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.
UGC Creators: What They Are, How They Work, and Where Brands Find Them
User‑generated content (UGC) creators are emerging as a core pillar of modern advertising, delivering authentic, peer‑driven narratives that resonate with consumers. Brands increasingly tap these creators through dedicated marketplaces and social platforms, leveraging their niche expertise to produce video ads, reels, and testimonials that outperform traditional spots. Building a strong UGC portfolio—highlighting niche performance, engagement metrics, and brand collaborations—has become essential for creators seeking paid deals. The article outlines where brands can locate talent, best practices for creator‑brand partnerships, and the measurable ROI of authentic content.
DON’T QUIT Rebrands as SkyPop Protein Soda
DON’T QUIT has rebranded as SkyPop, launching a national line of protein sodas. The drinks contain 10 g whey protein, zero sugar, and 45 calories per 12‑oz can. SkyPop secures over 65,000 retail facings in Target, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons and other...
Disney Shifts Into High Gear with New F1 Collabs and Trackside Activations
Disney is expanding its multi‑year “Fuel the Magic” partnership with Formula 1 for the 2026 season, adding new merchandise collections, retail tie‑ins and character appearances. A global Disney × F1 apparel line of ten streetwear pieces launches on March 12, while host‑city capsule drops...
Bestads Best TV of the Week: Telstra’s ‘Wherever We Go 2’ via Bear Meets Eagle On Fire with +61
Bestadsontv.com named Telstra’s “Wherever we go 2” the Best TV of the Week. The ad, created by Bear Meets Eagle On Fire with +61, continues the whistling duet narrative introduced in the original campaign. Guest judge Adam Bodfish of McCann Birmingham highlighted...
Discover Puerto Rico Launches “Awaken Your Senses,” A Global Campaign Built on Consumer Psychology
Discover Puerto Rico unveiled "Awaken Your Senses," a global campaign that uses consumer‑psychology insights to market the island as a sensory‑rich travel destination. The initiative builds on the award‑winning "Live Boricua" platform and highlights music, food, landscapes, and community interaction across...
NEW in SparkToro: Uncover the AI Prompt Topics Your Audience Is Using in ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Claude, and More
SparkToro has launched a new feature that reveals the AI prompt topics audiences use across platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and Claude. The tool pairs known search keywords with audience data, runs them through large language models, and returns...
Stonegate Group Appoints Fifty as Strategic Media Partner Ahead of World Cup
UK’s largest pub operator, Stonegate Group, has appointed Fifty as its strategic media partner to manage media strategy and buying across its 4,500‑venue portfolio. The partnership, chosen for Fifty’s AI‑enabled audience‑intelligence platform, will cover more than 15 addressable channels, including...
Reader Magnets Are Dead? Why Most Reader Magnets Fail
In this episode, host Thomas interviews author and marketer Laurie Christine about why many reader magnets fail and how to make them work. Laurie explains common mistakes such as using a first‑draft short story or not promoting the magnet, and...
GWM Celebrates the Joy of Coming Together During Ramadan
Great Wall Motors (GWM) Middle East unveiled a Ramadan‑focused brand film released across digital and social channels. The narrative follows a family using various GWM models—including the new TANK 700, HAVAL V7, and HAVAL H9—to converge for iftar, emphasizing connection over pure performance....
Exclusive: Playboy Names Phillip Picardi Chief Brand Officer and Editor in Chief
Playboy announced Phillip Picardi as its new chief brand officer and editor‑in‑chief, marking a high‑profile editorial overhaul. Picardi, who reshaped Teen Vogue and founded the queer‑focused publication them, previously served as chief brand officer at Weight Watchers and consulted for...
Healthy Growth In The Age Of AI
Thorne’s Chief Growth Officer Mary Beech reports that AI engines now drive roughly 5% of new customer discovery, up from zero a year ago. To capitalize on this shift, she has reorganized the marketing function into a "growth laboratory" that...
Healthy Growth In The Age Of AI
Thorne’s Chief Growth Officer Mary Beech reports that AI engines now drive about 5% of new customer acquisition, up from zero a year ago. To capitalize on this shift, Thorne has restructured its marketing function into a growth laboratory that...
NOVA Entertainment Partners With Retail Media Arm Of Westfield’s Scentre Group
Australian radio and podcast leader NOVA Entertainment has partnered with BrandSpace, the retail media division of Westfield owner Scentre Group, to create a unified advertising platform across 42 Westfield shopping centres and NOVA’s audio network. The collaboration offers agencies a...
The UAE’s Most Powerful PR Asset: Its People
The article argues that the United Arab Emirates’ strongest nation‑branding asset is its people, who act as organic brand evangelists through daily life. Decades of stable governance, pandemic response, and economic resilience have cultivated widespread trust, prompting residents to share...
Paid Partnerships Often Underperform Compared to Organic Reach
It is wild how much a paid partnership is suppressed to ensure a brand pays to boost the content. Has anyone ever had a paid partnership perform better than organic content? I thought what I just launched was pretty dang cool; may...
Best Buy Wants to Be the Hub for AI-Powered Hardware Like Glasses, Laptops
Best Buy is repositioning itself as the go‑to retailer for AI‑powered hardware, from glasses to AI‑enhanced PCs, as its fiscal‑year revenue held steady at roughly $42 billion. CEO Corie Barry highlighted flat market share but pointed to rapid growth in emerging categories such...
Starbucks’ Loyalty Revamp — The Blueprint for Modern Rewards | Reimagining Retail
In this episode of Reimagining Retail, host Susie David‑Kenyon and analysts Arielle Fager and Sky Canabis dissect Starbucks’ newly launched multi‑tier loyalty program. They debate whether the revamp is a defensive move to protect margins—by devaluing points and raising thresholds—or...
TikTok Now a Top Search Hub; Brands Must Optimize
TikTok continues to grown as a search engine, with nearly half of U.S. consumers using it to discover recipes, DIY tips, beauty advice, product recommendations, and more. Video tutorials, product reviews, personal stories, and influencer recommendations remain the most preferred...
Urban Ladder and Lowe Lintas Launch City-First Campaign Leveraging Regional Insights
Urban Ladder teamed with Lowe Lintas India to launch a city‑first advertising campaign built on the agency’s proprietary “State of States” cultural study. The platform tailors messaging for each major Indian city, from Mumbai to Hyderabad, highlighting furniture as a...
Lululemon Cops $703K ACMA Fine For Email Marketing Misdemeanour
Lululemon has been hit with a $702,900 penalty from Australia’s ACMA for breaching spam regulations. The regulator found the athleisure brand sent over 370,000 service‑related emails that also contained promotional material but omitted an unsubscribe option between Dec 1 2024 and Jan 5 2025....
Conga Rebrands to Align Commerce and Close Deals
Mid-keynote. New brand. Nobody saw it coming. David Osborne paused his @CongaHQ Connect 2026 keynote this morning and unveiled a completely new identity — while CMO Celia Fleischaker's team was still finishing the rebrand across the venue in real time. The new...
The Costly Marketing Assumption MENA Founders Make
Founders in the MENA region often postpone marketing, treating it as a downstream activity after product development. The article argues that early marketing is essential for establishing a clear identity, positioning, and trust with investors and enterprise buyers. In a...
Subaru Customers Redeem Social Impact Gifts
Subaru of America reported that 141,184 “Gifts for Good” were redeemed by customers during its first year, each supporting a nonprofit or social enterprise. The initiative, part of the Love‑Encore post‑delivery program, let buyers choose mission‑aligned products or direct donations...
Facebook Expands Affiliate Program to Include Brand Links
Meta has broadened its Facebook Reels affiliate program, adding a self‑serve tool in the Professional Dashboard that lets creators embed brand affiliate links directly in their videos. The platform now offers thousands of products from partners such as Amazon and...
Vereigen Media Focused on Modern Approach to Content Syndication
Vereigen Media has launched a new content‑syndication tool built around its proprietary Verified Content Engagement (VCE) methodology. The VCE model replaces passive lead capture with consent‑driven, first‑party data and human‑verified interaction signals, ensuring prospects truly engage with assets. The platform...
Zero Click Marketing: The Strategy For When Clicks Stop Working
The Zero Click Marketing podcast launched, targeting marketers adapting to a world where most digital interactions happen without a website click. The show defines Zero Click Marketing as driving comprehension, trust and demand directly within the platforms where audiences reside....
Enterprise Social Media Done Right: How Big Brands Stay Agile at Scale
Enterprise social media in 2026 is less about posting volume and more about treating social as an operating system that coordinates regional markets, regulated industries, and multiple brands. Success hinges on four levers—clear governance, streamlined workflows, shared insights, and continuous...
Get AI and Google Visibility without a Wikipedia Page
Wikipedia is included in virtually every major LLM training dataset and I built something to help you set it up. When ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity answer "Who is an expert in ___?" — Wikipedia and Wikidata are baked into how...
Nubank Hires Former TikTok Executive as Marketing Director
Nubank appointed Kim Farrell, former TikTok global head of creators, as its new global marketing director. The hire comes as the Brazilian neobank prepares to launch U.S. operations under a recently approved de novo charter. Farrell will craft branding and partnership...
Customer Journey Isn't Marketing Journey—Don't Linearize Growth
It's a pedantic but important point to say that the customer journey and the marketing journey are not the same thing, and the marketing journey is certainly not just a subset. When we decide to buy something, there's a certain...
How to Build a Customer Journey Map That Works in 2026
Research shows firms that map customer journeys see a 54% lift in marketing ROI and 18% faster sales cycles. The guide outlines a ten‑step process—from defining objectives and assembling cross‑functional teams to plotting touchpoints, emotions, and internal actions. It stresses...
We’re Strict So Our Members Don’t Have To Be: Thrive Market’s Formula
Thrive Market was founded to make healthy eating easy, affordable, and accessible, and it now tackles the same problem by personalizing a curated storefront of about 7,000 better‑for‑you products. The company differentiates itself with strict EU‑level ingredient standards, banning over...
Survey Says: PPC Is Harder Than It Was 2 Years Ago
The PPCSurvey’s new State of PPC report, based on over 1,000 practitioners, reveals that 53% of respondents find managing pay‑per‑click campaigns harder than two years ago, while only 16% say it’s easier. Those who perceive improvement point to automated bidding,...
Shift to Brand‑Centric KPIs for AI‑Driven SEO
💸 The State of Ecommerce SEO & AI Search in 2026: What are the shifts, and the top actions to take - My deck from today's presentation at SMX Munich, going through : * Why is fundamental to stop using traffic...
Marriott Bonvoy Introduces Sports-Themed Campaign and Podcast Series During March Madness
Marriott Bonvoy rolled out the "Where Gameday Checks In" campaign to ride the March Madness wave, debuting a limited‑run podcast series called "Live From the Bracket" hosted by NBA player Sophie Cunningham and journalist West Wilson. The initiative also includes...
Infuse, InkHub Partner to Deliver the First True End-to-End 1to1 Buyer Experience
Infuse and InkHub have launched an exclusive partnership that delivers a true end‑to‑end 1to1 buyer experience, extending personalization from the initial outreach email through a custom landing page to the final content asset. The solution merges Infuse’s proprietary demand intelligence—backed...
AI Era Deepens Adoption Chasm; Target Early Customers
The chasm has not disappeared in the age of AI. In many markets, it has become harder to cross. Early enthusiasm is easy to generate, but sustained adoption requires focus on the right early customers and a disciplined go-to-market strategy....
Oceania Cruises Rolls Out Groundbreaking Global Marketing Campaign “The Joy of Traveling Well,” Focusing on Immersive Journeys, Intimate Luxury, and...
Oceania Cruises has launched a global marketing campaign called “The Joy of Traveling Well,” emphasizing immersive itineraries, intimate adult‑only ships, and world‑class dining. The initiative rests on four pillars—immersive journeys, intimate luxury vessels, genuine hospitality, and The Finest Cuisine at...
2026 NCAA Men’s Tournament Ad Sales Seeing ‘Tremendous Demand’
CBS Sports and TNT Sports announced that ad demand for the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is "tremendous," though they withheld specific pricing or inventory numbers. Executives emphasized that live sports continue to cut through the clutter, driving revenue across...
DemandFactor Rebrands as Demand.com
DemandFactor announced it is rebranding as Demand.com, a move that aligns its corporate identity with a broader full‑funnel demand generation platform. The new name emphasizes the company’s focus on end‑to‑end B2B demand generation, performance marketing, partner activation, recruitment, and agency...
Shirofune Launches Real-Time Amazon Ads Automation
Shirofune has added a real‑time automation layer to its Amazon advertising platform, targeting high‑traffic sales events such as Prime Day and Cyber Monday. The new feature tracks cost and performance metrics on an hourly basis, allowing advertisers to either maximize...
Should Your Brand Start a "Side Quest" Account?
The article proposes that brands launch dedicated "side quest" social media accounts rather than cramming all content onto a single main page. It notes that platform algorithms now surface fresh accounts quickly, citing creators who amassed millions of views within...
Turn Quick Voice Memos Into Authentic Content with Claude
If you don't create long-form content, you should be YIP-YAPPING with Claude using the voice memo feature on mobile. This will help you repurpose and create content that actually sounds like you. It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't...
SaaS 1% Conversion Means CPC ≤ 1% of CAC
Most SaaS companies report about a 1% conversion rate - you need 100 visitors to make 1 sale. This means your maximum CPC should be 1% of your maximum CAC. Here’s how to calculate all these things: https://t.co/LXBj3k7vLd
B2BMX 2026 Keynote: Elfried Samba Looks to Bring the Sexy Back to B2B Marketing
At B2BMX 2026, Elfried Samba urged marketers to treat B2B as a sexy, emotionally‑driven space rather than a purely technical one. He highlighted that human connection and community‑first strategies are the strongest growth levers, citing his agency Butterfly Effect’s work...
Reddit Leads BOFU Queries, Becomes Enterprise Dark Funnel
Reddit absolutely dominates BOFU queries... And it's become the dark funnel for enterprise queries: https://t.co/kBPhUYd3Um https://t.co/pQ7EVmaGLD
Live Events Should Become the New Menu Launch Standard
Hot take: more restaurant chains should introduce their new menu items in a live event complete with celebrities, choirs, and dancing, just like @tacobell. Here's everything Taco Bell revealed at Live Mas Live https://t.co/wRXDVDJ00I
Short Reels Deliver Massive Reach to Non‑Followers
Reels are still the best way to get reach on Instagram. They sit at the top of the funnel, getting your content in front of non-followers. Don't overthink it too much. A 7-second video could reach millions. https://t.co/BKpixb0Agz
AI-Driven Cold Emails Flooding Inboxes, Landing in Spam
Cold outreach emails sognificantly increased for me over the last few weeks. Probably ai. Going right into spam.
Scribd’s /Document/ PDFs Boost SEO Visibility
Another blast from the past: Scribd is exploding in SEO visibility. Mostly from its /document/ folder (UGC PDFs & AI-generated summaries of PDF contents) https://t.co/ZGr1eYj5tr