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.
The Problem with “Women-Focused” Marketing
A recent Campaign analysis reveals that nearly 70% of women feel unconfident when confronted with typical marketing portrayals. The piece argues that "women-focused" campaigns often rely on outdated stereotypes, reducing a complex audience to a tidy segment. Brands are urged to shift from tokenistic representations toward authentic, data‑driven storytelling that reflects women’s diverse lives. Failure to do so risks alienating a powerful consumer group and eroding brand equity.
Holland & Barrett Sales Boosted by TikTok Trends, as Losses Widen
Holland & Barrett reported an 11% rise in annual sales to £981 million, propelled by TikTok‑driven health trends and appetite‑suppressing products. Store revenue climbed to £731.3 million, and gross profit increased to £579.9 million. However, pre‑tax losses widened to £71 million, reflecting higher staff...
Prost8 Gets Arse in Gear for Bum-Controlled DOOH Blitz
Prostate cancer charity Prost8 has launched “Dodge The Finger,” the world’s first bum‑controlled digital out‑of‑home (DOOH) campaign. Developed by TBWA\MCR, the activation won gold at Ocean Outdoor UK’s Digital Creative Competition and the European Grand Prix, showcasing a retro arcade...
MRM EXCLUSIVE: Five Pitfalls That Quietly Kill Your QSR App’s Impact
QSR leaders have apps and loyalty programs, yet many see flat revenue because the solutions operate as isolated features. The article outlines five hidden pitfalls—missing journey design, ignoring warm‑lead acquisition, friction‑heavy onboarding, over‑reliance on price discounts, and static app experiences—that...
Stark Cafe: How a Marvel-Inspired Idea Became a Student Hotspot in Moradabad
Stark Cafe, launched by Mohammad Sameer in Moradabad’s Khwaja Colony, taps a dense student population by offering affordable food and a study‑friendly environment. The Marvel‑inspired brand name resonates with youth culture, turning a simple eatery into a community hub. Sameer...
The Trade Desk Welcomes OpenTTD, The Partner Integration Portal To Rule Them All
The Trade Desk unveiled OpenTTD, a unified partner integration portal, at LiveRamp’s RampUp conference. The platform consolidates logins and analytics for partners who act as advertisers, data sellers, and developers, eliminating the need for separate accounts. OpenTTD ties into the...
How Cinnabon Built a Social Fandom by ‘Marrying’ Slim Jim
Cinnabon’s social media manager Hannah Gregus sparked an unexpected dialogue with Slim Jim on X, initially without a formal plan. The spontaneous banter evolved over a year into a fan‑driven narrative that culminated in a tongue‑in‑cheek "wedding" featuring vows, polls, and...
The Rise of Heatonist: Noah Chaimberg on Hot Sauce Culture and Hospitality Brand Building
In this episode of the Hospitality Hangout, Noah Chaimberg, CEO of Heatnist, shares how he turned a Brooklyn push‑cart into the world’s leading hot‑sauce brand and secured a partnership with the Hot Ones show. He recounts his entrepreneurial journey from...
Lenders Rethink Outreach as Trigger Leads Face Limits
Mortgage originators are split on the value of trigger leads as the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act takes effect on March 5, forcing a shift to permission‑based marketing. Proponents argue trigger leads provide quick consumer access, but critics cite reliability issues and...
Groupe GM Cosmética Portugal on the Next Phase of Solid Beauty
Groupe GM Cosmética Portugal announced the launch of Solid Labs, a new platform dedicated to high‑performance solid cosmetics. The company argues that solid formats must evolve from sustainability‑driven storytelling to delivering parity—or superiority—with traditional products. Brands are urged to prioritize...
Heavy AM/FM Listeners Rev Up Auto Parts Sales, Study Finds
A new 2025 Auto Aftermarket Brand Tracker shows that heavy AM/FM radio listeners spend 26% more on auto parts than the average shopper, reaching $790 annually. Ultra‑heavy shoppers who make ten or more store trips spend $832 and drive 171...
DMWF Spotlight: How Ecommerce Marketers Gain a Competitive Advantage – without More Complexity
E‑commerce marketers are confronting rising acquisition costs and a fragmented, multi‑device buyer journey that traditional search and social channels no longer dominate. Autonomous AI platforms now analyze live intent signals across the open internet, allowing brands to reach high‑intent shoppers...
DMWF Spotlight: Stop Personalising More. Start Thinking Better.
The article argues that CRM success isn’t driven by more personalization or automation, but by better judgment and restraint. Companies often assume that increasing messages boosts engagement, yet customers feel overwhelmed and ignore the noise. Atombit advises focusing on what...
‘Art of the Desk’ Centers New Content From Montblanc
Montblanc unveiled its spring/summer 2026 "Art of the Desk" campaign, pairing a new line of writing accessories with a short‑film featuring Roman Coppola, Cooper Koch, Kiernan Shipka, Dree Hemingway and Daniel Brühl. The video series, called "Art of the Desk Talks," explores each star’s personal...
FirstPartyCapital Announces Corporate Innovation Model to Facilitate Strategic Investment in Ad Tech
FirstPartyCapital unveiled a corporate innovation model aimed at brands, agencies, publishers and ad‑tech leaders, offering a hybrid of outsourced R&D, market intelligence and equity investment. The model tackles the high cost and opacity of building proprietary ad technology by providing...
Brands May Actually Benefit From Advertising Next to AI Content, Per Study
A new OM Media Trials and Zefr study of nearly 5,000 U.S. and Canadian consumers finds that ads placed after certain AI‑generated videos can actually enhance brand perception, especially when the content is satirical, youthful, or artistic. Conversely, ads next...
Third-Party AI Agents Can Now Plug Into LiveRamp’s Platform
LiveRamp announced that third‑party AI agents can now plug directly into its data collaboration platform, removing the need for custom API calls. The integration enables agents to automate audience planning, segmentation, measurement and to interact with partner and proprietary agents....
EXCLUSIVE: Julia Garner Is Now a Global Brand Ambassador for Loewe
Julia Garner has been named a global brand ambassador for luxury fashion house Loewe, announced by the label’s new creative directors Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. The Emmy‑winning actress, previously linked to Gucci, will front Loewe’s upcoming campaigns, reflecting the designers’ vision...
Bupa UK Picks Ace of Hearts to Work on Creative and Strategy
UK health insurer Bupa has selected the creative agency Ace of Hearts to lead its new advertising and strategic initiatives. The agency was chosen after a competitive pitch process coordinated by Ingenuity+, a specialist agency network. The partnership is expected...
Sabco Launches New Campaign for Its All-New Cleaning Brand Neet via DPR&Co
Sabco has introduced Neet!, a new cleaning brand sold exclusively at Bunnings Warehouse in Australia and New Zealand. The brand, developed with agency DPR&Co, features a youthful "Chuck the Muck" positioning aimed at first‑time, younger cleaning consumers. Its launch includes...
OpenClaw Sparks 80+ Global Meetups in Months
I don’t think enough people are appreciating the how insane this is. Over 80 @openclaw meetups scheduled around the world, and more popping up every day. For a product less than a few months old. I’ve never seen anything like this. Something very special...
The One Centre Group Creates and Scales the Brands of Tomorrow with ‘Zephyr One’ Launch
The One Centre Group has rebranded its 2019 investment Zephyr Social as Zephyr One, joining its constellation of specialist branding firms. The 12‑person agency now offers commercial strategy, performance media, and creative services through its proprietary System One model. Founders...
‘The Great Exhaustion’: Why the Future of Branding Is Calm
By 2026 consumers are hitting a breaking point dubbed “The Great Exhaustion,” where cost‑of‑living stress, climate concerns and digital overload drive burnout and decision fatigue. This emotional economy favors calm, comfort and belonging over constant novelty, prompting brands to simplify...
Fresh Content Wins: How Google Discover Recommends
Ever wonder how Google Discover works? Discover is a recommender system. This article reviews how recommender systems work, showing why fresh content ranks better and other interesting takeaways. https://t.co/T8SlXYb6lE
Agencies Grapple with Economics of a New Marketing Currency: The AI Token
Marketing agencies are confronting the economics of generative‑AI tokens as they embed large‑language‑model tools into campaigns. Tokens, which meter compute, can add up quickly—Coca‑Cola’s recent ad required millions of them—prompting agencies to devise new pricing structures. Some firms, like Merge...
WTF Is Meta’s Manus Tool?
Meta has embedded an AI agent suite called Manus into its Ads Manager, following a $2 billion acquisition of the Singapore‑based startup Butterfly Effect. The tool promises automated competitor analysis, audience research, campaign measurement and reporting across Facebook and Instagram. Early...
OpenAI’s Ad Push Begins, and The Knot Is Co-Piloting
OpenAI has launched a trial ad platform inside ChatGPT, enlisting The Knot Worldwide as one of its first brand partners. The wedding‑planning service is testing ad performance, brand‑safety protocols, and data insights while also debuting its own app within the...
OpenAI's Ad Push Begins, and The Knot Is Co-Piloting
In this Digiday episode, hosts Kamiko McCoy and Tim Peterson discuss OpenAI's recent moves, including a controversial Pentagon partnership and the launch of its first ad‑tech deal with Criteo, signaling the start of ads on ChatGPT's free tier. They interview...
From Lollipops to Lobsters, Whatnot Pushes Further Into Selling Food via Livestream Shopping
Whatnot, the livestream shopping platform, has expanded its food category from shelf‑stable snacks to fresh seafood and meat, achieving a 30% month‑over‑month growth and a 2.5× rise in transactions between July 2025 and January 2026. Sales of iconic brands like...
Taubmans Backs Everyday Aussie Painters in New ‘Making Painters’ Platform via Sunday Gravy
Australian heritage paint brand Taubmans, together with creative agency Sunday Gravy, has unveiled the “Making Painters” platform, a brand campaign that positions the company as the ally of everyday painters. The initiative embraces the messy realities of home painting—faded colours,...
Shake Shack Names Director of Global Marketing
Shake Shack promoted Alaric Sng to global marketing director, giving him oversight of Mainland China, Southeast Asia and new APAC markets. The role expands his previous responsibilities rather than replacing an existing director. Sng joins from a background in loyalty...
Agent99 and Born to Host Free Senior Marketer Webinar ‘Bravery, Budget & Bullsh*t: What Actually Drives Impact’ at 12pm, March...
Agent99 PR and Born are hosting a free webinar titled “Bravery, Budget & Bullsh*t: What Actually Drives Impact” on March 12 at noon, aimed at senior marketers. The session will dissect where brands overspend and pinpoint tactics that deliver genuine commercial...
Google's AI Landing Page Patent Targets Low‑conversion Feeds
😺📢That Google patent about AI Generated Landing pages? It only applies to low-conversion product feeds, shopping pages, and advertisements. https://t.co/NyMwj1zBys
Stories that Sell: The Marketing Strategy Algorithms Can’t Kill
In this episode of SaaS Stories, host interviews Henry DeVries, publisher of Indie Books International, about the power of storytelling in business. DeVries outlines eight core story archetypes—monster, underdog, comic solution, tragic solution, mystery, quest, comeback, and "escape from crazy...
Channel 4 Sales’ B Corp Competition Returns
Channel 4 Sales is relaunching its B Corp competition, offering £600,000 of free TV advertising to five certified UK B Corporations. Partnering with B Lab UK, the initiative follows a successful first year that boosted brand perception and sales for winners like Seep and Ticket Tailor....
CEOs Ignoring CLV Miss Their Business's Core Value
A shocking number of successful CEOs can’t clearly define CLV. Customer Lifetime Value isn’t just a metric. It’s a long-term strategy lens. If you don’t know your customers’ lifetime value, you don’t know your business. #CLV #CustomerLifetimeValue #MarketingStrategy #CEO #BusinessGrowth
Millbray Appoints Bullet and Wonderful for Brand Refresh and New Digital Platform
Integrated land‑lease developer Millbray has hired brand studio Bullet and digital product studio Wonderful to revamp its master brand and launch a new digital platform ahead of the Ashcroft over‑50s community debut in Queensland. Bullet delivered the brand strategy, naming,...
RSPCA Approved Evolves Into RSPCA Certified, Powered by Nature and The Thrills
RSPCA Australia has rebranded its farm‑animal welfare program from the 17‑year‑old RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme to the new RSPCA Certified label. The refresh, driven by strategic firm Nature and creative agency The Thrills, introduces a streamlined brand architecture, a distinctive...
Optimum’s Price-Locked Plans
Optimum has introduced a “25 for 5” campaign that locks internet prices for five years, starting at $25 per month for 300 Mbps service. The offer expands to a 500 Mbps plan at $35/month with six months of ad‑supported HBO Max, and a...
Black Rock Coffee Bar Inc (BRCB) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Dutch Bros reported a 28% revenue increase to $1.64 billion for 2025, driven by 154 new store openings that brought the system to 1,136 locations. Adjusted EBITDA rose 31% to $303 million and average unit volume hit a record $2.1 million. The company...
Scale Winning Ads to Transform Your Brand
Finding winning ads that can scale and change a brands entire trajectory 🫡
Concerns with Third-Party Partner Could Derail LinkedIn’s Verification Push
LinkedIn is rolling out broader identity verification, adding company confirmation and executive‑level title checks that require a corporate email address. The move aims to curb recruiter scams and misrepresentation on the platform. However, the rollout relies on third‑party verification partner...
Unlock The Zero‑Click Buyer Data Hiding In Your Bot Traffic
Business buyers are increasingly using answer engines and generative AI tools to research solutions before ever clicking a website, creating a surge in zero‑click behavior. Traditional analytics miss these interactions because bot and agent traffic is filtered out as noise....
Google AI Overview Citations From Top-Ranking Pages Drop Sharply via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Ahrefs’ latest analysis of 4 million AI Overview URLs shows a sharp decline in top‑10 ranking pages being cited, dropping from 76% in July 2025 to 38% now. The study attributes the shift to improved citation detection and Google’s expanding query...
Segment Pages by Traffic Intent, Not One-Size CVR
Stop comparing your PDP's CVR against your landing pages. Your landing page only gets paid traffic. Your PDP gets organic, email, Google, direct... all of it. Those sources have completely different intent levels, and that changes everything. High intent sources like Google,...
Design the Perfect Referral Loop for Success
Referral programs only work if the loop is right. This Skill designs the whole thing. https://t.co/9rNBDsNLgn
Inside a TikTok Outage: A Practical Playbook for PR and Social Teams
In late January TikTok experienced a nationwide outage after a power failure at a U.S. data center disrupted video uploads, comments and personalized feeds. The glitch coincided with a controversial Terms of Service update, amplifying user distrust and prompting many...
Meta Forces One‑click Upsell for New Campaign Budgets
Meta is really pushing these one-click upsells. Launching a brand new campaign and Meta says it needs more budget. https://t.co/qnK7Xxz5sa
Podcast Advertising – The Safest Bet
Tom Webster’s June 2024 article introduces the research report “Podcast Advertising – The Safest Bet,” which compiles recent studies on podcast ad performance. The report challenges common objections from traditional marketers by showing podcasting’s low‑risk, high‑return characteristics. Findings highlight strong brand...
Telemundo Kicks World Cup Marketing Into High Gear: Sweeping Coverage, New Campaign
Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish‑language home of the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., announced a massive 700‑hour coverage slate that will air live for all 104 matches and run from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. The network will stream every game...