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.
New Base Layer Campaign to Make Merino Wool More Accessible
RB Sellars, in partnership with Woolmark, has launched the Australian Grown base‑layer workwear range to make Merino wool more affordable and widely available. The line, produced with NuYarn’s high‑performance yarn, offers breathable, quick‑dry garments for men, women and children and will initially focus on base layers, polos and T‑shirts. By opening 20 rural stores and targeting price‑point accessibility, the campaign seeks to support Australian wool growers amid a 23‑24% production dip. The company also plans to expand the collection into the UK and US markets over the next two years.
Create Experiences that Inspire Unprompted Referrals
Referral customers: higher lifetime value, lower churn, faster sales cycles. Yet most businesses treat referrals as something that happens to them — not something they create. What would your customer experience have to look like for people to bring it up unprompted? Answer...
Timing Beats Copy: Trigger Events Drive Cold Email Success
Most cold emails fail before anyone reads them. Not because of the subject line. Not because of the copy. Because it showed up before the person had the problem. Timing is the variable nobody optimizes for. Best campaigns I've run weren't the most creative. Every one...
Office Hours: B2B Storytelling: How to Make Your Brand Their Favorite
SparkToro’s Office Hours webinar with Jay Acunzo revisits a core B2B truth: audiences choose brands they feel connected to, not the objectively best. The session argues that today’s AI‑driven, content‑saturated landscape makes resonance more critical than sheer volume. Acunzo offers...
What Are the Best Enterprise Audience Intelligence Platforms?
G2’s Spring 2026 Enterprise Grid Report ranks the leading audience intelligence platforms for large firms. GWI, Adobe Analytics and Adobe Real‑Time CDP earn the highest user‑satisfaction scores, while Demandbase One, Audiense, GWI and Meltwater are praised for customer support. Audiense, Dstillery, StatSocial...
Why Most Brands Treat Email Like an Afterthought
Most brands treat email as an afterthought, allocating it minimal resources and relegating it to a secondary task. The lack of immediate performance feedback and a campaign‑only mindset cause teams to deprioritize the channel, resulting in generic creative and missed...
When Loyalty Looks Too Good to Be True
Mike Alnaji, CEO of Imfluence, argues that the United Arab Emirates has become a living case study of unpaid, loyalty‑driven advocacy that fuels genuine brand equity. As regional geopolitical tensions rise, UAE‑based influencers and residents are voluntarily championing the country’s...
From Your CFO Upon Discovering ROAS
The CFO’s memo proposes a rapid, cash‑based funding loop for paid‑search advertising, citing the industry’s $2.48 revenue‑per‑dollar benchmark. The plan would withdraw physical currency from a bank branch, deploy it to Google Ads, and return the principal plus a 20%...
Godrej Rebranding Gets Entangled in a Guerrilla Warfare Online: Updated with Company Response
Godrej Industries Group unveiled a minimalist geometric "GI" identifier on April 22, 2026 to distinguish its post‑split businesses. The new mark closely mirrors the logo of Australian agency Guerrilla, igniting a copyright debate within the design community. Godrej’s in‑house studio...
Perfecting the Art of Pre-Marketing
The fashion and beauty sectors are re‑examining influencer‑driven launches as brands like Alix Earle’s acne line prove blockbuster potential despite growing influencer fatigue. Campaigns that pair fresh talent with authentic, emotion‑rich storytelling are outperforming those that merely showcase products. Looking ahead...
A Viral $660 Perfume and the Dupe Conversation Inspired Guerlain’s First Paid Influencer Campaign
Guerlain, the 198‑year‑old luxury house, has launched its first paid influencer campaign to promote the $660 extrait Vanille Planifolia. The perfume, an intense vanilla made from hand‑harvested Madagascan beans, became the brand’s top‑selling online product for five consecutive months after...
AI Turns Random Idea Into Full Desert Hotel Brand
Started messing around with a boutique desert hotel concept and put the whole thing together with ChatGPT’s new image generator. Brand identity, website, email, social, interiors, guest experience, all in one board. Kind of wild how fast a random idea can start...
Luxury Briefing: How DeMellier Is Increasing Demand While Doing Less
DeMellier, the nine‑year‑old London bag label, is boosting demand by tightening its product slate and emphasizing hand‑crafted quality. Instead of chasing volume, the brand leans on alternative, sustainable materials as a proof‑point of durability. Founder Mireia Llusia‑Lindh says this disciplined...
Fear Is a Terrible AI Deployment Strategy
At a recent executive briefing, a speaker claimed AI agents would render strategy, functional units, and even marketing obsolete. Nina Christian pushes back, arguing that while AI excels at optimization, it cannot generate the differentiation, brand, or trust that drive...
Rewiring Brand Building for the New Age
The article argues that the classic brand‑building sequence—awareness first, then loyalty—has been upended by the rise of earned media. Modern consumers encounter brands through peer reviews, social content, and founder stories before any paid message, reshaping Kevin Keller’s brand‑equity model....
Taboola Launches Realize+ to Bring Agentic AI to Open Web Advertising
Taboola unveiled Realize+, an agentic AI platform that automates performance‑marketing on the open web. The system combines a Decision Engine that reallocates budgets in real time with an Element Generator that creates and optimises ads on the fly. Realize+ also...
Pizzeta Is A Pizza Box That Speaks Italian Without Saying a Word
BroHouse unveiled Pizzeta, a pizza‑base brand whose packaging replaces conventional food imagery with hand‑drawn Italian gestures. The cobalt‑blue box features expressive line‑art gestures, a quirky sans‑serif wordmark, and a subtle checkerboard base. By leveraging Italy’s universal non‑verbal language, the design...
‘Good Marketing Is Good Marketing’: Salesforce’s Leandro Perez On Imaginary Line Between B2C & B2C Marketing
Salesforce’s SVP and CMO for ANZ, Leandro Perez, told the Brand Masters podcast that the distinction between B2B and BC marketing is largely illusory. He highlighted how Salesforce now uses B2C‑style brand awareness, celebrity spokespeople and high‑impact events while still...
CaliberMind Launches Unified B2B MMM Platform to Bridge Attribution Gap
CaliberMind introduced a native Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) platform that combines multi‑touch attribution (MTA) with strategic budget planning in a single system. The tool promises continuous data integration, eliminating the costly gap between tactical campaign insights and long‑term revenue forecasting...
Spotify Turns 20, Highlights Winners, Losers and New AI‑Driven Growth Plan
Spotify marked its 20th anniversary with 751 million monthly active users, an 11% year‑on‑year increase, and a rollout of AI‑generated DJ features, new audiobook offerings and deeper brand collaborations. The company used the milestone to map out who has profited most...
Ulta Beauty Teams with Google to Launch AI Shopping Assistant Across Web and App
Ulta Beauty and Google have launched Ulta AI, an AI‑driven shopping assistant that will roll out on Ulta’s website, mobile app and Google surfaces within the next month. The partnership extends Ulta’s trusted curation into AI, while a Harris Poll‑Quad...
Tanishq Marks Akshaya Tritiya with Navya – A Tribute to Building Prosperity
Tanishq, the Indian jewellery arm of Titan, teamed with Monks India to launch the Navya collection campaign ahead of Akshaya Tritiya. The "Prosperity That’s Handcrafted" film, set in New York, spotlights a young Indian chef’s journey, linking personal resilience to the brand’s...
Westpac & News Australia Reveal How They Scored Big On NRLW By Not Talking About Money
Westpac teamed with the NRLW and News Australia to make long‑term financial planning relevant to women aged 16‑55. Instead of pushing product details, the campaign leveraged behavioural insight, framing money decisions as part of personal growth and resilience stories told...
Promote Your Book or It Stays Invisible
To sell books you will need to engage with your communities of interest and try to create some word of mouth sales. "Writing a book without promoting it is like waving to someone in a dark room. You know what have...
Retention, Not Traffic, Drives Million‑Dollar Brand Growth
Many $1M+ brands mistake revenue for scale. (D2C Skincare Brand) $1.5M/month… growth flat, repeat sales weakening. More traffic wasn’t the answer. Retention was. We rebuilt LTV systems → $2.2M/month.
Can Football and Finance Collide? Arsenal Thinks So
Airwallex has teamed with Arsenal FC and Oscar‑winning director Spike Lee to produce a two‑minute film titled “Who are ya?” that links football fandom with cross‑border finance. The ad, shot in a North London pub and featuring Arsenal legends such as...
Why Your Site Is Invisible to AI Agents
Your Website is Invisible to AI Agents. Here’s Why That Matters by @Timothy_Hughes https://t.co/938leqjHMY @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #SalesTips #SalesLeader #Salesforce #Marketing #Leadership #MarketingStrategy #MarketingSuccess #ArtificialIntelligence https://t.co/qFIB44dwVn
Betty’s Burgers Appoints Independent Shop Superhuman as New Media Agency
Betty’s Burgers, the Australian burger chain with 75 restaurants, has hired independent media agency Superhuman to lead its media strategy, planning and buying. The partnership comes as the brand rolls out new store openings and burger launches, seeking to reach...
Pedigree Launches New Global Campaign ‘Good Then, Better Now’ via Colenso BBDO
Pedigree has unveiled a new global advertising campaign titled “Good Then, Better Now,” developed with creative agency Colenso BBDO. The campaign leans on nostalgic childhood photos and home videos submitted by dog owners worldwide to reinforce Pedigree’s long‑standing reputation in...
‘Influence Isn’t Driven by How Loud You Are, but by How Available You Are.’: Omicom Media Singapore’s Chloe Neo and...
Omnicom Media Singapore unveiled its OM Growth Model, emphasizing that brand influence now depends on three pillars—physical, mental and emotional availability—rather than sheer ad volume. The framework reflects a consumer shift toward AI‑driven discovery, creator‑led content, and frictionless commerce across...
How Bunnings Built Australia’s Most Trusted Brand
Bunnings has topped Roy Morgan’s most‑trusted‑brand list for nine straight quarters, proving that sustained consumer confidence is more than a marketing splash. The retailer’s core promise of empowerment—being a reliable partner for DIY and professional projects—underpins every customer interaction, from...
Publicis Groupe APAC Opens Singapore AI Hub to Scale Marketing Tech Globally
Publicis Groupe APAC has inaugurated an AI Development Hub in Singapore to accelerate the creation and global rollout of proprietary marketing technologies. Backed by the Singapore Economic Development Board, the hub builds on Publicis’s recent acquisition of Lotame and its...
Made By Dyslexia Launches New Film to Reshape Dyslexia Search Results via Clemenger BBDO
Made By Dyslexia, together with Clemenger BBDO, has launched a global short film titled “What is dyslexia?” to claim the top spot on Google’s Knowledge Panel for the most common search query about the condition. The animated piece, starring Jeremy Irons,...
Formula 1 Teams up with Aeropostale on $20 T‑shirt Line to Win over Gen Z
Formula 1 has launched a budget‑friendly apparel collection with Aeropostale, pricing shirts from $16.17 to $65.97 to attract Gen Z shoppers. The move follows a broader shift toward lifestyle branding and a 75% rise in sports‑wear sponsorship spend, as the sport’s global...
Synergies4 AI Conference Shows Marketers How to Turn Hype Into Real Business Results
Synergies4 hosted its "From AI Hype to Real Business Results" conference at Benedictine University, delivering practical governance models and execution tools for marketers. CEO Chris Lutz warned that AI is already reshaping the market, while speakers outlined frameworks that let...
One New Zealand Changes Name to ‘Twos NZ’ This Conservation Week to Highlight Remote Toilet Tech-Led Revolution for Nature via...
One NZ temporarily rebranded as Twos NZ during Conservation Week to spotlight a new partnership with New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DOC). The Connected Conservation pilot installs smart sensors in about 50 remote toilets, huts and wastewater systems, feeding real‑time...
Pedigree, Spot & Tango Campaigns Feature Real Dog Owners
Legacy pet food brand Pedigree and direct‑to‑consumer label Spot & Tango are rolling out new campaigns that feature real dog owners rather than polished actors. Pedigree’s “Good Then, Better Now” platform, created by BBDO, will debut in the U.S. across...
SVB Rebrand Risks Losing Loyal Customers and Mission
Call me old school, but I'm not thrilled about the rebrand of SVB>>First Citizens. I know the *why*, but pretty sure that severing that connection to the past and the history of Silicon Valley is going to cause customer flight....
Grubhub Surrounds Tax Day With $100K in Credits for Delivery App Fees
Grubhub launched a "Fee Return" sweepstakes during tax season, offering $100,000 in credits to 5,000 diners who proved they paid delivery fees in 2025. Winners received $20 in Grubhub credit, and the campaign ran April 6‑15, complemented by $10.40 off $50+...
When Is A Glass Of Beer Like A Cup Of Tea?
Miller Lite has teamed up with gymnast‑actress Livvy Dunne for a "Legendary Moments" campaign that blends social‑media video content with real‑world experiences. The partnership debuted a limited‑edition Miller Tea Time set—a $75 kit featuring a custom tea kettle that pours...
Tube Trends: How TurboTax Owns Tax Season On YouTube
TurboTax has turned tax season into a multi‑month media blitz, extending from early football‑season TV spots in 2024 to a dominant YouTube presence in 2025. Tubular Labs reports the brand captured 505.7 million YouTube watch minutes from January through March, outpacing...
Pizza Hut’s Sales Slump: Half Quarters Negative Since 2008
Some notable insight, particularly that Yum believes that the new owner might have to own some locations but that's not something Yum wants to do, which probably makes sense. Here's something, however: Since 2008, 47.5% of Pizza Hut's quarterly same-store...
Meta Expands Instagram Management APIs
Meta unveiled a suite of Instagram API upgrades, adding automatic partnership‑ad label support to the Content Publishing API, new performance metrics to the Graph API, and aggregated engagement data across Instagram, Facebook and boosted posts. The changes also let third‑party...
X Is a Launchpad, Not a Retention Strategy
#buildinpublic is fast food marketing Quick sign ups, high churn There are a lot of smart people marketing their SaaS exclusively on X And they all have one thing in common - disastrously high churn of >20% a month These founders have to replace...
New Coke's 79-Day Flop Reinforced Classic Loyalty
🥤 April 23, 1985: The Coca-Cola Company introduced “New Coke,” which was the first formula change in 99 years. It faced immediate public backlash, forcing the company to return to its original formula 79 days later and to label that...
Is Nike’s Next Focus an Expanded Presence in Team Sports?
Nike is shifting its growth engine from running to team sports, entering exclusive talks with UEFA to supply match balls for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, ending Adidas' 25‑year reign. The brand also secured a multi‑year apparel...
Quantifying Brand Trust with AI Agents
How do you measure the “trust” and “credibility” of your brand with an LLM or AI Agent? https://t.co/YV3RT3pqcl @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #AIAgents #AI #FutureOfWork #Strategy #Marketing #MarketingSuccess #MarketingStrategy #Branding
SaaS Brands Must Win Niche Creator Trust for AI Search
SaaS brands are about to compete for creator partnerships in a way I don’t think they’re fully aware of just yet. Lots of leverage in the hands of people with niche subject matter expertise owning their topics. Trust comes from...
Art Basel Rolls Out Basel Exclusive, 75% of Galleries Withhold Works From Previews
Art Basel’s 2026 Swiss edition introduced Basel Exclusive, a program where 170 of 232 participating galleries (about 75%) will withhold at least one artwork from pre‑fair PDF previews, unveiling it at the VIP opening on June 16. The move, championed by...
One SEO Week Sponsor Is Dominating AI Visibility. It’s Not Who You’d Expect.
The Foundation team audited ChatGPT’s responses to a uniform prompt about each of the 15 SEO Week 2026 sponsors, logging 220 citations across brand‑owned, editorial, review and user‑generated sources. Siteimprove emerged as the clear leader in on‑domain citations, with 16 of...