Today's Marketing Pulse
Google rolls out AI‑qualified call leads to boost ad measurement
Google Ads is introducing an AI‑qualified call leads feature that assesses the substance of inbound calls rather than just their duration. The machine‑learning system creates call summaries and tags, feeding higher‑quality signals into smart bidding and reporting. Call recording is enabled by default, with exceptions for healthcare and financial services, and the rollout is currently limited.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Publicis Groupe UK acquires Fabric Social
How to Rebuild Brand Trust After a PR Crisis
The article outlines how brands can restore trust after a public relations crisis by prioritizing honesty over polished apologies. It stresses that mishandled responses, not the original mistake, erode consumer confidence. Three practical steps are recommended: authentic acknowledgment, consistent corrective actions, and a measured public re‑entry. The piece frames brand trust as the new currency driving long‑term business resilience.
AI Cuts SEO Troubleshooting From Hours to Minutes
Old SEO vs New SEO Old SEO: Spend 3 hours analyzing why your organic traffic dropped 40%. Find nothing. New SEO: Connect your Google Search Console to Claude, get a ranked list of issues and fixes in 12 minutes according to your...
Meta’s AI Push Has Made Its Way Into Ad Creative. Not All Marketers Are Happy About It
Meta has been automatically applying AI‑generated tweaks to advertisers' creative assets, often without the brands’ knowledge. Snag Tights discovered altered ads that misrepresented its products, prompting the company to request a shutdown of Meta’s AI testing on its account. Other...
Your Next Customer Will Find You Using AI. Now What?
AI‑powered large language model (LLM) search is reshaping how consumers discover products, with 44% of U.S. online buyers now starting their journey in an LLM or AI tool. Adoption is twice as fast among Gen Z and millennials, but the trend...
Gordon Ramsay Launches World‑First “Idiot Sandwich” Pop‑up in Manila’s Uptown BGC
Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill Philippines is opening the world’s first Idiot Sandwich pop‑up at Megaworld’s Uptown Mall in Bonifacio Global City, Manila. The concept turns a notorious internet meme into a physical sandwich‑focused venue, promising premium ingredients and a...
Four Publishers, One Growth Playbook: What The Guardian, Denník N, Uusi Juttu and Kyiv Independent Told Perugia About Reader Revenue
Four diverse publishers—The Guardian, Denník N, Uusi Juttu and the Kyiv Independent—shared a unified reader‑revenue playbook at the Perugia International Journalism Festival. Each relies on membership‑first models, with the Guardian generating roughly $125 million in digital reader revenue and 1.3 million supporters, while the...
Arby’s Launches Limited‑Time BBQ Lineup and Mac‑and‑Cheese Bowl to Revive Traffic
Arby’s introduced a limited‑time BBQ sandwich duo and a new Mac‑and‑Cheese bowl, a brand‑refresh move led by CMO Jeff Baker. The rollout targets lagging sales and aims to draw diners back to the chain’s 33,000‑plus locations.
Podcast Data Firm Bumper Unveils Audience Verification Metric to Boost Advertiser Confidence
Bumper, a podcast data and growth firm, launched the Bumper Score, a new audience verification metric that rates podcasts on a 0‑200 scale with 100 as the industry average. The score aggregates first‑party hosting data, verified listener information from major...
Fashion Retailer Quince Tops Podcast Ad Spending, Sports and Comedy Dominate Genre Placements in March
Fashion retailer Quince led March 2026 podcast advertising with an estimated $6.57 million spend, primarily on comedy programs. BetterHelp, Amazon, Meta, and T‑Mobile rounded out the top five, each allocating roughly $5‑6 million, with a strong preference for sports podcasts. Magellan AI’s...
Ecominsights Unveils SaaS Platform to Streamline Amazon Market Research
Ecominsights announced the general availability of its Amazon product research SaaS platform, delivering structured data on millions of listings to brands, distributors, agencies and investors. The tool promises to replace fragmented, manual research with a unified intelligence suite for product...
Meta Launches First Instagram Campaign in Thailand to Drive Reels Adoption
Meta has launched its first dedicated Instagram brand campaign in Thailand, a 10‑week digital effort built by BBH Singapore. The initiative features two hero films, six 20‑second Reels and 15 creator‑led pieces starring local influencers to spur Reels creation among...
Lacoste ‘Returns to Its Roots’ with New Visual Identity
Lacoste unveiled a refreshed visual identity that reintroduces a serif‑based logo and highlights the original Robert George crocodile illustration. The redesign sharpens the brand’s proportions, restores its historic green hue and adds clay and farine tones, while the iconic crocodile and...
Burger King Returns to ‘Star Wars’ Galaxy as Turnaround Push Endures
Burger King has teamed with Disney’s "The Mandalorian and Grogu" to launch a limited‑time menu and multichannel campaign tied to the May 22 theatrical release. The promotion features items such as a BBQ Bounty Whopper in a helmet‑shaped carton, Grogu’s Blue...
Why Marketers Are Switching Mobile Measurement Partners (And What To Look for Instead)
Marketers are abandoning legacy mobile measurement partners as consumer journeys now span TikTok, QR codes, email, web and apps. Nearly 50% of B2C marketers plan to replace their MMPs within the next 18 months. Branch positions itself as a next‑gen...
New Guide: The Identity Gap Holding Back Travel Marketing Performance
Travel marketers have poured money into orchestration tools, yet 70%‑95% of website visitors remain anonymous, limiting personalization and direct bookings. Wunderkind’s new guide argues that identity resolution is the missing layer that can turn invisible traffic into measurable revenue. By...
Leaders Must Become Visible Voices, Not Just Promoters
@joe_zappa , Founder and CEO of Sharp Pen Media, joins the AdTechGod Pod to unpack a fundamental shift in media and leadership. Power has moved from institutions to individuals, and the executives who recognize this are building influence, pipeline, and long-term...
Google and ChatGPT Decline Evident Despite Radar Lag
Yep, drop in Google, drop in ChatGPT. It can take Brand Radar a bit of time to catch up (just based on how it refreshes prompts), but it's clear as day. See below.
Jenni Kayne Is Going Global
Jenni Kayne, the California‑born lifestyle label known for cashmere sweaters and minimalist home goods, announced the launch of international shipping on its e‑commerce site. The rollout initially covers 18 markets across Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with additional regions slated...
What’s The Biggest Technical SEO Blind Spot From Over-Relying On Tools? – Ask An SEO via @Sejournal, @HelenPollitt1
The article warns that the biggest technical SEO blind spot is the false sense of completeness created when SEOs rely solely on tool dashboards instead of raw data. Tools deliver snapshot reports, prioritized issue lists, and simulated metrics, but they...
B2B Influencer Marketing in 2026: The Rise of LinkedIn Influencers in B2B Tech
B2B influencer marketing has migrated from occasional expert webinars to a creator‑led model anchored on LinkedIn, where founders, CMOs and product leaders publish consistently. These "LinkedInfluencers" build trust through repeated, expertise‑rich posts that shape buyer opinions long before a sales...
ChatGPT Ads Launch CPC Campaigns with $3‑5 Bids
Interested in ChatGPT ads? Looks like CPC campaigns are live for some advertisers. @juokaz pinged me with some screenshots. You can select between Reach or Clicks for objective and then enter your Max CPC for the campaign. ChatGPT says to...
AI Overviews and Zero-Click Search Redefine SERP
#AI Overviews, Zero-Click Search, and the New SERP: Key Takeaways from STAT’s 2026 Analysis [NEW POST] - B2B Marketing Blog | Webbiquity - https://t.co/IlliieKlqo New #GEO and #SEO research from @getSTAT . https://t.co/RKdz1POwmU
GREW Solar Launches ‘The Next Starts Here’ Campaign with GT Players
GREW Solar has unveiled a new advertising campaign, “The Next Starts Here,” in partnership with the Gujarat Titans cricket franchise. The film stars Indian cricket stars Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar, using on‑field performance as a metaphor for...
Particular Audience Launches PA DiscoveryOS App on Shopify – Signalling a New Era of Accessible Enterprise AI for Merchants
Particular Audience has launched the PA DiscoveryOS app on the Shopify App Store, delivering enterprise‑grade AI search, personalization, and retail‑media tools through a zero‑code, app‑based integration. The solution lets Shopify Plus merchants activate sophisticated AI infrastructure overnight, eliminating the need...
When the CEO Becomes the Brand
Elon Musk’s political activism has turned Tesla into a polarizing brand, causing its first‑choice share to fall to 27 % versus 44 % for Toyota. A November 2025 conjoint study shows left‑leaning shoppers shun the brand while right‑leaning consumers become more favorable. Simulated...
CVS Health on Where AI Is Delivering Value in Healthcare
CVS Health announced that artificial intelligence is now a core engine for cost reduction and operational efficiency across its pharmacy‑benefit manager, retail clinics, and broader health services. AI‑driven models have trimmed claim‑processing time by roughly 30%, lowered medication non‑adherence by...
Going Global? Contextual AI Needs To Be Your Strategy
US and UK brands expanding globally often rely on accidental attention, but contextual AI is essential. Eskimi’s research shows AI‑driven contextual targeting lifts attention per mille by 74% and reaches a 95% brand‑safety score, far above standard display and keyword...
How to Measure Demand Gen Creative Impact with Asset Uplift Tests
Google introduced asset uplift experiments for Demand Gen campaigns, letting advertisers run A/B tests that isolate the incremental impact of specific creative assets. The framework requires a minimum of 50 conversions, continuous budget, and a 50/50 split to achieve statistical...
Snickers Extends ‘Hungry’ Platform Around Peanut Butter Products
Mars’s Snickers brand rolled out a new "Stuck" campaign spotlighting its Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter Ice Cream lines, emphasizing the products' creamy‑crunchy texture. Developed by BBDO New York, the ads run across TV and major social platforms. Simultaneously, Snickers...
OnStar Partners with Skywards Everyday to Turn Everyday Drives Into Everyday Rewards
OnStar, General Motors' connected‑car platform, has partnered with Emirates Skywards Everyday in the UAE, allowing subscribers to earn airline miles for using the service. The program awards one Skywards Mile for every AED 3 (approximately $0.81) spent on an OnStar Core...
Every Brand Needs An Enemy
The article argues that brands should pick a single, strategically chosen competitor as an “enemy” to sharpen focus and drive actionable plans. By zeroing in on a rival that is larger yet attainable, companies can translate competitive insights into concrete...
Teamwork Communications Group Wins PR Mandate for Sarvodaya Healthcare
Teamwork Communications Group has been awarded the public‑relations mandate for Sarvodaya Healthcare, a multi‑specialty hospital network operating across North India. The agency will oversee media relations, thought‑leadership initiatives and integrated communication campaigns to raise the group’s brand visibility. The partnership...
Google: When It Comes To SEO, Nobody Knows Everything
Google’s search quality lead John Mueller reminded the community that SEO is not static and no one can claim complete mastery. He warned that self‑proclaimed “SEO gurus” often lack depth and can mislead practitioners. Mueller emphasized humility, acknowledging past mistakes,...
Accounts in Transit: USAA Educational Foundation Extends Crosby
Crosby Marketing Communications has signed a two‑year extension to provide integrated marketing services for the USAA Educational Foundation, a nonprofit that offers free financial‑education resources to service members, veterans and their families. Ripley PR was appointed agency of record for...
Burger King UK Positions Whopper as Ultimate Post-Race Meal
Burger King UK has rolled out a new advertising push called "Whopper of a finish," positioning the Whopper as the ideal post‑race meal for British horse‑racing fans. The campaign follows the 2024 "Bundles of joy" launch and combines TV spots,...
Google: You Can Do A Lot Of SEO That Don't Work & Still Do Ok
Google’s John Mueller reminded the SEO community that the discipline is inherently complex and resilient. He noted that practitioners can implement many tactics that ultimately have little impact and still maintain decent rankings. This underscores the difficulty of pinpointing which...
The Power of Creator and Brand Collaboration Put to the Test
At SMW 2026, Inmar Media’s Heather Riccobono demonstrated that creator‑led branded content can double sales lift, challenging the brand‑vs‑creator dichotomy. In a live 25‑minute UGC experiment, creator Hannah Lorsch shot and edited a dog‑tug‑toy photo with input from the audience...
‘Fastvertising’ Puts Real-Time Cultural Moments in Every Marketer’s Hands
Fastvertising leverages AI to let brands produce ads in minutes, matching the pace of viral cultural moments. The concept was highlighted by Fraser Woollard of MNTN, who cited a Nutella‑in‑zero‑gravity spot during the Artemis II mission as a real‑time win. AI...
Bringing Brands and Creators Together in the Participation Economy
The creator economy is evolving from passive followers to a participation economy where brands co‑create with creators and communities. At Social Media Week, Publicis Creative’s Charlotte Tansill and Sam’s Club’s MacKenzie McCarver highlighted the need for brands to listen, align...
Behind the Celebrity Spirits: People, Stories & Strategy
At ProWein 2026, a panel of celebrity‑spirit founders discussed the shifting trade perception of celebrity‑backed alcohol brands. Participants from Brother’s Bond Bourbon, Wolfie’s Gin and James Gin noted that buyers now view such products more skeptically, seeing them as gimmicks...
How to Conquer the Efficiency Tax in Higher Ed Marketing
Higher education marketers are chasing tighter targeting to prove ad spend efficiency, but this creates an "efficiency tax"—higher media costs with diminishing incremental impact. As audiences shrink, institutions recycle the same prospects across channels, inflating frequency without expanding reach. The...
BHIVE Names Milind Soman as Brand Ambassador
BHIVE Workspace has appointed Indian endurance athlete Milind Soman as its brand ambassador, linking the star’s fitness pedigree to the company’s campus‑format coworking concept. The model fuses traditional office space with sports courts, fitness clubs and community‑led activities, positioning BHIVE...
TenTrade Names Ballon D’Or Winner Luis Figo as Global Ambassador
TenTrade, a multi‑asset CFD brokerage, has named former Ballon d’Or winner Luis Figo its global ambassador. The partnership will be driven by the "Inspiring the Next Number 10" campaign, tying Figo’s reputation for excellence to TenTrade’s performance‑focused trading platform. TenTrade...
OpenAI Is Working With Consultants to Sell Codex
OpenAI has launched a Codex consulting program with Accenture, Capgemini and PwC to accelerate enterprise sales of its AI‑coding tool. Weekly active users hit four million, up from three million just two weeks earlier, while the firm appointed Colleen Kapase...
Can Bed Bath & Beyond Make ‘Everything Home’ Viable?
Can Bed Bath & Beyond turn its vision of an "Everything Home" ecosystem into coherent business model? I try to unpack it in my latest https://t.co/NgREfyBHwT article. Inside Bed Bath & Beyond’s Grand Vision For An ‘Everything Home’ Ecosystem via...
Mother Dairy Rides IPL Viewership with Targeted JioHotstar CTV Push
Mother Dairy has launched a high‑impact Connected TV (CTV) partnership with JioHotstar for IPL 2026, orchestrated by WPP Media. The campaign embeds the brand in live match feeds, pre‑show segments, and milestone moments such as half‑centuries and centuries. By leveraging...
"Protect and Elevate the Xbox Brand": Microsoft Hires for Major New Comms Role, Pointing to a Potential Shift in PR...
Microsoft announced a new Senior Manager, Xbox Brand & Reputation role, the first senior communications hire since Asha Sharma became CEO. The position will oversee global strategic comms, PR counsel, influencer relations, and agency management for Xbox. Its responsibilities span...
JioHotstar Brings Purchase Intent-Led Ads to Streaming Platform
JioHotstar has rolled out a purchase‑intent advertising capability that ties streaming content to immediate product discovery. The solution uses aggregated, privacy‑safe data to form audience cohorts based on behavioural signals, moving beyond traditional demographic targeting. Instamart is the inaugural partner,...
When It Comes "AI Unleashed" - Big Brands and Media Companies Are Still Uber-Cautious
Big brands and media firms are embracing AI to speed ad creation, but they remain ultra‑cautious. At a recent conference, a media exec warned that every ad will still be manually reviewed, slowing the promised hyper‑automation. Lenovo’s SVP of Intelligent...
Reach US Reinvents Itself for Video, Social After Stunning Traffic Drop
Reach PLC’s U.S. operation saw a sudden 30% traffic loss after Google Search and Discover algorithm changes, prompting a rapid shift away from reliance on its own site. The company redirected resources to social and syndication platforms—Facebook, MSN, Yahoo News,...