- Apple’s Latest Operating System Blocks The Trade Desk From Serving Ads On SafariThe Trade Desk is unable to serve ads to the Safari browser for Apple device owners that have downloaded iOS 27, which is the latest Apple operating system update. IOS 27 was released on September ... read more
- MNTN’s Matt Collins: Zero-Click AI Searches are Forcing Performance Marketers to Rethink EverythingNEW YORK — Performance marketing has operated on a simple premise for 25 years. A search leads to a click, a click leads to a website, and a website leads to a conversion. AI overviews ... read more
- Mobile ad giants AppLovin and Unity locked in legal dispute over data collectionTwo of the biggest names in mobile advertising have further entrenched their rivalry in court filings this week, with AppLovin suing Unity. AppLovin has asked the Superior Court of California in San Francisco to ... read more
- Amazon Ads And The Amazon DSP Get An Agentic RebrandAmazon Ads has overhauled its DSP and the sponsored product and search-based ad console for on-platform ads, the company announced at its unBoxed event in San Francisco on Tuesday. As one part of that overhaul, ... read more
- Amazon Gets Conversational With New Agentic Ad Formats And Brand ControlsThe agentification of Amazon Ads is underway. At its unBoxed ads industry event in San Francisco on Tuesday, Amazon announced a major ad tech overhaul, with its DSP turning into a default agentic chatbot experience ... read more
- At its flagship unBoxed conference, Amazon Ads collapses buying silos as AI takes a bigger role in media decisionsAmazon’s dominance in retail media budgets is hardly a surprise, with Madison Avenue observers expecting a push to win similar spend in adland. And at its flagship advertising and marketing conference, hosted this week in ... read more
- OpenAI Says Sponsored Chats Are The Future – But Publisher Monetization Isn’t A PrioritySponsored agents are the future of AI-native advertising experiences, according to Colleen Coulter, global ad solutions lead at OpenAI. But what do LLMs owe publishers? The post OpenAI Says Sponsored Chats Are The Future – ... read more
- Want AI Agents That Work? You’ve Gotta Do The ‘Unsexy’ Stuff FirstEveryone in Ad Land wants to show off their shiny new AI agent. But you can’t do the cool stuff unless you build the data foundation first, says Abbey Klaassan, CEO of independent performance agency ... read more
- The Rundown: Average CMO tenure has shrunk by over a third in 16 yearsA survey of 13,000 U.S. marketing professionals has found the median time in office enjoyed by CMOs is down 35% since 2010. It’s a stark proof of what media experts and agency practitioners have noticed ... read more
- Feeding On Vertical Video; Trying To Make Muse HappenAdvertisers can now buy YouTube Shorts ads alongside open web inventory; Meta just wants to be wanted; and Meta's Muse shows the danger of blindly trusting AI agents. The post Feeding On Vertical Video; Trying ... read more
- Ad Tech Briefing: AI is changing programmatic buying faster than who controls itA survey released last week found widespread use of AI for campaign optimization, though caution remains around fully autonomous trading, with recent updates to Google’s pricing rules underscoring why publisher control remains paramount. A recent ... read more
- Here’s what OpenAI needs to do to reach its billion-dollar ad ambitionsSubscribe: Apple Podcasts • Spotify OpenAI has billion-dollar goals for its ChatGPT ads by the end of this year. The question is: Can execs woo advertisers enough to make good on those ambitions? Just seven ... read more
- Condé Nast, Hearst among 300 media execs to push federal ‘bad bots’ bill on AI scrapingExecutives from Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, USA Today Co., and The Seattle Times will be among more than 300 news publishers heading to Washington D.C. today to press Congress to crack down on “bad bots” ... read more
- Behind Hoka’s bid to own the NYC marathon’s run-up periodHoka’s newest campaign marks its latest attempt to corner the loyalty of running enthusiasts across New York City in the run-up to the city’s marathon in just over a month (Nov. 2). It’s a sign ... read more
- X Incentivizes Creators To Share Use Cases For Grok AI AssistantWith its recently announced Grok Bot in public beta, X has launched a new rewards program asking creators to submit preferred use cases for the company's AI-powered personal assistant. ... read more
- Meta Forms Business-Facing AI Product PlatformMeta will begin selling its AI tools to businesses and developers with its newly founded "Meta Enterprise Platform." ... read more
- How Programmatic is Reshaping Podcast Advertising: Amazon’s Billy HartmanPodcast advertising once required brands to find individual shows, negotiate deals and arrange host-read spots one at a time. It was intimate, bespoke and about as scalable as running a national delivery service with a ... read more
- Firsthand’s Michael Rubenstein: Static Ads are Giving Way to Adaptive Brand ExperiencesFor all of digital advertising’s sophistication, marketers have spent three decades doing essentially the same thing: deciding in advance which static message to put in front of a consumer. Firsthand is built on the premise ... read more
- AI Is Only as Smart as the Data Behind It: Audience Path’s Sean BlackArtificial intelligence can process billions of signals, deploy autonomous agents and tell advertisers what consumers want before consumers have finished wondering why their refrigerator needs a software update. But Sean Black, general manager and senior ... read more
- Newsom Vetoes Ban On Sharing Sensitive DataCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have broadly prohibited businesses from selling or sharing consumers' sensitive data -- including precise geolocation information. ... read more
- NetChoice To FTC: Withdraw Personalized Pricing ProposalThe FTC lacks evidence of "a widespread problem warranting economy-wide enforcement policy," NetChoice says. ... read more
- Google 'Unifies' Vertical Video: Sees Greater Reach, Lower Cost-Per-UniqueGoogle today introduced a way to buy and measure vertical video space programmatically across channels including platforms, apps and publishers in one platform to centralize media buys. ... read more
- Stagwell Increases 'Real Clear' Bet, Boosts InvestmentThe further investment is designed to help expand the company, which also announced the hires of two senior executives: Jared Smith as president and Kristen Elliott as Head of Commercial. ... read more
- Add To Cart, Subtract The Brand: Why Distinction Is CriticalRetail media doesn't have a measurement problem anymore, making the moment dangerous for brands. Distinctiveness is still possible, but it has to be an active choice by a brand, not a byproduct. ... read more
- Ad Market Resumes Tepid Growth In August, 'Traditional' Media's Share Falls Below 20%The U.S. ad market expanded a modest 0.7% in August following two consecutive months of World Cup growth in June and July. Digital's share of ad spending topped 80% for the first time in the ... read more
- Who Will Stand Up For The Open Web?The open web is done, stick a fork in it. Banner blindness is near universal, search traffic has run dry and publishers are struggling for oxygen. A consensus has emerged in recent years that the ... read more
- Streaming Show Renewals Harder To Come By?Data from Luminate shows that existing broadcast TV series had a 75% and 68% renewal rate in 2025 and 2024, respectively. ... read more
- Discovery Casino Docuseries Is A Sure BetA new docuseries about casino operations provides a fascinating look at the problems that can develop in a location that draws thousands of people for gambling, drinking and general carousing. ... read more
- What Publishers Don’t Know About New Jersey’s Data Broker Law Could Cost ThemFellow privacy nerds, farewell. After 100 (hopefully) adorkable dispatches, the Data Privacy Roundup is dropping its last mic. This is the final edition, and it’s been a pleasure to ad serve you. But don’t worry. ... read more
- This Creator Marketing Platform Has Gone Fully Agentic Upfluence guides brands through the process of finding and executing creator partnerships using its agentic system, Jaice. The post This Creator Marketing Platform Has Gone Fully Agentic appeared first on AdExchanger. ... read more
- Why AI Treats Publisher Content As A Commodity; Playing Your Credit Cards RightWhy AI commoditizes publisher content; credit cards are incorporating brand deals at the expense of exclusivity; and McDonald's launches a media network. The post Why AI Treats Publisher Content As A Commodity; Playing Your Credit ... read more
- Media Buying Briefing: Stagwell’s chief AI officer explains why Palantir differentiates its data platform from competitorsEyebrows were raised when Stagwell announced last November it struck a deal with defense and surveillance firm Palantir to build an AI-powered data and audience platform. But Stagwell CEO Mark Penn knew Palantir’s CEO Alex ... read more
- ‘Not hiring’ entry-level talent: Industry acknowledges runaway crisis brought on by introducing AI to the workforceRelated Insights Marketing Marketers bemoan the culture of ‘good enough’ as standards fall amid the AI bubble Read More As many inconsistencies exist across adland that AI has introduced, ... read more
- Digiday Publishing Summit September 2026 Recap: How publishers are rebuilding for the post-search eraPublishers outlined how they’re preparing for a post-search era by prioritizing direct audiences, diversified revenue and AI strategies that put their journalism (and not the platforms) at the center, at the September 2026 edition of ... read more
- Encore: 'Avengers' Returns To Take $26MWith a record-setting $1.2 billion total worldwide for its opening weekend, 'Avengers: Endgame' comes seven years after the franchise's first film, 'The Avengers.' ... read more
- 'Avengers' Re-Release Takes Weekend Box OfficeWith a record-setting $1.2 billion total worldwide for its opening weekend, 'Avengers: Endgame' comes seven years after the franchise's first film, 'The Avengers.' ... read more
- Gen Z Still Wants Radio, Podcasts and Actual Humans: iHeartMedia’s Lainie FertickNEW YORK — Gen Z may have grown up with smartphones, streaming services, social media feeds and algorithms that know what they want before they’ve finished wanting it. Apparently, they still like radio. That’s one ... read more
- Groups File Amicus Brief To Block Paramount-Discovery MergerGroups uniting under the Block the Merger banner, filed a third-party brief on Friday, opposing the merger of Paramount Skydance and Discovery, Variety reports. This occurred after 12 state attorneys general signed a deal to settle their ... read more
- Media Traffic Falls Due To AI Summary ProductsTraffic to media web sites has plummeted over the past year, as Google and other tech giants funnel into AI products that summarize journalism without encouraging users to click through to the source articles, Futurism ... read more
- Meta Is Gambling $200 Billion Year On AIMeta is taking a structurally irreversible gamble worth roughly $200 billion in annual capital expenditure to prove that its AI vision works, BigGo writes in an analysis. The bull side of the argument questions whether ... read more
- Meta Is Gambling $200 Billion A Year On AIMeta is taking a structurally irreversible gamble worth roughly $200 billion in annual capital expenditure to prove that its AI vision works, BigGo writes in an analysis. The bull side of the argument questions whether ... read more
- Congress Passes Law Mandating AM Radios In New VehiclesA bill that would require automakers to include AM radio in new passenger vehicles has been passed by the House of Representatives, WTVB reports. The bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act was supported by ... read more
- Spectrum Reach’s Bill Herman: Local Advertisers Now Have More Opportunities Than Ever BeforeLocal advertising has always traded on reach. What’s changing is the precision with which local brands can now find their audiences. But as with all advertising, the details depend on the measurement infrastructure. “Relevancy is ... read more
- Notebook: Smartly, Existential Angst, The ResonatorTrying something new here. In the old days we would have called it a "reporter's notebook." Let's start with Smartly's Laura Desmond and see where we end up. ... read more
- EMARKETER’s Blake Droesch: AI is Showing Consumers Fewer Products. Brands Need to Understand WhyThe retail shelf has always been competitive. AI is making it smaller. “AI is showing a smaller selection of products to consumers than they would see if they were walking down the aisles of the ... read more
- Jury Finds Meta Deceived Users About Privacy, Content ModerationThe New Mexico jury's verdict came after a two-week trial that largely focused on the Cambridge Analytica debacle. ... read more
- FTC Personalized Pricing Disclosure Too Vague, Ad Industry SaysA recent proposal that would require companies to disclose their use of personalized pricing in some circumstances "will create confusion and uncertainty," ad industry groups told the FTC Friday. ... read more
- Meta To Launch VR Glasses Amid Wearables BacklashAs lawsuits and privacy concerns plague its wearables business, Meta plans to launch a new pair of AI-powered virtual-reality glasses designed to rival similar products from competitors like Apple. ... read more
- Wendy's Goes Emo, Drops Album For Parking Lot MeltdownsThe album, "Songs to Listen to in a Wendy's Parking Lot," was created as a soundtrack for QSR customers who "have turned Wendy's parking lots into an unexpected backdrop for documenting life's emotional moments." ... read more
- Dave & Buster's Appoints New Media, Creative AgenciesServiceplan's Mediaplus will handle media duties and Gut has been selected for creative chores with both appointments starting Oct. 1. ... read more
- Court Should Reject Texas Push To Revive 'Harmful' Content Law, Tech Groups SayThe 5th Circuit should leave in place its prior decision blocking a Texas law that requires social platforms to screen out "harmful" content to minors, the tech groups Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice ... read more
- Microsoft Adds Agentic Capabilities, Challenges MetaA redesigned Copilot app, announced Friday, shifts from a standard chatbot to autonomous agent that pulls the entire strategy, budgeting and planning process into one. ... read more
- Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Opaque Margin FireThe agency timesheet is finally dead. What comes in its place are contracts rooted in outcomes incentivizing the quality of results, not hours burned. Before you celebrate, the reality is agencies are evolving their SOW ... read more
- As Price Of Fun Rises, Advertisers Are Advised To Follow The MoneyLeisure behavior can reveal to marketers not only what consumers buy but where they spend their attention. ... read more
- AAF Honors Comedian Minhaj With Cultural Force AwardThe award honors a public figure outside the industry whose work has shaped how brands advertise, market, and reach new audiences. ... read more
- HBO Max + Paramount+: What Will The Combo Really Become?Merging the two companies' streaming platforms into one to get greater scale may be challenging. How will consumers judge this possible streaming combination? ... read more
- 'The New York Times' Celebrates History Of Classic AdsThe advertising often foreshadows significant cultural moments. ... read more
- Peacock Doc Shocker: O.J. Had An Accomplice!The idea that there was an accomplice in the Simpson murders stems from the odd memoir Simpson wrote in 2007 - 'If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.' ... read more
- Local News Watched By Just 10% Of Young Adults, Study FindsOnly 10% of people ages 18-24 watched any local news content within a given week, according to research from a survey commissioned by Ring Digital. This further emphasizes a trend of young media consumers moving ... read more
- Why This Marketing Measurement Company Just Open-Sourced Its Forecasting EngineMarketing measurement is really about answering two questions: what happened, and then what should I do about it? Most marketing mix models are built to answer the first one, but the second is where things ... read more
- Musing About Meta AIRecent technology shows how Meta Platforms is moving toward search and transactions for brands rather than selling traditional advertising, and monetizing it through Muse, its AI agent. ... read more
- Google Launches Conversational AvatarThe "live avatar" feature in the model creates an experience that listens, sees and speaks with a dynamic visual persona, with the goal to give companies "distinct visual identities to fit their brand," Google wrote ... read more
- RedBird Capital Partners To Acquire PuckInvestment firm RedBird Capital Partners is acquiring Puck, the five year-old media startup that is valued at $250 million, Variety reports. Redbird is a backer of other media properties, including Paramount Skydance and its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. ... read more
- People Inc. Retracts Proposal To Buy MGM's Remaining SharesBarry Diller's People Inc. has withdrawn its bid to buy all public shares of MGM Resorts International, sending MGM’s shares tumbling by 8%. Reuters reports. People, the owner of a 27% stake, offered to purchase ... read more
- AI Is Presenting A New Model For Ad InfrastructureArtificial intelligence has expanded beyond individual outputs to running entire processes, Alex Vasekin, CEO of Adtech holding, writes in TechHQ. That includes launching and managing campaigns, adjusting bids and overseeing analytics, traffic quality and fraud prevention. “What’s ... read more
- Consumers Use AI Agents To Deal With Customer Service AI AgentsBusinesses using AI agents for customer service are getting a taste of their own medicine, Business Insider reports. Consumers are increasingly using AI Agents to call customer-service lines, wait on hold, negotiate bills or cancel ... read more
- Buying CTV In The WarnerMount WorldLet's talk acquisitions! The WarnerMount merger is close to being in the clear, after California and 11 other states settled their antitrust lawsuit against the merger. Plus: Taboola bought Dianomi. Infillion bought Foursquare. We get ... read more
- Take A Break, Compliance Nerds. Privacy Is A Research Problem NowThe California legislature has passed the compromise version of SB-690, leaving most of the private right of action provisions of the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) in place. Thanks to massive lobbying efforts by ... read more
- Higgsfield’s $1 Billion Run Rate Comes With An Asterisk; It’s Hard To Find A Good Partner(ship)How legit is "annualized revenue run rate" as a metric?; YouTube discusses new creator marketplace tools; and AI agents keep bypassing safeguards. The post Higgsfield’s $1 Billion Run Rate Comes With An Asterisk; It’s Hard ... read more
- Why Instacart is focused on reducing item markups to grow its delivery platformThis story was originally published on sister site Modern Retail. Instacart is focused on value and affordability to unlock its next phase of growth. Speaking at the Groceryshop conference in Las Vegas this week, CEO ... read more
- Future of Marketing Briefing: Imagining the ad business hiding inside Meta’s MuseMeta built its $243 billion ads business on human attention. Agents could be next in line. The more popular Muse gets, the harder that prospect is to rule out. This is a member-exclusive article from Digiday. ... read more
- Marketers bemoan the culture of ‘good enough’ as standards fall amid the AI bubbleRelated Insights The Business of AI Comscore data shows how AI discovery is splintering beyond ChatGPT Read More It’s Fall 2026, i.e., the peak of the annual ad industry ... read more
- YouTube invests in AI agents, live ‘gamification,’ and editing tools to keep creators closeYouTube is piling on AI agents, live “gamification,” and new testing tools as it looks to keep creators, and their ad dollars, firmly within its ecosystem. These tools took center stage at the platform’s Made ... read more
- DMexco ’26 Briefing: From scaling AI operations to teaching the next generation of ‘bold’ CMOsThe future of AI adoption and the role of CMO in that disruption and transformation were central hot topics discussed on the main stage across the two days of DMexco 2026 held in Cologne, Germany ... read more
- Morningstar 'Game On' Ad Navigates Blurred LinesThe campaign, which launched last week and will run into 2027, is intended to help investors see the value in the company's data, research, ratings, benchmarks and other tools. ... read more
- Data Proves Converse Should Have Known BetterMarketing discipline and common sense both failed the cratering Nike brand. When does neglect turn into marketing malpractice? ... read more
- Brands Working '9 To 5' For Dolly DayAmerican Eagle is celebrating "Give Like Dolly Day," created by the Dollywood Foundation. The retailer will donate all proceeds from two products to The Dollywood Foundation. ... read more
- Volkswagen Introduces AirConsole In-Vehicle GamingSelect games will also support ambient lighting integration in compatible vehicle models and trims, allowing interior lighting to respond to gameplay for a more immersive in-car experience. ... read more
- Bill Would Tax Platforms That Make Algorithmic RecommendationsThe In Real Life Act, unveiled by Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut), would require social platforms with at least $500 million in ad revenue to pay taxes at rates ranging from 10% to 50% -- but ... read more
- Paid For By A Narcissistic VoidOf all the self-aggrandizing things Trump has used our taxpayer dollars for, a paid ad calling on us to "love" him is the last straw. I mean, until the next one. ... read more
- Horizon Commerce, Pacvue Expand AllianceAccording to the companies, the main goal is to help brands shift ad budgets toward the campaigns that are generating the best returns. ... read more
- OpenAI Loyalty Settles In, Reshapes Advertising, Marketing FunnelMany consumers have begun to settle into routines with preferred chatbots. The implications for advertisers are reshaping the traditional marketing funnel. ... read more
- FTC Considers Requiring Online Ad Platforms Combat Fake AdsOnline impersonation scams "have been amplified by search engine, social media, and other digital marketplace platforms that profit from optimizing online ads for third parties, regardless of whether the third parties are legitimate," the FTC ... read more
- How marketers are innovating in the age of intelligenceAs artificial intelligence reshapes how businesses work, marketers are rethinking the tools, habits and workflows that drive innovation. But as with past technological shifts, adopting new tools often means navigating uncertainty before their value becomes ... read more
- Podcasts Are Becoming More Programmatic. But Now Advertisers Have To Keep The Ad Load In CheckThe digital audio market is becoming more programmatic, with dynamically inserted podcast ads leading the way. But, as programmatic buying becomes more common in audio, marketers and audio platforms are falling into the same habits ... read more
- 'Dutton Ranch,' 'The Pitt' Top Streaming Shows In Viewer AttentionNetflix had four of the top ten shows and posted the best overall results with six of the top 20 shows, followed by Apple TV with four. ... read more
- AI Makes Creatives Faster, Brands Cheaper, Agencies More ExpensiveEverybody agrees AI saves time. Agencies believe the saved time should cost clients more. ... read more
- Google Tests AI Chips for 'Fractionalized' Space Data CentersFor advertisers, this technology will not change daily procedures today, but it lays the foundation for massive scale, hyper-localized ad delivery, and lower long-term infrastructure costs by the mid-2030s, based on a Google paper and ... read more
- AI Accelerating Cognitive WarKYIV, UKRAINE -- I am writing from here, where as you might expect, war is front-and-center. Many of the conversations are about the rapidly-emerging concept of "Cognitive War." It's one quite familiar to the media ... read more
- Journalists Still Barred From White House After Court OrderThe Trump administration continued barring journalists from CNN, MS Now and Politico early Thursday despite a judge’s order that their access to the White House be restored immediately, The New York Times reports. It was ... read more
- Most QSRs 'Effectively Absent' From AI-Generated RecommendationsUberall study found a whopping 83% of restaurant locations are "entirely invisible" in AI-generated suggestions. ... read more
- WFA: Marketers Have Effectively Ditched Labor-Based Agency Comp"Clients ultimately care about the quality, impact and performance of the work - not how many people or hours were required to produce it," says the World Federation of Advertisers' Laura Forcetti. "The growth of ... read more
- Marketing Is Merciless, But Dentsu Anime Deal Is Also Very BeautifulThe deal with blockbuster Japanese anime publisher Kodansha makes Dentsu the primary contact for U.S. brand marketing tie-ins with multi-billion dollar franchises like "Attack on Titan," "Ghost in the Shell," and "Blue Lock." ... read more
- Court Orders White House To Restore Press PassesJudge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, early Thursday issued an emergency order requiring the White House to immediately restore the press credentials of CNN, MS NOW and Politico. ... read more
- Advertising Industry Stunned As Great Creative Actually WorksA new analysis from WARC finds a strong relationship between highly awarded creative work and advertising effectiveness. ... read more
- The Facts For Trump TV? Not Even An 'Apprentice' SequelIt's not surprising that the start of this 24/7 livestream channel on YouTube began just after President Trump posted that he was banning CNN, MS Now, and Politico from the White House. ... read more
- Freshman Students Encounter A Different World In Sitcom RemakeNetflix positions a revival of the 1990s sitcom "A Different World" as a dramedy, but the show veers more toward drama than comedy. ... read more
- 58% of ad execs expect agentic buying to hit scale within a year, according to IAB Europe researchAd execs have kept their distance from agent-to-agent ad trading, wary of the technical cost and definitional questions still hanging over it. New research says that wariness is starting to shift. Fifty ad execs across ... read more
- PubMatic Jumps On The Show-Level CTV Targeting BandwagonConnected TV advertisers are still pining after show-level control. And PubMatic announced contextual targeting at the episode level is available to media buyers accessing CTV inventory through its platform. The post PubMatic Jumps On The ... read more
- Everyone Has Joined The Chat; Meanwhile, McDonald’s Joins The Ad IndustryPrompt Partners There’s a well-worn playbook for big media owners entering programmatic. First, they pick one exclusive or preferred platform partner. Think Walmart and The Trade Desk or Netflix and Microsoft Advertising (née AppNexus). Then, ... read more