New partnerships and analytics enhancements aim to boost targeting and measurement as the chain leans on advertising.
Alibaba and other tech giants in China are accelerating AI adoption with aggressive subsidies and ecosystem advantages. OpenClaw is fueling agentic AI beyond chat into execution, giving users tools that act on their behalf. Consumer enthusiasm and trust are speeding the move toward agent-led commerce.
Microsoft courts AI-era marketers: AI Max and chat-native ad formats aim to capture spend as discovery drifts from keywords to copilots.
Meta’s AI race gets personal: Keystroke tracking feeds agentic AI training but risks trust and hints at a future where staff data powers Big Tech models.
AI adoption hits human wall: 44% of Gen Zers sabotage AI plans despite productivity benefits as job fears outweigh utility and turn adoption into a labor standoff.
Meta cuts staff as AI automates ads: A 10% reduction tied to AI tools pushes marketers to prioritize outcomes over targeting.
Apple shows hardware still rules: Choosing Ternus for CEO elevates product development as AI, Siri, and smart devices demand faster answers.
OpenAI courts DSPs for ChatGPT ads: A leaked StackAdapt deck shows high CPM pilots as OpenAI leans on adtech partners to prove value.
Adobe stakes its claim on orchestration: CX Enterprise blends rival AI tools into a single brand workflow.
MMM’s promises stall in execution: Firms adopt marketing mix modeling for ROI clarity, but silos and slow processes leave insights stranded in analytics decks.
Banks are down but not out.
It's a double warning for banks running old business banking systems.
In today’s podcast episode, we discuss whether AI slop is becoming a problem on YouTube, the ways AI is helping—and hindering—brand safety efforts for advertisers, and what marketers can do about AI’s influence on how their ads appear. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Analyst Jacob Bourne and Principal Analyst Bill Fisher. Listen anywhere, or watch on YouTube or Spotify.
The lack of a standard definition for agentic commerce reveals a fundamental split in how the industry is preparing for AI’s role in shopping
Nexstar-Tegna merger tests regulators’ resolve: Court pause spotlights fears that local TV consolidation could tilt pricing power and stifle competition.
Meta simplifies SMB ad tech: AI upgrades to Pixel and one-click Conversions API cut setup work and lower entry barriers.
Google and TCL turn TVs into chat interfaces: With Gemini handling discovery, CTV ads must evolve as viewers expect answers, not interruptions.
Creators are all in on AI: They save hours generating and editing with AI as engagement and efficiency grow.
Google trims bad ads: It deployed Gemini to block 8.3 billion ads and 24.9 million accounts in 2025, helping legit ads appear in safer environments.
Video production tops the creator skill investment list at 22.4%, ahead of branding (20.0%), storytelling (14.3%), community building (12.8%), and AI tools (9.6%), according to a January survey from Influencer Marketing Factory.