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.
Your Marketing Might Not Be the Problem...
In this episode of the Liquid Launch Project, host Matthew Meehan and co‑host Professor Luigi Rosa Bianca interview Dan Gretsch, a former Pulitzer‑winning journalist turned business storytelling strategist. Dan shares how being fired in 2013 forced him to reinvent himself, leading to the creation of his story‑driven growth methodology, which treats a founder’s personal narrative as core business infrastructure rather than mere marketing fluff. He explains the four dimensions of story‑driven growth—Revenue, Recruitment, Relationships, and Resilience—and illustrates them with real‑world examples, such as the founder of Anaviv whose life‑saving childhood scar fuels his mission to "nourish connections." The conversation underscores how authentic storytelling can attract customers, hire and retain talent, secure investors, and sustain the founder’s own motivation.
Nintendo's Physical Switch 2 Game Prices Outpace Digital, Sparking Pricing Debate
Nintendo's latest Switch 2 console retails for $696 in stores, while flagship titles like Mario Kart World sell digitally for as low as $51.99. The price gap between physical and digital game formats is prompting industry analysts and consumers to...
Multiply Raises $9.5M, Focused on B2B Self-Learning Ads
Multiply, an AI‑native media agency for B2B firms, emerged from stealth with a $9.5 million Series A led by Mayfield. Its self‑learning advertising platform links Google Search and LinkedIn campaigns to sales call recordings, CRM data, and performance metrics, automatically generating and...
Upgrade Your Creative Performance with March’s Demand Gen Drop.
Google’s Demand Gen platform now includes AI‑powered Veo, which turns static images into video ad variations, helping advertisers achieve “Excellent” ad strength. The suite also expands creator partnerships, enabling authentic YouTube Shorts content that lifts conversion rates by roughly 30 %....
Looking to Generate Better B2B Leads? Why Industrial Companies Are Refining Their Strategy
Industrial manufacturers are moving from traditional trade‑show outreach to sophisticated, digital‑first lead generation. Because industrial sales involve multi‑million‑dollar contracts and multiple stakeholders, companies must align precise technical messaging with buyers’ pain points. The article highlights how data‑driven tactics—intent monitoring, account‑based...
Ooni Selects Croud As Global Media AOR
Pizza oven maker Ooni has selected Croud as its global media agency of record, moving media functions from in‑house to an external partner covering strategy, planning, activation, measurement and analytics across North America, the U.K., France, Germany and broader Europe....
Call For Reinvention: A Conversation With P&G's Marc Pritchard
Marc Pritchard, Procter & Gamble’s chief brand officer, told the ANA Media Conference that AI, data and media fragmentation are reshaping brand building into a continuous, one‑to‑one engagement model. He highlighted P&G’s shift to in‑house, programmatic media planning and buying...
Colruyt Partners with Retail Media Platform in Which Ahold Delhaize Holds a Stake
Colruyt Group has teamed up with advertising platform Adhese to accelerate its retail media services, aiming to deliver omnichannel campaigns that leverage first‑party data. The partnership will provide the retailer with technology infrastructure, onboarding support, and scalable campaign management tools....
Meta’s New Ad Checkout Isn’t True Agentic Commerce
Meta partners with Stripe for in-ad shopping If Instant Checkout didn’t represent agentic commerce, using that term to describe Meta’s new ‘purchase-from-an-ad’ experience is simply absurd. An agent plays no role in this transaction: a user sees an ad and clicks...
Podscribe Announces Airchecks for RON Campaigns and Turnkey Tealium Integration
Podscribe unveiled two major upgrades: airchecks that now capture run‑of‑network (RON) podcast campaigns and a turnkey server‑to‑server integration with Tealium’s customer data platform. The RON airchecks use pixel activity and expanded transcription to verify ad placement, deliver brand‑safety signals and...
The Platform Updates You Need to Know From March
Meta will count only link clicks for click‑through attribution, moving likes, shares and saves to a new “engage‑through” category. Spotify launches an interactive BTS ARIRANG campaign and introduces SongDNA, a discovery‑focused music experience. Anghami adds AI‑generated metadata to 2.5 million songs,...
How To Avoid Top Down SEO Systems Failures With The Visibility Governance Maturity Model via @Sejournal, @Theshelleywalsh
Ash Nallawalla warns that most SEO breakdowns stem from missing governance, not poor practitioners. He illustrates the danger with a case where 22 million orphaned pages would take 310 billion years for Googlebot to crawl. To address this, he created the Visibility...
MessageGears Delivers Warehouse-Native Revenue Tracking for Enterprise Marketers With New Cross-Channel Conversion Analytics
MessageGears unveiled a warehouse‑native conversion reporting suite that links campaign performance directly to an organization’s data warehouse. The new capabilities deliver real‑time revenue and purchase attribution across email, SMS, push, in‑app and embedded messaging without adding extra tools. By reading...
Corporate Reputation Is a Key Motivator for Consumers to Pay More
Corporate reputation now directly influences consumer spending, with studies showing shoppers willing to pay up to 25% more for trusted brands and nearly 10% more for sustainable offerings. Four pillars—trust, sustainability, transparency, and inclusivity—drive this premium, each backed by recent...
Smart YC Startups Suffer From Low Trust Signals
Why do so many smart startups still sound harder to trust than they should? I ran SocialBrilliance across 42 @ycombinator backed startups. Average signal score: 5.4/10. Signal score = how strong your company looks from the outside: clarity, trust, differentiation, actionability, overall signal strength. Not...
Ken Griffey Jr. Named Primo Brands' First "CEO of H2O" For 2026 MLB Campaign
Primo Brands has appointed baseball legend Ken Griffey Jr. as its inaugural "CEO of H2O" and rolled out a unified healthy‑hydration campaign across its six regional spring‑water brands for the 2026 MLB season. The move ties a sports icon to...
Cubs’ 150th‑Season Launch Leverages Cookie Data Up to 750 Days
The Chicago Cubs have teamed with at least ten advertising‑technology vendors to harvest fan data through cookies that can persist for up to 750 days. The extensive collection of IP addresses, device identifiers, browsing behavior and precise location data raises...
Wyndham And Goop Are Using AI To Scale Creative And Avoid Burnout
Wyndham and lifestyle brand Goop have partnered with Adora, an AI‑driven performance‑marketing platform, to automate creative generation and real‑time ad optimization. The system produced over 90 ad variants for Wyndham, tailoring imagery and messaging to 15 audience segments and boosting...
Q4 2025 EMEA Ad Viewability Trends Report
Pixalate released its Q4 2025 programmatic ad viewability report for the EMEA region, covering the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Israel. The study shows non‑viewability rates ranging from 21% to 50% across mobile web, mobile in‑app and desktop web platforms, with...
Q4 2025 APAC Ad Viewability Trends Report
Pixalate released its Q4 2025 Asia‑Pacific programmatic ad viewability report for India, revealing that 46% of mobile in‑app ads, 30% of mobile web ads, and 36% of desktop web ads were not viewable. The study, based on 106 billion global open‑programmatic impressions,...
Q4 2025 CTV Ad Supply Chain Trends Report
Pixalate’s Q4 2025 CTV Ad Supply Chain Trends Report, based on over 7 billion programmatic transactions, shows Roku commanding the largest market share of voice (SOV) in North America (32%) and Latin America (30%). Samsung leads in EMEA with 24% SOV while...
CTrader Store Expands Affiliate Programme with Two Revenue Streams in One Extended IB Model
Spotware has upgraded the cTrader Store Affiliate Programme by adding a second revenue stream, allowing partners to earn both traditional Introducing Broker (IB) commissions from broker sign‑ups and up to 20% affiliate commissions on product sales. The new model preserves...
Reclaiming the Narrative: What BioPharma Must Learn From Tech Before It's Too Late
Tech talent and capital are rapidly flowing into biotech as AI makes traditional software a commodity. Executives like Bezos and Altman are funding anti‑aging ventures, while firms such as Nvidia and Google explore drug‑related R&D. The article argues that biotech...
Create 10‑second Videos From Images Directly in Google Ads
Powerful, but will it trick prospective customers? i.e. Will there be realistic expectations? -> Veo Video Generation Now Available in Google Ads "Upload up to three images, and Veo generates unique videos up to 10 seconds long with natural motion. These...
Lipton Drafts in Ice-T to Kick Ass and #RespectThePeach
Lipton has tapped legendary rapper Ice‑T to lead its pan‑European #RespectThePeach campaign, aiming to correct the widespread misuse of the peach emoji for butt references. The initiative rolls out a video message, a new “buttmoji,” TikTok‑friendly audio remixes, and digital...
Are We Due Another Florida-Style Update? Via @Sejournal, @TaylorDanRW
The article warns that the surge of AI‑generated, low‑value pages is recreating conditions that triggered past Google algorithm overhauls such as Florida, Allegra and Brandy. Google’s current suite of continuous signals—Helpful Content, SpamBrain and ongoing core updates—has shifted from single‑day...
How The Wall Street Journal Is Reaching the Next Generation on TikTok
The Wall Street Journal surpassed one million followers on TikTok by pairing platform‑friendly formats with its hallmark journalism. The newsroom’s strategy hinges on purposeful videos, a Talent Lab that equips reporters to promote themselves, and dedicated social video producers who...
Merchant Center Titles Dominate; Price Data Must Align
Ecommerce SEO: when it comes to ranking within free listing results on Google, there is a sphere of influence for data sources. This relates to features such as product grids, product knowledge panels, within the Shopping tab, AI Mode...
BTS Netflix Comeback Concert Pulls 18.4 Million Viewers Globally
BTS streamed a one‑hour comeback concert on Netflix that reached 18.4 million viewers across 190 countries. The event marked the first time all seven members performed together since their 2022 military hiatus and kicked off an 82‑date world tour.
Henkel to Acquire Olaplex for $1.4 Billion, Expanding Hair‑Care Portfolio
German consumer‑goods giant Henkel AG has signed a definitive agreement to purchase premium hair‑care brand Olaplex for $1.4 billion, or $2.06 per share. The deal, approved by Olaplex’s board and its controlling shareholder Advent, is aimed at deepening Henkel’s hair‑care category...
Lastminute.com Appoints BBH to Be ‘Bigger and Better’
Lastminute.com has engaged advertising agency BBH to create a new brand platform for key European markets, aiming to capitalize on a surge in last‑minute travel bookings. The partnership replaces Trouble Maker and follows a strategic shift toward AI‑driven personalization, automated...
GAC Philippines Rolls Out ONE GAC 2.0 Strategy to Consolidate Brand and Expand Market Share
GAC International Philippines announced the ONE GAC 2.0 strategy, merging its GAC MOTOR, AION and HYPTEC lines under a single brand, completing a brand‑renewal rollout in just over a month and convening 30 core dealers at a February conference to...
McDonald’s Partners with Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” For Limited‑Time Meals
McDonald’s is rolling out two limited‑time adult meals inspired by Netflix’s hit film KPop Demon Hunters, debuting nationwide on March 31. The promotion pairs themed menu items, collectible photocards and QR‑code content with a new Derpy McFlurry, targeting the franchise’s 500 million‑view global...
Marriott Reopens ARC Hotel in Washington, DC After Major Renovation
Marriott International has reopened the ARC Hotel in Washington, DC following a comprehensive renovation and rebranded it as part of the Series by Marriott collection. The upgrade adds larger rooms, refreshed public spaces and integration into Marriott Bonvoy, signaling a...
When a Handbag Brand Makes Better Podcasts than Podcasters
Chinese luxury brands are abandoning the short‑video‑first playbook, targeting affluent urban women who are growing weary of Douyin and Xiaohongshu. Brands like GIADA and Songmont have launched long‑form podcasts on Xiaoyuzhou FM, amassing over a million and 140,000 subscribers respectively....
Anta’s Core Label Slows in 2025 as Fila and Other Labels Pick up the Pace
Anta Sports posted a 13.3% revenue increase to $11.6 billion in 2025, driven largely by its Fila label and smaller brands, while the core Anta brand grew only 3.7%. Operating profit rose 15% to $2.8 billion, with margins expanding to 23.8% despite...
NuSpice Launches Retro-Inspired ‘NuStalgia’ Campaign
NuSpice, a custom spice‑blending firm, unveiled its ‘NuStalgia’ campaign, a retro‑themed promotional kit featuring a 1980s‑style metal lunchbox, trading cards, a Rubik’s Cube, and three Chili Crunch seasoning blends. The kit includes an interactive digital experience that unlocks upon receipt,...
ChatGPT’s Ad Platform Cannot Tell You If Your Money Is Working: What That Means for Affiliate Budgets
OpenAI will roll out its ChatGPT advertising product to all U.S. free and lower‑cost tier users, but the platform provides virtually no performance data, no automated buying tools, and no reliable attribution. Advertisers must negotiate deals manually and rely on...
Human‑Centric ABM Wins Trust Over AI‑Only Content
Account-based marketing needs to become more human. At a time when AI makes content creation easier, leaning into relationship building is the way to differentiate and cut through the noise. That's because today, opportunities aren’t won through content and campaigns...
Reddit Surpasses Google in B2B Search Rankings
Eye-popping research from @TheCoolestCool on Reddit's unexpected domination of Google's B2B results: https://foundationinc.co/lab/reddit-b2b-saas Just look at these numbers 🧐🤯
![[Industry News] DIVA Agency Launches New Community and Creator Division Dedicated to Fan Engagement, Creator Partnerships and Community Building](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/div.png)
[Industry News] DIVA Agency Launches New Community and Creator Division Dedicated to Fan Engagement, Creator Partnerships and Community Building
Diva Agency is launching a dedicated Creator and Community division in March 2026, led by Charlotte Willis, who grew the firm’s influencer business by 300% in 2025. The new team will serve the agency’s global games and entertainment clients, acting as...
Teaser Demos on First Call Spark Discovery Conversations
"Don't show the product on the first call" is a LIE. Sometimes a teaser demo OPENS discovery. Show just enough to get their mind spinning. Not too much. Not too little. Use it to spark questions and conversation. Discovery and demos can be happily married...
Fix Bad Experiences, Turn Customers Into Lifelong Advocates
You may not think you’re an influencer - but you are. You influence your customers, your employees, your investors… everyone. And here’s the secret: Fix a bad customer experience, and you create a loyal advocate for life. That’s how real brands are built....
HAVAS Red Middle East Launches CRed to Bridge Brands and the Creator Economy
HAVAS Red Middle East has launched CRed, a new creator‑marketing practice that integrates the agency’s PR, influencer and experiential capabilities. CRed aims to shift brand‑creator collaborations from short‑term transactions to long‑term, credibility‑driven partnerships rooted in regional culture. The service will...
Foxtale Signs Tilak Varma as Brand Ambassador
Foxtale has appointed Indian cricketer Tilak Varma as the face of its sunscreen line, extending the ‘Play On Till The Sun’s Gone’ campaign. The partnership highlights a shift toward using young athletes to influence grooming and skincare habits. The campaign...
Malaysia Targets Intra-Asia Travel as Middle East Tensions Reshape Demand
Amid rising Middle East tensions, Malaysia is reshaping its tourism strategy to capture intra‑Asian travel demand. The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry is redirecting the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign toward Asian source markets and exploring transit routes that avoid Middle Eastern...
Al Dhannah City Picks Entourage to Lead Destination Marketing and Communications
Entourage, a leading creative agency in the Middle East, has been hired to spearhead destination marketing, brand positioning, and integrated communications for Al Dhannah City. The agency will craft a differentiated identity and a structured roadmap covering brand strategy, narrative development, and...
Create Ad Ready Storyboard and Poster of Any Product with Just One Prompt 👇🏻
A new AI prompting workflow lets marketers generate an 8K, seven‑panel product storyboard and poster from a single text command. The system analyses the subject’s geometry, material and branding, then automatically creates a hero shot plus six complementary views—macro, logo,...
Above Digital Shifts Focus to Outcomes-Driven Performance Marketing in 2026
Dubai‑based Above Digital is pivoting from ecommerce to an outcomes‑driven performance‑marketing model that emphasizes revenue‑focused campaigns for service‑based firms, B2B brands, the aesthetics sector and events. The agency is de‑prioritising vanity metrics, instead tracking lead‑to‑sale conversion and actual revenue impact,...