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.
Perion’s AI Agent Outmax Now Available for TikTok, Delivering up to 25% Greater Media Performance in Early Results
Perion Network announced the launch of its Outmax AI agent on TikTok, reporting up to a 25% lift in media performance during early trials. The integration brings Perion’s AI‑native infrastructure to TikTok’s 1.6 billion‑user ecosystem, allowing advertisers to move beyond platform‑standard KPIs. By optimizing toward brand‑defined outcomes, the solution promises higher efficiency at scale. The rollout aligns with Perion’s strategic targets for 2028 and reflects growing client demand for AI‑driven ad solutions.
Google Adds Automatic End Screens to Video Ads
Google Ads is rolling out automatic end screens that attach an interactive card to the end of eligible in‑stream video ads. The feature pulls app name, icon, price and install link from campaign data and is enabled by default for...
Podcast with Phil Carter on Agentic Growth and Bootstrapping a Network
In a recent podcast, Phil Carter unpacked the origins of SuperMe, a self‑service networking platform, and explored how growth can be driven in an agentic environment where users propel expansion. He detailed the bootstrapping journey, highlighting the reliance on existing...
Invisible CTA Buttons Cost Brands Millions in Lost Sales
insane to me that this is the button Buck Mason uses in email i was skimming through the email ready to buy this bomber was looking for an obvious button. didn't stand out. i'm sure it happens to a ton of people crazy...
RAAS LAB & The Trade Desk Partner to Bring Real-Time Relevance to Programmatic Advertising
RAAS LAB announced a partnership with The Trade Desk, integrating its AI‑driven contextual intelligence into the demand‑side platform. The joint solution lets advertisers evaluate tone, sentiment and placement environment at the impression level, backed by URL‑level reporting. Brands and agencies...
Old Spice Reworks Boyz II Men Song for Sequel to Clingy Moms Campaign
Old Spice has launched “The End of Adolescents,” a sequel to its 2014 “Mom Song” campaign, featuring a reworked Boyz II Men classic in an R&B‑styled spot. The 60‑second commercial promotes the brand’s new Swagger Signature Scent Control system, which lets users...
Why Tecovas Made a Short Film About Texas Instead of a Traditional Ad
Western bootmaker Tecovas is shifting its marketing play by releasing a 14‑minute short film titled “Love Letter to Texas,” written and directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Ryan Bingham with narration by Sissy Spacek. The film premiered at the South‑by‑Southwest...
A Full-Funnel SEO, PPC & KPI Blueprint for Building Sustainable Revenue Growth
The article outlines a full‑funnel SEO and digital PR blueprint that ties brand mentions and links to each stage of the audience journey. It highlights Google’s reduced emphasis on links alone, emphasizing E‑E‑A‑T and contextual relevance. A detailed case study...
Study: TV Remains Dominant Influencer in US Purchase Decisions
TVB’s 2026 Purchase Funnel Study, commissioned by GfK/NIQ, confirms television remains the most influential medium across all stages of the consumer purchase journey. TV outperformed the nearest competitor, social media, by fivefold in driving awareness and led trust metrics, with...
Podcast Guesting Supercharges Nonfiction Book Launch
Therapist and nonfiction author Oona Metz was a guest on over 50 podcasts prior to her book's launch. Here's what she learned: https://janefriedman.com/how-to-use-podcast-guesting-to-promote-your-nonfiction-book/
Time-Sensitive Offers in Google Ads
Google Ads now offers several tools to surface time‑sensitive promotions, including the Countdown Customizer, Promotion assets, Callout assets, and Sitelink assets. Advertisers can embed a live countdown directly in ad copy and pin headlines to control message order, while Promotion...
Ruder Finn Launches "What's Next" Podcast to Examine the Future of Marketing, Media, and Leadership in an AI Driven Era
Ruder Finn, a leading independent communications agency, has launched "What’s Next," a podcast hosted by CEO Dr. Kathy Bloomgarden that explores how AI, leadership, and innovation are reshaping marketing and media. The series features industry voices such as Global AI...
Stop Chasing Trends; Master Fundamentals and Personalization
I got tired of chasing every new marketing trend. It’s brutal how many B2B Marketers and Founders burn out trying to keep up with whatever new tactic LinkedIn and Twitter are pushing this week, only to find their pipeline emptier...
The End of Static Ads: Gifr.ai Debuts AI Image-to-GIF Tool to Streamline Content Production
Gifr.ai launched an AI‑driven platform that turns static images into high‑quality GIFs within seconds, using text prompts to define motion. The tool promises up to three times higher engagement compared with still graphics and eliminates the need for specialized animation...
Strategic Visibility Drives Business Impact, Not Vanity Metrics
I recently asked several executives three questions about their journey to building visibility online. One thing became clear. Value, for them, came from connecting their activity back to business impact - not from impressions or post counts. I'm starting to...
How Taylor Swift Triggered a 3,500 Percent Sales Spike for This Viral Beauty Brand
Fazit, a West Palm Beach beauty startup founded in 2022, turned a dermal‑patch technology into viral glitter freckles. After a Coachella Instagram surge, Taylor Swift’s appearance at a Chiefs game sparked a 3,500 percent sales jump, lifting 2024 revenue to $10 million. The...
Early SEO Investment Compounds Long‑term Visibility
Search has changed – and so has the way advisory firms can earn visibility online. This episode explores how early investments in SEO can compound over time: https://t.co/n6RD6lcWQF Helen Stephens, founder of Aspen Wealth Management, shares how her SEO strategy evolved alongside...
Secret Burger Kitchen Targets 'Institutional-Grade' Scaling with Trio of Industry Heavyweights
Secret Burger Kitchen (SBK) has enlisted three restaurant veterans—Capriotti’s COO David Bloom, former Dave’s Hot Chicken CMO Brad Haley, and ex‑Subway North America president Douglas Fry—to engineer an "institutional‑grade" rollout. Each advisor will own a strategic pillar: Bloom on development discipline,...
Debunking GEO Myths: It's Not Just SEO
Great article. I hope many c-level executives read it -> GEO hype busted: How it differs (and how it doesn’t) from SEO *Myth: There are proven GEO tactics that guarantee AI mentions *Myth: AI visibility is the new traffic *Myth: GEO is just...
The Rebrand You're Considering Is Probably the Wrong Move.
The piece argues that most companies jump to a full rebrand when their brand feels off, but the problem is usually misalignment rather than obsolescence. It stresses diagnosing the specific issue—refinement, refresh, or rebrand—before committing resources. Full rebrands are costly,...
The Top 10 Best SEO Companies in the World for Small Business in 2026
Choosing the right SEO partner is critical for small businesses seeking sustainable growth in 2026. The article ranks the ten leading global SEO firms, highlighting each agency’s data‑driven approach, technical audit capabilities, and ethical practices. It emphasizes case studies, client...
The Growth Paradox: Jeff Greenspoon of Kantar on Brand Power
Jeff Greenspoon, Kantar’s Americas CEO, explained on Adweek’s Adspeak how brand tension fuels growth through the “Meaningful and Different” framework. He argued that cutting brand spend during budget squeezes can forfeit three to five years of growth, while sustained investment...
Fix Funnels Now or Rebrand First? Choose Wisely
I was in a discovery call this week with a large charity that's got two fundraising products in decline. Both showing appetite from users, but conversion rates are dropping. One product launched strong a few years back but has been falling...
Scaling Content Brings Hidden Risks for AI Search Tools
Fantastic new article by @pedrodias about the risks of scaling content. A good read for some of the new AI search tools who have recently entered the space.
How Do You Fix Thin Content Across Similar Ecommerce Product Pages? – Ask An SEO via @Sejournal, @Rollerblader
The article advises ecommerce sites facing thin‑content penalties to stop individually optimizing every product page. Instead, it recommends implementing variant schema, focusing SEO effort on category or collection pages, and using robust internal linking. Authority is built through high‑quality blog...
Email Marketing Delivers $79 Return per Dollar
I just got Omnisend’s 2026 email marketing data and shared it inside Daily Mentor. Brands are making $79 revenue for every $1 spent. If you're not running this properly, you're getting left behind. Full breakdown below https://t.co/5eN0UBk7O3
Your Product's Story Drives Sales, Not Features
People buy products, not because of the product, but because of the story attached to the product The more you tell your story, the more you will sell Simple
6 Steps for Creating GEO Friendly Social Posts
Brent Bowen of Sparkcade Marketing outlined six practical steps for making social media posts GEO‑friendly, emphasizing structure that appeals to AI discovery tools. He urged marketers to frontload questions and answers, use list formats, and be precise while retaining brand...
Ahrefs Enhances Site Audit Alt-Tag Detection and Patching
Ahrefs improved how Site Audit detects missing alt attributes to exclude decorative and tracking images. + we added them to Patches. They can be generated for individual images or in bulk, reviewed and edited, and then published with JS or...
Top Marketers Leverage AI Prompts for Faster, Smarter Work
How Top Marketers Are Using #AI Prompts to Work Faster and Smarter [NEW POST] - B2B Marketing Blog | Webbiquity - https://t.co/5VBAPBDTnk Research featuring insights from @crestodina, @ginidietrich, @JimHarris, and @NealSchaffer.
The Boring Infrastructure That Could Make Agentic AI Happen For Ad Tech
MadConnect has made its Intelligent Connectivity Layer (ICL) generally available, offering a plug‑and‑play infrastructure that links CRMs, CDPs, clean rooms, DSPs and other ad‑tech systems. Built to natively support the open‑source Model Context Protocol (MCP), ICL acts as a switchboard...
United Slashes Mileage for Non‑Cardholders, Ads Devalue Passengers
United Is Cutting Mileage If You Don’t Have Their Credit Card — Now It’s Running Ads That Say You Matter Less - View from the Wing https://t.co/kOlqIZQIHx
The Boring Infrastructure That Could Make Agentic AI Happen For Ad Tech
MadConnect has made its Intelligent Connectivity Layer (ICL) generally available, offering a neutral infrastructure that links CRMs, CDPs, clean rooms, DSPs and other ad‑tech systems for AI agents. The ICL natively supports the open‑source Model Context Protocol (MCP), acting as...
Google Rankings Remain Volatile Despite No Confirmed Update
Google Search ranking volatility continues to be heated without a confirmed core update https://t.co/NDlsRBeWPM https://t.co/keIZ4jJRKU
Google Search Ranking Volatility Still Heated
Google’s search ranking volatility remains high, with daily fluctuations despite no officially announced core update. The February 2026 Discover Core Update ran from February 5 to February 27, followed by a series of rank swings throughout March. Earlier, the December 2025 core update spanned...
The Quarterly Review: Wise’s Scott Viohl Wins Audiences Through Humor and Creator-Led Marketing
Wise’s North American marketing lead, Scott Viohl, has spent the last four months scaling the fintech’s regional footprint through its largest TV campaign to date, reaching over 80% of adults in key U.S. markets and 60% in target Canadian regions....
Google Ads Adds AI Voice to Performance Max Videos
Google AI voice models coming to PMax video campaigns in Google Ads https://t.co/HdEjC1qd7C via @beXtremeArpan https://t.co/K39CiSxc7P
Google AI Voice Models Coming To Google Ads PMax Videos
Google is adding AI‑generated voice‑overs to Performance Max video ads, automatically turning silent creatives into narrated assets. The system pulls text from existing headlines and descriptions, synthesizes natural‑sounding speech, and layers it onto the original video. Advertisers can opt out...
The Hidden Economics of World Cup Sponsorship
The article argues that World Cup sponsorship is often reduced to logo exposure, while the true value lies in creating immersive fan experiences in venues such as bars, fan zones, and hospitality spaces. Brands like Adidas, Visa, Budweiser and Coca‑Cola...
How to Build a Successful In-House Agency
In‑housing has shifted from a cost‑cutting tactic to a strategic function, with brands seeking tighter integration, accountability and outcome‑based measurement. A new Campaign Red report shows 66 % of UK and EMEA marketing leaders intend to expand their in‑house agency scope,...
Starbucks Launches Tiered Loyalty Program to Boost Engagement
Starbucks introduced a three‑tier Rewards program—Green, Gold and Reserve—aimed at deepening engagement among its 35.5 million U.S. members. The new structure raises star‑earning rates from 1 Star per dollar at entry level to 1.7 Stars for Reserve members and eliminates star expiration for...
A Guide to Advanced B2B Positioning
In this episode of Lenny's Reads, positioning expert April Dunford walks listeners through advanced B2B positioning, expanding on her five‑component framework (alternatives, capabilities, value, best‑fit accounts, category) and tackling four common roadblocks: disagreement on competitive alternatives, product pessimism, vague differentiated value,...
Ikea’s Global Campaign Is a Love Letter to the Feeling of Home
Swedish furniture retailer Ikea has unveiled a new global campaign titled “There’s No Feeling Like Home,” featuring the emotive short film “Coming Home.” The ad, directed by Justyna Obasi and set to Lucy Dacus’s cover of Carole King’s “Home Again,”...
Gap Turns Its Spring Campaign Into a Music Video With Young Miko
Gap has turned its Spring 2026 campaign into a full‑length music video starring Grammy‑nominated Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko. Directed by Bethany Vargas, the film "Sweats Like This" showcases GapSweats as a creative canvas while riding the cultural wave sparked by the recent...
From Influencer Matching to an AI-Driven Operating System - Inside Humanz' Bet on Agentic to Scale Creator-Led Performance Ads
Humanz has launched Humanz+, an AI‑native operating system that automates the full lifecycle of creator‑led advertising, from research and brief creation to media buying and conversion optimization. The platform deploys seven specialized AI agents and still incorporates a human‑in‑the‑loop for...
Digest: Retail and Grocery Brands Dominate ChatGPT Ads Trial; Walmart to Phase Out Vizio Accounts; New US AI Guidelines Challenge...
OpenAI’s month‑long ChatGPT ad trial is now 44% retail and grocery ads, led by brands like Target, Sephora and Wayfair. Walmart announced it will phase out standalone Vizio accounts, requiring new TV buyers to link or merge into a Walmart...
#274 How to Value Brand Equity in an M&A Deal, Stevey Arroyo, Founder & Partner, The Brand Exit
In this episode, Kevin Appleby talks with Stevie Arroyo, founder of The Brand Exit, about the often‑overlooked asset of brand equity in M&A transactions. Stevie explains how brand equity—customers’ preference beyond product features—can be quantified using ISO 10668, which translates...
Zalando Launches New Campaign with Brand Ambassador Lily Collins
Zalando has unveiled its spring‑summer 2026 campaign featuring Lily Collins as the company’s first global brand ambassador. The actress, known for her European lifestyle, fronts a series of hero videos and digital out‑of‑home assets that explore the everyday question “What...
Advocacy vs Advertorial: Brands on Bringing ‘Storytelling’ to Influencer Gifting
Influencer gifting remains common, yet its impact is waning as audiences detect inauthenticity. A Socially Powerful survey shows 93% of marketers send free products, but only 19% receive genuine advocacy and 35% blame creator fatigue for declining effectiveness. Brands such...
Personal Brand vs Company Brand: Which One Are You Really Building?
In this episode the host tackles the dilemma of building a personal brand versus a company brand, using a lawyer’s question from a High Vibe Women panel as a springboard. She explains that the choice isn’t about right or wrong...