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.
Brands Like Nestlé, Haleon, and Molson Coors Wrestle With Broken Measurement
At the Possible conference, marketers from Nestlé, Haleon and Molson Coors voiced frustration over broken measurement of ad spend. They highlighted long‑standing challenges in quantifying incrementality, even as AI speeds data extraction. CTV buying complexities and algorithmic inventory bias further undermine campaign control. Brands see AI as a catalyst to revisit measurement frameworks, but human oversight remains critical.
Apple and TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai Spotlight Real Apple Watch Rescue Stories
Apple and TBWA Media Arts Lab Shanghai launched a Chinese‑language podcast, “Thankfully, I’m Wearing It,” to showcase real‑life rescues enabled by Apple Watch health and safety features. The series, hosted by Li Jing, highlights three personal stories where Emergency SOS,...
Brave and Company Wins Taman Safari Indonesia Group for Cross-Market KOL Campaign
Indonesian agency Brave and Company has been hired by Taman Safari Indonesia Group to run a regional influencer (KOL) campaign for its Bali attractions, targeting family travelers in Malaysia and South Korea. The agency will manage the full influencer strategy,...
Ads Test Patience, Not Strategy, After 15 Years
My family still thinks I “just run ads”… like I press a button and money politely arrives. Meanwhile, I’m negotiating with algorithms at midnight. Sometimes I win, sometimes they humble me gently. After 15+ years, one truth stays— ads don’t test your strategy… they test...
The Death of the Ultimate Guide?
Recent research from Cyrus Shepard and Kevin Indig shows that the era of the “ultimate guide” is waning. Google’s top‑performing sites now share five traits—product or service offering, task completion, proprietary assets, tight topical focus, and strong brand. In parallel,...
How to Turn Webinars Into Your Best Lead Gen Channel in 5 Phases via @Sejournal, @Hethr_campbell
Marketers at agencies and in‑house B2B teams identified three common webinar frustrations: high effort, low qualified leads, and unclear ROI. To address these gaps, they outlined a repeatable five‑phase system—targeted topic selection, streamlined setup, qualifying content, live‑hour engagement, and data‑driven...
Hero MotoCorp Ropes in Ishaan Khatter as Brand Ambassador for Xoom Scooters
Hero MotoCorp announced Bollywood actor Ishaan Khatter as the new brand ambassador for its Hero Xoom scooter line. The launch includes a high‑energy advertising film built around a re‑imagined “Zoom Zoom Zoom Baba” track, featuring Khatter riding the scooter through city streets. The...
Safal Repositions Coconut Water as Everyday Drink in New Ad with Tara Sutaria
Safal, the horticulture arm of Mother Dairy, has unveiled a new digital campaign featuring Bollywood actress Tara Sutaria to reposition its packaged coconut water as an everyday refreshment. The #TheSafalWayToRecharge ad showcases the drink as a quick, natural, guilt‑free option for...
Maje and SANDRO Appoint MCMPR as Integrated Communications Agency in Australia
French fashion labels Maje and SANDRO have hired Australian agency MCMPR as their integrated communications partner across Australia. The agency will manage PR, influencer, showroom and storytelling initiatives for both brands, which operate 14 Maje and 15 SANDRO stores nationwide....
Directors Think Tank and Director Zaim Rosli Launch Quiet Confidence in Motion for Zeekr
Directors Think Tank and Havas Malaysia unveiled Zeekr Malaysia’s latest commercial, “Quiet Confidence in Motion,” directed by acclaimed filmmaker Zaim Rosli. The spot departs from the brand’s typical high‑octane car ads, opting for a measured tempo, clean visuals, and a...
Charles Leclerc Joins L’Oréal Paris as Global Face for Men Expert Range
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has been named the global ambassador for L’Oréal Paris Men Expert, joining former teammate Carlos Sainz in the brand’s male grooming push. L’Oréal aims to capture the hard‑to‑reach male market by leveraging Leclerc’s high‑performance image. Meanwhile, Domino’s reported a...
Microsoft Launches AI Max, Embedding Ads Directly in Copilot Answers
Microsoft Advertising unveiled AI Max for Search at its Spring Summit, a tool that inserts product callouts into Copilot answers. Early pilots report a 5% lift in click‑through rates, signaling a shift from keyword‑based to conversational ad targeting.
Teads and LG Ad Solutions Expand CTV Partnership Across APAC and Europe
Teads and LG Ad Solutions have renewed and broadened their connected‑TV partnership, making Teads the exclusive gateway to LG HomeScreen inventory in nine APAC markets and adding Italy, Greece and Cyprus in Europe. The deal gives advertisers a single‑buy platform...
PharosIQ Launches atlasIQ Intelligence at Forrester B2B Summit, Targeting Real-Time Buyer Insight
pharosIQ debuted its atlasIQ Intelligence platform at the Forrester B2B Summit in Phoenix, positioning the solution as the next‑generation buyer‑intelligence layer for go‑to‑market teams. The launch coincides with the company's reported double‑digit organic revenue growth in 2025 and continued momentum...
Expand 2026 Speaker Lineup Revealed as Global CMOs and CEOs Join the Stage
Marketing‑Interactive announced the first wave of speakers for its inaugural growth forum, EXPAND, scheduled for 29 July at Doltone House Hyde Park in Sydney. The event will feature senior marketers and CEOs from global brands such as Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, Coca‑Cola, 7‑Eleven...
Samsung Turns 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Into Real-Life Runway Moment
Samsung Electronics has launched a global campaign linking its new Galaxy S26 Ultra to the upcoming film *The Devil Wears Prada 2*. The spot highlights the phone’s AI‑driven “Circle to Search” feature, showing a fashion‑crisis solution on a runway set. At...
Sleepmaker Launches New Integrated Campaign ‘Change Your Mattress, Change Your Sleep’ via Dig
SleepMaker’s Performance mattress range has launched an integrated campaign titled “Change Your Mattress, Change Your Sleep,” created by Dig in partnership with media agency Kaimera. The campaign spotlights the brand’s patent‑pending Smart Suspension Technology, which promises cooler nights and reduced...
UserTesting Rolls Out AI‑Powered UX Research Tools to Accelerate Insight at Scale
UserTesting announced a suite of AI‑powered UX research tools in its April 2026 product release webinar. The new capabilities promise to capture both user behavior and motivation while automating analysis, letting marketers scale insight without added complexity.
Coco Republic Launches New ‘Shifting Spaces’ Autumn / Winter ’26 Campaign via The Idea Shed
Luxury furniture brand Coco Republic has launched its Autumn/Winter ’26 collection through a new brand platform called Shifting Spaces, created with creative commerce agency The Idea Shed. The campaign spotlights a ‘small spaces’ range, weaving a day‑long visual narrative that...
T‑Mobile Gives Away iPhone 17 Pro with $1,100 Credit on Premium Plans
T‑Mobile announced that customers who trade in any eligible device and sign up for an Experience Beyond or Go5G Next plan will receive the iPhone 17 Pro for free, via $1,100 in 24‑month bill credits. The promotion expands the carrier’s previous...
YouTube Rolls Out 'Playables' Mini‑games in India, Targeting 5‑10% Boost in Session Time
YouTube introduced Playables, a suite of mini‑games from top studios, in India to lengthen user sessions by an estimated 5‑10%. The move reflects a broader industry push to capture Gen Z attention and could reshape how games are discovered and monetized...
The Trade Desk Teams with DramaBox to Bring Short‑Form Drama to Programmatic Ads
The Trade Desk announced a partnership that makes it the first demand‑side platform to sell inventory on DramaBox, the leading short‑form drama app. The deal gives advertisers programmatic access to a market projected to generate $3 billion in 2025 and reach...
One Prompt, Full Campaign Visuals for Email Marketers
GPT Images 2.0 is actually insane for email marketers right now. One prompt gets you the full deliverable: premium product shots, email heroes, real lifestyle scenes, and matching social creatives. All cohesive and on-brand. You still tweak the copy, add alt text,...
Target VCs to Reach Founders via Portfolio Recommendations
Any company or brand looking to get in front of / sell to founders should no doubt be also trying to get VC eyeballs. If you reach a VC, you have 10x distribution to founders bc they talk to their...
Bing Previews AI Citation Share For Webmaster Tools via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Microsoft previewed four AI‑enhanced reporting features for Bing Webmaster Tools, including Citation Share, grounding query‑intent and topic labels, and GEO‑focused recommendations. Citation Share will display the percentage of AI citations a site captures for specific queries, adding competitive context to...
Stagwell, FreeWheel Unveil Unified TV Ad Platform for CTV, Linear & Sports
Stagwell announced a partnership with Comcast‑owned FreeWheel to launch a unified TV advertising infrastructure that spans connected TV, linear broadcast and live sports. The integration gives Stagwell agencies direct access to FreeWheel’s premium video supply, aiming to lower ad‑tech fees,...
Dinshaw’s Draws on Kambli’s Journey for ‘Dildaari'—But How Far Is Too Far?
Dinshaw’s launched the “Dildaari” campaign featuring former cricketer Vinod Kambli, promoting a new cone with three times more chocolate at the tip (24 g vs 7 g). The emotionally‑charged ads link Kambli’s personal comeback to the brand’s “a little extra” message, sparking...
Ultimate Retention
The article argues that true customer retention comes from cultivating a "belonging sentiment" rather than merely optimizing transactional touchpoints. It defines belonging as a deeper, trust‑based relationship built through shared insights, safe‑space protections, and friction‑free experiences. AI is positioned as...
A Practical Guide to Increasing Instagram Likes Without Ads
The article outlines a practical, ad‑free strategy for creators and small businesses to increase Instagram likes. It emphasizes the importance of strong visual hooks, a consistent posting cadence, and captions that invite interaction. It also highlights the role of saves,...
Grada Reinvents Its Distinctive Brand Design for Decaf Launch via Weave
Australian specialty coffee liqueur brand Grada has unveiled Midnight Decaf, its first decaf offering, with a bold new packaging system created by creative agency Weave. The design retains Grada’s signature blue while adding a vibrant orange accent, gold foil detailing,...
How Gemini Helped Gordon Ramsay Support Tilly’s London Marathon Prep
Google launched a three‑film campaign featuring chef Gordon Ramsay and his daughter Tilly to showcase Gemini’s role in everyday tasks, from marathon training analytics to designing a race cheer poster and advising on ice‑bath recovery. The ads frame the AI...
Cut Losing Ads, Launch Higher‑ROI Campaigns
Let’s talk ads My analytics from today Spend vs make (average per day over last 7d) Vols box set - $20 / $60 us $11 / $25 uk Hope box set- $16, $8, $40 / $74 us $6, $4 /...
Buyers Are Now Machines, Not Humans
The Internet Was Built for Humans. Your New Buyers Are Machines by @Timothy_Hughes https://t.co/938leqjHMY @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #SalesTips #SalesLeader #Salesforce #Marketing #Leadership #MarketingStrategy #MarketingSuccess #ArtificialIntelligence https://t.co/3OqXoRN0s8
Established Estate Agency to Rebrand After Joining Franchise Network
Fahren Estate Agents, a Bournemouth‑based firm operating since 2000, will join the Your Move franchise network and rebrand as Your Move Fahren. The move is part of owner Julian Ahmed's strategy to leverage national brand strength, marketing power, and shared...
Carve Designs’ Online Sales Growth, Operations Factor Into Acquisition
Carve Designs, a sustainability‑focused women’s apparel brand, grew its online sales through top‑of‑funnel marketing on TikTok, YouTube and connected TV while automating its Shopify‑based tech stack with ERP and 3PL integration. The brand’s B2B wholesale portal and partnerships with Amazon...
Nike And Foot Locker Are Putting Their AF1 Story In The Hands Of 22,000 Employees
Nike and Foot Locker are giving a pair of Air Force 1s to roughly 22,000 employees, from sales associates to stockroom crews. The initiative flips the traditional influencer‑driven model, seeding the shoe inside stores so staff become the first point of...
Keeping the Newsletter Free, Funded by Sponsorships
I’ve had a few people tell me this week I need to make my newsletter paid because I’m giving too much away for free… but I feel like I would rather keep it open and share the information and just...
The #1 Role Your Content Team Needs in 2026 Is a Managing Editor
Content teams are now flooded with AI‑generated drafts, turning speed into a new bottleneck: editorial judgment. While 86% of marketers use AI, the sheer volume forces a shift from throughput‑focused roles to a managing editor who safeguards quality and brand...
Liberty Mutual Says Safeco Brand Is Officially Retired
Liberty Mutual announced on April 27, 2026 that it has officially retired the Safeco Insurance brand in its independent‑agent channel, effective April 25. All personal‑lines products will now be marketed and sold under the Liberty Mutual name, while existing policies and agent relationships...
Charlize Theron Literally Went Above and Beyond
Charlize Theron is front‑lining Netflix’s new action thriller *Apex* with a daring publicity stunt: climbing a towering billboard. The stunt, captured on video, required professional rigging, safety harnesses and extensive insurance coverage. Theron’s participation underscores Netflix’s willingness to invest heavily...
The 80/20 Growth Strategy: How to Find Your Most Valuable Customers
In this episode of SaaS Stories, fractional CMO and growth strategist Christine Day breaks down the 80/20 growth strategy, explaining how SaaS companies can pinpoint the 20% of customers that generate 80% of value. She shares her aha moment of...
Officially Retired: Liberty Mutual’s Safeco Brand Sunsets
Liberty Mutual announced the official retirement of the Safeco brand, ending its independent‑agent auto, property and specialty lines as of April 25. All personal‑lines products will now be marketed solely under the Liberty Mutual name, though existing policies and agent relationships...
Ginny Marvin on AI in Search, PPC Trends, and Google Ads Evolution
Former print marketer Ginny Marvin pivoted to digital, rising from entry‑level roles to become Google’s Ads Liaison. She reflects on how paid search eclipsed SEO in speed, how Google’s relentless product iteration outpaced rivals, and how AI—long embedded in Ads—has...
Southwest Airlines Unveils “Independence One” Livery to Celebrate the Nation’s 250th
Southwest Airlines introduced a new patriotic livery called Independence One, featuring red, white and blue colors, a "1776" tail number and thirteen stars. The aircraft will debut on April 29 with a Dallas‑to‑Philadelphia flight, linking the carrier’s home base to...
Why Did This 106-Year-Old American Brand Become Japanese Fashion?
Eddie Bauer, the 106‑year‑old American outdoor label, has relaunched in Japan under the Black Label diffusion line, partnering with Japanese military‑inspired brand HYKE. The collaboration reimagines iconic pieces like the Skyliner down jacket and MA‑1 bomber with oversized silhouettes and...
Your Customers Are Letting AI Pick Their Plumber, Lawyer and Dentist Now
In a recent interview, Sundar Pichai warned that search is evolving into an AI‑driven agent manager that curates shortlists of service providers for consumers. The agents pull data from Google Business Profiles, structured markup, and recent reviews, bypassing traditional website...
Colonial First State Showcases Martech Modernisation
Colonial First State (CFS) is overhauling its marketing technology by deploying Adobe Experience Platform and Adobe Journey Optimizer, including a decision‑engine that serves next‑best messages to members. The shift expands outreach beyond email to push notifications and content cards, creating...
Pokeworks Leans Off-Prem with Innovative Poke Dish
Pokeworks launched Poke Bombs on April 21, a grab‑and‑go poke offering that packs sushi‑grade fish, rice and inari tofu into portable pockets. The two‑piece product is sold in‑store and via online ordering, targeting busy consumers. The rollout follows a record‑breaking...
Chipotle Taps Industry Vet Fernando Machado as Chief Brand Officer
Chipotle Mexican Grill announced Fernando Machado as its chief brand officer, effective June 1. Machado, a former CMO of Restaurant Brands International and Activision Blizzard, is known for high‑profile campaigns like the Moldy Whopper. He succeeds Chris Brandt and will lead global...
The Hot Inbox: Email Is Becoming More Like A Social Feed
Google's AI‑enhanced search now ranks email by relevance, turning inboxes into social‑feed‑like streams. About 40% of Gmail messages are being deprioritized by AI filters, forcing marketers to focus on list hygiene and true engagement. At the same time, Tempo Mails...