FAST Content Isn’t Always ‘Premium,’ But That’s Where TV Ad Innovation Is Happening
The FAST (Free‑Ad‑Supported Television) ecosystem is emerging as a low‑cost, high‑volume testing ground for new CTV ad formats. Anoki and Amagi have introduced scene‑level contextual targeting that overlays ads in real time within specific movie or TV moments. Early results show the format can lift visit intent by nearly 30% and brand association by over 11%, while keeping ad frequency under six per hour. Agencies like Dentsu are already adopting the approach, signaling broader industry interest in FAST‑driven innovation.
Why Agentic Measurement Will Reprice The Ad Market
The article argues that the advertising industry is on the cusp of a measurement revolution driven by agentic AI, which makes real‑time media decisions far faster than traditional reporting cycles. Current binary measurement—yes/no outcomes and delayed attribution—conceals incremental value and...
How Much Are Bots Costing You? IAB Tech Lab Wants Content Owners To Find Out
The IAB Tech Lab has published draft guidance on bot‑management, opening a public comment period through June 26. The document urges content owners to quantify which bots crawl their sites, how often, and the associated delivery costs, leveraging CDN analytics....
Can Celebrities Provide Authentic Brand Representation? The Home Depot Says Yes.
The Home Depot launched a summer campaign titled “Build it Like Beckham,” featuring soccer icon David Beckham shopping for backyard‑improvement supplies ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The partnership cost the retailer more than $1 million and includes a TV...
The New Upfront Playbook
Warner Bros. Discovery Advertising executives Ryan Gould and Bobby Voltaggio outlined a new Upfront playbook that prioritizes the convergence of premium storytelling with measurable performance. They highlighted advertisers’ demand for simpler, cross‑platform planning and buying, while AI and data are...
Sam’s Club Taps Its Members For New Influencer Program
Sam’s Club has launched a creator network that lets any club member become an influencer, earning a commission on sales they drive. The program, soft‑launched last year, officially rolled out at the end of Q1 2026 after strong engagement. Executive Vice...
8 Ways to Use AI in Marketing, According to Anthropic’s Austin Lau
Austin Lau, Anthropic’s first U.S. growth‑marketing hire, built AI‑driven performance, SEO, and lifecycle workflows that helped lift the company’s revenue from $150 million to $7 billion in two years. In a May 13 fireside chat at the AirOps Next Conference, he outlined eight...
To Sell TV, The New ‘Premium’ Is ‘Fandom’
The 2026 TV upfronts marked a clear pivot from traditional premium programming to a focus on audience quality, with broadcasters championing "fandom" as the new benchmark. Executives highlighted AI‑driven performance metrics, dynamic ad formats, and real‑time measurement as core selling...
The AI Chat Ad Frontier: What LLMs Change About Brand Safety And Control
OpenAI has launched ChatGPT ads, marking the first true advertising channel inside large language models. Unlike traditional digital media, the ad environment is generated in real time, with the surrounding conversational context evolving dynamically as users interact. This shift introduces...
Untitled
The traditional TV Upfront—an annual ceremony where networks sell future ad inventory—has survived streaming, cord‑cutting and programmatic, but 2026 is a pivotal test as advertisers demand both premium placement and real‑time agility. Horizon Media’s Samantha Rose argues the Upfront must...
On Neutral Ground: Why Content Licensing Needs Independent Settlement And Verifiable Payments
The AI‑driven content licensing market is accelerating, with AI firms committing roughly $2.9 billion in fees for 2025. Existing platforms such as YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and Apple News+ rely on proprietary, siloed payment systems that are opaque and hard to...
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,...
Is Agentic Commerce An Oasis Or Mirage?
Large ecommerce platforms—including Amazon, Walmart, Shopify, Criteo and Instacart—are betting heavily on agentic commerce, where AI agents can browse, recommend and purchase items on behalf of shoppers. Recent earnings calls reveal strong early signals: Amazon’s Rufus prompts 20% of users...
PR Roundup: Ted Turner’s Lasting Lessons, Gas Prices Surge, and Why LinkedIn Is B2B’s New Stage
Ted Turner, the CNN founder and media pioneer, died at 87, prompting a look at his bold, conversation‑driven PR playbook. At the same time, U.S. gasoline prices surged to $4.48 a gallon—a 50% jump since the Iran war began—pressuring brands...
Playing the Long Game: Vitalie Taittinger on Family, FIFA and Building a Brand for the Ages
Vitalie Taittinger explains how the family‑run Champagne house has used a decade‑long partnership with FIFA to reinforce its global brand rather than chase short‑term sales. The collaboration centers on a limited‑edition Brut Réserve that ties the flagship cuvée to the...