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.
Founders Still Building in MENA Understand What Others Miss
MENA startup funding slipped 37% year‑on‑year to $941 million in Q1 2026 as geopolitical risk dampened investor sentiment. Yet high‑net‑worth consumers in Dubai, Riyadh and other Gulf cities kept spending, and sovereign programmes such as Saudi Vision 2030 continued to pour capital into diversification projects. The contraction has forced larger players to pause, opening cheaper acquisition channels for agile founders who can pivot to trust‑driven positioning. Companies that treat uncertainty as a market filter, rather than a stop sign, stand to gain long‑term footholds.
Identify AI Citation Gaps to Boost Search Visibility
🤖 Want to Improve Your AI Search Visibility? @semrush Enterprise AIO has one of the easiest ways to identify quick wins for AI citations... coincidentally called "Improve AI Visibility". 😉👇 It lists the URL sources that most strongly influence your...
EY: Consumer Brands Jostle for Position in E-Com Marketplaces
EY’s "State of Consumer Products" report finds consumer brands are now battling for shelf‑space inside e‑commerce marketplaces as much as for consumer attention. More than 77% of surveyed executives say strategic partnerships with retailers, platforms and digital channels are essential...
Facebook Deep Linking for Fintech: A Practical Guide and Best Practices
Fintech marketers depend on Facebook for high‑intent traffic, but the platform’s deep‑link handling can turn qualified clicks into costly drop‑offs. Paid ads support direct app redirection and deferred deep linking, while organic posts open in Facebook’s in‑app browser, which on...
What Is Generative Engine Optimization and Why Every Business Needs It Now
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is a new discipline that prepares businesses for AI‑powered search platforms such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot. It shifts focus from traditional ranking positions to earning citations within AI‑generated answers. The framework...
Schema Additions Don't Boost AI Citation Rankings
Interested in Schema impact on AI citations? Here's the latest study from @ahrefs -> We Tracked 1,885 Pages Adding Schema. AI Citations Barely Moved "We tracked 1,885 web pages that added JSON-LD schema between August 2025 and March 2026, matched them...
We Tracked 1,885 Pages Adding Schema. AI Citations Barely Moved.
A study of 1,885 web pages that added JSON‑LD schema between August 2025 and March 2026 found no measurable boost in AI citations. Using a matched difference‑in‑differences test against 4,000 control pages, citations on Google AI Overviews fell 4.6% on treated pages,...
AI‑Focused Sales & Marketing Startups Pull $3.7 B in 2026 Funding
AI‑focused sales and marketing startups have raised roughly $3.7 billion in seed‑through growth‑stage funding so far in 2026, with Sierra’s $950 million round leading the pack. The inflow, while flat with recent years, marks a decisive tilt toward autonomous AI agents, reshaping...
Rumblings Unveils AI Decision Platform Aiming at $82B MarTech Market
Rumblings, founded by former Woolworths analytics lead Tom Crawford and agency veterans Annabelle Jones, Lori Susko and Jenny Ringland, launched an AI decision platform that blends cultural signals with business context. Targeting a market projected to reach $82 billion by 2030,...
Gas-O-Fast Ropes in Rakesh Bedi for New Ad Campaign
Mankind Pharma has tapped veteran comic actor Rakesh Bedi to front a new Gas‑O‑Fast ad campaign that celebrates India’s love of indulgent food rather than preaching restraint. The film leans on Bedi’s meme‑driven resurgence to position the Ayurvedic antacid as...
Agile Defense Names Shawn Tyrie CRO to Accelerate Federal IT Growth
Agile Defense announced the hiring of Shawn Tyrie as its new chief revenue officer. The move is aimed at accelerating revenue growth and deepening the firm’s presence in federal IT and cybersecurity contracts. Tyrie's experience in government contracting is expected...
Crypto.com CMO Steven Kalifowitz Exits After Nearly Six Years
Crypto.com confirmed that chief marketing officer Steven Kalifowitz will leave the firm after nearly six years at the helm. Kalifowitz guided the exchange through a period of rapid user growth and high‑profile partnership deals, making his exit a significant leadership...
To Make the Most of Retail Media, Brands Need to Break Out of Its Silos
Retail media networks (RMNs) have become a go‑to channel for brands because they tie ad impressions directly to purchases, offering clear bottom‑funnel results. However, most campaigns are run in isolation, relying solely on retailer‑owned shopper data that only reflects existing...
Google Ads Cuts Historical Data Access to 37 Months, 11 Years for Summary Reports
Google Ads announced that, starting June 1, 2026, hourly, daily and weekly performance data will be retained for only 37 months, while monthly, quarterly and annual aggregates will stay available for 11 years. The change impacts UI and API access,...
Identify Audience Barriers to Build Powerful Content Pillars
What is standing between your audience and the outcome you deliver? The thing they need to unlearn, understand, or have in place before your work can actually do its job? That's a content pillar, and you should be creating content all around...
Introducing the Marketing Engineer: The New Role in Marketing, Born From AI.
The author proposes a new hybrid role called the Marketing Engineer— a marketer who builds AI‑driven automation for marketing workflows. Existing teams waste time on manual data pulls, sentiment reports, and email content stitching, tasks that could be streamlined with...
LA500 2026: Terry Karges
Terry Karges has steered the Petersen Automotive Museum through a dramatic overhaul since becoming executive director in 2012. Under his guidance ticket sales and staff numbers have each more than tripled, and the museum’s 1960s building was refreshed with a...
Nearly Half of UK Consumers Want Personalised Bank Rewards
Cardlytics' Banking Index surveyed 4,000 UK adults and found that 47% would stay with their bank if they received personalized cashback tied to their spending. The appeal is strongest among 18‑34‑year‑olds, where 55% say it would increase loyalty. Although 65%...
Before the World Arrives
The post warns that roughly 5 million summer visitors will flood U.S. host‑city corridors, creating a massive, time‑limited brand activation window. Most brands are unprepared, not because they lack awareness, but because they haven’t defined clear capabilities, built a pressure‑tested plan,...
TikTok Announces New Ad-Free Subscription for UK Users
TikTok is launching a paid ad‑free tier in the United Kingdom, priced at £3.99 per month (about $5.07). The service will be available to users aged 18 and older over the next few months and promises not to use subscriber...
Stop Chasing Attention,
The stark reality of getting your name out there + driving revenue through thought leadership: Sooner or later, you have to turn around and face your own ideas. Most people don't want to look directly at it. (h/t Brannan Sirratt...
Flashfood Launches Loyalty Integration to Offer Grocers More Shopper Insights
Flashfood introduced a loyalty integration feature that lets shoppers link grocery loyalty accounts to its app, with Meijer as the first retailer to adopt it. Within two weeks, over 20,000 users connected their mPerks accounts, providing Meijer with richer shopper...
The Scoop: Gap CEO Connects Brand’s Cultural Relevance with Concrete Turnaround Goals
Gap CEO Richard Dickson says the company’s turnaround now hinges on cultural relevance rather than pure operational fixes. He has brought designer Zac Posen on board, dressed Kendall Jenner at the Met Gala, and hired a chief entertainment officer to produce content...
Wakefern Names Own Brands Director
Wakefern Food Corp., the cooperative behind the ShopRite banner, has promoted Chris Ruane to director of its own‑brands division. The new team will steer strategy, growth and loyalty for private‑label lines such as Bowl & Basket, Wholesome Pantry and Paperbird. Ruane brings roughly...
Pete Wicks Net Worth: How a Reality TV Star Built a £4M Brand While One Company Collapsed
Pete Wicks turned his seven‑year stint on "The Only Way Is Essex" into a diversified media business worth an estimated £3–4 million ($3.8–$5.1 million). He expanded into podcasting, live touring, publishing and brand deals, with the "Staying Relevant" podcast becoming a major...
X Launched An Ambitious Advertising Overhaul- Why Should Affiliate Marketers Pay Attention?
X, formerly Twitter, has rolled out its most extensive advertising platform overhaul, introducing a redesigned Ads Manager, AI‑driven Performance+ tools, and expanded contextual targeting. The revamp also adds tighter brand‑safety adjacency controls and greater transparency over ad placements. While the...
‘Ever Wondered’ if Startups Need Better Stories? Ex-BBC and Daily Mail Tech Journalists Launch AI-Era Comms Firm
Ever Wondered, a London‑based strategic communications advisory founded by former BBC and Daily Mail tech editors Sam Shead and Jim Norton, launched in 2026 to help startups, scale‑ups, VC funds and corporates cut through media clutter. The firm offers three...
AnyMind Group Launches Exclusive Influencer Community in Thailand
AnyMind Group has launched the “AnyMind Exclusive Influencer Community” in Thailand, shifting focus from one‑off campaigns to long‑term creator development. The inaugural Bangkok event, partnered with health provider Iwelty, featured a wellness‑focused “Inside‑Out Retreat.” The program delivers training, data insights,...
Eulerity Introduces Industry-First Paid-to-Organic Agentic Layer, Expanding Access to TikTok and Open AI in a Unified AI Marketing Platform
Eulerity unveiled an industry‑first paid‑to‑organic agentic layer that ties together paid media, organic signals and large‑language‑model interfaces such as TikTok and OpenAI. The new layer lets brands activate, optimize and scale campaigns across both traditional social channels and emerging AI‑driven...
Why Your Accountancy Firm Is Invisible Online — And How to Fix It
Many UK accountancy firms remain invisible online despite expertise, losing potential clients who search for local accountants each month. The guide outlines a low‑cost marketing infrastructure—targeted buyer personas, mobile‑optimized websites, local SEO, and high‑ROI email—showing that a £1 investment can...
Why “AI Productivity Gains” Is the Wrong Pitch for Every Stakeholder Above You
Internal AI pilots often tout speed gains, but senior leaders care about revenue impact, cost efficiency, and compliance. CMOs look for pipeline‑linked revenue and brand share, CFOs demand lower loaded cost per asset and clear contribution margins, while legal teams...
AI for Social Teams Survey + a Live Chat
The post invites social media teams to join a quick pulse‑check survey on how they’re using AI, from home‑grown tools to third‑party solutions. Respondents will receive a benchmark report showing how their AI stack compares with peers. Findings will be...
No More Air France-KLM: Group To Scrap 22-Year-Old Name Amid SAS & TAP Moves
Air France‑KLM will abandon its historic name as it moves to acquire a majority stake in SAS and seeks a minority position in TAP Air Portugal. The rebrand mirrors IAG’s neutral branding and aims to simplify the group’s identity ahead...
Claude + YouTube = Dollar$: Video Automation Machine
The post outlines a repeatable workflow that pairs Anthropic’s Claude with GPT‑5.5 to produce faceless YouTube channels at scale. By moving an idea through script, voice, visuals, and cross‑platform distribution (Shorts, TikTok, Telegram), creators can generate a week’s worth of...
Long‑Form, Value‑Driven Funnels Outperform Speedy Conversions
This. Longer emails, more value driven content, actually teaching people something in your webinars and emails, generally longer funnels... this has always worked. Folks just abandoned it in favor of faster conversions.
TBC Corp Appoints Rachel Tibor as Wholesale CMO, Signaling Strategic Marketing Shift
TBC Corporation announced the promotion of Rachel Tibor to chief marketing officer of its wholesale business. The veteran marketer, who joined TBC in 2023, will now sit on the executive team and steer an insight‑driven go‑to‑market strategy for the tire...
Discover If Your Emails Make You Copywriter or Strategist
Are your email skills positioning you as a copywriter… or a strategist? 👀 Take the eCommerce Email Strategy Quiz and find out: https://emailsdoneright.com/quiz
Use Topics, Not Outcomes, as Content Pillars
The most common content pillar advice on social media is making it harder, not easier, to think of content ideas. There's a reason why things like "education, motivation, and inspiration," as your content pillars doesn't actually feel like it's helping. Why?...
How Home Depot Is Crafting Content on the Road to the World Cup
Home Depot has partnered with Men in Blazers Media Network to launch a traveling activation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A co‑branded bus will tour seven major U.S. cities, producing a daily podcast, a DIY FC youth‑program series, and a...
DIRECTV Makes Upfront Week Its Own Campaign
@DIRECTV Advertising came up with a pretty clever Upfronts campaign this year. The idea is simple: Upfront Week already reflects what @DIRECTV does every day by bringing the entire TV ecosystem together in one place. So they turned the week itself...
ChatGPT Brand Kit Supercharges Visual Workflow Speed
Until you have tried it, having a codex skill that has your brand kit/style kit which ChatGPT made for you, for codex, is a top shelf workflow automation for visuals/decks/charts, etc. Time to visuals is now magnitudes faster.
Discord Launches Nitro Rewards with Xbox Game Pass and Gaming Hardware Perks
Discord has unveiled Nitro Rewards, a new tier of benefits that extends its Nitro subscription beyond chat features to include gaming perks. Subscribers now receive an Xbox Game Pass starter edition with access to over 50 games, cloud gaming hours,...
Amazon Uses Tech to Combat Ad Fatigue
Amazon wants to conquer 'ad fatigue'-- the result of seeing the same commercial stream on your screen again and again -- with technology... https://t.co/SCHcp5ugM8
Expose the Flaw in Hormozi-Style Cold Emails
Going to start selling an ebook called “Why this doesn’t work” and send it to every Hormozi follower that ends their mindless carbon copy cold emails with “worth a quick chat?”
Met Gala Sells Status, Not the Dinner
In English: the Met Gala isn't selling dinners. It's selling association. With a museum, with celebrities, with taste, with status. The meal is incidental; the signaling is the product. https://t.co/NTB0RbMpY9
Searchers Now Demand Answers, Not Just Links
A new generation of searchers is conditioning itself to expect answers, not links. That behavioral shift matters more than any product launch Google announced in April. https://t.co/JwF0FVoHTQ via @gregjarboe, @sejournal
Media Buying Still Thrives Despite Doom Predictions
"This runs counter to the popular narratives right now: "media buying will be dead soon""
Real Data: AEO Tool Case Study Graph Validated
This is another graph of one of the public case studies on an AEO tool's website. You can't make this stuff up https://t.co/nijVGcj2K2
Google Rolls Out FAQ Rich Result Removal and Ads Updates
It's New 5/11: FAQ rich results gone, Google site reputation abuse adjusted by @mordyoberstein - @gregfinn says AdSense backs down & @TheMarketingAnu covers the new Google Ads features https://t.co/a603FZRWPu
High CPA Doesn't Mean Cut Top‑Spending Ad
Most media buyers looking at this would turn off the top spending ad because the CPA is the highest.