Beauty Briefing: What to Know About Sephora’s and Ulta’s AI Partnerships
Sephora has integrated OpenAI's ChatGPT into its online and in‑store platforms, offering shoppers instant, conversational product recommendations. Ulta Beauty struck a partnership with Google to embed the Gemini generative AI model in its digital assistant, aiming to personalize the browsing experience. Both moves come as the U.S. beauty market posted a 5% year‑over‑year sales increase in Q1, according to research firm Circana. Meanwhile, Zara pushed back against Estée Lauder’s lawsuit alleging misuse of the Jo Malone name, highlighting ongoing brand‑protection battles in the sector.
Kurt Geiger Turns Summer Season Into Growth Engine for Accessories Business
British footwear and accessories label Kurt Geiger is leveraging its summer “Cabana” collection as a growth engine, focusing on resort‑driven, mood‑centric accessories. Chief Creative Officer Rebecca Farrar‑Hockley says summer is the brand’s most important trading period, and the line blends English...
Why Duluth Trusts AI Agents with Bidding, but Not Brand Storytelling
Duluth Trading Company is using AI agents to handle ad‑bidding and creative‑iteration tasks while keeping brand storytelling under human control. Marketing director Ellie Uberto told the Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit that the AI‑driven workflow frees the team to focus on...
Why Gen Z Is Forcing India to Rethink Loyalty
India’s 377 million Gen Z consumers are abandoning traditional point‑based loyalty programs in favor of portable, experience‑driven rewards. They expect brands to deliver relevance in every interaction, turning loyalty into an active, personal choice rather than a passive accumulation of points. Companies...
Half Of Aussies Admit They Scroll Purely Out Of Habit
Fujifilm Australia’s Forecast Trends Report reveals that 53% of Australians now scroll on their devices out of habit, while 49% admit they retain very little of what they see. Engagement is weakening even as overall consumption stays high, with audiences...
How ACKO Drove 13% More Conversions & 50% Drop in Calls with GenAI
ACKO, India’s digital‑first insurer, deployed a homegrown GenAI chatbot to replace high‑pressure phone calls. Using Amplitude’s funnel, cohort and experimentation tools, the bot delivered an 88% cut in answer latency and a six‑fold reduction in launch time for new conversational...
Giant Clap: Emotive Brings STI Monsters To Life In Blockbuster AI Campaign
Emotive and AiCandy used generative‑AI to produce a short film for Four Seasons Naked Condoms that pits a giant baby against STI monsters, delivering Hollywood‑level visuals at a fraction of traditional costs. The horror‑comedy spot targets Gen Z on Snapchat, YouTube...
Amazon Flexes Its Reach With Star-Packed Upfront
Amazon held its third annual upfront on May 11 at New York’s Beacon Theatre, drawing hundreds of ad executives, agency reps, and brand marketers. The 90‑minute, star‑studded event featured DJ Diplo, Kacey Musgraves, Oprah Winfrey, NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford, and Arnold Schwarzenegger,...
Lovesac Channels Malevolent 4-Year-Old In New Campaign
Lovesac unveiled its first brand‑wide campaign, “Here for Life,” starring a chaotic four‑year‑old named Megann. The ads, produced by agency Gus, run on connected TV, YouTube, MLB broadcasts and digital out‑of‑home, emphasizing real‑life messes over polished interiors. The push reflects...
Lessons From the Social Media Food Battle
In March, a promotional video of McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski taking a tiny bite of the new “Big Arch” burger went viral for all the wrong reasons, prompting memes and criticism for its lack of authenticity. Competing chains and grocery...
Mom Community Touts AI Chatbot With A Dig At AI Powerhouses
Peanut, a seven‑year‑old community app for mothers, introduced an AI‑powered chatbot called Ask Peanut alongside an anti‑AI Instagram campaign that lampoons ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. The campaign stresses that AI lacks the lived experience of pregnancy, sleep regressions and 3 a.m....
Thirst Trap: Hint Water's Campaign Uses Seduction To Sell Hydration
Hint Water launched the "MMMMM Water" campaign, using sensual imagery to make plain water feel irresistible. The 30‑second "Lured into Hydration" spot features an attractive couple at a luxury pool, linking desire to drinking water. The campaign runs across streaming,...
Sampling Grows Retail Sales at Awake Chocolate
Awake Chocolate, a caffeinated chocolate brand founded in 2012, pivoted from food‑service sales to direct‑to‑consumer and retail after the pandemic shut down its original channels. Retail locations—now at least a dozen chains and thousands of stores—have become the fastest‑growing segment,...
Google Ads to Auto-Link YouTube Channels Starting June 10
Google Ads will automatically link eligible YouTube channels to ad accounts starting June 10, 2026, eliminating the manual linking step. The change gives advertisers native access to organic video metrics, such as view counts and subscriber growth, directly within the...
How Sports Marketing Is Shifting From Media Buys to Moment-Based Activation
Sports marketers are moving from bulk TV buys to moment‑based activation that ties ads to live spikes such as goals, cards, or momentum shifts. The shift is powered by real‑time fan data and purpose‑built platforms like Sportradar’s DSP, which give...
The Complete Guide to LinkedIn for Nonprofits: Fundraising, Networking, and Growth Strategies
LinkedIn has become a strategic channel for nonprofits, with 2.2 million organizations leveraging its professional network to boost awareness, partnerships, and donations. The platform’s 1.3 billion members include 40% of U.S. high‑net‑worth individuals, making it a fertile ground for fundraising and corporate...
NBCUniversal Peacocked Its Ad Performance Prowess On Its Upfront Stage
NBCUniversal’s 2026 upfront highlighted a shift toward performance‑driven advertising, unveiling the Performance Insights Hub slated for full client rollout by Q4. The hub aggregates measurement data from partners like VideoAmp and Instacart, which NBCU says delivers a 5.5× return on...
Founders Still Building in MENA Understand What Others Miss
MENA startup funding slipped 37% year‑on‑year to $941 million in Q1 2026 as geopolitical risk dampened investor sentiment. Yet high‑net‑worth consumers in Dubai, Riyadh and other Gulf cities kept spending, and sovereign programmes such as Saudi Vision 2030 continued to pour capital into...
EY: Consumer Brands Jostle for Position in E-Com Marketplaces
EY’s "State of Consumer Products" report finds consumer brands are now battling for shelf‑space inside e‑commerce marketplaces as much as for consumer attention. More than 77% of surveyed executives say strategic partnerships with retailers, platforms and digital channels are essential...
Facebook Deep Linking for Fintech: A Practical Guide and Best Practices
Fintech marketers depend on Facebook for high‑intent traffic, but the platform’s deep‑link handling can turn qualified clicks into costly drop‑offs. Paid ads support direct app redirection and deferred deep linking, while organic posts open in Facebook’s in‑app browser, which on...
We Tracked 1,885 Pages Adding Schema. AI Citations Barely Moved.
A study of 1,885 web pages that added JSON‑LD schema between August 2025 and March 2026 found no measurable boost in AI citations. Using a matched difference‑in‑differences test against 4,000 control pages, citations on Google AI Overviews fell 4.6% on treated pages,...
Gas-O-Fast Ropes in Rakesh Bedi for New Ad Campaign
Mankind Pharma has tapped veteran comic actor Rakesh Bedi to front a new Gas‑O‑Fast ad campaign that celebrates India’s love of indulgent food rather than preaching restraint. The film leans on Bedi’s meme‑driven resurgence to position the Ayurvedic antacid as...
To Make the Most of Retail Media, Brands Need to Break Out of Its Silos
Retail media networks (RMNs) have become a go‑to channel for brands because they tie ad impressions directly to purchases, offering clear bottom‑funnel results. However, most campaigns are run in isolation, relying solely on retailer‑owned shopper data that only reflects existing...
LA500 2026: Terry Karges
Terry Karges has steered the Petersen Automotive Museum through a dramatic overhaul since becoming executive director in 2012. Under his guidance ticket sales and staff numbers have each more than tripled, and the museum’s 1960s building was refreshed with a...
Nearly Half of UK Consumers Want Personalised Bank Rewards
Cardlytics' Banking Index surveyed 4,000 UK adults and found that 47% would stay with their bank if they received personalized cashback tied to their spending. The appeal is strongest among 18‑34‑year‑olds, where 55% say it would increase loyalty. Although 65%...
Flashfood Launches Loyalty Integration to Offer Grocers More Shopper Insights
Flashfood introduced a loyalty integration feature that lets shoppers link grocery loyalty accounts to its app, with Meijer as the first retailer to adopt it. Within two weeks, over 20,000 users connected their mPerks accounts, providing Meijer with richer shopper...
The Scoop: Gap CEO Connects Brand’s Cultural Relevance with Concrete Turnaround Goals
Gap CEO Richard Dickson says the company’s turnaround now hinges on cultural relevance rather than pure operational fixes. He has brought designer Zac Posen on board, dressed Kendall Jenner at the Met Gala, and hired a chief entertainment officer to produce content...
Wakefern Names Own Brands Director
Wakefern Food Corp., the cooperative behind the ShopRite banner, has promoted Chris Ruane to director of its own‑brands division. The new team will steer strategy, growth and loyalty for private‑label lines such as Bowl & Basket, Wholesome Pantry and Paperbird. Ruane brings roughly...
Pete Wicks Net Worth: How a Reality TV Star Built a £4M Brand While One Company Collapsed
Pete Wicks turned his seven‑year stint on "The Only Way Is Essex" into a diversified media business worth an estimated £3–4 million ($3.8–$5.1 million). He expanded into podcasting, live touring, publishing and brand deals, with the "Staying Relevant" podcast becoming a major...
X Launched An Ambitious Advertising Overhaul- Why Should Affiliate Marketers Pay Attention?
X, formerly Twitter, has rolled out its most extensive advertising platform overhaul, introducing a redesigned Ads Manager, AI‑driven Performance+ tools, and expanded contextual targeting. The revamp also adds tighter brand‑safety adjacency controls and greater transparency over ad placements. While the...
‘Ever Wondered’ if Startups Need Better Stories? Ex-BBC and Daily Mail Tech Journalists Launch AI-Era Comms Firm
Ever Wondered, a London‑based strategic communications advisory founded by former BBC and Daily Mail tech editors Sam Shead and Jim Norton, launched in 2026 to help startups, scale‑ups, VC funds and corporates cut through media clutter. The firm offers three...
AnyMind Group Launches Exclusive Influencer Community in Thailand
AnyMind Group has launched the “AnyMind Exclusive Influencer Community” in Thailand, shifting focus from one‑off campaigns to long‑term creator development. The inaugural Bangkok event, partnered with health provider Iwelty, featured a wellness‑focused “Inside‑Out Retreat.” The program delivers training, data insights,...
Eulerity Introduces Industry-First Paid-to-Organic Agentic Layer, Expanding Access to TikTok and Open AI in a Unified AI Marketing Platform
Eulerity unveiled an industry‑first paid‑to‑organic agentic layer that ties together paid media, organic signals and large‑language‑model interfaces such as TikTok and OpenAI. The new layer lets brands activate, optimize and scale campaigns across both traditional social channels and emerging AI‑driven...
Why Your Accountancy Firm Is Invisible Online — And How to Fix It
Many UK accountancy firms remain invisible online despite expertise, losing potential clients who search for local accountants each month. The guide outlines a low‑cost marketing infrastructure—targeted buyer personas, mobile‑optimized websites, local SEO, and high‑ROI email—showing that a £1 investment can...
Why “AI Productivity Gains” Is the Wrong Pitch for Every Stakeholder Above You
Internal AI pilots often tout speed gains, but senior leaders care about revenue impact, cost efficiency, and compliance. CMOs look for pipeline‑linked revenue and brand share, CFOs demand lower loaded cost per asset and clear contribution margins, while legal teams...
No More Air France-KLM: Group To Scrap 22-Year-Old Name Amid SAS & TAP Moves
Air France‑KLM will abandon its historic name as it moves to acquire a majority stake in SAS and seeks a minority position in TAP Air Portugal. The rebrand mirrors IAG’s neutral branding and aims to simplify the group’s identity ahead...
How Home Depot Is Crafting Content on the Road to the World Cup
Home Depot has partnered with Men in Blazers Media Network to launch a traveling activation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A co‑branded bus will tour seven major U.S. cities, producing a daily podcast, a DIY FC youth‑program series, and a...
Discord Launches Nitro Rewards with Xbox Game Pass and Gaming Hardware Perks
Discord has unveiled Nitro Rewards, a new tier of benefits that extends its Nitro subscription beyond chat features to include gaming perks. Subscribers now receive an Xbox Game Pass starter edition with access to over 50 games, cloud gaming hours,...
From SEO to GEO: 8 Tips for Publishers to Optimise Their Content for AI Discoverability
Publishers are transitioning from traditional SEO to Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) as AI chatbots like ChatGPT become the first point of information for many users. The Spanish Fundación Luca de Tena released an 8‑tip guide that outlines how media outlets...
The Website Is No Longer the Center of Local Discovery
The traditional local‑marketing model that funneled customers to a brand’s website is eroding. Today, Google Business Profiles, reviews, AI‑generated answers, local articles and social mentions shape consumer preference before any click. Websites remain essential for validation and conversion, but they...
How OSI Could Finally Fix ABM’s Biggest Data Problem
Open Semantic Interchange (OSI) emerges as a vendor‑neutral data standard designed to unify disparate identifiers used in account‑based marketing (ABM) platforms. By wrapping IDs with shared definitions, OSI enables instant identity resolution, allowing intent signals to trigger personalized website experiences...
FIFA World Cup 26 Ad Tracker: Brands Kick Off Summer of Soccer
ADWEEK announced a dedicated tracker for FIFA World Cup 2026 advertising as the tournament approaches. The event is projected to draw six billion viewers for 48 teams across 104 matches beginning June 11, 2026, with about five million fans attending games in U.S., Canadian and...
Meta Hits Cannes As Sponsor With Host Of Gen Z Stars Including Reece Feldman, Enora Hope & Zainab Jiwa
Meta has secured a multi‑year official partnership with the Cannes Film Festival, positioning the tech giant as a primary sponsor. The company will showcase its AI, wearable tech, and social platforms from a new "Meta House" venue, featuring a lineup...
YSEO Expands Data-Driven SEO Services in 2026 to Help UK Businesses Achieve Sustainable Online Growth
YSEO has rolled out an updated 2026 SEO Growth Strategy that adds advanced data‑driven optimisation services for UK businesses. The new framework blends technical audits, strategic content planning, local and e‑commerce SEO, and performance analytics to boost search visibility and...
How We Use AI To Run A 90-Day Growth Audit
Growth consultancies are replacing weeks‑long manual audits with AI‑driven 90‑day sprint frameworks. By feeding investor decks, product data and competitive intel into Claude, firms generate a diagnostic brief in a day, then map tech stacks and identify redundant tools. AI‑powered...
Swiggy Ties IPL Sixes to Real-Time Snapchat Ads
Swiggy has launched the “Swiggy Sixes” campaign, linking every six hit in the IPL to a six‑minute Snapchat ad that offers a 66% discount on the Swiggy app. The partnership leverages Snapchat’s Live Cricket Data API to trigger ads in...
PNB Kitchenmate Ropes in Stree 2’s Sarkata for ‘Sabse Bada Offer’ Push
PNB Kitchenmate has rolled out the "Sabse Bada Offer" campaign, starring Sunil Kumar – the villain ‘Sarkata’ from the 2024 film Stree 2. Developed by Auro Piixel LLP and directed by Himanshu Bisht, the narrative‑driven ad targets Tier‑2 and Tier‑3 Indian consumers,...
Google Vehicle Ads Now In Standard Shopping Campaigns
Google has expanded its vehicle advertising offering by allowing ads to run within Standard Shopping campaigns, a feature previously limited to the Performance Max format. The change is documented in a new help guide that walks advertisers through enabling vehicle...
I Helped Build Google’s Keyword System. Here’s Why It’s Becoming Obsolete via @Sejournal, @Siliconvallaeys
Google’s legacy keyword system, built on exact, phrase and broad match, is being eclipsed by AI‑driven intent matching. The 2023 Broad Match overhaul and the 2026 launch of AI Max let advertisers run campaigns without declaring keywords, using synthetic intent...
Bowlers Pets Turns Pet Parenting Into Digital Contest with Shubman Gill
Bowlers Pets, the pet‑nutrition brand of Allana Consumer Products, has launched the digital "Bowlers Premier League" contest featuring Indian cricketer Shubman Gill. The Instagram‑based campaign asks dog owners to follow the brand, comment “BOWLERS” and share cricket‑themed pet content. Winners...