LinkedIn’s AI-driven people search lets users type plain-language queries like “marketing leaders with AI experience” and instantly find matches—even if those exact words don’t appear on a profile, per TechRadar. The upgrade, available to US Premium subscribers, makes LinkedIn far more context aware—and strengthens its role as a precision targeting engine at a time when its ad business keeps climbing. For marketers on LinkedIn, the implications are significant and offer improvements in precision targeting, campaign efficiency, and intent-driven discovery.
Mozilla SVP Suba Vasudevan argues that digital advertising’s next frontier isn’t automation—it’s accountability. In her view, trust is no longer a soft metric but a measurable driver of performance. As advertisers recoil from fraud, opacity, and unsafe inventory, Firefox Ads positions itself as the premium alternative: a clean, privacy-first space where engagement aligns with user consent. The data backs her up—CPMs are climbing, and brands are paying more for quality—but the shift remains uneven. Many still prize efficiency over ethics. For marketers, the new equation is clear: trust and performance are converging, and only one will sustain the other.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three big questions surrounding Meta in Q3 and beyond: How will AI-generated social video affect social media? What’s the biggest takeaway regarding Meta using AI chatbot conversations to target ads? And do Meta's new smart glasses really have a future? Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Analyst Emmy Liederman, and Principal Analyst Minda Smiley. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Travelers are becoming more comfortable with AI and incorporating it into their trip discovery and planning processes, presenting an opportunity for travel companies to apply the technology for decision-making and customer experiences. However, the travel industry is still in an experimental phase and could be missing user and revenue gains. To capitalize on travelers’ use of and confidence in AI, travel companies need to move from testing the technology to fully integrating it. That includes building traveler trust through transparency, investing in data infrastructure, and exploring consumer-facing AI agents.
Agency and digital marketers are adopting AI en masse, but notable confidence and training gaps could hinder execution and ROI. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of agency and brand marketers worldwide plan to use AI next year, per MIQ. However, less than half (45%) are confident in their ability to use it to drive operational efficiencies. CMOs need to treat upskilling as a core investment so employees can help support pilots and work independently on AI-driven projects. Leaders should develop role-specific training paths, establish AI leads to answer project questions, and offer prompt libraries to safely practice engaging with AI.
While 45% of US adults expect free shipping on any order, 16% of those consumers will not make a purchase if they have to pay for shipping, revealed August 2025 data from Radial and Dynata.
Walmart and Target will both transition to new CEOs on February 1, but the circumstances behind the changes diverge sharply. Walmart is handing John Furner a business with strong momentum, expanding ecommerce capabilities, rising membership adoption, and continued innovation, including its partnership with OpenAI. Target, by contrast, is passing leadership to Michael Fiddelke as sales soften, traffic slows, and its digital efforts lag behind key rivals. The continuity approach aligns with Walmart’s stable trajectory, but Target’s persistent challenges suggest it would benefit from broader strategic shifts to regain competitiveness.
Google offered remedies to settle an antitrust case in the European Union following a nearly €3 billion ($3.5 billion) fine arguing that Google abuses its dominance in digital advertising. The EU’s tough stance signals that the global regulatory environment is intensifying.
A Snapchat, Publicis Media, and Ipsos study revealed creator preferences for brand collaborations, outlining the path ahead for brands who increasingly rely on influencer marketing. Accounting for creator preferences is key to striking influencer partnerships that last and make a tangible impact.
“To say that anybody has an emotional response to any marketing expression is the highest praise one might receive,” said Nicolas Chidiac, chief strategy officer at Razorfish. “But the reality is it’s a significantly harder reality to materialize.” The gap between belief and consumer behavior is wider than many realize.
Rising CPMs, algorithmic volatility, and audience fatigue are flattening social’s growth curve as marketers run into diminishing returns on Meta, TikTok, and Google. That ceiling is forcing brands to seek fresh reach—and connected TV (CTV) is stepping into that void with premium screens, measurable outcomes, and higher emotional lift. As social hits its natural saturation point, CTV delivers the attribution clarity and emotional weight brands can’t get from feeds anymore. Advertisers should make CTV a central line item—not an extension of social video—and use AI-powered optimization to drive efficiency and real-time tuning.
YouTube is venturing into late night TV with “Outside Tonight,” a weekly live show set in New York City. It also announced plans for other exclusive content Thursday. The format presents a unique opportunity for advertisers to capitalize on typically linear programming that has staying power. If viewers miss the live show, they can tune in later. Just 22% of B2C marketers use livestreaming as part of their content mix, per HubSpot, leaving a wide opening on a proven channel for advertisers to jump into the medium.
Bluesky’s growth is defying social media convention. COO Rose Wang told EMARKETER the platform’s momentum comes not from algorithmic reach but from conversation and community. “People are coming for the discussion and staying for the connection,” she said. Bluesky, now past 40 million users, is attracting audiences fleeing top-down platforms and gravitating toward participatory, user-led spaces. Custom feeds and decentralized moderation let culture form organically, giving advertisers a glimpse into early-stage cultural formation. For marketers, Bluesky’s appeal isn’t reach—it’s relevance. As Wang put it, “People still want to gather.” In a fragmented ecosystem, that’s a powerful foundation.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three big questions surrounding Google in Q3 and beyond: How much of a competitor to Google Chrome is OpenAI’s new browser, Atlas? What’s the main takeaway from the remedies hearings about Google’s ad tech business? And what’s the significance of Google’s first $100 billion quarter? Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman, and Principal Analyst Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Facebook is creating a more social Marketplace experience with collaborative features aimed at making buying and selling feel more interactive. The platform is rolling out “collections” that let users create groups of Marketplace listings and invite friends to browse together. It’s also adding reactions and comments directly on listings. Brands should explore ad placements within the shopping platform to meet high-intent, young customers who are already in a product discovery mindset.
Brand bias leads most shoppers to buy from companies they’re already familiar with, making it difficult to attract and convert new customers. Eighty-four percent of purchases by consumers worldwide are driven by preexisting brand bias, per WPP Media’s How Humans Decide report. Marketers should focus on building long-term, positive brand familiarity before a buying moment occurs. Because ESO placements carry more influence than paid channels in shaping bias, brands should prioritize credibility-building strategies like reviews and social content.
Microsoft is turning to lifestyle creators to make Copilot a cultural player, not just a productivity tool. TikTok stars like Alix Earle, Brigette and Danielle Pheloung, and Brandon Edelman are showing Copilot in real-life contexts—beauty, fashion, and self-improvement—garnering millions of views and repositioning the AI assistant for Gen Z and women users. Consumer CMO Yusuf Mehdi calls Microsoft a “challenger brand” in AI assistants, with 150 million users compared with ChatGPT’s 800 million weekly. The influencer pivot signals a shift toward utility-driven marketing—content that demonstrates value in everyday life rather than selling aspiration.
Jack Dorsey is reviving nostalgic short-form video culture with diVine, a Vine reboot designed for authenticity at a time when AI-generated creator content is surging. The new app launched with over 100,000 restored Vine videos. Vine gives diVine an emotional head start—but survival will hinge on converting that sentiment into fresh creative momentum. Brands that lean into authenticity will find diVine a clean slate—one where trust and creativity drive engagement. Still, it must overcome one hurdle: persuading audiences to make room for one more app in an already-saturated attention economy.
The advertising industry is moving from “opportunity to see” to “proof of impact.” The new IAB and MRC Attention Measurement Guidelines formalize a shift long visible in audience behavior in which people respond to what they feel, not what they scroll past, per MarTech. Attention standards raise the bar so it’s no longer enough for an ad to be seen—it needs to elicit an emotional response. Brands targeting specific demographics should design creative around their emotional triggers, measure attention as a quality metric, and build media plans that prioritize resonance over reach.
Cyber Monday ad spending eclipsed Black Friday for the first time last year, per a Sensor Tower and Pathmatics analysis of spend from the “shopping” category between October 1 and December 31. While the digital sales day brought in just $300,000 more in ad spending than its in-person counterpart, it represents a turning point in the yearslong trend. As even Black Friday shopping moves online, advertising with the tail end of the Cyber Five period in mind could help with both day-of sales and December shopping.