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.
Mullin's Bid to Rehab DHS' Image
The Department of Homeland Security, led by new Secretary Markwayne Mullin, is launching a direct‑to‑public communications push to rehabilitate its image after a contentious tenure under Kristi Noem. Mullin will front the effort, delivering frequent cable‑news interviews, X video messages and creative social‑media content that highlight enforcement successes and “humanize” the agency. Internally, the agency is reshuffling its public‑affairs leadership, keeping acting official Lauren Bis in place while a permanent spokesperson is sought amid staff‑management complaints. The strategy arrives as polling shows continued public disapproval of the administration’s immigration crackdown, making the messaging shift a critical political test.
Deputy Hires Alex Concannon as VP Global Marketing to Drive AI‑powered Shift‑work Growth
Deputy announced the appointment of Alex Concannon as Vice President, Global Marketing, alongside Creative Director Conor O’Sullivan. The hires are aimed at accelerating the company’s AI‑enabled shift‑work platform and expanding its brand worldwide.
Ecommerce Trends: How Etsy Is Using AI
Etsy is accelerating growth by embedding AI across its marketplace, from consumer‑facing search and instant checkout powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT to seller‑side automation. The company has forged partnerships with OpenAI, Google and Microsoft to explore agentic commerce, a conversational shopping...
Threads Expands Social Media Management Functionality
Meta’s Threads platform is rolling out a suite of API enhancements that let brands cross‑share to Instagram Stories, schedule posts up to 10,000 characters, embed content without tokens, and receive real‑time notifications. The changes also lower the follower threshold for...
Starbucks Debuts ChatGPT‑Powered Personal Barista in App
Starbucks introduced a beta feature that lets users describe a vibe, outfit or preference to ChatGPT, which then suggests a customized drink and routes the order through the Starbucks app. The move aims to capture impulse buying moments and deepen...
DIGI Search Launches Full-Service Dental Web Platform Tied to NextGen TV Ads
DIGI Search announced a new full-service dental web management platform that integrates its proprietary NextGen TV advertising suite. The initiative aims to move dental practices away from fragmented social‑media ads toward high‑impact, household‑level TV placements, promising higher‑value case acquisition.
YouTube Lets Users Remove Shorts From Its Home Feed Via Timer Setting
YouTube has expanded its time‑management settings to let any user set the Shorts feed limit to zero minutes, effectively removing Shorts from the home feed. The option, first introduced in October 2025 with a 15‑minute minimum and later limited to parental...
Podcast: Weigel’s Winning Strategy
Weigel’s Director of Marketing & Merchandising, Nick Triantafellou, discussed the chain’s integrated foodservice and commissary program, its pioneering Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) initiative, a revamped loyalty platform, and a retail‑media network on the CStore Decisions podcast. The conversation highlighted how...
3D DOOH Goes Local: How Brands Are Driving Store Visits Faster
Big Happy’s 3D digital‑out‑of‑home (DOOH) platform is shifting from pure brand awareness to a measurable performance channel by slashing production cycles to under a month and integrating mobile retargeting. Recent campaigns, including a retail activation during a peak shopping period,...
Google’s Gemini AI Cuts Scammers, Blocks 8.3B Ads
Google's 2025 Ads Safety Report: With Gemini's help, Google blocked a record 8.3B ads, up 63% YoY, but suspended 36% fewer advertisers, attributing the disparity to its use of AI "Google said the rise in blocked ads also reflects the...
Viral “6-7” Trend Becomes Real with New Chicken Nugget Release
Perdue is capitalizing on the viral “6‑7” meme by releasing a limited‑edition “Six Seven Chicken Nuggets” product shaped like the numbers 6 and 7. The nuggets, made from 100% all‑natural, antibiotic‑free chicken and coated in panko, will debut exclusively at Walmart...
Introducing the Newest Edition to Your Team: The Marketing Engineer | Vol 288
Profound announced a new Marketing Engineer role that blends marketing strategy with technical execution, offering a free certification through Profound University. The position is designed to build AI‑driven agents, automations, and end‑to‑end workflows that accelerate existing processes and create capabilities...
How to Choose a PR Firm in the Age of AI — and What Most Companies Get Wrong
Companies are discovering that traditional press placements no longer guarantee visibility. In the AI era, PR success is measured by whether coverage is cited, linked, and incorporated into the data sources that large language models draw from. The article advises...
PR Roundup: Creators Get Certified, Bieb-Chella Buzz and Philanthropy’s Trust Problem
The Institute for Responsible Influence unveiled a Responsible Influence Certification Program, giving creators a seal that proves they understand FTC disclosure rules and truth‑in‑advertising standards. Justin Bieber dominated Coachella’s social conversation, accounting for roughly 30% of posts and generating 340 million...
Brands Demand Posts without Product Experience—Hard Pass
The amount of brands who want us to post about them without ever seeing/touching the product right now is insane. Everything from a robotic lawnmower to outdoor gear. They want us to just post their pre-selected images on our channels......
Fibr AI Launches Ads-to-Web and LLM-to-Web Personalization to Convert Paid and AI-Referred Traffic
Fibr AI unveiled Ads‑to‑Web and LLM‑to‑Web personalization, technologies that carry the intent expressed in paid ads or AI‑generated queries through to the landing page. The platform can spin up to 1,500 tailored page variants in under two weeks, delivering 35‑50%...
This Company Is Rewiring the Economics of TV Advertising
Tatari, founded in 2016, is reshaping TV advertising by turning it into a data‑driven, performance‑focused channel. The company replaces traditional reach‑based metrics with outcome‑based measurement that links ad exposure to website visits, purchases, and app installs. Its software platform automates...
Recruitment News: The Role of Visual Content in Employer Branding
The article highlights how AI‑powered tools can rescue blurry event photos, turning low‑quality shots into sharp, share‑ready images for Instagram. It walks readers through real‑world scenarios—concerts, weddings, parties, and sports—showing the tangible engagement boost from improved visual clarity. A step‑by‑step...
Gatorade to Remove Artificial Colors From Top Flavors in Brand Refresh
PepsiCo will strip artificial colors from Gatorade’s fruit punch, lemon‑lime and orange Thirst Quencher flavors, as well as the Gatorade Zero line, starting this fall. The reformulation extends to the brand’s powder‑stick portfolio in spring and is part of a...
Subway Will Give You Free Food for a Year if You Find a Meteorite
Subway is launching a limited‑time "Meatier Shower" contest tied to the Lyrid Meteor Shower, offering a year of free food to the first person who finds and verifies a meteorite from the event. The promotion runs through April 2026 and...
AI‑Driven Scorecard Streamlines Product Research & Validation
I use AI for product research before I use it for anything else. Here's my exact workflow (and prompt) you can use: > Find competitor URLs using a product research tool > Plug them into a deep research prompt on Gemini or ChatGPT >...
Uber Spotlights Rs 25 Bike Rides with Music Led IPL Campaign
Uber is launching a stripped‑down IPL advertising campaign that spotlights its Uber Bike service priced at Rs 25 (about $0.30) for trips up to 3 km. The 15‑second music‑driven spots feature local hip‑hop stars Divine in Mumbai and Roll Rida in the...
What Barbie Learned From Her First Trip To Coachella
Mattel’s Barbie, fresh off the $1.4 billion 2023 film success, faced flat sales and a full‑year decline, prompting the brand to seek new relevance. It answered with a "You Can Be Any Barbie" pop‑up at Coachella, drawing more than 6,000 on‑site...
Citation Dominance Boosts Brand Preference in Search
One realization I am coming to regarding LLM citations for middle of funnel content. If no other competitors are optimizing for query fan-outs, and you are the only brand doing it, that means your brand is likely to dominate the...
Moloco Launches AI-Powered Performance CTV for App Marketers
Moloco has introduced Moloco Ads for Performance CTV, extending its AI‑driven advertising technology to connected‑TV inventory. The platform optimizes each impression in real time, targeting specific marketing outcomes while leveraging advertisers' chosen mobile measurement partners for attribution. It promises premium,...
Execution Beats Idea: Focus on Demand, Distribution, Consistency
You don’t need a great idea to build a successful company. What actually mattered (from my experience building and selling 2 companies): -doubling down on what worked -picking something with clear demand -building distribution early -creating consistently Most people overthink the idea and underinvest in everything...
Trust Builds Audience; Attention only Rents It
Attention moves fast and dies fast. Trust moves slow and compounds. Most distribution strategies are built for attention. Different channels. Different content. Different cadence. Completely different game. Ran campaigns that hit 500k impressions and closed nothing. Ran campaigns that reached 400 people and closed 6 figures. The difference was...
Unpacked: How Loyalty Programs Power Lifecycle Marketing Strategies
Loyalty programs are evolving from simple point‑based discounts to data‑driven lifecycle marketing tools. Consumers—especially Gen Z—demand personalized, transparent experiences while guarding their privacy. Brands that verify permissioned data on‑site can prevent up to $4 billion in reward‑code theft and reduce offer abuse....
Repurpose TikTok Shop Content on Meta to Unlock Revenue
If you're pushing on TikTok / TikTok shop but not leveraging that content on Meta you're leaving millions in revenue on the table. Have 2 brands who are using TikTok shop as a content funnel for Meta and it's cruising. Let creators...
Hyperscayle Launches 12‑Month RevOps AI Transformation Program for B2B Companies
Hyperscayle announced a 12‑month RevOps AI Transformation Program aimed at helping B2B organizations systematically adopt AI across sales, marketing and account teams. The prescriptive engagement combines traditional RevOps strategy with hands‑on AI implementation, targeting mid‑market and enterprise customers.
The Team Behind Zohran Mamdani’s Viral Campaign Wants More Political Candidates to Get Candid on Social Media
At AD Week, Melted Solids—co‑founders Anthony DiMieri and Debbie Saslaw—and video director Donald Borenstein broke down the social‑video playbook that helped Zohran Mamdani win New York City’s mayoral race. Their strategy centered on authentic, on‑the‑fly footage that let Mamdani riff in...
Target Puts Creators at Forefront of Pokémon Anniversary Campaign
Target is launching a 100‑item Pokémon × Target collection to mark the franchise’s 30th anniversary, rolling out May 2‑June 6 in select stores and online. The campaign puts social creators such as Sydeon and SuperDuperDani front‑and‑center as “trainers,” extending the promotion across social, digital,...
BrandSpark Study Shows Heinz, Dove, Miralax Lead Gen Z Trust Rankings
BrandSpark’s latest trust index places Heinz mustard, Dove women’s deodorant and Miralax laxatives at the top of Gen Z’s most‑trusted brands, with Heinz posting a +32.7% trust‑share gap. The findings signal a shift toward products that demonstrate transparency and consistent...
McDonald’s South Africa Names Keegan Alicks CMO to Drive ‘Accelerating the Arches’ Strategy
McDonald’s South Africa has installed Keegan Alicks as chief marketing officer, effective 1 April 2026. The hire supports the chain’s “Accelerating the Arches” growth agenda and signals a push for deeper digital and data‑led marketing. Alicks brings more than two decades of...
PayPal Adds Native Payment Links to Canva, Turning Designs Into Instant Checkout Pages
PayPal launched a native Payment Links integration inside Canva, allowing users to attach PayPal checkout URLs or QR codes to any design. The move taps Canva’s 265 million monthly users and PayPal’s 439 million accounts, aiming to capture a slice of the...
5W PR Launches Digital Growth Program Tailored to B2B Clients
5W PR unveiled a new digital growth program aimed at B2B companies in technology, enterprise solutions, and professional services. The offering fuses public relations, search‑engine optimization, generative engine optimization (GEO) and content creation into a single growth engine. It promises...
Bath & Body Works Pulls Back on Laundry Offering
Bath & Body Works announced it will scale back its laundry line, including dryer sheets launched last September, to concentrate on its core scented‑product categories. CEO Daniel Heaf said the expansion diverted marketing and development resources away from the brand’s...
10 Influencer Marketing Tips From the Minds Behind the Internet's Biggest Campaigns
Duolingo’s influencer team outlines ten actionable tactics for scaling creator marketing. They emphasize treating creator relationships as long‑term investments, extending outreach to talent managers, and applying “story fitting” to align narratives rather than demographics. The framework also leverages internal passions,...
Simply Social Reels in Princes Group Digital Overhaul
Princes Group, the owner of brands such as Branston, Napolina and Crosse & Blackwell, has hired digital agency Simply Social to overhaul its UK organic social strategy, content creation and community engagement. The agency won a competitive pitch to become...
To Verticalize Or Not To Verticalize: Your GTM Climbing Guide
At the Forrester B2B Summit, analyst B. Vasudevan warned GTM leaders that verticalization is a strategic climb that must be measured. He contrasted a low‑commitment “base‑camp” approach—quickly signaling relevance—with a high‑commitment “summit” strategy that demands deep industry expertise and cross‑functional...
Amazon Shifts to Optional Channel; DTC Remains Most Profitable
AMZ is moving from mandatory -> ancillary. 17% like selling on AMZ. 93% like selling on their own site. And DTC is more lucrative. Even after accounting for the increased CAC spend, DTC-first brands are making more money per our recent...
AI Agents Will Render Brand and Marketing Obsolete
Just had @a16z GP @illscience on the pod, he has a wild take: brand and marketing will soon have 'zero value' because AI agents will make purchasing decisions based on perfect product information. https://t.co/ifIqVjtYik
From One AI-Generated Page to Cohesive Websites
You can get AI to write a page in seconds. The hard part is making the next five pages feel like they belong. Tomorrow at 10am PT I’ll show the exact workflow I use to go from one strong page...
AI-Driven Traffic Spikes 393% and Lifts Retailer Revenue
AI traffic to US retailers rose 393% in Q1, and it’s boosting their revenue too https://t.co/4s4yDglDSH
Your Welcome Flow Misses Revenue: 6 Essential Fixes
Welcome flows are one of the highest-revenue flows for most ecom brands, and most of them barely do half their job. Here are 6 things yours should do that it probably doesn't: https://t.co/5WFCrShviV
IPVanish Launches Refer‑a‑friend Rewards and Discounts
IPVanish has officially launched its first-ever refer-a-friend program. Current users can earn Amazon or Home Depot gift cards, while new subscribers score a sweet 10% discount on their plan. https://t.co/4r1qUBklAH
Shift From Cold Discounts to Prospecting‑Then‑Remarketing Wins
Snow sold out their entire inventory by spending 75% of their Q4 budget on prospecting ads, then flipping to 75% remarketing for the sale. Meanwhile you're running the exact same discount ad to cold traffic on Black Friday and wondering...
Consistent AI Search Messaging Builds Trust Across Channels
In the age of AI search, consistency is everything. Buyers aren’t just hearing your message—they’re verifying it across multiple sources. Hear why alignment across teams & channels is key to building trust. 👉https://t.co/cre9xNqi2K #fuoco #healthcaremessaging #hcmktg
Marketing Creates Relevance, Can't Force Genuine Liking
I had a lot of different feelings/thoughts about the Geese/Chaotic Good story, so I spent 3,500 words trying to flesh them out. But this is basically the crux, about what marketing can (construct "relevance") and can't do (make people like...
From Newsletter to Six Figures: Nathan Barry’s Side Hustle
Did you know Kit isn't my only business? I started a local newsletter and found the perfect person run it. Marissa Lovell grew From Boise to 24,000 subscribers and crossed six figures. We talk about it the latest...