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.
DoorDash Adds AI Tools for Merchant Onboarding, Photo Editing, and Auto-Generated Websites
DoorDash introduced a suite of AI‑powered tools to streamline merchant onboarding, enhance food‑photo presentation, and generate instant storefront websites. By pointing the system at an existing website, the AI automatically pulls photos, operating hours, and menu items, mirroring a similar Amazon feature launched earlier this year. New photo‑editing utilities—AI Retouch and AI Replate—let merchants replace backgrounds, sharpen images, and make dishes appear professionally plated. Early tests show the auto‑generated websites achieve roughly a 10% order conversion rate, underscoring the platform’s push to reduce friction for partners.
Meta Ad Tests Mislead without Geographic Separation or Incrementality
You can't learn "the best way to run Meta ads" by running two accounts with different setups and comparing performance. Not without separating them geographically, or running an incrementality test, or both. Without removing the overlap, the second account's existence alone changes...
Google Ads Launches Beta Tool that Uses AI to Scan Websites and Automatically Add Products to Campaigns
Google Ads rolled out a beta feature called “Use AI to add products” that scans a merchant’s website and automatically populates product listings into ad campaigns. The tool performs a one‑time crawl, aiming to cut manual entry errors and speed...
Azamara Cruises Partners With Approach Guides
Azamara Cruises has teamed up with Approach Guides to roll out a suite of co‑branded marketing tools for travel advisors during Advisor Appreciation Month, running May 4‑31. The platform offers ready‑to‑use visual assets that advisors can instantly personalize and share with...
Emotional Branding: Effective Ways To Use Emotional Branding
Emotional branding, first identified by Vance Packard in 1957 and popularized by Marc Gobe in 2001, leverages deep human needs to create lasting brand connections. The strategy rests on three pillars—storytelling, intentional visual design, and authenticity—and claims up to 90 %...
Paid Media Evolved: Funding Human‑AI Content Factories
Paid media used to mean buying ads. Now it can mean paying 1,500 editors to flood the internet with clips. Clavicular reportedly made $1.1M in January, with over 90% coming from the Kick Creator Incentive Program. During peak streams, he was pulling...
RSA America, URM Stores Begin Digital Transformation Partnership
RSA America has partnered with URM Stores, a Spokane‑based wholesaler serving roughly 265 independent grocery retailers, to roll out a centrally managed loyalty, digital marketing, retail media and AI‑enabled commerce platform. More than 60 URM‑affiliated stores are already live, with...
The CTV Journey Starts Before You Think It Does
The article argues that the true CTV journey begins the moment a TV is turned on, not when a stream starts. A TiVo Ads survey shows only 31% of marketers recognize this, while 67% plan to increase home‑screen spend. Home‑screen...
In FIFA-Tied Corporate Campaign, Bristol Myers Squibb 'Won't Lose'
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) launched the "Won’t Lose" campaign, its biggest corporate image push in six years, timed with the FIFA World Cup. The 30‑second TV spot, voiced by two‑time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Ali Krieger, runs on connected‑TV platforms,...
Reddit Releases New Small Business Marketing Guide
Reddit unveiled a 13‑page guide aimed at small businesses seeking to leverage its growing advertising suite and highly engaged subreddit communities. The release follows a Q1 report showing Reddit’s ad revenue jumped 74% year‑over‑year, underscoring the platform’s rising role in...
Instagram Adds AI Creator Labels
Instagram introduced an “AI creator” label that creators can toggle on their profiles and posts, signaling regular use of generative‑AI tools. The label supersedes the existing “AI info” tag on individual pieces of content, aiming to reduce confusion and misinformation....
Louis Vuitton Names Olympic Figure Skater Alysa Liu as New Brand Ambassador
Louis Vuitton announced on the morning of the 2026 Met Gala that Olympic gold‑medalist figure skater Alysa Liu will serve as the fashion house’s newest brand ambassador. The 20‑year‑old, celebrated for her historic triple‑axel‑quad combo and distinctive “halo” hair, joins a...
Highspot Launches AI‑driven GTM Agent to Turn Strategy Into Revenue Engine
Highspot introduced its GTM Agent as part of the Spring Launch ’26, an AI‑powered system that converts go‑to‑market strategy into actionable revenue performance. The platform links content, training and buyer engagement signals to deliver role‑specific guidance across the entire sales...
NIQ Report Shows AI Now Steering Consumer Purchases, US Retail Media Spend to Hit $107.6B by 2026
NielsenIQ released its global study, The Commerce Revolution: Where East Meets West, revealing that artificial intelligence is increasingly deciding what shoppers buy. The report projects U.S. retail media advertising to reach $107.6 billion in 2026, underscoring the urgency for brands to integrate...
Turn Your Hobby Into a Mid‑Six‑Figure Revenue Engine
I’ve spent 30+ years in digital marketing, advising brands like Nike, Salesforce, and Oracle. I’ve written 7 books and delivered hundreds of keynotes. And yet… more people now stop me in hotels to talk about tequila than marketing. On the...
Everyone Is a Media Brand Now
OpenAI recently acquired the tech talk show TBPN, signaling a broader trend of companies turning into content studios. Brands from Adobe to Crocs are launching sitcoms, microdramas, and podcasts to capture fragmented consumer attention. Traditional ads are losing effectiveness as...
Google Ads API Expands Performance Max Reporting to All Networks on June 15
Google is upgrading its Ads API on June 15, 2026 to deliver full Performance Max reporting across all networks, including Shopping, Video, App, and Demand Gen. The change adds detailed metrics and network transparency, reshaping how advertisers measure and optimize...
Show, Don’t Tell: Bold Demonstrations Win Clients
If you want to stand out with potential clients, do what Burger King did, and; Show them, don’t just tell them, but; Don’t be afraid to do it in ways your competitors won’t. That’s what Burger King did when they wanted to drive...
Why This Zoom Exec Built an Internal ‘SWAT Team’ to Prepare for AI Search
Zoom’s chief marketing officer Kimberly Storin has formed an internal “SWAT team” to ensure the video‑conferencing firm appears in AI‑driven search results. A recent G2 survey shows 87 percent of B2B buyers say AI reshapes their research, with half using chatbots...
When Brand Coherence Beats Market Share: The Positioning Paradox
Companies often chase market‑share gains by stretching their brands into lower‑priced or unrelated categories, a tactic that can boost short‑term revenue but erodes the differentiation that underpins premium pricing. The article outlines a three‑tier framework—core, adjacent and dilutive moves—to help...
LinksFrog Unveils Scalable SaaS-Focused Link Building Platform to Help Brands Drive Measurable SEO Growth
LinksFrog unveiled a SaaS‑focused link‑building platform that delivers high‑authority backlinks, guest posts, niche edits, and digital‑PR campaigns. The service targets digital‑first brands seeking scalable, white‑hat SEO growth and promises transparent performance tracking. Early client data show measurable lifts in search...
10 Ways to Make Your AI Agent a Better Communicator
Salesforce outlines ten conversation‑design practices to make AI agents clearer, more empathetic, and brand‑consistent. The guide draws from the Agentforce on Help support project and covers structured responses, voice alignment, handling difficult interactions, smart disambiguation, consistent terminology, effective list formatting,...
Adthena Launches Industry-First Tool for ChatGPT Ads Campaigns
Adthena unveiled ChatGPT AdBridge, a free migration tool that converts existing Google Ads campaigns into keyword and negative‑keyword lists ready for the new ChatGPT Ads platform. The solution uses AI to enrich keywords, broaden coverage and streamline negatives, then delivers...
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Superpath released two foundational guides in 2021 and 2022—one on managing content teams with a focus on people, and another on making websites accessible and explaining its business value. The people‑centric guide outlines leadership tactics, role clarity, feedback loops, and...
Little Dish Invites Kids to ‘Doodle on Our Noodles’ in Limited-Edition Pack with The Doodle Boy
Little Dish launched a limited‑edition “Doodle on our Noodles” pack featuring artwork by The Doodle Boy. The new packaging turns the noodle box into a doodle surface, inviting children to draw directly on it. The initiative aims to boost brand...
Prioritize Email Flows Over Campaigns with 5 Key Rules
Most ecommerce brands obsess over campaigns and ignore the flows that quietly do most of the work. Here are 5 email flow rules you need to know: → Send your welcome email instantly with no delay → Treat cart abandonment email one like...
How Video Marketing for Hotels Is Driving Direct Bookings
Hotels are turning to video marketing to replace static images and third‑party listings, aiming to boost direct bookings. Virtual tours, guest testimonial clips, and short social video ads engage travelers early in the planning process and keep them on hotel...
AI Search Visibility Index: Influencer Marketing Platforms, May 2026
Net Influencer and Grow and Convert analyzed how AI chat tools surface influencer‑marketing platforms. Across 40 query runs on ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, 50 platforms were mentioned, but visibility is heavily skewed toward the top....
Free Boston SEO & AI Meetup June 2, Register Now
🚨 Less than a month to go for the #SEOFOMO x @WhitePressINT Boston Free Meetup 👇 Register now for free to join on June 2nd from 6pm to 10pm some of the most experienced SEOs sharing about the latest...
AI Cites Third‑party Content More than Brand Domains
Losing sleep over your own "citations" is a mistake. AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude are citing brand domains for relevant keywords way less than they are citing the content found on 3rd parties. This is why distribution matters....
Antigua and Barbuda Gears Up for Caribbean Travel Marketplace
Antigua and Barbuda is set to host the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace from May 12‑15 at the American University of Antigua. CEO Colin James highlighted a coordinated public‑private effort to deliver seamless B2B meetings, media immersion...
How Spirit Airlines’ Low-Cost Branding Contributed to Its Crash
Spirit Airlines, once a leading ultra‑low‑cost carrier, ceased operations on May 2, ending 34 years of service. The airline’s aggressive base‑fare pricing, epitomized by a 2011 $9 Los Angeles‑Las Vegas promotion, eroded brand perception and profitability. Coupled with intensifying competition and a failed government...
Edmonton International Airport (YEG) Launches YEGplus – Canada’s First Airport Loyalty Program
Edmonton International Airport (YEG) unveiled YEGplus, Canada’s first airport‑wide loyalty program, allowing travelers to earn points on every dollar spent at the terminal. The free, spend‑based program features three tiers—Essential, Silver and Gold—each unlocking higher‑value perks such as parking upgrades...
Agile Media Investment Strategies Overtake Rigid Annual Plans
Josh Rosen, co‑founder of Hotspex Media, says the traditional fixed‑year media plan is being abandoned for agile investment models that let marketers reallocate spend in real time. The shift is driven by volatile markets, continuous performance data and AI tools...
Fujian Firms Turn to Cross‑Border E‑Commerce, Boosting Overseas Margins
Private firms in China's Fujian province are accelerating cross‑border e‑commerce to offset trade frictions and rising costs. Chelsearu's shift to live‑streaming sales lifted its product price from $30 to over $100, while the Shishi Public Service Center helped launch 326...
All Things Creator Marketing with Mae Karwowski
Mae Karwowski, founder and CEO of influencer agency Obviously, will speak at Marketing Brew’s "The Next Phase of Social & Creator Marketing" on May 12. She notes U.S. creator ad spend is expanding four times faster than the broader media...
What Happens When You Connect Semrush One to ChatGPT
Semrush One’s new MCP server lets AI tools like ChatGPT pull live SEO data directly from Semrush’s APIs, turning generic AI answers into real‑time market insights. Marketers can ask for current keyword trends, competitor traffic spikes, or backlink changes without...
Legal AI Startup Legora Hits $5.6 Billion Valuation with Nvidia Backing; Jude Law Leads New Campaign
Legora, a legal‑tech artificial‑intelligence startup, announced a valuation of $5.6 billion after securing venture backing from Nvidia. The company simultaneously unveiled a global advertising campaign fronted by actor Jude Law, signaling a push to mainstream its services for law firms and...
Day 13: He Built a Tool to Cut His Newsletter Creation Time in Half
Brandon Smithwrick built an AI‑driven intelligence system that links Beehiiv’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) with Claude, Google Sheets, and Wispr Flow. The setup automatically pulls audience demographics, grades each issue, and drafts content from voice notes, cutting his newsletter writing...
Winning the World Cup Means Winning the Moments Around It
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across multiple U.S. cities. Marketers see this as the largest sustained attention moment in recent American sports history. Rather than focusing solely on...
TikTok Fuels NeeDoh Squishy Toy Sell‑Outs, Depleting a Year's Stock in Nine Weeks
Schylling's NeeDoh stress toys have sold through an entire year's inventory within the first nine weeks of 2026 after a TikTok frenzy, prompting rapid sell‑outs on Amazon, Walmart and other e‑commerce platforms. The viral demand has triggered reseller price spikes,...
Here's How Google AI Is Powering Small Business Growth
Google is leveraging its AI portfolio to boost small‑business growth during National Small Business Week, offering free AI workshops, 95% off Google Workspace for three months, a 30‑day free trial of the Gemini Enterprise app, and up to $6,000 in...
AI Brands Are Pumping Ad Dollars Into Linear TV
Leading AI companies are pouring tens of millions of dollars into linear television advertising to shape public perception and drive adoption. By April 20, 2026, OpenAI has spent roughly $64.9 million, Google $81.7 million, Microsoft $34.4 million and Meta $64.2 million, amounts that nearly...
Master SEO with the SCORE Framework Blueprint
📂 SCORE SEO FRAMEWORK ∟📂 Site Optimization ∟📂Sitemaps ∟📂Internal...
AI Search Uncovers Inconsistent Messaging Eroding Trust
AI search is exposing messy marketing. Mixed messages = lost trust Kriste Goad shares what to fix. Watch the interview to find out 👉 https://t.co/eT5iv5RYHS #fuoco #healthcaremessaging #hcmktg
Give Prospects a Reason to Reply, Not Ghost
Your prospects aren’t ghosting you… your message just isn’t giving them a reason to reply. In this episode, I break down how to write outreach that gets attention and responses. Lead with relevance. Keep it simple. Ask better questions. https://t.co/apLhzpvSoH
Mid‑length, Original LinkedIn Posts Dominate AI Citations
Findings from a @semrush study of 325,000 AI prompts about which LinkedIn content gets cited in AI search: -Articles between 500-2,000 words = 77% of AI citations -95% of cited LinkedIn content is original -75% of the LinkedIn authors whose content gets...
Jan Update Vict
For some sites impacted heavily by the Jan 2026 unconfirmed update, some got hit even harder when the March spam update and core update rolled out. Like this one. Oof. https://t.co/EkQyYqfLO4
One Tweak Doubles Email Deliverability, Real A/B Test
Do email deliverability tools actually work? Most advice is theory. So @emaildeepdive from ran a real A/B test in Klaviyo: Same email Same audience Same send One change 👇 https://t.co/KZzxLIX8QC
Anti‑AI Branding Resonates as Humans Fear Technology
This tweet has 17,000 likes in one hour. Presenting your brand as "anti-AI" really does work in 2026, when regular ol' humans feel very threatened by technology.