in one of my faves 👇 Larry David Lends Comedic Talents to YES Network Ad Campaign: https://t.co/CfuYanWkcR via @sportico @YEShandler
Google March 2026 Core Update Begins Two‑Week Rollout
The Google March 2026 core update has been unleashed - it is the first core update of the year - and will take about 2 weeks to roll out https://t.co/mI30Zjpi67 https://t.co/h7LScNTCSP
Shoppable TV Has a QR Code Problem
Shoppable TV has leaned on QR codes to turn viewers into shoppers, but industry data shows click‑through rates hovering around 0.03%, far below expectations. While 62% of consumers discover new brands on television and spend roughly $290 annually on TV‑inspired...
Fastest Spam Update Leads to Unexpected March Core Update
There was a little surprise waiting just around the corner after the fastest ever one day Spam Update … the March 2026 Core Update 😅👇 /ht @mjcachon 🙌
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Calculating the Return on Investment (ROI) of a Marketing Campaign
Marketing ROI measures the profitability of campaigns by comparing sales growth to the cost of marketing spend. The article outlines a basic formula—(sales growth – marketing cost) ÷ marketing cost × 100—and shows why adjusting for organic growth yields a more realistic percentage. It also demonstrates...
From Side Hustle to Serious Brand: Lessons Every Ecommerce Founder Should Know
The article outlines a step‑by‑step playbook for ecommerce founders who want to transform a side hustle into a recognized brand. It stresses the power of an authentic founder narrative, a customer‑obsessed feedback flywheel, and scalable technology and logistics. It also...
LinkedIn Leads AI Era as New Social SEO
The New SEO / GEO is Social: Why LinkedIn is Winning the AI Era by @Timothy_Hughes https://t.co/PZDWdPQ8Np @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #SalesTips #SalesLeader #Salesforce #SalesEnablement #Marketing #Leadership #SEO #GEO #ArtificialIntelligence #TechNews https://t.co/xSsdYOKy1U
Shield Insurance Broker and VML Thailand Turn Hard Sell Into Binge-Worthy Micro Drama
Shield Insurance Broker, together with VML Thailand, launched an innovative social‑media campaign for its After Shit Happens Service, turning a traditionally hard‑sell insurance proposition into a binge‑worthy micro‑drama series. The series delivers every feature and benefit through fast‑paced, cliff‑hanger storytelling...
Genius Sports Opens up Real-Time Live Sports Targeting to Brands
Genius Sports unveiled its Moment Engine, a real‑time targeting platform that matches live‑sports data—such as player stats and scorelines—to addressable CTV, display and upcoming social inventory. Partnering with major ad exchanges, the tool lets brands trigger ads during high‑engagement moments...