93% OF AA & AAA STUDIOS SAY TODAY’S PRE-LAUNCH METRICS FAIL TO PREDICT SUCCESS
A FirstLook survey of over 250 senior AA and AAA studio leaders reveals that 93% cannot reliably forecast a game’s commercial success before launch, despite tracking extensive pre‑launch data such as wishlists and trailer views. The study shows a stark mismatch: 76% of studios thought they had hits that later underperformed, while 83% feared weak titles that later exceeded expectations. Behavioral signals—hours played, replay rate, and Day 1/Day 7 retention—emerged as the strongest predictors, and Discord community growth topped the list of unseen success factors. Yet only 40% of studios systematically monitor Discord activity, highlighting a clear gap in metric strategy.
Building a Foundation for Audience Monetization With First-Party Data
Retailers are shifting perception of first‑party data from cost to revenue asset. As third‑party identifiers disappear, brands are packaging privacy‑safe audience segments for partners, creating new monetization opportunities. Successful implementation requires a reliable identity layer, robust governance, cross‑functional ownership, and...
Google Non-Skip Ad Concerns Bleeding Into YouTube
Google has launched its Video Reach Campaign (VRC) Non‑Skip ads globally, targeting connected‑TV screens, while YouTube mobile users are encountering persistent overlay ads that cannot be dismissed. The ads stay visible despite repeated taps on “Dismiss,” prompting Reddit complaints and...
Google Ads Retargeting: A Guide to Your Data Segments
Google Ads now labels all retargeting lists as “Your data segments,” covering website visitors, app users, Customer Match, and content engagers. These lists not only power classic retargeting but also feed signals to Smart Bidding and Optimized Targeting across Search,...
Vudoo Announces Partnership with PubMatic to Simplify Activation of Commerce-Enabled Advertising
Vudoo has partnered with PubMatic to embed its commerce‑media technology into PubMatic’s AI‑powered programmatic platform, enabling shoppable ad experiences across verified inventory. The integration lets agencies and brands activate commerce media with a single deal ID, supporting display, video and...
You Can’t Automate Trust: Why AI Still Needs Human Strategy in Marketing
Marketers are discovering that AI can automate data‑heavy tasks, but it cannot set strategy or build trust. The most successful teams pair AI’s speed with human judgment, using automation to execute a clear, human‑crafted vision. Without human direction, AI‑driven campaigns...
Content Creators Didn’t Kill Publisher Video. They Rebuilt The Ad Model
Creator‑led companies like Donut Media are reshaping digital video advertising by building an integrated, 360‑degree ad stack that spans long‑form YouTube, short‑form social, podcasts and real‑world activations. The firm sells custom‑branded segments, 45‑ to 60‑second host‑read pre‑rolls and official partnership...
Creator Agency NewGen Signs Streamer xQc for Social Publishing Deal
London‑based creator agency NewGen has signed Twitch star xQc to a social publishing services agreement, brokered with Evolved Agency. The partnership will repurpose xQc’s live streams and YouTube videos for distribution on additional platforms, aiming to broaden his audience and...
Promoting The Super Bowl: All Year Round?
Walt Disney is turning the Super Bowl from a single‑day spectacle into a year‑long media franchise called “The Year of the Super Bowl.” The move leverages the $800 million advertising haul from one game to launch continuous ESPN features such as...
The Survival of the Scarcest: Why AI Favours the Premium Publisher
AI is reshaping digital publishing by replacing the traditional search‑driven model with an answer‑focused economy. Premium publishers stand to gain as users shift from utility‑mode queries to trust‑mode consumption, where source credibility matters. The emergence of agentic media buying will...
Audible Unveils Nonfiction Podcast Slate Incorporating Wondery Productions, Featuring OnlyFans Investigative Series, New Seasons of ‘Dr. Death’ and ‘Over My...
Audible announced a new nonfiction podcast slate that merges Wondery’s investigative series with its own offerings, featuring season 5 of “Dr. Death,” season 5 of “Over My Dead Body,” and the upcoming “OnlyFantasy” series on OnlyFans. The rollout follows Amazon’s...
Graza Olive Oil Enters New Category with Largest Paid Campaign to Date
Graza, the fifth‑largest U.S. olive‑oil brand, has unveiled its largest paid marketing effort, the “Seriously Serious” campaign, to launch a new line of olive‑oil mayonnaise. The campaign features absurdist TV and streaming spots, a $250,000 Grand‑Prize sponsorship of Bravo’s Top Chef,...
IAB Announces Most Significant Update in Years to Multi-State Privacy Agreement
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) unveiled its most substantial amendment to the Multi-State Privacy Agreement (MSPA) since 2023, aiming to simplify compliance across the fragmented U.S. state privacy landscape. The revision introduces a streamlined contract framework, clearer advertiser‑partner role definitions,...
Why Most Enterprise SEO Operating Models Are Structurally Broken via @Sejournal, @Billhunt
Enterprise SEO is failing not because of tactics but due to downstream operating models that treat SEO as a post‑launch audit. Most large firms place SEO inside marketing, relegating it to ticket‑driven fixes after product, content, and development decisions are...
How Brooks Brothers Is Refreshing the Oldest Apparel Brand in the US
Brooks Brothers, the United States' oldest continuously operating apparel brand, launched the "Make It Yours" campaign to reposition itself for a new generation of shoppers. The initiative emphasizes individuality while honoring the label's heritage, showcasing classic items such as Oxford...
New Google Help Doc About Google's Web Crawling
Google has released a new help document titled “Things to know about Google’s web crawling,” outlining nine key points about how its crawlers operate. The guide explains the existence of multiple specialized crawlers, repeat and frequent crawling, automatic optimization, and...
Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Taps Love Story’s Sarah Pidgeon as Face of Spring Collection
Hailey Bieber’s e.l.f.-owned beauty brand Rhode has signed actress Sarah Pidgeon as the face of its spring collection. The line introduces two new Pocket Blush shades—Teacup pink and Candy Apple red—the first red hue for the product. Limited‑edition Peptide Lip...
Google Confirms Discover Feed Shows More Social Posts
Google has confirmed that its Discover feed is now showing a higher volume of social media posts, including content from Instagram, TikTok, X and other platforms. The change was announced by John Mueller at the Google Search Essentials for News...
Thailand Presents ‘The New Thailand’ Vision at ITB Berlin 2026
The Tourism Authority of Thailand unveiled its “The New Thailand” vision at ITB Berlin 2026, centering on the “Unforgettable Experience: Healing is the New Luxury” concept. The Thailand pavilion showcased 165 operators, including 89 with sustainability certifications, and promoted hidden‑gem destinations...
Ad Agencies Are Embracing ‘Vibe Coding’ to Build GEO Products for Clients
Ad agencies such as Havas, Broadhead and Supergood are rapidly creating generative engine optimization (GEO) tools by "vibe‑coding" on top of large language models, often within a single work session. Havas’ Brand Insights AI, built with Anthropic’s Claude Code and Replit,...
How to Focus on Topics (Not Keywords) in Your SEO Strategy
The article argues that SEO should prioritize topics over isolated keywords, leveraging semantic search and AI‑driven vector embeddings. It introduces a three‑tier framework—clearly defined, ambiguous, and expansive topics—to match the scale of a brand’s content universe. Practical steps include auditing...
WPP's Jon Cook on Designing the Company Around How a “Consumer Consumes a Brand”
WPP Creative chief executive Jon Cook announced that the agency will redesign its operating model around how consumers actually experience a brand. He emphasized that customers no longer view media and creative as separate entities, prompting a unified, consumer‑first approach....
Zoom Appoints Global Media Agency of Record
Zoom has appointed independent agency PMG as its global media agency of record. PMG will set up a cross‑functional team to handle Zoom’s media planning, buying, and analytics across markets. The partnership is intended to strengthen Zoom’s brand positioning as...
On the Move: MOIA America Makes Gamo PR Chief
MOIA America, Volkswagen Group’s autonomous‑vehicle subsidiary, appointed Marcus Gamo as head of U.S. communications, tasking him with building a new communications team as the firm prepares its Buzz ride‑pooling service and Mobileye‑powered self‑driving system for launch with Uber. Continental Strategy...
Yoast SEO’s New Schema Aggregator Improves Entity Disambiguation via @Sejournal, @Martinibuster
Yoast SEO 27.1 introduces a Schema Aggregation feature that creates a single "schemamap" endpoint delivering the entire site’s schema.org data in one response. The endpoint deduplicates entities, preserves relationships such as author‑to‑article, and respects existing privacy settings. Responses are cached...
Bupa UK Picks Start-Up for Customer Centricity Drive
Bupa UK awarded its marketing and advertising account to start‑up agency Ace of Hearts after a competitive pitch. The insurer reported a 16% revenue increase to £16.9 bn and a 59% jump in underlying profit to £914 m, driven by strong private‑health...
How Can Retailers Use Micro-Influencers?
Retailers such as Disney Store, ASOS, Zara and others are shifting to micro‑influencers for campaigns. These creators have modest followings but are deeply embedded in niche communities, delivering higher engagement and authentic storytelling. Agencies like Coolr and Iris note that...
ASA Pulls Plug on British Gas and Hive Green Energy Ads
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned British Gas and Centrica Hive ads that promoted green‑energy savings, finding the claims misleading and insufficiently substantiated. British Gas advertised up to £546 savings from a heat‑pump tariff, yet ASA’s model showed...
Luxury Unfiltered: Why Most Luxury Brands Are Talking to the Wrong Part of the Brain
Daniel Langer argues that luxury buying decisions are driven first by emotion, with rational analysis serving only as post‑purchase justification. He notes that ultra‑high‑net‑worth individuals have risen 44 % since 2019, yet many clients now view luxury as overpriced because brands...
IAB Europe Publishes 2026 Readiness Report Highlighting AI, Regulation & Sustainability Challenges in Digital Advertising
IAB Europe released its 2026 State of Readiness – Sustainability in Digital Advertising report, the fourth edition covering both environmental and social dimensions. The study’s double‑materiality analysis finds social issues such as privacy and media plurality outweigh environmental impacts. AI...
Vodafone Egypt Brings Loved Ones Closer Despite Hectic Schedules During Ramadan
Vodafone Egypt launched a culturally focused Ramadan campaign to counteract the growing fragmentation of family time caused by hectic work schedules and digital overload. The 360‑degree rollout combined TV, digital, OOH, radio, influencer collaborations and a new Bluetooth‑based "Nearby" feature...
EXCLUSIVE: Vanessa Kirby Is Lancôme’s New Global Ambassador
British actress Vanessa Kirby has been appointed Lancôme’s new global ambassador. The partnership underscores the brand’s emphasis on “sophisticated vulnerability” and everyday natural beauty, resonating with Kirby’s personal history and recent transition to motherhood. She will headline upcoming campaigns for...
Beautiful Isn’t Enough: Why Luxury Brands Must Design for Performance
Luxury brands are shifting focus from pure aesthetics to performance‑wellness, driven by data‑rich consumers who demand tangible benefits like better energy, sleep and focus. Wearable technology has made fatigue measurable, turning performance into a competitive metric. The Middle East, with...
Who Is the Modern Male Shopper Now?
The modern male shopper has moved from muscle‑centric marketing to demanding ingredient transparency and functional benefits. Protein brands now highlight whey isolate purity, grass‑fed sourcing and the absence of additives, while men increasingly view protein as everyday nutrition. Skincare, haircare...
Amazon Gives Aussies Permission to ‘Spend Less on the Ones They Love’ in New Droga5 Campaign
Amazon has rolled out a new Australian advertising push featuring comedian Steph Tisdell, created by Droga5 ANZ. The campaign spotlights Amazon’s low‑price promise, encouraging shoppers to spend less on gifts for family, friends and pets while still showing love. It...
GIGIL Philippines’ New OOH Campaign for Grab Puts a Spotlight on the Drivers They Empower
GIGIL Philippines launched an innovative out‑of‑home (OOH) billboard for Grab that flips between day and night to illustrate how each ride funds a driver’s child’s education. The visual features a Grab motorcycle with school supplies by day and a shadowed...
ACAM Launches Australia’s Inaugural AI Readiness System for Marketers; THE ICONIC First to Use
The Australian Centre for AI in Marketing (ACAM) has unveiled AI‑Results Transformation (ART), the nation’s first end‑to‑end system for embedding AI into marketing performance. THE ICONIC became one of the inaugural adopters, using ART to create responsible, data‑driven customer experiences....
Engineers Australia Rewrites F1 History with Launch of ‘In Her Corner’ Campaign via Bastion
Engineers Australia and Bastion are launching the “In Her Corner” campaign at the Australian Grand Prix, renaming Turn 6 to honor engineers Laura K. Müller and Hannah Schmitz. This marks the first time a Formula 1 corner is named after women, aligning...
X to Take Action Against AI Deepfakes of the Iran War
X announced a revision to its creator revenue‑share program to curb AI‑generated deepfakes about the Iran war. Users posting AI‑created videos of the conflict without a disclosure will be suspended from revenue sharing for 90 days, with permanent bans for...
X Usage Declined in the EU in the Second Half of 2025
X reported a 15% decline in EU active users, dropping from 76 million in the first half of 2025 to 64.8 million in the second half. The dip appears despite Elon Musk’s public assertions of record‑high global engagement. Under the EU Digital...
Meet Yeti Boo, the AI Bigfoot Helping KANE Footwear Rethink Influencer Marketing
Yeti Boo, an AI‑generated Bigfoot persona, exploded on TikTok, reaching over 439,000 followers and catching the eye of brands. KANE Footwear signed the character as an “AI athlete” to promote its Revive AC recovery shoe, pairing the mascot’s off‑beat wilderness...
Meta Tests Shopping AI Chatbot in US
Meta is piloting a shopping research feature inside its Meta AI chatbot for U.S. users. The tool returns a carousel of product images with brand, price, and website details, plus brief recommendation bullet points. The move mirrors similar experiments by...
Chatime Names GYG’s Alison Walsh as CMO Amid Marketing Restructure
Bubble tea chain Chatime has appointed former Guzman y Gomez marketer Alison Walsh as its new Chief Marketing Officer for Australia. The hire follows the departure of global CMO Jeff Chang and national marketing manager Rachel Druce, marking a shift...
Agentic Flocks To Healthcare Industry
LiveRamp announced the integration of Newton Research and SemantIQ agents into its data‑collaboration platform, allowing autonomous AI to handle audience creation, cross‑media measurement and spend optimization for health and life‑science marketers. Simultaneously, Doceree launched RepTwin and the Site LLM, a...
Audio and Podcasts Best Venues for Consumer Engagement in Sports (Audacy)
Audacy’s new "State of Audio: Sports Fandom" report reveals that the most avid sports fans are younger, more diverse, and increasingly reachable through audio channels. The study shows a 40% lift in purchase and usage among the fandom cohort when...
JCDecaux Launches Nurture for Country to Support First Nations Businesses
JCDecaux has introduced Nurture for Country, a new Reconciliation Action Plan initiative that gives First Nations‑owned businesses access to its national Out‑of‑Home network with matched media spend and strategic support. The program builds on a 2025 pilot with the KARI...
Influencer Marketing 2025: Balancing AI Efficiency, Budget Pressure, and Human-Centric Creativity
Influencer marketing in 2025 is being reshaped by AI-driven tools that automate influencer discovery, content creation, and performance analytics. Brands confront tighter budgets and heightened demand for measurable ROI, prompting a shift toward performance‑based contracts. Despite technological advances, human‑centric creativity...
Finnair Integrates Music by Finnish Composer Lauri Porra Into Passenger Experience
Finnair has introduced a new soundscape featuring Lauri Porra’s album Matkantekijä, which will play on aircraft, in lounges and across marketing touchpoints. The rollout begins on February 27 and the tracks will also be streamed on Spotify. This music initiative is a core...
GrowthRise Mastermind Recap Mar 3, 2026
The GrowthRise Mastermind call highlighted three core growth levers for B2B firms: optimizing outbound email cadence, leveraging Meta’s ad platform over LinkedIn, and tightening pixel event tracking. Email sequences spaced every three to four days lifted open rates to 21%...
Help Find Your Lost Luggage with Google’s Find Hub
Google’s Find Hub app now lets users share a secure, time‑limited link to a lost bag’s location directly with participating airlines. The feature generates an encrypted URL that updates in real time and can be revoked at any moment. Over ten...