Introducing Curated Packages: Commerce Creative + Audiences
Criteo unveiled Curated Packages, pairing deterministic, SKU‑level Commerce Audiences with dynamic, placement‑optimized creative through a single deal ID. The solution leverages real shopper behavior—product views, price checks, and purchase intent—to replace broad demographic targeting. In tests, a gaming console brand saw a 250% lift in click‑through rates, while a travel brand cut cost‑per‑acquisition by 60% and Amazon DSP campaigns added 92% incremental reach. The offering is managed jointly by Criteo and TripleLift, simplifying integration for advertisers across DSPs.
Acquia Engage Denver 2026
Acquia Engage Denver 2026, the company’s North American flagship conference, will take place April 27‑28 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort. The two‑day event gathers digital leaders, marketers, and technical practitioners to explore AI‑driven digital strategies, platform innovations, and security‑focused ecosystems....
Why TikTok Shop’s Real ROI Was Never Meant to Stay on TikTok
TikTok Shop is being re‑positioned from a narrow sales channel to a powerful demand‑generation engine, a shift highlighted by Greek sun‑care brand Carroten’s rapid U.S. expansion. Leveraging over 13,000 creators, the brand generated 152 million views, sparking a cascade that lifted Amazon...
SoFire’s Hot Campaigns: Alix Earle’s Skincare Launch Proves Why Authenticity Always Wins
Alix Earle, a 14‑million‑follower influencer, has launched the skincare line Reale Actives in partnership with dermatologist Dr. Kiran Mian. A cryptic teaser campaign sparked strong pre‑launch engagement, turning curiosity into a ready‑made audience. Earle’s content has long documented her cystic acne journey and Accutane...
Monday Memo: “Tell Me What Happened”
Personal injury attorneys face a paradox: injuries happen constantly, yet the market is flooded with lawyers, creating an oversupply that outstrips demand. Most firms rely on interchangeable billboards and TV spots promising six‑figure settlements, resulting in a noisy, undifferentiated advertising...
Sett Raises $30m to Scale AI-Driven Marketing Automation Platform
Sett, a 2023 startup, raised $30 million in a Series B round to expand its AI‑driven marketing automation platform. The platform automatically generates playable and video ads while optimizing campaign performance across the user‑acquisition funnel for game publishers. The funding, led by...
Jack in the Box Names CMO to Strengthen Product Innovation, Loyalty
Jack in the Box appointed Katelyn Zborowski, former Yum Brands executive, as chief marketing officer to boost product innovation and loyalty. Zborowski previously created over 40 limited‑time offerings at Taco Bell and led brand strategy for Pizza Hut. The chain...
Mars Gum Brands Mix Memes, ‘Borrowed Nostalgia’ in Global Campaign
Mars Snacking’s OEFY gum portfolio launched the global “Total Overthink of The Head” campaign, remixing Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 hit and weaving in viral memes to speak to Gen Z’s overthinking moments. The initiative, developed with BBDO Chicago and Omnicom, forms...
RudderStack Now Supports the Singular SDID for Mobile Attribution
RudderStack announced native support for Singular’s new universal device identifier, SDID, in its server‑side pipeline. The update automatically detects the `singularDeviceId` in event payloads and routes them to Singular’s V2 endpoint without any SDK modifications or configuration changes. By forwarding...
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Ads Trial Surpasses $100m in Six Weeks
OpenAI has opened a pilot that lets advertisers place ads directly inside ChatGPT conversations. Within six weeks the program generated over $100 million in ad spend, showing strong advertiser appetite. The format offers brand‑safe, native placements and reports higher engagement than...
Afterverse Found TikTok’s True ROI Was 2x Higher. Singular’s MTA Showed What Last-Touch Missed.
Afterverse, the Brazilian studio behind PK XD, added Singular’s multi‑touch attribution (MTA) to its TikTok user‑acquisition campaigns in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. MTA revealed TikTok’s return on investment was twice the level reported by last‑click models, with a 70% assisted‑install rate,...
Epic Games, EGA Get Peely From Fortnite to Play up Lantern Fest During Ramadan
Epic Games partnered with Esports and Gaming Agency MENA to launch Lantern Fest in Fortnite during Ramadan, featuring the iconic character Peely in Saudi‑themed scenes. The hero video went viral, resonating with regional gamers and spilling over to global audiences....
Sprouts’ CEO Says the Chain Needs to Be a Better ‘Value’ for Shoppers
Sprouts Farmers Market missed its 2025 sales targets as price‑sensitive shoppers slowed comparable‑store growth and transaction volume. The chain is now emphasizing "value" through clearer product pricing, health‑trend relevance, and convenient ready‑to‑eat options. A newly launched loyalty program will gather...
How ‘Vaseline Ghabga’ Turned Ramadan Gatherings Into Entertainment on MBC Shahid
Vaseline, through Unilever Arabia, launched “Vaseline Ghabga,” a four‑episode branded series on MBC Shahid that captures the traditional Gulf Ramadan gathering known as a ghabga. Produced by Team Reactivate Middle East with media agency PHD and influencer agency Mumkin, the...
Glystn Just Landed Stagwell, Influential, Weber Shandwick – CEO Ethan Fassett Says the Agency Intelligence Race Is On
Glystn, the San‑Francisco AI social‑intelligence platform, has inked enterprise partnerships with three of the five largest public agency holding companies—Stagwell Marketing Cloud, Influential and Weber Shandwick. The integrations embed Glystn’s app and its Model Context Protocol directly into agency workflows, turning...
TikTok Spotlights Savannah Space Founder Cherie Kihato in African All-Stars Series
TikTok featured Cherie Kihato, founder of Kenya’s Savannah Space, in its African All-Stars Series. Kihato detailed a disciplined content schedule, allocating an hour each morning to create TikTok videos while running her furniture and home‑decor brand. She measures success through...
SEO Tactics for GenAI Visibility
Generative AI search agents like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini now rely on traditional SEO to surface content, making low‑ranked pages invisible to AI‑driven queries. Keyword research must shift toward longer, intent‑rich phrases that mirror conversational prompts, while optimized, problem‑solving content...
EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Pitchdeck Reveals Amazon’s Pitch to Get Advertisers on Rufus
Amazon is preparing to roll out Sponsored Ads on its AI‑driven shopping assistant Rufus, moving the feature from open beta to a general‑availability launch. The leaked pitch deck reveals that advertisers will be charged on a cost‑per‑click (CPC) basis and...
How Mondelēz Is Adding More ‘Razzle-Dazzle’ to Easter and Beyond
Mondelēz International reports that its seasonal candy segment, which accounts for 20% of its overall confectionery portfolio, drove all category growth in 2025. The company has turned brands like Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish and Oreo into holiday staples by introducing new shapes,...
Marks & Spencer To Try Again In U.S. With Nordstrom Womenswear Tie-Up
Marks & Spencer is re‑entering the United States by launching a 60‑piece womenswear capsule in 30 Nordstrom stores and online. The collection, featuring the brand’s Per Una line, represents an asset‑light partnership rather than standalone stores, a stark contrast to...
Taco Bell Lets Fans Vote on Its First Global Taco Offering
Taco Bell is launching its first Global Taco Vote, letting U.S. Rewards members choose between a Thai‑inspired Kickin' Chicken Taco and an Indian Butter Chicken Taco for a limited‑time rollout later this year. Voting runs daily from March 26 through April 1...
Reporting Uncertainty Without Losing Credibility via @Sejournal, @Bngsrc
Attribution and analytics reporting are riddled with uncertainty due to tracking gaps, modeling approximations, data pipeline delays, and unpredictable human behavior. The article argues that hiding this uncertainty erodes trust and leads to poor decisions, while transparent communication of ranges,...
How AEO vs GEO Reshapes AI-Driven Brand Discovery in 2026
Recent studies reveal AI‑generated search overviews are eroding traditional click‑through rates, with organic CTR dropping 61% and paid CTR 68% when answers appear in AI summaries. The distinction between Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) – targeting featured snippets – and Generative...
Serviceplan Group UK Hires Social Team From Atomic London
Serviceplan Group UK has hired a four‑person social team from rival agency Atomic London, adding senior talent to its UK operations. The appointments come as the agency cites growing client demand for social media and creator‑driven campaigns. The move expands...
Google Chimes In On Teen SEO Wants To Save Family Spain Vacation Rental
Google’s John Mueller weighed in on Reddit after a teenager tried to rescue his family’s Spain vacation‑rental business through DIY SEO. Mueller warned that SEO isn’t a magic fix and that the vacation‑rental market is dominated by large aggregators. He...
Cadbury Transforms Press Ads Into Packaging to Help Disguise Easter Eggs
Cadbury, in partnership with agency VCCP, has turned its traditional press advertisements into the actual packaging for its Easter Creme Eggs. The innovative design disguises the chocolate treats within printed ad panels, turning each wrapper into a mini‑advertising space. This...
Astrotalk Taps Everyday Uncertainties in New Ad Films
Astrotalk has launched a three‑film digital campaign for the IPL, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, that spotlights everyday dilemmas in relationships, careers and finances. Each short film shows a character turning to the Astrotalk app for a personalized astrological reading to...
United Spirits Ropes in Virat Kohli for Johnnie Walker Luxe Blended Water Campaign
United Spirits, Diageo’s Indian arm, launched a new campaign for its Johnnie Walker Luxe Blended Water brand featuring cricket legend Virat Kohli. The film, set to a re‑recorded KISS track by YUNGBLUD, portrays Kohli in multiple roles to reinforce the “Keep...
Social Media For Advisors: Market Scalably With Evergreen Content
Social media marketing promises low‑cost visibility for financial advisors, but Kitces research shows acquiring a client via these channels averages $16,700 when hard and soft costs are included. The approach is time‑intensive, with only about 10% of posts driving most...
Joy Personal Care Launches Hydra Refresh Gel TVC Featuring Sanya Malhotra
Joy Personal Care introduced a television commercial for its Hydra Refresh Gel, featuring Bollywood star Sanya Malhotra. The ad positions the gel as a lightweight, fast‑absorbing solution for skin hydration during India’s hot, humid summer. Executives from RSH Global highlighted the...
Parle-G Spotlights Bihu Festival with Culture-Led Campaign
Parle‑G unveiled a two‑part Bihu‑focused campaign that blends music, culture and shared experiences in Assam. The first film, starring Assamese actor Partha Hazarika with a soundtrack by Nilotpal Bora, amassed over 7 million YouTube views and 5 million Instagram views in its...
MobiKwik Joins Rajasthan Royals as Official Payments Partner for IPL 2026
MobiKwik has become the official payments partner of the Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2026, marking its first sports sponsorship. The partnership includes co‑branded campaigns, on‑ground activations and integration of UPI, loan and credit services across fan‑engagement touchpoints. MobiKwik aims to capture...
How Sportsbooks Plan to Turn Bracket-Mania Into Long-Term Betting Interest
Sportsbooks are leveraging March Madness to turn casual bracket participants into long‑term bettors. BetMGM and Fanatics deployed former college athletes—Haley and Hanna Cavinder and gymnast Livvy Dunne—as social‑first influencers to attract younger, especially female, audiences. The campaigns combine digital content,...
How Cashfree Payments’ ‘One of Your Kind’ Brand Campaign Is Forcing Us to Look at Businesses Differently
Cashfree Payments launched the "One of Your Kind" brand campaign, showcasing real Indian merchants like BigBasket, RedBus and Third Wave Coffee instead of generic product demos. The film emphasizes each merchant’s unique challenges and how Cashfree’s tailored payment solutions helped them...
Brand Safety in Influencer Marketing: Why AI Is Now the Only Answer at Scale
Brand safety has moved from a low‑priority checkbox to a strategic imperative for influencer marketers, especially after Meta scaled back its third‑party fact‑checking in early 2025. While only 5 % of brands cite safety as their top challenge, a staggering 63 %...
Metals, Models and Mandates: Decoding the Cultural Translation of Modern Marketing
Oura, the Finnish maker of premium smart rings, is launching its recovery‑focused wearable in India, positioning the device as a fashion status symbol rather than a step counter. Chief Marketing Officer Doug Sweeny is shifting the narrative from bio‑hacking metrics...
Mercedes-Maybach Takes to Driver’s Seat for ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’
Mercedes‑Maybach has launched “The Art of Arrival,” a global, 360‑degree campaign tied to the upcoming film *The Devil Wears Prada 2*. The partnership revives a two‑decade‑old product‑placement link, featuring a custom short film and exclusive footage of the new 2026 Maybach S‑Class. The...
The Battle for Attention on CTV: Premium Video Platforms Vs. YouTube
Connected TVs will be in 83% of U.S. households by 2027, prompting advertisers to lift CTV spend, with 70% planning a 17% increase in 2026. A VAB‑TVision study of 21 premium video platforms versus YouTube measured hard‑working impressions—co‑viewing, attention, and...
How to Turn the Insights You Already Have Into Better Commercial Outcomes
A global beauty brand shifted a large portion of its media budget to influencer and social channels to win Gen Z, but sales stalled despite higher engagement. The post‑campaign analysis showed the brand ignored existing consumer research that highlighted the continued...
China's AI Chatbots Are Advanced and Versatile — and Begging for More Users
Chinese tech giants are turning AI chatbots into transaction hubs, pouring over $1.1 billion into Lunar New Year promotions to spark user adoption. The giveaways drove record daily active users—Qwen hit 73.5 million on Feb 7 and Doubao surged past 144 million during the...
The Most Respectful Thing a Brand Can Say Is “No”
Brands that simply ignore customer feedback erode trust, but a well‑explained “no” can reinforce respect and loyalty. By treating input as evidence rather than a vote, companies can close the feedback loop with a brief, transparent note that outlines the...
Superdry CEO on Transforming Its Core Consumer and Bringing Back Bench
Superdry CEO Julian Dunkerton announced the relaunch of the Bench label, partnering with his teenage daughter to co‑design the new collection. The move is aimed at revitalizing Bench’s streetwear heritage while appealing to Gen Z consumers. Dunkerton said the strategy...
Why Tech Startups Are Pivoting to Localised Digital Marketing in 2026
Tech startups are abandoning broad, global ad campaigns in favor of hyper‑local digital marketing as venture capitalists demand early profitability. Rising customer acquisition costs in 2026 make generic outreach inefficient, prompting founders to target specific geographic markets. Partnerships with local...
Guardian’s First Substack Experiment Is Republishing Food Newsletter
The Guardian is piloting Substack by cross‑publishing its weekly food newsletter, Feast, which boasts over 100,000 subscribers and an almost 70% open rate. The experiment is part of the multi‑year Project Berger transformation plan to make the newsroom more visual,...
The Changi Experience: Inside One of Aviation’s Most Recognised Brands
Singapore Changi Airport is redefining itself from a high‑efficiency hub to a branded destination, embedding personalized experiences, extensive connectivity and sustainability into its core identity. The airport’s marketing team leverages AI, data analytics and a real‑time digital platform to deliver...
As Customer Journeys Fragment Across AI and Chat, Contentsquare Adds New Analytics Tools. Here’s What’s New
Contentsquare has expanded its digital analytics platform with tools that surface interactions with large language models, on‑site chat, and support channels. An out‑of‑the‑box dashboard now reports LLM traffic share and conversion, while the acquisition of conversation‑intelligence firm Loris adds sentiment,...
Vanity-Led Demand: Vitagen Taps Female Audience with Beauty-Focused Drinks
Malaysia Dairy Industries is targeting women over 25 with Vitagen Collagen Less Sugar, a probiotic drink that adds marine collagen and vitamin C while cutting sugar. The product leverages the growing vanity‑led demand for functional beauty, positioning gut health and skin...
How to Build an Award-Winning Social Media Campaign
The ET Trendies Awards recognize India’s most viral and effective influencer and social‑media campaigns, judging impact, brand metrics, and business results. Winners start with a human insight‑driven story, then choose a single platform—Instagram Reels, YouTube, or X—and tailor content to...
Google Gemini Sends More Traffic To Sites Than Perplexity: Report via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Google Gemini more than doubled its referral traffic to websites between November and January, posting a combined 115% gain after the Gemini 3 rollout. In January Gemini sent 29% more visitors than Perplexity worldwide and 41% more in the U.S., reversing...
Pinterest Bets Measurement and SMBs Will Boost Performance Revenue
Pinterest has reorganized its monetization team, appointing Vik Gupta as VP and GM of Monetization and Sumanth Jagannath as VP of Measurement. The duo will fuse product, engineering and data‑science functions to tighten ad measurement and attribution, targeting greater spend...