In today’s podcast episode, we discuss what would convince us that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) has actually arrived, whether OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra is truly a “generational leap,” and what ordinary Americans might do with AGI. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Analyst Jacob Bourne and Principal Analyst Yory Wurmser. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube or Spotify.
Small advertisers are flooding connected TV (CTV). Media data shows brands spending under $1 million per year on CTV platforms are increasing, opening TV advertising to buyers who could never afford it. That shift is reshaping performance marketing as AI disrupts traditional channels like search and social media. "The environment is perfectly tailor-made for exactly this to happen," said Matt Collins, vice president of product marketing at MNTN, during EMARKETER's Future of Digital summit this week. "Digital infrastructure allows for precision of audience targeting and measurement, to be able to give advertisers a very clear read for budgets that are very deliberate."
The promise of agentic commerce is that AI will collapse the path to purchase, handling everything from product research to checkout on consumers’ behalf. Shoppers aren't ready to give up control, and AI may actually be adding complexity to their journeys, according to EMARKETER principal analyst Sky Canaves, speaking at the EMARKETER Future of Digital summit this week.
As AI becomes standard across marketing, simply having the technology won’t set brands apart. The advantage may come from better signals that show how consumer interests and intent are changing in real time.
Cross-border transfers can deepen customer ties, but reach, speed, and pricing will matter.
AI-driven drug research investments are surging, but results will take years. Pharma should measure progress at each R&D stage rather than promise near-term breakthroughs.
Peer influence and brand sharing have grown, while 85% of loyalists still favor multiple brands.
Despite broad adoption, limited training and creative concerns make human skills as important as AI fluency.
Publishers get more auction data and interoperability with rivals, but Google keeps ownership and its scale advantage.
Purchase limits and merchant rules could ease fears about handing shopping decisions to AI agents.
Marketers can spot overcrowded inventory while preparing for AI search to disrupt web advertising.
Marketers can use the standards to vet partners, but voluntary compliance could limit their reach.
72% of US B2B professionals use AI tools to research topics or trends, ahead of writing or editing content (63%) and data analysis or summarization (60%), according to an April report from Semrush.
Marketers need flexible creative and workflows as requirements diverge.
New tools reflect rising holiday demand for AI-assisted research, while purchases still flow to retailer sites.
Brands can reach shoppers before preferences are fixed but should track conversion as access widens.
Alternative underwriting can unlock more purchases but makes safeguards for overextended users more important.
The format fits AI search naturally, but its similarity to organic answers could undermine brand trust.
Better targeting and measurement can support budgets if marketers prioritize business outcomes over impressions.
Google owns six of the 15 most-visited US smartphone apps, led by YouTube at 176.7 million unique visitors and 75% reach, according to July data from Comscore.