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.
Even PayPal Ads Has Its Own ID Now
PayPal announced the PayPal Ads ID, an omnichannel identifier built on its and Venmo’s credit‑card‑linked customer base. Unlike cookie‑based graphs, the ID is free for any data or ad‑tech vendor that maintains a commercial relationship with PayPal Ads and can be used across any programmatic inventory. Initial partners such as Magnite, Rokt, Taboola and PubMatic will enable advertisers to leverage the ID for more relevant, performance‑driven campaigns. PayPal positions the ID as a commerce‑grade alternative aimed at accelerating retail‑media spend.
AI Max Generates Custom Ad Copy Using Existing Text
Interesting, AI labels for AI-generated ads? I'm assuming this is tied to AI Max campaigns... but maybe someone on the ads side could provide more info. From the AI Max Google documentation: "Text customization: This uses text from your existing ads,...
Albertsons Media Collective Brings Retail Signals to YouTube with Google’s Commerce Media Suite.
Google’s Commerce Media Suite now integrates Albertsons Media Collective’s first‑party shopper data into YouTube and Display & Video 360. The partnership lets brands reach high‑intent Albertsons customers across YouTube and premium publisher inventory while receiving SKU‑level sales attribution. Early adopters such as Keurig Dr Pepper...
Celsius Unites Sports, Music and Culture Ahead of Soccer-Centric Summer
Celsius launched a new ad campaign featuring soccer stars, DJ Diplo and creator Marlon Garcia, promoting its limited‑time Electric Vibe flavor with the tagline “Live. Fit. Goal.” The 30‑second spot, “The Surge,” will run across TV, digital and out‑of‑home channels...
AI Overviews Boost Google Organic Click-Through Rates
Google click through rates for organic results with AI Overviews improving, shows new report https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ctr-improving-aui-overviews-41222.html
Netflix’s Running Point Scores Several Integrated Brand Partnerships in Season 2
Netflix’s comedy series Running Point has secured multiple integrated brand partnerships for its Season 2 launch. The basketball‑focused show weaves sponsors such as State Farm, DoorDash, Lexus, Ally Bank, Sephora and Google Search into its storyline and visual design. Netflix VP...
SEO Should Reassure, Differentiate, Not Convince Problem‑Aware Users
Users are problem-aware and solution-seeking, which typically converts far better than social discovery or cold outreach. Your SEO job is not to convince them. It is to differentiate, reassure, and reduce friction to action.
Google Ads Demand Gen Image Approvals Facing Delays
Google @adsliaison confirms delays with Google Ads Demand Gen Image ads approvals https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ads-demand-gen-image-ads-approval-delays-41216.html via Matthew Skelton #googleads #ppc #google
Samsung Launches UK Pub TV Upgrade Campaign
Samsung Electronics has launched the UK “Raise the Bar” campaign, enlisting former England footballer Joe Cole to help pubs upgrade their television technology ahead of the summer football season. The initiative lets customers nominate local venues, with ten pubs slated to...
From Ambient to Plant-Based: Where Danone Is Taking Protein Next
Danone is broadening its protein portfolio beyond refrigerated dairy by launching Oikos ambient protein shakes, introducing Silk high‑protein plant‑based milk, and acquiring meal‑replacement brand Huel. The Oikos shake entered the $7 bn+ ambient market and helped the brand exceed €1 bn (≈$1.1 bn)...
ÖBB Launches the “United by Music, Moved by ÖBB” Campaign
ÖBB has launched the “United by Music, Moved by ÖBB” campaign, aligning itself with the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. The rail operator introduced a “Loyalty Points Bet,” rewarding members with bonus points equal to Austria’s final score. A...
143 Likes on My Next Post. Here's the Simple Four-Step Framework I Used
The author of a Substack newsletter reveals a four‑step framework called The Pattern Reader that systematically analyzes past posts to uncover the hidden drivers of engagement. By applying the framework, a recent article earned 143 likes, 15 restacks, and a...
One Year Ago, Unilever CEO Swore to Hire ‘20x More Influencers.’ Did It Deliver on That Promise?
A year after CEO Fernando Fernandez pledged to hire 20 times more influencers, Unilever has expanded its creator network from roughly 10,000 to 300,000, exceeding the target by a factor of 30. The company now works with 17,000 influencers in India...
Synthetic Research Accelerates B2B Decision-Making for Fast Tech
Synthetic research is changing how companies make high-stakes decisions especially in B2B marketing. Instead of waiting weeks or months for traditional studies, teams can quickly test which segments to target, how to position their brand, and which ideas are worth...
A Decade Later: Nigeria's League Rebrand Still Struggles
Between club and country - what's happened in the ten years since Nigeria's rebranding of its professional football league https://t.co/SplKu8KevF Written by Nnamdi O. Madichie, Professor of Marketing, Nova Business School Africa @Fire_and_Skill #Geosport https://t.co/XmdoqFIMmd
Vichy Laboratories Scores PSG Footballer Vitinha as Global Brand Ambassador
Vichy Laboratoires, the L’Oréal‑owned dermocosmetics brand, has appointed Paris Saint‑Germain midfielder Vitinha as its Global Brand Ambassador. The partnership aims to reinforce Vichy’s push into the integrated health space, linking athletic performance, recovery, and skin care. Vitinha will headline campaigns...
The New AI Search Rules for Your Career Site
In this episode, employer‑brand expert James Ellison explains how career sites must evolve for the era of AI‑driven search tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. He argues that traditional SEO tactics are outdated and that companies should treat their career...
The Pros and Cons of Adding AI to First-Party Experiences
Major retailers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ulta Beauty and The Home Depot are rolling out conversational AI features in their apps and in‑store services. Forrester research shows 85% of consumers find AI answers helpful, yet only 71% trust them,...
Inside the Kotex Brand Overhaul
Kotex, a century‑old feminine‑care brand owned by Kimberly‑Clark, is undertaking a full brand overhaul to regain relevance. The revamp centers on a new "You Asked. We Heard." campaign, a "Own your flow" tagline, and redesigned pads that directly address consumer...
Customers Want Personalized Marketing. Why Can’t Most Brands Deliver? By Adobe
Adobe’s 2025‑2026 AI and Digital Trends reports reveal a gap: while 71% of consumers expect personalized, seamless experiences, fewer than half of brands consistently deliver. The root cause is fragmented customer data that hinders real‑time insight sharing across channels. Adobe...
Jack Daniel’s Appoints 22feet as Its Creative Agency of Record for India
Jack Daniel’s has appointed 22feet, an Omnicom India agency, as its creative agency of record for the Indian market. The integrated mandate spans brand strategy, digital, social, packaging, experiential and retail communications for the entire Jack Daniel’s portfolio, including its...
Cult Beauty Pulls Adverts From GB News Following Social Media Pressure
Cult Beauty, the THG‑owned online beauty retailer, has removed its advertising from the UK news channel GB News after a social‑media backlash driven by activist group Stop Funding Hate. The campaign urged the retailer to stop funding a channel described as...
TikTok Unveils UK's First #BookTok Bestseller List, Female Authors Sweep Top 20
TikTok has launched the United Kingdom's first official #BookTok Bestseller List, a monthly chart that blends retail sales with in‑app engagement. The inaugural top 20 is composed entirely of female authors, underscoring the platform's role in a £86 million ($109 million) publishing...
McKinsey Forecasts Agentic AI Could Power Two‑thirds of Marketing Tasks and Lift Revenue 10‑30%
McKinsey's new research projects that agentic AI could automate roughly 60% of marketing work, delivering 10‑30% revenue uplift for early adopters. The firm argues the shift will require unified data, API‑first platforms and a re‑imagined human‑agent workflow.
Meta Tests $2.70‑a‑Month WhatsApp Plus Subscription, Hinting at New Monetization Model
Meta has begun a limited rollout of WhatsApp Plus, a €2.49‑per‑month (about $2.70) optional subscription that adds expanded pinning, custom themes and notification sounds. The test targets a subset of users in Europe, marking the first serious move to monetize...
Susie Dewey Named CMO of Natural Diamond Council to Drive Global Brand Strategy
The Natural Diamond Council announced Susie Dewey as its new Chief Marketing Officer. Dewey brings more than 17 years of experience leading fashion and lifestyle brands, and will steer the council’s worldwide marketing and communications. The hire signals a push...
AI Can Now Prove Itself: Steerco Launches MCP, Brings Traceable Client Comms Inside ChatGPT, Claude, & Gemini (Free)
Steerco announced general availability of its Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, letting users access traceable AI client communications directly from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and other compatible tools. The free tier enables any user to generate a traceable deck with source‑linked...
Skims Co‑Founder Emma Grede Launches ‘Start With Yourself’ and Warns Remote Work Is ‘Career Suicide’
Emma Grede, co‑founder of Skims and founding partner of Good American, released her debut book “Start With Yourself,” detailing the chaotic $1 million launch day of Skims and the leadership principles that drove its growth. In the Bloomberg interview, Grede warned...
Brands Can Now Deploy Their Own Agents Inside Publisher Chatbots
Dappier unveiled Sponsored Conversations, a new ad format that inserts brand‑specific AI agents into publisher chatbots. The agents engage users in real time, pulling from the site’s own content and, for brands like Miku, driving qualified leads with roughly 50 %...
‘Bake It Till You Make It’: Inside Quicken’s Kid-Run Small-Business Campaign
Quicken partnered with agency Camp + King to launch a quirky small‑business campaign that casts children as frazzled founders, promoting its all‑in‑one finance app. The ads, such as a “cookie empire” and a “kid‑run car rental,” use humor to humanize...
OOH Offers Big Return on Investment for Luxury Brands
Out‑of‑home (OOH) advertising delivers a striking 12.8× return on investment for luxury brands—roughly $16 in revenue for every $1 spent—according to Independent Marketing Sciences. Across 24 media channels, luxury’s overall average ROI is 4.7×, making OOH the top‑performing channel. The...
8 Best E-Commerce Analytics Software I Recommend for 2026
Hasitha Varre’s G2 guide identifies the eight top e‑commerce analytics platforms for 2026, including Stackline, Glassbox, Luigi’s Box, Edrone, Fullstory, Decodo, Lucky Orange and Hotjar. The selections are based on G2’s Winter 2026 Grid Report, user reviews, and criteria such as KPI coverage, integration...
When Social Listening Becomes Social Surveillance: The Question the Marketing Industry Doesn’t Want to Ask
The piece reveals that AI‑driven social listening platforms sold to marketers are also being sold to U.S. law‑enforcement agencies, citing a $2.8 million Department of Homeland Security contract and a $95,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement pilot. It argues this dual‑use creates...
SaaS AI Search Optimization: The 8-Step Playbook
Buyers now start SaaS research in AI search, asking multi‑part questions about pricing, integrations, and compliance. If a SaaS brand is missing or mis‑represented in AI answers, it loses early visibility. The guide offers an eight‑step playbook—auditing AI citations, structuring...
Cumulus’ Bob Walker Releases AI Media Planning Guide for Radio
Cumulus Media Operations President Bob Walker released an AI media‑planning guide aimed at local advertisers and radio sales teams. The playbook outlines five best‑practice prompts for large language models such as ChatGPT, emphasizing precise questioning, source verification, and platform awareness....
Stellantis Finally Addresses Its Multi-Brand Problem
Stellantis announced it will trim its portfolio to four core brands, acknowledging that 14 marques dilute focus and profitability. In 2025, six brands produced over 92% of the company’s 5.5 million vehicles, many of which are essentially rebadged models sharing platforms...
Moncler, Actor Jamie Dornan Stretch Puffer Into Summer
Moncler has launched a summer‑focused campaign featuring actor Jamie Dornan wearing its signature puffer jackets in warm‑weather settings. The partnership showcases the brand’s push to position its traditionally winter‑centric outerwear as year‑round luxury apparel. The campaign debuted across digital, print...
Possible 2026 Opening Remarks: Marketing’s Age of Opinion Is Ending
At the 2026 Possible opening remarks, industry leaders warned that marketing’s “age of opinion” must end in favor of a scientific, data‑driven profession. Citing decades‑old research, the speaker highlighted that a 10% ad‑spend lift yields only a 0.5% sales increase,...
The End Of SEO? How AI Is Reshaping Brand Discovery On The Web
AI-powered generative search engines are displacing traditional SEO, ushering in a new discipline dubbed Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) or Answer Engine Optimisation. Brands now compete to be recalled by large language models rather than ranked on keyword lists, as AI...
BBH Wins Global Brief to Raise Profile of Hitachi Brand
Hitachi has tapped global agency BBH to spearhead a new worldwide brand campaign titled “Inspire the next,” set to launch later this year. The initiative aims to elevate awareness of Hitachi’s three core business pillars—Digital Systems & Services, Green Energy...
Brand Equity Builds Slowly, Lasts Long, yet Gets Underfunded
"Brand equity is the slowest-building and most durable layer of any consumer moat - and the easiest to underinvest in, because the returns are diffuse and the erosion is invisible in any single quarter." h/t @fmcbill https://t.co/ZiYNvQ9kS1
Brand USA Brings Travel Advisor Ambassador Scheme to South-East Asia
Brand USA is extending its Global Ambassador Program to Southeast Asia, launching cohorts in Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines. The initiative aims to appoint 250 travel‑trade ambassadors worldwide by July 4 2026, aligning with the United States’ 250th anniversary. Advisors in...
The Chinese Sports Brand Taking on Nike and Adidas
Chinese sportswear giant Anta, founded in 1991 by Ding Shizhong, has transformed from a low‑cost shoe maker into a global brand challenger to Nike and Adidas. The company now operates more than 12,000 stores in China and 460 outlets worldwide,...
Guide to eBay Video Ads Promoted Listings
eBay has launched video ads for Promoted Listings using its priority strategy, currently in beta. Sellers can attach a 5‑60 second video that autoplays in eligible placements, with no change to cost‑per‑click pricing. The new format adds video‑specific metrics such...
Invisible Marketing: Keeping Your Brand Relevant When Screens Disappear
Brands are confronting a rapid shift from visual web experiences to screenless, voice‑first interactions. Ambient Computing Marketing leverages voice assistants, smart home devices, and predictive algorithms to keep products top‑of‑mind without a traditional UI. Marketers must restructure data for headless...
7 Ways to Get People to Buy More Times
The post argues that sustainable growth comes from getting existing customers to buy repeatedly rather than constantly chasing new leads. It highlights that the first purchase is only the start of a relationship and that repeat transactions multiply revenue without...
Why LinkedIn Content Fails (and How to Fix It)
Lawyers often struggle on LinkedIn not because their expertise is lacking, but because their content execution is flawed. Host Karin Conroy and data‑visualization expert Bill Shander explain that overloaded charts, unclear messaging, and misaligned stakeholder targeting cause posts to fall...
Data Se Darshan Tak!
Vinay Kanchan argues that modern marketers have become fixated on collecting every possible data point, flooding presentations with charts that often lack real insight. He urges a return to first‑principles thinking, insisting that true value comes from deeply understanding a...
Lynn Dauwe and Evelyne Bardyn on Flanders, Heritage and Impact-Driven Conferences
VISITFLANDERS officials Lynn Dauwe and Evelyne Bardyn outlined how Flanders is reshaping its place brand around the "Travel to Tomorrow" strategy, emphasizing inclusive, sustainable tourism and heritage‑driven experiences. The Flanders Convention Bureau is positioning conferences as catalysts that connect international...
How to Create Content AI Can’t Replicate
Kate Rourke warns that marketers risk disappearing into a sea of AI‑generated sameness unless they prioritize authentic, human‑centric briefs. She notes that most briefs now explicitly request real people and raw, unfiltered moments, because audiences crave unpredictable emotion. By anchoring...