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.
X Launches AI‑powered Ad Platform Overhaul to Lure Back Advertisers
X (formerly Twitter) began a phased rollout of a rebuilt, AI‑driven advertising platform on April 30, the first full overhaul since the early 2000s. Powered by xAI technology, the new stack promises tighter targeting, higher relevance and better campaign performance as the company seeks to recover advertiser dollars lost after Elon Musk’s 2022 takeover.
Reposition Strategy Turns Plateau Into Revenue Growth
A plateau often hides in plain sight. (D2C Luxury Brand) $6M/month… steady sales, no real jump forward. Nothing was broken… just not evolving. We repositioned strategy → revenue scaled to $7.8M. If you want me audit your ecommerce businees for scaling sale, book...
Suncorp Leans Into Queensland’s Extremes with ‘Resilience Never Rests’ Platform
Suncorp has unveiled the next phase of its resilience platform, "Resilience Never Rests," in partnership with Leo Australia. The campaign spot, shot entirely in‑camera with a storybook‑style stage play, highlights Queensland’s simultaneous beauty and extreme weather rather than focusing on...
Antonio Lucio Joins PayPal as Chief Marketing & Corporate Affairs Officer
PayPal announced that Antonio Lucio will serve as its Chief Marketing & Corporate Affairs Officer. Lucio arrives from HP, where he led a global marketing transformation, and brings prior stints at Meta, Visa and PepsiCo. The hire signals PayPal’s push...
F1 Sponsors Forgotten Within Weeks Despite Millions Burned, Study Finds
Brands are spending millions on Formula 1 sponsorship, yet most fade from memory within weeks, according to Honeycomb Strategy’s “Pit Stop to Podium” study of 19 sponsors at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix. The research measured unprompted awareness immediately after the...
Meta Opens Ads AI Connectors Beta, Linking Campaigns to ChatGPT, Claude
Meta Platforms has rolled out an open beta of Ads AI Connectors, enabling advertisers to create, edit and analyze campaigns directly through external generative AI models such as ChatGPT and Claude. The connectors use a Model Context Protocol server and...
Country Music’s Newest Star Bobby Doggins Signs Deal with Woodstock Bourbon & Cola in New Audio-Led Campaign via Kerfuffle
Woodstock Bourbon & Cola has launched an audio‑led marketing campaign anchored by a debut Spotify single, “The Wood Life,” performed by emerging country artist Bobby Doggins. The initiative, created by independent agency Kerfuffle, pairs the bourbon brand’s laid‑back “good life”...
Uber Rolls Out a Genius New Perk Customers Will Love
Uber introduced “Eats for the Way,” letting Uber Black riders pre‑order coffee or snacks that the driver picks up en route. The service debuted in six U.S. cities—Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego and San Francisco—as part of a...
Budget Direct Opens a Portal to the Future to Highlight $1.5b in Payouts in New Work via 303
Budget Direct has launched "Portal," the latest installment of its Insurance Solved campaign created with agency 303. The sci‑fi ad spotlights the insurer’s $1.5 bn (≈$1 bn) in claim payouts over the past year and runs across TV, cinema, BVOD, SVOD, online,...
Office Seeding Is the Next Big Thing.
Recent brand activations illustrate how viral moments are being transformed into measurable sales growth. Claire’s comeback campaign, Swan Beauty’s Bachelorette trip, and Acquired Style’s Phe Phe St. Barths line each leveraged social buzz to launch new products and capture consumer spend. Meanwhile,...
Google’s March Core Update Shifted Visibility Away From Aggregators via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Google’s March 2026 core update shifted search visibility away from aggregator and user‑generated content platforms toward first‑party brand sites, government domains, and original content creators. An Amsive analysis of over 2,000 domains using SISTRIX data showed YouTube losing the most visibility...
How To Write an Email CTA: Examples and Best Practices
The article outlines how to craft effective email call‑to‑actions (CTAs) by defining primary and secondary types, offering 21 ready‑made examples, and detailing best‑practice guidelines such as brevity, action‑oriented language, and visual prominence. It stresses the need for a single, cohesive...
From $800K Loan to $11B Empire: How Hamdi Ulukaya Built Chobani’s Yogurt Dominance
Turkish immigrant Hamdi Ulukaya secured an $800,000 SBA loan in 2005, bought a dormant New York yogurt plant and launched Chobani in 2007. By leveraging bold packaging, grassroots sampling and fee‑free retailer negotiations, the brand expanded to national chains and...
AI Voice Drafts My Pitch in Minutes
I have a massive vision for Closed Won Club but really struggled with articulating a concise value prop for it. Boiling it down to 4 sentences or a short elevator pitch. Every time I tried to write it I got...
Google Search +19% to $60.4B; Microsoft Bing 1B Users, Ads +12% Q1 2026
Alphabet posted a 19% year‑over‑year jump in Google Search & Other revenue to $60.4 billion, while Microsoft announced Bing hit 1 billion monthly active users and saw search ad revenue climb 12% in Q1 2026. The results highlight divergent trends for the two...
How Consistency on LinkedIn Makes a Brand More Authentic
Law firms that post regularly on LinkedIn build a more authentic brand and earn greater client trust. Consistent updates keep the firm visible and position it as a reliable authority in its practice areas. The article argues that imperfect, human‑focused...
Instagram Tests Option to Swap Out Text in Someone Else’s Reels
Instagram is quietly testing a new "Swap" feature that lets users replace the on‑screen text of someone else’s Reel with their own copy. The tool, briefly described in a Help Center article that was later removed, appears designed to make...
TikTok Highlights Emerging Creators for Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
TikTok announced a dedicated showcase for Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, featuring ten emerging creators across a variety of genres. The selected creators will be highlighted on the platform’s @TikTokCreators account and promoted with the #APITikTok hashtag throughout May....
Viking Owns The Brand. AmaWaterways Owns The Product.
Viking has long dominated the American perception of river cruising, but AmaWaterways is rapidly overtaking it in product quality and fleet growth. In April, AmaWaterways announced a plan to expand its fleet to more than 50 ships by 2032, adding...
Lift AI Unveils 85% Accurate Buyer‑Probability Scoring to Boost GTM Performance
Lift AI introduced a website buyer probability scoring system that predicts visitor purchase intent with over 85% accuracy. The tool evaluates hundreds of micro‑behaviors to prioritize high‑probability leads, aiming to fix the low ROI of current intent‑signal models.
Spotify’s Mood Playlists Eclipse Curated Sets, Prompting Marketers to Rethink Social Media Reliance
Spotify’s own curated mood playlists have been overtaken by user‑generated collections, a trend that marketers see as a sign that the social‑media‑centric model is losing its grip. Industry analysts warn brands must adapt to an audio‑first landscape as “lean‑back consumers”...
Design Ecommerce Emails for Mobile, Not Desktop
Most ecommerce emails are designed on desktop but read on a phone. Here are 5 email design rules you need to know: → Send your next campaign to your phone and try tapping through it before scheduling → Open your last campaign with...
Microsoft Ads Adds Publisher‑Level Conversion and Spend Data to Performance Max
Microsoft Advertising has expanded its Performance Max reporting to include conversion and spend figures for each publisher URL, letting advertisers pinpoint which placements drive results. The upgrade moves beyond impression and click data, offering a more granular view of campaign...
Young Thai-Muslim Creators Reframe Thailand’s Tourism Narrative Through Award-Winning Videos
Three award‑winning videos created by Thai‑Muslim youth are being promoted by Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reposition the country as a Muslim‑friendly destination. The entries, selected from 97 submissions, highlight halal accessibility, cultural harmony and regional diversity, with the...
Create 100 AI‑generated UGC Ads in 30 Minutes
Create 100 Winning AI UGC Ads in 30 minutes (without prompts) Watch Here 👉 https://t.co/Ab0e57ucuN In this video, I show you how to use a new platform that analyses your product page, understands your offer, and uses Seedance 2.0 to create...
Most Agencies Pay $5k/Mo for Leads that Go Nowhere.
Most agencies charge around $5,000 a month for LinkedIn leads that seldom convert. The author built a low‑code stack using n8n, Apify, GPT‑4, and PhantomBuster to automate prospect scraping, personalized outreach, and connection requests. AiSDR then takes over the follow‑up,...
Free Weekly Newsletter: Actionable DTC Growth Strategies
Every week I write a free weekly newsletter built to help DTC brands who want actionable insights on scaling their brand. Wether you have an agency, in-house team or are just getting started; there’s something that you’ll find valuable & helpful. Sign...
AI Content Agents: Why Competitors Publish 42% More Content
A recent study shows companies that deploy AI‑driven content agents publish 42% more articles than rivals relying on manual writers. The boost stems from generative models that can draft, edit, and schedule content at scale, cutting production time by roughly...
Cape Town Agency Powers Biggest Gaming Kickstarter Ever
A Cape Town agency, Pulling Power Media, helped launch the Cyberpunk Trading Card Game on Kickstarter, which amassed over $28 million from more than 50,000 backers, making it the largest gaming Kickstarter ever. The campaign cleared its $100,000 goal in eight...
El Jannah Appoints Alt/Shift/ as Social Agency
Independent agency alt/shift/ has been appointed to run El Jannah’s organic social media across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. The partnership will deliver always‑on content, recurring series and real‑time social moments that showcase the brand’s Lebanese hospitality and charcoal‑chicken craft. El Jannah...
Wright Museum’s Comedy Videos Go Viral, Boosting Audience Reach
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History launched a series of mockumentary‑style comedy videos that have amassed millions of views across platforms. Created by staff and featuring a cameo by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the low‑budget campaign has dramatically...
Four Michigan Bruegger’s Bagels Stores Rebrand as Einstein Bros. Amid Panera Brands Rollout
Bagel Brands, under Panera Brands, will convert four Michigan Bruegger’s Bagels stores into Einstein Bros. Bagels, raising its state footprint from 17 to 21 locations. The remodels, slated for a four‑to‑five‑week closure, feature the “Elevate the Morning” design and a...
Calamigos Ranch Resort Leverages Celebrity Visits for Luxury Branding
Calamigos Ranch Resort & Spa secured its Leading Hotels of the World accreditation on May 1, drawing a parade of reality‑TV and entertainment stars. The resort’s high‑profile guest list signals a strategic push to blend celebrity endorsement with experiential luxury...
YouTube's Creator Partnerships API Gives Brands Data Access but No Commerce Tools
YouTube announced its Creator Partnerships API at the NewFronts earlier this spring, granting select ad‑tech firms access to creator performance metrics. The rollout solves the data gap for marketers while leaving e‑commerce attribution unaddressed, prompting brands to rethink influencer strategies.
BofA Lifts Meta Price Target to $835 as AI Spend Sparks Debate
Bank of America analyst Justin Post raised Meta Platforms' price target to $835 from $820, citing strong ad revenue and AI opportunities. The upgrade comes as Meta's AI‑heavy capital spending draws investor caution, highlighting a split view on the cost...
Show Specific Variants Early to Boost Purchase Intent
Ecommerce SEO: for large domains, there are various ways of managing product variants. Here's an important aspect of the feed component: Within free listing surfaces, Google will often develop individual grid items for specific product variants that are popular...
Turn Substack Zero to $10K/Month in 30 Days
We took our Substack from zero to $10,000/month in less than 30 days. Here's the exact system we used: For context, we have built our paid Substack Newsletter Write With AI to: • 110,000+ subscribers • $845,000+ in digital product sales • And $425,000+ in...
Your Website Is A Source, Not A Megaphone via @Sejournal, @Slobodanmanic
The article warns that websites can no longer rely on visual design to convey brand messages because AI agents now read and repurpose content across search, voice assistants, and research tools. In 2026, a single paragraph extracted from a page...
6,000+ Women Enrolled in Free 30‑Day AI Challenge
6,000+ women joined the Women’s AI Challenge I started with 4 other creators 🤯 It’s 30 days and FREE You can still join. Link here: https://t.co/UTnXTcKWc7 https://t.co/gOwJSYXRfr
First 500K Took 16 Years, Next 500K in 2
18 years of effort to reach 1M followers on X. Was it worth it? > 116 days time spent > 16,686 posts > guessing 10 min per post > 793,070 replies > first 500K, 16...
What's the Deal with Safety First for AVs?
The autonomous‑vehicle sector has leaned heavily on the “Safety First” slogan, but critics argue it often masks inadequate safety performance. Recent essays and a podcast highlight how repeated safety promises, when unmet, erode public trust and invite stricter regulation. The...
Free Marketing Tactics to Fill Your Client Pipeline
𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬 digs in deep and shares what makes her marketing different, why her clients' businesses are thriving, and actions you can take today, for free, to bring more work through your doors. Stream now: 🔗 https://t.co/TIFl59UnOx 📽️ https://t.co/fdD7eVGmxF https://t.co/5vEQdHi1l3
Model Top Creators, Adapt to Audience Demand
Growing online isn’t a secret: 1. Find 10 top creators in your space 2. Pull their top content from the last 3 months with 3X average views 3. Model how they did it, but modify for you (don’t copy) The audience tells you what...
How to Build a Verified Doctors’ Email List in the USA
The article outlines how to build a verified doctors’ email list in the United States, presenting five tested methods ranging from a paid B2B lead‑finder to free public registries. It highlights Saleshandy Lead Finder as the fastest, most accurate option,...
AI‑generated Bulk Posts Produce Trash, Not Traction
AI is amazing for social media. But these “100 posts in 5 min with AI” guides are a path to making absolute garbage content that won’t generate engagement or sales—just useless drivel. Especially true in the video era of social.
GSC Impression Bug Fixed, but Not Applied Retroactively
The mysterious issue where GSC was inaccurately reporting impressions (since May of 2025!) has been fixed but it's not retroactive. I'm not seeing any obvious drop in impressions just yet, but I don't think we know exactly when the fix was...
Leverage AI and Automation to Find Time
"I don't have time." Trust me, you do. You can schedule a year of content in a weekend. Automate your entire sales funnel. Speed the creation of your assets with AI. And deliver your service asynchronously. The leverage exists. You're just...
Your Brand Already Lives in AI Answers—Just Position It
Your Brand Is Already in the AI Answer. The Question Is Whether You Put It There. https://t.co/b6hWTh7m8M
B2B Video Delivers Triple Engagement and 20× Shares
Video is dominating B2B 👇 • 3x more engagement • 20x more shares • +47% CTR • 93% see ROI 🚀 If you’re not using video, you’re losing engagement. Via Giuliano Liguori (@ingliguori) #Marketing #B2B #Video https://t.co/pZb2QFEUTc
Amazon Ads $17B Quarter Signals Opportunity Beyond Sellers
Amazon Ads 101: What the $17 Billion Quarter Means for Every Marketer Who Thought It Was Just for Amazon Sellers https://t.co/5Q0PeOdyBr