Fried Bids | Digital News

the full batch. #135

Andrea Girelli — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 10:09:30 GMT

SUMMER MODE: ON

I’ll be on holiday until the end of August, but I’ll still be keeping an eye on the latest digital marketing news. During the break, I’ll only publish The Full Batch (this one) randomly; while 10+, the other one, with summaries of the top stories, will return in September.
Thanks for your understanding, and have a fantastic summer!
See you in September!

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

the full batch. #134

Andrea Girelli — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:30:55 GMT

TL;DR? NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

ChatGPT Ads Expands Performance Marketing Tools ★ Google Moves Local Services Into Google Ads ★ Google Builds Persistent Autonomous Search ★ Social Media Is No Longer Social ★ Facebook Adds Seller App and Selfie Verification ★ Google Enables Local Inventory Ads by Default ★ Study Questions IP-Based CTV Targeting Accuracy ★ W3C Develops Browser-Based Attribution API ★ Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix Push Cloud Gaming ★ Anthropic Launches Claude Opus 5 ★ EU Forces Google to Open Search Data ★ Enjoy!

BIDDABLE ADS

ChatGPT Ads adds conversion bidding, geo exclusions and bulk campaign tools ★★★
AI Max spotted in Google Standard Shopping campaigns
How to prepare for Google’s DSA sunset and move to AI Max
ChatGPT ads test a new model for conversational advertising
Google drops $50K ad spend requirement for Lead Form assets
Google Is Bringing Local Services Ads Into Google Ads ★★★
Google brings business data feeds to Demand Gen campaigns
Why CPC inflation starts before the auction
Google AI Mode ads reach nearly 30% of queries: Study

SEARCH MARKETING

Google Says Why It May Ignore Robots.txt And Negatively Impact SEO
Google says don’t include fake or undisclosed incentivized reviews in review snippet structured data
ChatGPT gains access to Yelp reviews, ratings, and photos
The “TikTokification” of Search: Why the Creator Model Is Replacing the Ranking Model
ChatGPT topic ownership is rare, and SEO alone doesn’t explain it
Google’s Liz Reid Discusses Persistent Autonomous Search ★★★
Google AI Mode Is Citing More Google-Hosted Pages
Google Claims AI Search Sends Quality Clicks, Without Sharing Data
Around 70% of AI responses Recommend One Primary Brand - Captify UK Finds
Top Stories roll out in Google AI Overviews
Google’s AI Mode Now Connects To Your Apps

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook considers giving up and becoming TikTok
Substack’s new tool tells you who’s been writing their newsletters with AI
Yope raises $12.3M to build a private social network without algorithms or ads
Social media is becoming less social ★★★
Elon Musk says he will open-source X codebase

SHOPPING ADS, eCOMMERCE, SOCIAL COMMERCE, RETAIL MEDIA

Google Comparison Listing Ads Now CSS Product Listing Ads
Facebook launches a dedicated Marketplace app for sellers, adds a free verification system ★★★
Albertsons’ new ‘micro sitcom’ is a big deal for retail media
‘We were at their mercy’: inside the Amazon tactics that hiked prices across the internet
70% Of Top Retailers Are Invisible To Agentic Commerce - Here’s Why
Google confirms Local Inventory Ads will be enabled by default ★★★

PROGRAMMATIC, DISPLAY & VIDEO, CTV

Why Native Ads Continue to Outperform Traditional Display Advertising
Consumers warm up to streaming ads: Here’s what the numbers say
Ad Tech Briefing: Apple’s continued interest in ads
Why Beehiiv Is Betting On Programmatic To Scale Its Ad Platform For Newsletters
DoubleVerify Study: 40% of Viewers Respond Positively to Repeated Ads During Streaming Content
IP-Based CTV Targeting Fails 3 In Every 4 Times, New Research Finds ★★★

MEDIA QUALITY & BRAND SAFETY

X Live-Tweets Its Fight Against Chatbot Spam In Real-Time
Meta now alerts parents if their teen discussed suicide or self-harm with its AI chatbot

TRACKING, MEASUREMENT

Fears of Big Tech bias underpin debates around W3C’s Attribution API
W3C Attribution API prompts debate over the future of web measurement
WTF: W3C’s Attribution API? ★★★
Google expands Brand Lift Studies with enhanced measurement option
How To Track AI Traffic In GA4 Without Undercounting It

METAVERSE, AR/VR, GAMING, WEARABLES

Can Apple make smart glasses that aren’t a constant privacy threat?
Microsoft is testing free, ad-supported cloud gaming for Xbox Insiders
Amazon is bringing games to Prime Video ★★★
Samsung and Google are betting they can avoid Meta’s ‘perv glasses’ problem
The Zero-Click Web Is Quietly Rewriting the Definition of Premium. Mobile Gaming Is the Beneficiary.
Netflix’s Cloud Gaming Progress

CREATOR ECONOMY, INFLUENCER MARKETING

YouTube Explains What Can Stop A Channel Getting Paid
IAB Global Creator Week Launches, Uniting the IAB Global Network to Advance the Creator Economy

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Claude Opus 5 launches with similar performance as Fable 5 for ‘half the price’ ★★★
Gemini Spark rolling out to Google AI Pro users in the US
Anthropic’s Claude Can Now Watch A Video And Learn Your Job
Google launches Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flash-Lite, teases Gemini 4
AI’s most important protocol is getting a little bit easier to use
Meta Business Agents are here. Marketers should pay attention
Former OpenAI CTO does what Altman won’t, releases a frontier AI model that’s actually open
Vint Cerf is working on a plan to unleash AI agents on the open internet

fAIlure - Behind the hype

Time saved by using AI is being spent on managing its output
OpenAI says Hugging Face was breached by its pre-release models
OpenAI admits GPT-5.6 occasionally deletes files - but it’s an ‘honest mistake’

AGENCIES

‘No Longer AI Losers’: Havas Leans Into AI-First Identity as North America Revenue Grows
Digest: Omnicom Merges Hearts & Science, Mediahub; Judge Approves Anthropic’s $1.5bn Settlement
Omnicom Media Retains Uber’s $800M Account and Expands Brazil Remit
As AI automates media work, Omnicom Media is rethinking the agency business model
Stagwell is building its own AI media curation marketplace

PUBLISHERS

The Pageview Era Is Dead. Now, Your Audience Is Worth More Than Your Traffic
Publisher ad supply fell by up to 40% in Q2 as AI search choked the open web

PRIVACY, LEGAL, DATA PROTECTION

TikTok’s protection of minors should not be opt-in, warns EU
Google fined €460 million over self-preferencing Search and €430 over Google Play
Europe slaps AliExpress with €550 million fine for selling dodgy goods
EU’s AI labeling rules take effect next month
Google Must Give Rivals Access To Anonymized Search Data ★★★
UK officials propose overnight social media blackout for teens
Google is opening the floodgates to third-party app stores on Android next week

MISCELLANEOUS

IPA Q2 2026 Bellwether: What the Industry Thinks
Judge pauses $110B Paramount-Warner Bros. merger
HubSpot’s June 2026 updates: Agents get more access, Revenue Hub starts connecting the dots

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

Google Builds Persistent Autonomous Search

Andrea Girelli — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:17:09 GMT

The boundaries between digital platforms are disappearing as every major player expands beyond its traditional core business. ChatGPT Ads is rapidly evolving into a credible performance marketing platform with features long associated with Google Ads and Meta. Google, meanwhile, is consolidating shopping and local advertising by embedding Local Services Ads into Google Ads and enabling Local Inventory Ads by default. Meta is strengthening its commerce proposition through Marketplace, verification and AI-powered seller tools, while Amazon, Microsoft and Netflix are turning streaming platforms into gaming destinations. Even search is broadening into persistent AI assistants, and regulation is opening Google’s data ecosystem to competitors. The result is a market where diversification, rather than specialization, is becoming the dominant competitive strategy.

📌 ChatGPT Ads Expands Performance Marketing Tools
📌 Google Moves Local Services Into Google Ads
⭐ Google Builds Persistent Autonomous Search
📌 Social Media Is No Longer Social
📌 Facebook Adds Seller App and Selfie Verification
📌 Google Enables Local Inventory Ads by Default
📌 Study Questions IP-Based CTV Targeting Accuracy
📌 W3C Develops Browser-Based Attribution API
📌 Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix Push Cloud Gaming
📌 Anthropic Launches Claude Opus 5
📌 EU Forces Google to Open Search Data

Enjoy!

ChatGPT Ads Expands Performance Marketing Tools

ChatGPT Ads has expanded its advertising platform with a suite of performance-focused tools designed to improve campaign optimisation, measurement, automation and scalability. Advertisers can now run conversion-optimised cost-per-click campaigns, use average daily budgets with automatic budget pacing, exclude specific geographic locations and measure app installs and in-app events through new AppsFlyer and Adjust integrations. Website attribution has also been enhanced with Automatic Advanced Matching, while the Ads API now supports asynchronous bulk creation and updates for campaigns, ad groups and ads. Product feed campaigns are also receiving upgraded product cards with pricing and star ratings, bringing ChatGPT Ads closer to the capabilities offered by established platforms such as Google Ads and Meta Ads.

https://searchengineland.com/chatgpt-ads-adds-conversion-bidding-geo-exclusions-and-bulk-campaign-tools-483511

Google Moves Local Services Into Google Ads

Google will migrate Local Services Ads into the Google Ads interface through dedicated Performance Max campaigns that continue to operate on a pay-per-lead model and appear only on Search and Maps. The rollout will begin with a limited group of U.S. advertisers in August 2026 and expand through 2027. Advertisers will manage campaigns, leads and reporting directly in Google Ads, while manual bidding, weekly budgets and category-level Target CPA will be replaced by automated bidding, average daily budgets and a single campaign-level Target CPA. Historical performance reports will not migrate, requiring advertisers to download them beforehand, and businesses should review campaign settings after migration to ensure performance remains aligned with their objectives.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-is-bringing-local-services-ads-into-google-ads/582816/

Google Builds Persistent Autonomous Search

Google is preparing a persistent autonomous search experience that keeps unresolved queries active and automatically delivers answers when relevant information becomes available, reflecting a broader shift toward agentic, task-based search. Liz Reid described a system that monitors topics such as local events or highly specific financial conditions, notifying users instead of requiring repeated searches. The approach aligns with a recently published Google patent covering scenarios where existing results fail to meet quality, authority or completeness thresholds. The system can surface updates through notifications, AI assistant conversations or across multiple connected devices, transforming search from a one-time interaction into a continuous background process that proactively returns results once satisfactory information is available.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/googles-liz-reid-discusses-persistent-autonomous-search/582948/

Social Media Is No Longer Social

A survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers found that social media is shifting away from personal sharing toward entertainment and passive consumption, with 55% of respondents posting less than they did five years ago. The findings suggest users increasingly prefer private messaging over public updates, while many, especially younger people, feel maintaining a social media presence has become more like work due to creator pressures and unrealistic expectations of earning income online. The study also links algorithm-driven political content and engagement incentives to growing user fatigue and declining participation. At the same time, overall time spent on platforms continues to rise as users consume more short-form video, reinforcing social media’s evolution from a networking tool into an entertainment channel.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/social-media-is-becoming-less-social/825125/

Facebook Adds Seller App and Selfie Verification

Facebook has introduced several updates aimed at improving user engagement and organizing key platform experiences. The company is launching Seller, a standalone app for frequent Marketplace sellers that centralizes listing management, buyer messaging and performance tracking. It has also introduced a free identity verification system, Facebook Verified, allowing users to confirm they are real people through a selfie, with a verification badge displayed across Marketplace, Dating and Groups. In addition, Facebook is testing an optional full-screen video interface that opens by default in video-focused markets, with wider expansion planned later. Meta also plans to add AI features to help users create Marketplace listings and search Groups more efficiently.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/24/facebook-launches-a-dedicated-marketplace-app-for-sellers-adds-a-free-verification-system/

Google Enables Local Inventory Ads by Default

Google has confirmed that Local Inventory Ads (LIA) will be enabled by default for all Shopping campaigns starting August 31, eliminating the ability to disable them through the Google Ads API. Shopping campaigns will automatically serve products from Local Inventory Ads feeds, with the enable_local setting ignored regardless of the submitted value. Advertisers and developers relying on separate online and local inventory workflows will need to update campaign configurations and API integrations, using listing scopes or inventory filters to exclude local products where needed. The change aligns Shopping campaigns with Performance Max for Retail, where Local Inventory Ads are already enabled by default, while other campaign types remain unaffected.

https://searchengineland.com/google-confirms-local-inventory-ads-will-be-enabled-by-default-482779

Study Questions IP-Based CTV Targeting Accuracy

A joint study by identity provider Adstra and media agency InterMedia Advertising found that IP-based targeting for connected TV is far less accurate than widely assumed, with only 23% of residential IP addresses reaching their intended geographic target. Device-level CTV identifiers proved more reliable, maintaining consistent identity links 71% of the time versus 57% for IP addresses. To address the issue, Adstra introduced ID Connection Strength (ICS), a framework that scores the reliability of digital identifiers using factors such as recency, frequency, signal quality and consistency. Currently being tested by brands, agencies and platforms, ICS aims to improve audience targeting, measurement and media allocation by making identity quality more transparent and measurable.

https://www.adweek.com/convergent-tv/ip-based-ctv-targeting-fails-3-in-every-4-times-new-research-finds/

W3C Develops Browser-Based Attribution API

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is developing a proposed Attribution API web standard that would shift digital advertising measurement from ad tech companies to web browsers, allowing campaigns to be measured while reducing access to user-level browsing data. Instead of relying on third-party cookies or fingerprinting, browsers would internally match ad exposures with outcomes such as purchases or sign-ups, returning only aggregated, privacy-preserving reports enhanced with statistical noise. The proposal builds on concepts introduced by Google’s Privacy Sandbox but aims to become a cross-browser standard rather than a Chrome-specific solution. While supporters see it as a privacy-first framework for open-web measurement, critics question browser control, transparency, fraud detection and whether the available data will remain sufficient for advertisers.

https://digiday.com/media-buying/wtf-w3cs-attribution-api/

Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix Push Cloud Gaming

Amazon, Microsoft and Netflix are accelerating efforts to make cloud gaming a mainstream part of their entertainment ecosystems. Amazon has integrated its Luna cloud gaming service into Prime Video, enabling Prime members in the U.S. and U.K. to play games directly from the streaming platform on Fire TV devices, with monthly additions planned. Microsoft, meanwhile, is testing a free, ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming for Xbox Insiders, offering one-hour streaming sessions with preroll ads to broaden access without requiring a premium subscription. Netflix is also expanding its cloud gaming strategy after reporting rapid adoption, with monthly active cloud players increasing elevenfold since scaling the service in late 2025. The company is leveraging major entertainment IP, including the FIFA World Cup and upcoming Women’s World Cup, to drive engagement and position gaming as a core complement to video streaming.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/23/amazon-is-bringing-games-to-prime-video/

Anthropic Launches Claude Opus 5

Anthropic has launched Claude Opus 5, a new flagship AI model designed to deliver performance close to Fable 5 while costing roughly half as much. The company says the model matches or exceeds Fable 5 in several practical areas, including business workflows, computer use and agentic research, while maintaining pricing similar to the previous Opus 4.8 release. Opus 5 also performs strongly even at lower computational effort, completing more business tasks than competing models running at higher effort. Compared with Fable 5, Anthropic expects the new model to require around 85% fewer safety interventions, making it more suitable for broad enterprise deployment. Fable 5 remains stronger in specialized cybersecurity and biology tasks, while Opus 5 is now available across all supported platforms.

https://9to5google.com/2026/07/24/anthropic-launches-claude-opus-5/

EU Forces Google to Open Search Data

The European Commission has adopted binding measures under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) requiring Google to share anonymized Search data with eligible rival search engines and AI chatbots, while also opening key Android features to competing AI assistants. Qualified providers will gain access to anonymized query, click, view and ranking-position data to build their own retrieval and ranking systems, although Google’s algorithms and sensitive user information remain protected. The rules also require Android to support third-party AI assistants with deeper operating system access over the coming years. Google opposes the measures, citing privacy and security concerns, but the Commission argues that technical safeguards and audits will protect users-position data while fostering greater competition in search and AI-powered information retrieval across Europe.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-must-share-anonymized-search-data-with-rivals/582922/

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

the full batch. #133

Andrea Girelli — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 17:16:36 GMT

TL;DR? NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

Google Ends Smart Bidding Overperformance ★ GSC Finally Tracks Social Search Performance ★ Microdramas Become Marketing’s Hottest Format ★ Agentic Commerce Tops 2026 Retail Trends ★ IAB Rewrites Video Advertising Rules ★ AI Puts Dynamic Billboards Inside TV Scenes ★ Audience Targeting Is Being Replaced ★ Google Upgrades YouTube Ads Measurement ★ Four Major AI Models Launch Together ★ OpenAI Kills Atlas Browser ★ Netflix Bets On Short Videos ★ EU Targets Meta’s Addictive Design ★ European Ad Spend Hits €131 Billion ★ Enjoy!

BIDDABLE ADS

Google’s Marvin Clarifies AI Search and Qualified Future Conversions
Google will now disclose which ads are made with AI
Google Clarifies Smart Bidding Update After Advertiser Concerns ★★★
OpenAI set to expand ads to France, Germany and Ireland
ChatGPT Ads rolling out audience lists
A Google Ads targeting tactic that cut invalid clicks by 50%
Google adds Channel Diagnostics to Performance Max
What Meta’s AI Connectors Change About Running Paid Social
AI is making creative the new targeting
Why broad targeting makes creative your best qualifier

SEARCH MARKETING

AI Visibility Rankings Aren’t Stable - New Research Shows It’s Mostly Statistical Noise
Google’s New Merchant Listing Structured Data Improves SEO
See how content from social and video platforms performs on Google Search ★★★
Google On Using Markdown For AI SEO
62% Of AI Brand Recommendations Vanish After One Buyer Question - New Data
Google Answers Question About LLMs-Author.txt For SEO
Safari’s New MCP Server Lets AI Debug Your Core Web Vitals To Improve SEO
Google’s DMCA Removal System Is Being Exploited To Erase Real Pages
Google Ends Cache-Served AMP Pages In Search
July 2026 Google Webmaster Report
Google AI Overviews Study Finds Lost Clicks Weren’t Lower Quality
ChatGPT Thinking mode changes which brands get cited
How ChatGPT Actually Picks Sources (I Read The Network Traffic, Not The Outputs)

SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram Plus Stories Features, User-Controlled Algorithms, and Episodic Reels: What Marketers Need to Know
Character.AI enters the microdrama arena with its own productions, but there’s a twist
Brands see content gold in microdramas. Will they muck up the moment? ★★★
Majority of US adults support social media bans
Meta will charge for access to advanced AI features
TikTok launches branded minidramas

SHOPPING ADS, eCOMMERCE, SOCIAL COMMERCE, RETAIL MEDIA

Locala Launches the 2026 Retail Insights Barometer: “New Retail at a Crossroads” ★★★
Future of Amazon Search: Innovations to Targeting, Formats, and Measurement
AI try-on linked to higher ecommerce conversion
Streaming is the next frontier for Walmart’s, Kroger’s ads businesses

PROGRAMMATIC, DISPLAY & VIDEO, CTV

The WebMCP Tools You Expose To Agents Can Be Used To Hijack Them
IAB Releases Redefining Media Types Standard for Public Comment ★★★
How Containerization Is Reshaping The Programmatic Supply Chain With inPowered AI And Equativ | Cannes 2026
Advertisers Await Programmatic Pause Ads
Cannes: Programmatic and the Open Web on La Croisette
Dynamically Inserted Billboards In TV Content: Groundbreaking Or Distracting? ★★★
Mobile’s Transparency Problem: Why Legacy DSPs Can’t Deliver Real Performance in 2026

DATA, TARGETING & COOKIELESS

The Open Web Is Shifting From An Audience Economy To A Context Economy ★★★
Yahoo Broadens LiveRamp Integration for Authenticated Targeting in Canada & Europe

MEDIA QUALITY & BRAND SAFETY

xpln.ai Launches Ideal Attention Time for Smarter Campaign Planning
MFA Ad Spend Is Increasing. Is AI Slop To Blame?
Reddit reports more than 23M daily spam views
Google adds features to Video Reach and Video View campaigns ★★★

METAVERSE, AR/VR, GAMING, WEARABLES

Electronic Arts is betting that in-game ads can out-earn CTV
From Ad Monetisation to Inventory Intelligence: The Next Phase of Game Revenue Growth

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ★★★

OpenAI launches its new family of models with GPT-5.6
Meta launches Muse Spark 1.1
SpaceXAI releases Grok 4.5, which Elon describes as an ‘Opus-class model’
Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5 Is Back With New Usage Limits And Safeguards
Anthropic launches Claude Sonnet 5 as a cheaper way to run agents

fAIlure - Behind the hype

OpenAI’s Ad Business Is on Pace to Miss Its Own Forecast By 90%, Analyst Says
OpenAI is shutting down Atlas, but its AI browser ambitions are still growing ★★★
Even banks and hyperscalers are now sounding the alarm about the AI bubble
Mark Zuckerberg tells staff that AI agents haven’t progressed as quickly as he’d hoped

MARTECH

Standalone CDPs Fade as Enterprise Suites Expand
The CMS is becoming the AI operating system for brands

AGENCIES

EXCLUSIVE: Zenith Retains Reckitt’s $400M US Media Business Following WPP’s Europe Win
Dentsu strikes Meta deal to build plumbing for mass influencer activation
How fandoms are different and why Havas is doubling down on them
Experian & Alliance of Independent Agencies Launch Indie Intelligence Council

PUBLISHERS

WTF is SPUR’s publisher-run Content Telemetry Framework?
Disney+ is considering a free streaming tier, report says
Netflix could be planning ‘always-on’ live TV channels
Netflix dabbles in shorter video content with its new set of publisher deals with Variety, others ★★★
Relevant Digital Unveils Dynamic Placement Insertion to Boost Publisher Revenue
Cloudflare’s new policy pushes AI companies to pay for publishers’ content

PRIVACY, LEGAL, DATA PROTECTION

EU Commission preliminarily finds Meta apps addictive ★★★
EU ‘Chat Control’ snoopfest returns after vote to kill it falls short
Meta allowed ads promoting child sexual abuse in India
Confidential computing’s core trust mechanism is broken. The fix may not exist
WhatsApp usernames are already raising impersonation red flags

MERGERS & ACQUISISTIONS

12 states sue to block Paramount’s $110B Warner Bros. deal
Criteo is subject to a takeover bid, further proving private equity’s continued interest in ad tech

MISCELLANEOUS

Gen Z’s Short Attention Span Is a Myth. Here Are 5 Keys To Capturing Their Interest.
IAB Europe’s AdEx Benchmark 2025 Report ★★★
Marketing’s data breakdown: H1 by the numbers

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

European Digital Ad Spend Hits €131 Billion

Andrea Girelli — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 17:01:47 GMT

This week’s news confirms that video is no longer just another advertising format; it is becoming the operating system of digital media. From YouTube’s richer measurement tools and IAB’s effort to redefine video environments, to Netflix embracing short-form publisher content and brands experimenting with microdramas, the industry is converging around more immersive, measurable and commerce-driven video experiences. At the same time, AI is reshaping how video is created, classified and monetized, from embedded in-content advertising to agentic optimization. The result is a clear shift: success will depend less on simply buying video inventory and more on understanding the context, format and viewing experience that drive attention, engagement and business outcomes.

Ciao Digital Folks, here’s the latest news in Digital Marketing, 30 Jun-13 Jul 2026.

📌 Google Ends Smart Bidding Overperformance
📌 GSC Finally Tracks Social Search Performance
📌 Microdramas Become Marketing’s Hottest Format
📌 Agentic Commerce Tops 2026 Retail Trends
📌 IAB Rewrites Video Advertising Rules
📌 AI Puts Dynamic Billboards Inside TV Scenes
📌 Audience Targeting Is Being Replaced
📌 Google Upgrades YouTube Ads Measurement
📌 Four Major AI Models Launch Together
📌 OpenAI Kills Atlas Browser
📌 Netflix Bets On Short Videos
📌 EU Targets Meta’s Addictive Design
⭐ European Digital Ad Spend Hits €131 Billion

Enjoy!

Google Ends Smart Bidding Overperformance

Google has clarified how its Smart Bidding update, rolling out on August 17, will affect budget-constrained campaigns using Target CPA or Target ROAS after advertisers raised concerns about reduced efficiency. Instead of allowing campaigns to significantly outperform their targets, Smart Bidding will optimize more closely to the CPA or ROAS advertisers set, aiming to make budget changes and campaign scaling more predictable. Google stressed that the update will not automatically increase budgets or modify bidding targets, but advertisers seeking to preserve current performance should consider lowering their targets before the rollout. The company also introduced account notifications and a Bid Target Adjustment Tool to help identify affected campaigns.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-clarifies-smart-bidding-update-after-advertiser-concerns/581804/

GSC Finally Tracks Social Search Performance

Google has introduced platform properties in Search Console, enabling creators and publishers to measure how their Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube content performs on Google Search and Discover, even without a website. The new property type provides performance reports showing clicks, impressions, top queries and posts, alongside insights into traffic trends and audience discovery, plus achievement milestones tracking search growth. Users can create a platform property by selecting a supported platform in Search Console and completing a verification process to authorize the connection. The feature, which follows an earlier experiment, is rolling out gradually over the coming weeks to give creators a consolidated view of how their social and video content is discovered through Google Search.

https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2026/07/search-console-social-video-platforms?hl=en

Microdramas Become Marketing’s Hottest Format

Brands including Crocs, Procter & Gamble, Dr Pepper, Marc Jacobs and JCPenney are increasingly adopting microdramas—short, serialized, social-first video stories—to build deeper consumer engagement and drive commerce as the format gains popularity beyond Asia. Designed around cliffhangers and brief episodes, microdramas are proving effective on platforms like TikTok, with successful campaigns delivering millions of views, impressions and shoppable experiences. Marketers are advised to prioritise storytelling over product promotion, align projects with clear business goals and measure long-term engagement rather than immediate reach. While some experts warn brands risk overcommercialising a trend that could fade, others see microdramas as a lasting evolution toward entertainment-led, creator-driven marketing.

https://www.marketingdive.com/news/brands-content-gold-microdramas-will-they-muck-up-moment/819961/

Agentic Commerce Tops 2026 Retail Trends

Locala has released the sixth edition of its 2026 Retail Insights Barometer, highlighting how AI, economic pressures and evolving consumer expectations are reshaping global retail. Based on research combining industry interviews and a survey of 8,000 consumers across Europe, North America and APAC, the report identifies 13 major trends, including the rise of agentic commerce, where AI agents can independently complete purchases, a shift from competing on the lowest price to delivering the “right price” through value and trust, and the transformation of physical stores into experiential, data-driven retail media hubs. The findings argue that retailers must embrace unified, AI-powered commerce strategies to remain competitive in a rapidly changing market.

https://www.exchangewire.com/blog/2026/07/13/locala-launches-the-2026-retail-insights-barometer-new-retail-at-a-crossroads/

IAB Rewrites Video Advertising Rules

The IAB, in partnership with IAB Tech Lab, has released its Redefining Media Types (RMT) Standard for public comment, proposing a new framework to standardise how digital video advertising environments are classified across planning, buying and measurement. The standard replaces outdated technology-based definitions with a consumer experience approach, organising video into viewing categories such as lean-back, personal-screen and passive viewing, while adding impression-level attributes including sound, skippability, device and measurability. Designed to improve interoperability across brands, agencies, publishers and ad tech platforms, the framework also supports OpenRTB and Project Eidos standards, helping reduce inconsistencies and prepare the ecosystem for increasingly automated, AI-driven media transactions.

https://www.iab.com/news/iab-releases-redefining-media-types-standard-for-public-comment/

AI Puts Dynamic Billboards Inside TV Scenes

AI startup Rembrand is developing technology that enables advertisers to insert dynamic, programmatically sold billboard-style ads directly into TV shows by digitally placing branded content into backgrounds and establishing shots without interrupting the narrative. The approach aims to create new advertising inventory that is less disruptive than traditional commercial breaks while improving brand awareness, attention and purchase intent when combined with standard TV ads. Although currently sold mainly through direct sponsorship deals to ensure brand and publisher control, Rembrand is testing programmatic capabilities. The technology also raises concerns about viewer distraction, creative integrity and the growing use of personalised, non-skippable advertising embedded within entertainment content.

https://www.adexchanger.com/ctv-roundup/dynamically-inserted-billboards-in-tv-content-groundbreaking-or-distracting/

Audience Targeting Is Being Replaced

Nathan Woodman argues that the open web is shifting from identity-based audience targeting to AI-powered context systems that interpret real-time signals such as location, content, timing and surrounding activity to deliver more relevant advertising. He contends that emerging technologies, including containerised bidding, the IAB Tech Lab’s Agentic Real-Time Framework (ARTF) and Agentic Audiences, enable AI models to process contextual information directly within ad auctions, improving decision-making while reducing latency. Rather than relying on static audience profiles built from past behaviour, this approach prioritises understanding the user’s current context, positioning contextual inference as the next stage of digital advertising and a key competitive advantage for the open web.

https://www.adexchanger.com/data-driven-thinking/the-open-web-is-shifting-from-an-audience-economy-to-a-context-economy/

Google Upgrades YouTube Ads Measurement

Google has introduced new measurement capabilities for YouTube Video Reach and Video View campaigns to help advertisers better understand campaign performance and optimise spending. Video View Campaigns using Shorts will now automatically include Shorts Ad Actions—such as likes, comments and shares—in budget optimisation, while Google Ads adds detailed reporting columns for each engagement metric. Google has also rolled out Attributed Branded Searches globally, enabling advertisers to measure how many people search for a brand within 30 days of seeing an ad. Together, these updates provide deeper insight into user engagement and the longer-term impact of video advertising, helping marketers make more informed optimisation and investment decisions.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/google-adds-features-to-video-reach-and-video-view-campaigns/824035/

Four Major AI Models Launch Together

OpenAI, Meta, SpaceXAI and Anthropic have launched new AI models aimed at making advanced agentic, coding and workplace capabilities faster, cheaper and more widely accessible. OpenAI introduced GPT-5.6 in three tiers, highlighting stronger cybersecurity, coding efficiency and enterprise productivity tools. Meta released Muse Spark 1.1, focused on multimodal reasoning, automation and paid developer access. SpaceXAI positioned Grok 4.5 as a lower-cost, token-efficient alternative for coding and knowledge work, while Anthropic expanded its portfolio with Sonnet 5 and the return of Fable 5 under tighter safeguards and usage limits. Together, the releases show that AI competition is shifting from raw capability toward cost, reliability, safety and autonomous task execution.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/09/openai-launches-its-new-family-of-models-with-gpt-5-6/

OpenAI Kills Atlas Browser

OpenAI is shutting down its Atlas AI browser while expanding its browser-based capabilities across ChatGPT’s desktop app and a new Chrome extension. The company is moving Atlas features into tools people already use, allowing ChatGPT to understand webpages, answer questions, summarize content and perform longer tasks directly within Chrome. Its desktop app is also gaining a more capable browser that can navigate websites, access accounts, download files and interact with pages, while a cloud-based browser lets AI agents complete tasks remotely. The shift reflects OpenAI’s view that standalone AI browsers are less valuable than integrating agentic web functions into existing workflows, turning ChatGPT into a continuous workspace across browser, desktop and cloud environments.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/09/openai-is-shutting-down-atlas-but-its-ai-browser-ambitions-are-still-growing/

Netflix Bets On Short Videos

Netflix has signed licensing deals with publishers including BuzzFeed Studios, Condé Nast, Hearst, Tastemade and Penske Media brands such as Variety, Billboard and Rolling Stone to bring short-form video content to its streaming platform. Available from August 3 in selected English-speaking markets, the library will feature news, lifestyle, food, celebrity and entertainment videos ranging from two to over 20 minutes. The initiative expands Netflix’s content strategy beyond series, films, live events, games and video podcasts, allowing the company to test demand for web-native short-form formats as it competes more directly with platforms such as YouTube and TikTok and seeks to increase viewer engagement between major releases.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/07/netflix-dabbles-in-shorter-video-content-with-its-new-set-of-publisher-deals-with-variety-others/

EU Targets Meta’s Addictive Design

The European Commission has preliminarily concluded that Meta’s Facebook and Instagram breach the Digital Services Act by using addictive design features, including infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and highly personalised recommendation systems. Regulators argue that Meta failed to adequately assess and mitigate the risks these features pose to users’ wellbeing, particularly for minors and vulnerable adults. The Commission has proposed measures such as disabling autoplay and infinite scroll by default, introducing more effective screen-time breaks and reducing engagement-driven recommendations. If the findings are confirmed, Meta could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue and be required to make significant changes to its platforms across the EU.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/eu-commission-preliminarily-finds-meta-apps-addictive/825018/

European Digital Ad Spend Hits €131 Billion

IAB Europe’s 2025 AdEx Benchmark Report shows that European digital advertising spend grew 10.5% year over year to €131 billion, despite continued economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Growth was driven by video, social video, connected TV and retail media, with video rising 19.6% to exceed half of all display advertising investment for the first time, while retail media increased 16.7% to €13.3 billion, surpassing 10% of total digital ad spend. Although display, paid search and classifieds continued to grow, they lagged these faster-expanding formats. The findings indicate that advertisers are increasingly prioritising measurable, commerce-driven and video-led environments, signalling a structural shift in how digital advertising supports both branding and sales outcomes.

https://www.exchangewire.com/blog/2026/07/07/iab-europes-adex-benchmark-2025-report/

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

the full batch. #132

Andrea Girelli — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 15:14:16 GMT

BIDDABLE ADS

How to Advertise on TikTok: The Complete Guide
Google Ads Hosted Forms Leads Form Now Live
Google brings Maximize Conversion Value bidding to Standard Shopping
How to win competitor traffic with Demand Gen and negative-intent conquesting
Google Tests ‘Strongest Match’ Labels On Search Ads
Meta launches integrated booking for lead ads ★★★
Google updates AI Max reporting guidance and DSA transition plans
Reddit unveils new AI-powered ad tools built on community conversations

SEARCH MARKETING

Buying Reddit To Win AI Citations Is The New Link Farm
Google Answers Question About SEO For AI Agents
The PEE Framework for Agentic AI - Whiteboard Friday
Google’s Mueller Explains How AI Search Impressions Get Counted
Tailor Your Feed: The Google Discover fan-out that surfaces niche sites
The Accessibility Tree Is How AI Agents Read Your Site & It’s Breaking
Google Finishes Rolling Out The June 2026 Spam Update ★★★
The Most Important Google Ranking Factors for 2026
Google Cautions Against Markdown Versions Of Websites For AI SEO
ChatGPT Is Secretly Googling Things: This Tool Shows You Exactly What
Google Says X-Frame-Options Matters For SEO
Google’s LLM patent suggests a new goal for SEO: Teaching AI who you are

SOCIAL MEDIA

WhatsApp now lets you reserve usernames
Instagram tests more algorithm controls
YouTube Shorts are getting even shorter with an update that lets you double the playback speed
Meta considers entering prediction markets
Instagram expands to Samsung Smart TV ★★★

SHOPPING ADS, eCOMMERCE, SOCIAL COMMERCE, RETAIL MEDIA

EU introduces €3 customs charge on small parcels to curb cheap Chinese imports ★★★
New Ecommerce Tools: June 24, 2026
Albertsons integrates branded product placement into AI-search tool
Walmart Buys Vibe.co To Woo SMBs To Streaming ★★★
Shopify launches AI-powered marketing automation tool
Amazon launches Alexa+ Agentic Ads ★★★
Reddit launches more integrated ad options to assure shoppers

PROGRAMMATIC, DISPLAY & VIDEO, CTV

Advertisers Say They Need More Data From Netflix
Advertisers may finally see who really touches their bid requests ★★★
WTF is containerization?
Adnami & Index Exchange Partner to Re-Imagine Curation for the Attention Era
SuiteDSP Expands Transparency Capabilities with Advanced Supply Path Controls

DATA, TARGETING & COOKIELESS

Where synthetic data fits into customer research
The hunt for a post-LiveRamp successor is already underway

MEDIA QUALITY & BRAND SAFETY

Meta plans to replace 90% of content review staff with AI
81.8% Of My ‘AI Assistant’ Traffic Was Fake. The Googlebot Number Was Worse ★★★
UK government wants ‘trusted’ news sources promoted above the social media noise
DoubleVerify Expands DV Authentic AdVantage to Meta & TikTok

DOOH, AUDIO, OTHERS

Spotify rebuilds ad business around automation, AI to secure bigger media budgets
Cannes-terview: Why Audio Ad Spend Still Lags, According To Spotify’s VP Of Product

CREATOR ECONOMY, INFLUENCER MARKETING

Inside the infrastructure behind Unilever’s creator force
Your Brand Message Is Costing You Half Your Views - What 2 Reports Can Tell Us
Meta brings back Facebook Creator Studio
Starbucks pilots TikTok program for boosting employee-generated content

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

ChatGPT is the most popular AI tool for people in the US
Asian AI startups launch Mythos-like models as Anthropic’s export ban drags on
OpenAI limits GPT-5.6 rollout after government request, says restrictions shouldn’t be the norm
Anthropic’s Claude is winning over paid consumers, a market owned by ChatGPT
OpenAI unveils its first custom chip, built by Broadcom
AI Chatbot Use Hits 49%, But Skepticism Stays High

fAIlure - Behind the hype

Ford rehires ‘gray beard’ engineers after AI falls short ★★★
AI coding agents could soon cost more than the developers using them
Companies are scrambling to stop employees from maxing out AI budgets with small tasks

MARTECH

When best-of-breed stacks become too complex to manage
Agentic AI is rewriting martech economics and infrastructure
Gartner CMO Spend Survey: Budgets Reflect Increase in Consumption-Based Martech, Paid Media Spend

AGENCIES

How Publicis Sapient transformed its marketing organization
Omnicom Media kicks off a series of partnerships at Cannes Lions with a first-time Netflix deal
Omnicom Can Now Measure Ad Frequency Across Multiple CTV Platforms

PUBLISHERS

Why Major UK Publishers Are Finally Joining Forces To Curate Ad Inventory
Google And Shopify Back Cloudflare’s AI Bot Gatekeeping Initiative ★★★

PRIVACY, LEGAL, DATA PROTECTION

In major privacy win, Supreme Court rules geofence warrants are protected by privacy rights
Meta tries to limit liabilities in child harm cases
European Commission lines up Amazon and Microsoft for cloud gatekeeper status
A German Court Made Google Liable For What Its AI Says About You

MISCELLANEOUS

Meta Glasses ditch the Ray-Ban name for a lower price, three styles now available
The Stack: Industry week recap
5 Cannes Lions takeaways as marketers wrestle with an industry in flux ★★★
The email newsletter is back and winning the inbox
Google opens the Play Store to external billing in the US, UK, and Europe next week

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

Most AI Bot Traffic Is Fake

Andrea Girelli — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 13:58:19 GMT

After years of hype, companies are judging AI on tangible business outcomes rather than promises. Ford is bringing back veteran engineers after automation failed to meet quality standards, while marketers at Cannes Lions signaled a renewed appreciation for human creativity alongside AI. At the same time, Google, Cloudflare and IAB Tech Lab are working to make the AI ecosystem more secure and transparent, and Duane Forrester’s bot analysis exposed how easily AI identities can be faked. Meanwhile, Meta, Amazon, Instagram and Walmart are deploying AI and automation where they deliver clear value: simplifying customer journeys, improving advertising performance and creating more seamless digital experiences.

Ciao Digital Folks, here’s the latest news in Digital Marketing, 21-29 Jun 2026

📌 Meta Brings Direct Booking to Lead Ads
📌 Google Completes June Spam Update
📌 Instagram Makes Another TV Push
📌 EU Imposes €3 Charge on Cheap Imports
📌 Walmart Makes $1.4B CTV Bet
📌 Alexa+ Ads Enable In-Chat Purchases
📌 IAB Proposes Supply Chain Transparency Upgrade
⭐ Most AI Bot Traffic Is Fake
📌 Ford Rehires Engineers After AI Fails
📌 Cloudflare Launches AI Trust Standard
📌 Cannes Highlights Five Marketing Trends

Enjoy!

Meta Brings Direct Booking to Lead Ads

Meta has launched embedded appointment booking for Facebook lead ads, allowing advertisers to connect third-party scheduling platforms directly within ads. The feature takes users who submit their details straight to a booking form with pre-filled fields, reducing friction and helping interested prospects schedule appointments immediately while their intent remains high. Advertisers can enable the option without coding by pasting a scheduling link and selecting “book time” as the call to action, after which the system detects compatible calendar providers automatically. The feature currently supports Calendly and HighLevel, with HubSpot integration planned and additional partners to follow. Global availability for Facebook ads is expected in October.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-launches-integrated-booking-for-lead-ads/823711/

Google Completes June Spam Update

Google has completed the global rollout of its June 2026 spam update, applying the changes across all languages to improve its automated spam detection systems, including the AI-powered SpamBrain. The rollout lasted from June 24 to June 26 and is the second spam update of the year. Unlike core updates, spam updates specifically target spam detection rather than broader ranking systems, and no new spam policies accompanied this release. Website owners experiencing ranking or traffic fluctuations should compare them with the rollout period and review Google’s existing spam policies. Any recovery may take months, as Google’s systems need time to reassess sites after improvements are made.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-begins-rolling-out-the-june-2026-spam-update/580424/

Instagram Makes Another TV Push

Instagram has expanded its TV app to Samsung Smart TVs in the U.S., making it available on most connected television devices while testing new features to improve large-screen viewing. Building on growing consumption of short-form video, the platform is introducing personalized channels, Stories displayed vertically on TV, a dedicated section for horizontal videos and the ability to send Reels from mobile devices to televisions. Instagram is also experimenting with creator-focused long-form and episodic content, alongside enhanced livestream viewing and interaction features. The company aims to increase engagement on connected TVs and create new advertising opportunities, despite earlier TV initiatives, including the original IGTV app, failing to gain widespread adoption.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-expands-to-samsung-smart-tv/823458/

EU Imposes €3 Charge on Cheap Imports

The European Union has introduced a €3 customs charge on low-value parcels worth under €150 to curb the surge of cheap imports, mainly from China, and support European retailers. The measure removes the previous duty-free exemption, requiring customs declarations for all such shipments and aiming to reduce the competitive advantage of e-commerce platforms such as Temu and Shein. EU officials also cited consumer safety concerns, as research found many imported products, including toys, cosmetics and food supplements, failed to meet EU standards. The new charge applies from Wednesday across the bloc, including Northern Ireland under post-Brexit trading arrangements, while Shein is adapting its logistics network in response.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/29/eu-introduces-customs-charge-on-small-parcels-to-curb-cheap-chinese-imports

Walmart Makes $1.4B CTV Bet

Walmart has agreed to acquire French self-service connected TV advertising platform Vibe.co for a reported $1.4 billion to strengthen its streaming advertising business and attract more small and medium-sized advertisers. By combining Vibe’s easy-to-use campaign tools with Walmart Connect, Vizio’s smart TV platform and Walmart’s retail sales data, the company aims to improve closed-loop attribution and make performance-focused TV advertising more accessible. The acquisition builds on Walmart’s broader strategy of expanding its advertising technology through previous purchases, including Vizio and other ad tech firms. The deal also reflects growing consolidation in the connected TV market as companies compete for a larger share of streaming advertising budgets.

https://www.adexchanger.com/tv/walmart-buys-vibe-co-to-woo-smbs-to-streaming/

Alexa+ Ads Enable In-Chat Purchases

Amazon has launched Alexa+ Agentic Ads, a new advertising format that enables consumers to discover products, ask questions and complete purchases entirely through conversations with the Alexa+ assistant. Available initially on Echo Show devices, the feature keeps the entire shopping journey within the Alexa experience, allowing users to compare options, check availability and finalize transactions without switching to websites or apps. Early partners include Papa Johns for food ordering and Ticketmaster-supported concert sales for artists such as Beck, Jill Scott and Omar Courtz. By reducing friction between product discovery and checkout, Amazon aims to boost conversions and position AI assistants as integrated commerce platforms.

https://searchengineland.com/amazon-launches-alexa-agentic-ads-480842

IAB Proposes Supply Chain Transparency Upgrade

IAB Tech Lab has proposed an update to its OpenRTB SupplyChain standard that would give advertisers greater visibility into every company handling a programmatic bid request, not just those involved in payment. The proposed SupplyChain v1.1 standard expands transparency by identifying technical participants, such as ad servers, SDKs and other intermediaries, alongside commercial entities, allowing buyers to better evaluate the value each adds. By improving insight into the full supply chain, the update aims to help advertisers optimize programmatic buying, reduce inefficiencies and identify redundant intermediaries. The proposal is open for public comment until Aug. 21, 2026, with adoption guidance planned to support a gradual industry rollout.

https://martech.org/advertisers-may-finally-see-who-really-touches-their-bid-requests/

Most AI Bot Traffic Is Fake

Duane Forrester analyzed server logs from his newly launched CitationIQ website and found that most bot traffic claiming to come from AI assistants and Googlebot was spoofed rather than genuine. By comparing self-reported bot names with the official IP address ranges published by providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Common Crawl, he verified only six of 33 AI assistant requests and 107 of 799 Googlebot requests as authentic. The investigation also uncovered fake bots attempting to access sensitive files and highlighted differences between live AI retrieval requests and background training crawlers. He recommends website owners perform similar IP-based verification on their own server logs instead of relying solely on user-agent strings.

Duane Forrester Decodes

81.8% of My “AI Assistant” Traffic Was Fake. The Googlebot Number Was Worse.

I launched CitationIQ.com recently. Over the last two weeks, my logs claimed thirty-three AI assistants visited, a little better than two a day. That number is a lie. The real number? Six…

Listen now

2 months ago · 2 likes · Duane Forrester Decodes

Ford Rehires Engineers After AI Fails

Ford has rehired 350 experienced “gray beard” engineers after finding that artificial intelligence and automated quality systems failed to deliver the expected product quality. The veteran specialists, including former employees and engineers from suppliers, are identifying potential failures before parts reach production, while also training younger staff and helping improve AI tools. Company executives acknowledged that relying too heavily on AI to interpret design requirements did not produce high-quality results. The strategy has already contributed to lower warranty and recall costs, saving Ford hundreds of millions of dollars, and coincides with the automaker achieving the highest ranking among mainstream brands in the latest J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/28/ford-rehires-gray-beard-engineers-after-ai-falls-short/

Cloudflare Launches AI Trust Standard

Cloudflare has unveiled the Private Access Control Tokens (PACT) initiative, backed by Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox and Shopify, to create an open, privacy-preserving protocol for managing trust between AI agents and websites. The proposed standard enables browsers to present anonymous tokens proving a human is involved in an AI interaction, reducing reliance on CAPTCHAs, browser fingerprinting and other intrusive verification methods while helping websites distinguish legitimate AI agents from malicious bots. Cloudflare aims to make agentic AI interactions more secure and seamless across the web, although details such as who will issue the trust tokens and the rollout timeline have not yet been disclosed.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-and-shopify-back-cloudflares-ai-bot-gatekeeping-initiative/580182/

Cannes Highlights Five Marketing Trends

Marketing leaders at the 2026 Cannes Lions festival identified five key trends shaping the advertising industry as it adapts to rapid technological change. Artificial intelligence remained the dominant topic, with discussions shifting from hype toward practical business applications, although many attendees felt innovation on display lagged behind real-world progress. At the same time, handcrafted creative work gained renewed recognition, reflecting a growing appreciation for human creativity alongside AI. Participants also noted leaner attendance by brands and agencies, a stronger demand for substantive discussions, and the increasing integration of creators into mainstream marketing strategies, with influencer partnerships becoming a core element of campaigns rather than a standalone tactic.

https://www.marketingdive.com/news/5-cannes-lions-takeaways-as-marketers-wrestle-with-an-industry-in-flux/823850/

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

the full batch. #131

Andrea Girelli — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:19:46 GMT

TL;DR? NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

OpenAI opened its ChatGPT Ads Manager beta in the UK, letting brands build campaigns through a self-serve platform resembling traditional ad dashboards. ★ Google expanded Smart Bidding Exploration globally, launched Promotion Mode beta, and revamped budget-limited campaign optimization ahead of August changes. ★ Pew Research Center found 60% of Americans read AI search summaries, while 40% use chatbots, with ChatGPT dominating adoption. ★ Meta launched Facebook AI Mode, turning public posts, Groups and Reels into conversational answers generated by Meta AI. ★ Meta expanded livestream shopping with Instagram live ads, in-stream product browsing and AI-powered product matching for viewers. ★ Yahoo launched an Agent Network linking its DSP to 23 AI partners for targeting, creative, activation and measurement. ★ Databricks entered martech with CustomerLake, an agentic CDP using AI agents to deliver continuous real-time personalization at scale. ★ Kapwing found TikTok’s For You feed contains 59% AI-generated “slop,” nearly triple YouTube Shorts’ 21% rate. ★ The UK CMA ordered Google to give advance notice of major ranking changes and apply objective criteria to AI Overviews. ★ The UK government proposed banning under-16s from TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and other social apps while restricting livestreaming features. ★ SpaceX agreed to acquire AI coding startup Cursor for $60 billion in stock to strengthen xAI and enterprise AI ambitions. ★ Enjoy!

BIDDABLE ADS

OpenAI opens ChatGPT Ads Manager beta to UK advertisers ★★★
Google Ads brings back Target CPA and Target ROAS naming
Google Ads automatically enrols advertisers in conversion-based customer lists
Google Ads launches beta for supplemental conversion data
The Comprehensive Guide to Online Advertising Costs for 2026
Pinterest launches AI-powered ad and shopping tools
Google Ads to automatically classify conversion-based customer lists
Google Ads shifts Demand Gen billing to CPM for some Discover campaigns
Microsoft Advertising Launches Product Explorer
Google Ads Bidding Changes: What PPC Managers Need To Know About The 3 Updates ★★★

SEARCH MARKETING

Google AI Overviews cite self-serving listicles, but recommend competitors 69% of the time
Pew: 60% of Americans read AI summaries in search results ★★★
Google’s Updated Guidance Now Says It’s “Fine” To Use LLMs.txt For AI SEO
Adobe brings GEO to CX Enterprise with Adobe Brand Visibility
AI search adoption rises as consumer trust declines: Study
AI referrals to travel sites surge 194% as engagement rises: Adobe
Google Says Markdown For AI SEO Strips Away The Parts That Matter
97% Of LLMS.txt Files Got No Requests, Ahrefs Data Shows
Bing Rolls Out AI Citation Share In Webmaster Tools
Google’s Mueller Says llms.txt Can’t Help LLMs Differentiate Sites
Should You Even Try to Optimize for AI Overviews? [Study]
What new AI search data reveals about visibility and trust
Google’s Unexpected Take On Site Folder Structure And SEO
As AI reshapes search, TikTok turns discovery into a performance pitch

SOCIAL MEDIA

Reddit study highlights user purchase behavior
India blocks Telegram ahead of scandal-hit medical school entrance exam
Social media is the leading source of news, per Reuters
Threads adds new personalization and community features as it reaches 500M monthly users
Meta’s new ‘AI Mode’ on Facebook pulls from public info across its platforms ★★★

SHOPPING ADS, eCOMMERCE, SOCIAL COMMERCE, RETAIL MEDIA

Meta updates its livestream shopping tools ★★★
The Trade Desk Forms A Travel And Hospitality Media Network
Pinterest launches an experimental AI shopping app called ‘Ask Pinterest’
Europe’s New Tariffs on Temu & Shein: What Google Shopping Data Reveals
New Ecommerce Tools: June 17, 2026
4 New Must-Use Google Shopping Feed Attributes for Maximum Visibility
80% of ChatGPT product recommendations change when search is enabled: Study
Agentic Commerce And The New Rules Of Google Ads

PROGRAMMATIC, DISPLAY & VIDEO, CTV

Teads Launches CTV Ensemble for Unified Omnichannel Orchestration
Yahoo DSP is launching an ‘agent network’ ★★★
Uber Advertising expands beyond owned apps in play for more ad dollars
Hyundai Tests Containerized Ad Tech To Drive New Efficiency
“This Industry Isn’t Done Innovating.”: Andrew Casale on Index Exchange’s Containerised Future and a DSP Renaissance
Taboola Launches Ad Platform for AI Answer Engines, Conversational AI Offerings, Chatbots & Virtual Assistants

DATA, TARGETING & COOKIELESS

Adsquare Joins The Trade Desk’s Audience Unlimited to Scale Real-World Data Activation
WTF is vector-based ad targeting?
Databricks unveils CustomerLake, its agentic CDP ★★★

MEDIA QUALITY & BRAND SAFETY

Magnite Adds A Data-Quality Layer To Its CTV Inventory
Brand Metrics Launches Predictive+, the Industry’s First Predictive Brand Lift Solution for Connected TV
TikTok Shows 3x More AI Slop Than YouTube, Report Finds ★★★
Google Chrome’s next update will mark the end of popular ad blockers
X’s Grok chatbot is still generating fake nude images

METAVERSE, AR/VR, GAMING, WEARABLES

XREAL’s Android XR glasses launch ‘this fall’ with Project Hail Mary & Fallout games, $99 reservations open
Snap opens pre-orders for Specs AR glasses

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

ChatGPT’s market share slips below 50% for first time
Sixty percent of US consumers say ‘AI’ in brand messaging is a turnoff, survey finds
Google Cloud Announces The Open Knowledge Format

AGENCIES

‘Humans at the helm, agents in the loop’: WPP is testing a buyer agent for video, but it’s bigger bet is on governance
Omnicom Media rolls out research showing the need for CTV advertising to change its ways
Stagwell enhances its AI-powered tools on the media side
WPP Media is testing synthetic audiences based on charity donations for programmatic buys

PUBLISHERS

Warner Bros. Discovery revamps ad-tech stack around agentic AI, AWS
CoreMedia Review 2026
New York Post Partners with VideoElephant to Launch its First FAST Channel
Headline formats and Google Discover: What 3.4 million articles reveal

PRIVACY, LEGAL, DATA PROTECTION

Google Must Give Notice Before Significant Ranking Changes ★★★
Florida sues TikTok for allegedly violating its social media ban for kids
UK outlines plans for teen social media ban ★★★
Google found liable for bad AI Overview results. Let’s play Truth Or Consequences

SUSTAINABILITY

Anthropic becomes first AI startup to join the Frontier carbon removal coalition
DOJ claims xAI’s unpermitted gas turbines are a matter of ‘national, economic, and energy security’
Google announces $1.5 billion Alabama data center expansion, says it’s covering energy costs

MERGERS & ACQUISISTIONS

What Remains Of Vox Media Is Getting Bought By Penske Media Corp.
BlueConic acquires Blueshift as CDPs move from data to action
SpaceX to acquire Cursor for $60B in stock, days after blockbuster IPO ★★★
Salesforce acquires Fin, formerly known as Intercom
Fox acquires Roku for $22B to accelerate streaming advertising business

MISCELLANEOUS

Ad Revenue Stands To Grow By 8.9% This Year - And AI Might Be Why
Commodore gets into the phone biz with Sailfish-powered retro ‘Callback’
impact.com Announces 2026 iPX London Event, Bringing Together Global Leaders to Explore the Future of AI-driven Partnerships
The Paradox Of Personalization: Billions Of AI-Tailored Ads Creates A Measurement Mess

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

Meta Launches Its Version of Google’s AI Mode

Andrea Girelli — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 07:35:04 GMT

AI-generated answers are rapidly becoming the new front door to the web. Pew data shows that millions of people now rely on AI summaries and chatbots to find information, prompting regulators to pay closer attention to how these systems generate and rank responses. The UK has already moved to force greater transparency around Google’s AI-powered search results, recognizing their growing influence on public knowledge. Meta has spotted the same trend and, true to its history of adapting successful formats pioneered elsewhere, is bringing AI-powered search to Facebook. The challenge is that AI systems are only as good as their sources. If TikTok is already flooded with AI-generated slop, and governments are moving to shield younger users from online harms, what happens when AI starts synthesizing answers from social content itself? Meta may be creating a powerful discovery tool; or a highly efficient slop amplifier.

Ciao Digital Folks, here’s the latest news in Digital Marketing, 14-20 Jun 2026

📌 ChatGPT Ads Manager Beta Opens In UK
📌 Google Expands Smart Bidding Features
📌 60% Of Americans Read AI Summaries
⭐ Meta Launches Its Version of Google’s AI Mode
📌 Meta Pushes Harder Into Live Commerce
📌 Yahoo Unveils AI Agent Network
📌 Databricks Launches CustomerLake Agentic CDP
📌 59% Of TikTok Feed Is AI Slop
📌 UK Forces Google To Reveal Search Changes
📌 UK Moves To Block Under-16s Online
📌 SpaceX Acquires Cursor In $60B Deal

Enjoy!

ChatGPT Ads Manager Beta Opens In UK

OpenAI has begun rolling out a beta version of its ChatGPT Ads Manager to businesses in the UK, giving advertisers early access to a self-service platform for creating and managing advertising accounts. The dashboard is organized around campaigns, tools, billing and settings, with a simplified interface designed to resemble familiar digital marketing platforms and reduce setup barriers. Agencies and freelancers cannot create accounts for clients; instead, clients must open accounts themselves and grant access through user invitations. Unlike Google Ads’ centralized manager accounts, multiple accounts cannot yet be viewed simultaneously. The launch signals OpenAI’s move toward a scalable advertising ecosystem and allows marketers to familiarize themselves with its emerging ad infrastructure before wider adoption.

https://searchengineland.com/openai-opens-chatgpt-ads-manager-beta-to-uk-advertisers-480679

Google Expands Smart Bidding Features

Google has introduced three advertising updates aimed at improving campaign growth and optimization. Smart Bidding Exploration is now available globally for Search and eligible Performance Max campaigns, helping advertisers find additional conversions while maintaining existing bidding goals, with a beta also opening for Shopping campaigns. Google has also launched Promotion Mode in beta, allowing advertisers to temporarily increase budget flexibility and adjust ROAS targets during events such as product launches, seasonal promotions and flash sales. In addition, beginning August 17, Google will update how budget-limited campaigns are optimized to deliver more predictable performance aligned with CPA and ROAS targets, with account notifications and recommendations becoming available from July 6 to help advertisers prepare.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-ads-three-bidding-budgeting-updates/579292/

60% Of Americans Read AI Summaries

Pew Research Center found that AI-powered search tools have become mainstream among U.S. adults, with 60% reporting they read AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results and about 40% using AI chatbots to find information. Based on a survey of 5,119 adults conducted in February 2026, the study shows chatbot adoption has risen to roughly half of the population, with information search emerging as the most common use case, followed closely by work-related tasks among employed users. ChatGPT remains the dominant platform, used by 44% of adults, while Gemini ranks second and Copilot and Meta AI follow. The findings highlight how people increasingly obtain answers through both traditional search engines and AI-generated responses.

https://searchengineland.com/americans-read-ai-summaries-search-results-pew-480592

Meta Launches Its Version of Google’s AI Mode

Meta has introduced new AI-powered features on Facebook, led by AI Mode, a search tool that uses Meta AI to generate answers from public content across the platform, including Groups and Reels. Instead of browsing traditional search results, users can ask questions in natural language and receive synthesized responses based on community discussions. The company has also added AI-driven content creation tools, including photo presets that alter clothing, hairstyles and accessories, as well as enhanced video editing features. These additions build on recent AI launches such as animated profile pictures, automated Marketplace replies and a creator assistant. Together, the updates reflect Meta’s strategy to increase user engagement, expand AI adoption and support future subscription-based revenue opportunities.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/15/metas-new-ai-mode-on-facebook-pulls-from-public-info-across-its-platforms/

Meta Pushes Harder Into Live Commerce

Meta has expanded its livestream shopping and advertising tools across Facebook and Instagram to boost e-commerce activity and improve product discovery during live broadcasts. The company is rolling out live video ads globally on Facebook and extending them to Instagram, while partnering with platforms such as CommentSold, Firework, LiveMeUp, Sprii and TalkShopLive to support live commerce. New Facebook shopping features allow viewers to browse featured products, view prices and make purchases without leaving a stream, while support for virtual payment cards aims to enhance transaction security. Meta is also broadening its affiliate marketing program across multiple regions and updating its AI-driven ad systems to automatically match products and creative assets with the most relevant audiences in real time.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-updates-its-livestream-shopping-tools/823223/

Yahoo Unveils AI Agent Network

Yahoo has launched an Agent Network within its demand-side platform, connecting advertisers to AI-powered tools from 23 ad-tech partners in an effort to provide greater transparency and control over automated advertising. The network integrates AI capabilities across key campaign functions, including audience targeting, activation, creative development and measurement, allowing advertisers to choose from a range of specialized solutions rather than relying on a single platform’s proprietary systems. The move comes as brands become increasingly concerned about AI governance, transparency and concentration among major technology providers. By opening its platform to multiple partners, Yahoo is positioning its DSP as a more flexible and transparent alternative to the increasingly opaque AI-driven advertising ecosystems emerging across the industry.

https://digiday.com/media-buying/yahoo-dsp-is-launching-an-agent-network/

Databricks Launches CustomerLake Agentic CDP

Databricks has entered the marketing technology market with CustomerLake, an agentic customer data platform (CDP) designed to help organizations automate customer engagement through AI-driven agents that continuously analyze behavior, make decisions and take action in real time. Built on Databricks’ lakehouse architecture and governed by Unity Catalog, the platform combines customer data management, identity resolution, audience creation, campaign automation and activation in a single system. CustomerLake aims to replace traditional campaign-based workflows with continuous personalization at scale, addressing a future where both marketers and consumers increasingly rely on AI agents. The platform also integrates with a broad ecosystem of marketing, advertising and data partners, while using agentic identity resolution and third-party identity graphs to create richer customer profiles.

https://martech.org/databricks-unveils-customerlake-its-agentic-cdp/

59% Of TikTok Feed Is AI Slop

Kapwing has found that AI-generated “slop” content is far more prevalent on TikTok than on YouTube, with 59% of videos shown in a new user’s TikTok For You feed classified as AI-generated or heavily AI-produced, compared with 21% of YouTube Shorts. The analysis reviewed more than 10,000 TikTok videos across 20 categories and identified children’s content as the most affected area, where 57% of videos were AI slop and some popular tags exceeded 80%. Educational, science, health and history content also showed high concentrations, while categories reliant on human presence, such as fashion, music and fitness, had very low rates. The findings highlight growing concerns about the visibility and quality of AI-generated content on social platforms.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/tiktok-shows-3x-more-ai-slop-than-youtube-report-finds/579521/

UK Forces Google To Reveal Search Changes

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has introduced new requirements for Google Search that mandate fairer ranking practices and greater transparency in organic search results, including AI Overviews. Google must use objective, non-discriminatory criteria when ranking content, provide advance notice of significant ranking changes, and establish a formal process for businesses to raise concerns about search visibility. The regulator has also made Google’s UK Data Portability API a legal obligation, ensuring users can transfer search data to third-party services. Google has six months to implement the ranking measures and three months for data portability. The rules are part of the UK’s broader digital markets framework and aim to address longstanding concerns over the predictability and transparency of Google’s search ecosystem.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-must-give-notice-before-significant-ranking-changes/579696/

UK Moves To Block Under-16s Online

The UK government has unveiled plans to ban social media access for users under 16, targeting platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and X, while also restricting features such as livestreaming and communication with strangers. The measures, expected to take effect in 2027, are modeled on Australia’s under-16 social media restrictions but aim to introduce stronger age-verification and enforcement mechanisms after concerns that many Australian teenagers continue to access banned platforms. Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal would be exempt. Regulators plan to work with Ofcom to assess effective age-assurance technologies and strengthen enforcement capabilities. The proposal reflects growing concern over online harms affecting children, although questions remain about how effectively such restrictions can be implemented and enforced.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/uk-outlines-plans-for-teen-social-media-ban/822973/

SpaceX Acquires Cursor In $60B Deal

SpaceX has agreed to acquire AI coding startup Cursor in a $60 billion all-stock deal, strengthening its artificial intelligence ambitions just days after completing a record-breaking initial public offering. The acquisition is intended to bolster SpaceX’s AI division, which is centered on xAI and has faced operational challenges and controversies while attempting to compete with leading AI developers. Cursor, founded in 2022 and known for its rapidly growing AI-assisted coding platform, had been pursuing a major funding round that would have valued the company at $50 billion. The deal follows earlier collaborations between the companies and reflects SpaceX’s strategy of expanding its AI capabilities as it pursues large opportunities in AI infrastructure and enterprise software markets.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/16/spacex-to-acquire-cursor-for-60b-in-stock-days-after-blockbuster-ipo/

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

the full batch. #130

Andrea Girelli — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:05:28 GMT

TL;DR? NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

OpenAI launched product-feed ads in ChatGPT, letting retailers upload full catalogs and automatically match products to shopping conversations at scale. ★ Amazon merged Rufus and Alexa+ into Alexa for Shopping, embedding sponsored recommendations directly into AI-guided product research and purchases. ★ Google and Walmart integrated Walmart Connect into DV360, enabling YouTube advertisers to target Walmart shoppers and measure resulting store sales. ★ Pinterest added Amazon Storefront linking, allowing creators to automatically attach affiliate commissions when tagging Amazon products in Pins. ★ YouTube ended product tagging in Community Posts, removing a shopping feature that failed to gain meaningful traction with creators and users. ★ Amazon moved Prime Day to June 23-26, emphasizing groceries, household essentials and back-to-school deals amid cautious consumer spending. ★ Cloudflare revealed bots generate 57.3% of webpage requests, with AI agents now surpassing humans in global HTML traffic. ★ OpenAI partnered with LiveRamp, bringing server-to-server attribution tools to ChatGPT ads and improving conversion measurement beyond cookies. ★ Electronic Arts launched EA Advertising, offering brands in-game placements, challenges and virtual items across titles like Madden and FC. ★ Anthropic suspended Fable 5 and Mythos 5, after a U.S. export-control order cited potential safety-guardrail bypass risks. ★ Global launched AdPower, a self-service platform for booking radio ads and UK outdoor campaigns with AI-generated creative. ★ Enjoy!

BIDDABLE ADS

Google expands limited ad serving policy on Search
Google Extends Dynamic Search Ads Migration Deadline
OpenAI launches product feed ads in Ads Manager beta ★★★
Instagram expands Reels post-view ads to all advertisers
OpenAI to expand ChatGPT ads to new markets & test multi-advertiser placements

SEARCH MARKETING

Claude visibility may depend heavily on Brave Search rankings, new data suggests
Research Suggests AI Engines Assign Ranking Roles To Sources
Claude Is The Fastest-Growing AI Traffic Source, Per New Data
How real people actually prompt AI - and what it means for GEO
Google zero-click searches hit 68% in early 2026: Study
Reddit Gained Top Positions In Every Niche After May Core Update
SOCi Study in Partnership with Google Provides Evidence of Social Signals as a Ranking Factor
Google’s May Core Update Favored Pages That Match Intent
Introducing Search Generative AI performance reports in Search Console
GPT-5.5 Update Changes How ChatGPT Cites Sources

SOCIAL MEDIA

Bluesky launches group chats, as company shifts focus to community features
YouTube Brings In-App Sharing & Messaging To The U.S.
Instagram extends Your Algorithm to the main feed
Instagram outlines add-on subscription offerings
Beyond Instagram: Introducing the next generation of social apps
Meta made its own AI-generated clickbait news feed
TikTok launches microdrama development program
TikTok launches separate event-based app
X introduces video reaction option for iOS
Reddit launches video replies

SHOPPING ADS, eCOMMERCE, SOCIAL COMMERCE, RETAIL MEDIA

Amazon turns Alexa into a shopping agent - and an advertising platform ★★★
Walmart Connect audiences come to Google Display & Video 360 ★★★
Sociable: Pinterest adds Amazon Storefront linking ★★★
YouTube ends product tag experiment ★★★
AI Max is coming to Google Shopping: Strategy & testing checklist
Amazon Prime Day 2026 takes place June 23-26 ★★★

PROGRAMMATIC, DISPLAY & VIDEO, CTV

Home Screen Ads On Samsung TVs Will Soon Be Available Programmatically
Ogury Launches SONA, an Agentic Solution to Improve Consistency Between Audience Planning & Campaign Execution
Thrad Launches Four Native Ad Formats for LLM & AI Conversation Environments
InMobi, Scope3 Debut Sell-Side Agent for Autonomous Media Buying

MEDIA QUALITY & BRAND SAFETY

DoubleVerify Launches AI-Powered Brand Suitability Reporting for YouTube Audio Ads Campaigns
Meta’s lax community standards have led to increased harassment
Cloudflare: Bots now make up 57% of webpage requests ★★★
YouTube Shorts is awarded Media Rating Council accreditation

TRACKING, MEASUREMENT

ChatGPT ads get measurement boost from new LiveRamp partnership ★★★
Google Analytics Is Adding Google Business Profile Data

METAVERSE, AR/VR, GAMING, WEARABLES

EA rolls out advertising platform with enhanced offerings for brands ★★★
Roblox Opens Up Advertising To Kids Under 13

CREATOR ECONOMY, INFLUENCER MARKETING

The Rundown: AI clones split the creator economy
LinkedIn launches its own Creator Marketplace
Google Launches Search Profiles, Here’s How You Can Get One
‘Minecraft’ expands creator marketing ambitions with affiliate program
Meta tests connected Series Reels option for video creators

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5 is a version of Mythos the public can access today
Apple’s long-awaited AI Siri overhaul is finally here
OpenAI launches new Codex tools for white-collar work
Microsoft launches Scout, an OpenClaw-inspired personal assistant
Microsoft’s first advanced reasoning AI is here

fAIlure - Behind the hype

KPMG pulls report on AI usage due to apparent hallucinations
Anthropic Forced To Shut Down Fable 5 By U.S. Government Order ★★★

AGENCIES

Sir Martin Sorrell Sees No Easy Exit for Holding Companies
Dentsu Revives 360i With Four-Person Team and Fixed-Fee Model
Havas Acquires Youth Culture Agency Archrival to Expand Play in North America
WPP puts a different type of ad talent to the test with new studio Hex
EXCLUSIVE: Accenture Song Will Buy Whalar, Gaining Global Scale in Influencer Marketing

PUBLISHERS

More News Sites Default To Blocking AI Crawlers
The state of AI in media | How AI is transforming the business side of publishing
Google Must Let Websites Opt Out Of AI Search Features In UK

PRIVACY, LEGAL, DATA PROTECTION

WhatsApp ordered to host rival AI assistants for free
Instagram hack impacted more than 20K users
Meta walks back facial recognition in AI app
Meta will use off-site activity to customize feed and AI responses
Citation, please! UK regulator slaps Google with new publishing rules for search
Amazon faces class action lawsuit over Ring facial-recognition feature

MISCELLANEOUS

Global Launches AdPower: The UK’s First Self-Service Platform to Book Mainstream Audio & Outdoor Media in Minutes ★★★
Salesforce pushes agentic marketing from planning to pipeline
SpaceX IPO closes up 19% and delivers the world’s first trillionaire
WWDC 2026: Everything announced on Siri AI, iOS 27, Apple Intelligence and more
OpenAI files confidentially for IPO, following Anthropic
Microsoft Build 2026: The 7 biggest announcements

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

Bots Now Outnumber Humans Online

Andrea Girelli — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:06:04 GMT

The common thread across these announcements may be the gradual decline of browser-centric advertising. As Cloudflare reports that bots now generate most web traffic, the traditional model built around human pageviews, cookies and HTML browsing looks increasingly fragile. Amazon’s Alexa for Shopping and Pinterest’s Amazon Storefront integration both push commerce into conversational and curated environments where users discover and buy products without searching the open web. At the same time, advertisers are exploring new channels built around attention rather than clicks: EA is turning gaming worlds into media platforms, while Global is opening radio and outdoor advertising to digital-style self-service buying. The future of advertising may be less about websites and more about AI assistants, devices, games and other controlled ecosystems.

Ciao Digital Folks, here’s the latest news in Digital Marketing, 2-13 Jun 2026

📌 OpenAI Launches Product-Feed Ads in ChatGPT
📌 Amazon Unveils Alexa for Shopping
📌 Walmart Shopper Data Lands on YouTube
📌 Pinterest Adds Amazon Storefront Linking
📌 YouTube Ends Product Tags in Posts
📌 Amazon Prime Day Runs June 23-26
⭐ Bots Now Outnumber Humans Online
📌 OpenAI Adds LiveRamp Ad Measurement
📌 Electronic Arts Launches Advertising Platform
📌 Anthropic Suspends Fable and Mythos Models
📌 Global Launches Audio Ads Self-Service Platform

Enjoy!

OpenAI Launches Product-Feed Ads in ChatGPT

OpenAI has launched a new Ads Manager beta feature that lets retail advertisers upload entire product catalogs and automatically generate ads from individual feed items, eliminating the need to create campaigns product by product. The system matches catalog inventory with users’ purchase-oriented conversations in ChatGPT, helping brands deliver more relevant product recommendations at scale. Designed to improve efficiency and campaign performance, the feature resembles the dynamic product-feed advertising models widely used by platforms such as Google and Meta. OpenAI says feed-based ads have been among the strongest-performing formats in its advertising beta, and retailers participating in the program can now create campaigns directly from uploaded product feeds.

https://searchengineland.com/openai-launches-product-feed-ads-in-ads-manager-beta-479900

Amazon Unveils Alexa for Shopping

Amazon has integrated its AI shopping assistant Rufus with Alexa+ to create Alexa for Shopping, a unified platform that helps consumers research products, compare options, track prices, build carts and automate purchases through natural-language conversations. The company has embedded advertising directly into these interactions, enabling sponsored products, sponsored brands and conversational ad formats to reach shoppers when purchase intent is explicitly expressed. Existing sponsored ad campaigns can automatically appear within the experience, while advertisers gain access to first-party data, closed-loop measurement and AI-powered campaign tools. Amazon argues that conversational AI provides richer intent signals than traditional search or browsing, potentially shortening the path from product discovery to purchase and improving advertising performance.

https://searchengineland.com/amazon-turns-alexa-into-a-shopping-agent-and-an-advertising-platform-479905

Walmart Shopper Data Lands on YouTube

Google and Walmart have partnered to integrate Walmart Connect audience targeting and sales measurement into Display & Video 360, initially for YouTube campaigns. The collaboration allows advertisers to use Walmart’s first-party shopper data to reach consumers based on actual purchasing behavior and measure whether ad exposure leads to purchases at Walmart. By combining YouTube’s broad reach with Walmart’s retail insights, brands can connect media spending more directly to sales outcomes through closed-loop attribution. The rollout is part of a broader trend in which retail media networks extend their audience and measurement capabilities beyond their own platforms. Google and Walmart plan to expand the integration to additional advertising inventory over time.

https://searchengineland.com/walmart-connect-audiences-come-to-google-display-video-360-479913

Pinterest Adds Amazon Storefront Linking

Pinterest has introduced a new Amazon Storefront linking feature that allows eligible creators to connect their Amazon Storefronts directly to their Pinterest profiles and Pins. The integration automatically applies creators’ Amazon affiliate information when they tag Amazon products, removing the need to manually add affiliate links and making it easier to earn commissions from sales. The move expands product discovery opportunities across both platforms while encouraging creators to remain active on Pinterest. The feature also strengthens Pinterest’s push into social commerce by simplifying in-app shopping experiences. With more than 631 million monthly active users and over 80 billion searches each month, Pinterest offers significant potential reach for Amazon-affiliated creators and brands.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/pinterest-adds-amazon-storefront-linking/822578/

YouTube Ends Product Tags in Posts

YouTube has ended an experiment that allowed selected creators to tag shopping products in Community Posts, after the feature failed to generate sufficient user value. The tool had been introduced as part of YouTube’s broader effort to expand in-app shopping and enable creators to promote products through text-based posts, polls, quizzes and other engagement features. Creators can no longer add product tags to new Community Posts, and existing tags on older posts will disappear, although the posts themselves will remain visible. The decision suggests that product tagging in this format did not gain significant traction, even as YouTube continues testing other shopping features, including product tags in Shorts and affiliate commerce tools.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtube-ends-product-tag-experiment/822191/

Amazon Prime Day Runs June 23-26

Amazon has announced that its Prime Day 2026 sales event will run from June 23 to June 26, earlier than its traditional July timing. The company is positioning the event around discounts on major brands, seasonal products, groceries, household essentials and back-to-school items, all supported by fast delivery for Prime members. The shift reflects changing consumer behavior, with shoppers increasingly prioritizing everyday necessities over discretionary purchases amid economic uncertainty and weakening consumer sentiment. Amazon expects strong demand following last year’s event, during which U.S. online retailers generated $24.1 billion in spending, a 30.3% increase from the previous year. The event remains one of the most significant shopping periods in e-commerce.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/amazon-prime-day-2026-takes-place-june-23-26/

Bots Now Outnumber Humans Online

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince has revealed that bots now generate 57.3% of global webpage requests for HTML content, surpassing human traffic, which accounts for 42.7%. The milestone arrives sooner than Prince had predicted, driven largely by the rapid growth of AI agents that browse and collect information at a scale far beyond human users. Unlike people who may visit only a handful of websites, AI systems can access thousands of pages to complete a task, increasing web traffic and server demand. The shift raises concerns for publishers, retailers and brands because rising traffic may not translate into more human engagement, referrals or revenue, while also accelerating the need for content optimized for machine interpretation.

https://searchengineland.com/cloudflare-bots-webpage-requests-479608

OpenAI Adds LiveRamp Ad Measurement

OpenAI has partnered with LiveRamp to strengthen measurement and attribution capabilities for advertising campaigns on ChatGPT, giving advertisers access to LiveRamp’s Conversions API Hub. The integration uses privacy-focused server-to-server connections instead of traditional cookie-based tracking, helping brands address signal loss and better connect ad exposure to business outcomes, including offline conversions. The move is part of OpenAI’s broader effort to build the infrastructure around its emerging advertising business and make ChatGPT a more credible performance marketing platform. By improving targeting and campaign measurement, the partnership aims to reduce concerns about transparency and effectiveness while helping OpenAI compete more directly with established digital advertising platforms such as Google, Meta and Amazon.

https://www.marketingdive.com/news/chatgpt-ads-get-measurement-boost-from-new-liveramp-partnership/822416/

Electronic Arts Launches Advertising Platform

Electronic Arts has launched EA Advertising, a new platform that enables brands to create, manage and measure in-game marketing campaigns across its gaming portfolio. Through collaborations with agencies and EA, advertisers can deploy branded challenges, content, virtual items and placements within titles such as “Madden NFL,” “College Football 26” and “FC 26,” while accessing campaign analytics through a partnership with Integral Ad Science. Launch partners include Visa, Coach, Lowe’s, State Farm, Peacock and Mountain Dew. The initiative reflects EA’s broader push to expand advertising revenue by offering standardized, measurable in-game marketing opportunities. It also highlights growing industry interest in gaming as a large, underutilized advertising channel with highly engaged audiences.

https://www.marketingdive.com/news/ea-rolls-out-advertising-platform-with-enhanced-offerings-for-brands/822833/

Anthropic Suspends Fable and Mythos Models

Anthropic has been forced to suspend access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models after receiving a U.S. government export control directive citing national security concerns. The order restricts access by foreign nationals and, according to Anthropic, effectively requires the company to disable the models for all users to ensure compliance. The government reportedly believes the models contain a method for bypassing safety guardrails, while Anthropic argues that the identified vulnerabilities are minor and that its existing safeguards and monitoring systems already mitigate misuse risks. The decision has sparked widespread criticism online, with users expressing concerns about AI access restrictions, government intervention, refunds for paid subscriptions and the broader implications for the future availability of advanced AI systems.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/government-order-shuts-down-fable-5-despite-anthropics-objections/579168/

Global Launches Audio Ads Self-Service Platform

Global has launched AdPower, a self-service advertising platform that allows businesses to plan, create, book and measure audio and outdoor advertising campaigns across its UK media network in just a few clicks. The platform gives advertisers direct access to radio brands such as Heart, Capital and LBC, as well as Global’s outdoor advertising inventory, without requiring traditional media-buying processes. Users can upload their own creative assets or generate radio and outdoor ads using built-in AI design tools, while real-time dashboards provide campaign performance data. Designed to attract digitally native businesses, AdPower aims to make premium mainstream advertising more accessible, with campaigns able to go live as soon as the next day across FM, DAB, DAX and outdoor channels.

https://www.exchangewire.com/blog/2026/06/11/global-launches-adpower-the-uks-first-self-service-platform-to-book-mainstream-audio-outdoor-media-in-minutes/

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

the full batch. #129

Andrea Girelli — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:06:09 GMT

TL;DR? NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

Google launched AI-powered “new prospects” targeting that excludes past buyers, site visitors and brand searchers to find completely unaware customers. ★ Google introduced automatic Google Ads data deletion, limiting most reporting histories to 37 months and forcing external archival strategies. ★ Google is folding Display campaigns into Demand Gen, bringing GDN inventory alongside YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps. ★ Google’s Sundar Pichai said Search, Gemini and AI agents will merge into a unified system that completes tasks autonomously. ★ Clickstream found AI Overviews drive users to compare and revisit search results, while AI Mode users typically accept AI recommendations and move on. ★ Meta rolled out paid subscriptions across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp while testing AI and creator plans under Meta One. ★ TikTok expanded TikTok Shop to four new European countries, adding cross-border selling tools and creator affiliate capabilities. ★ DoubleVerify found YouTube led global streaming ad investment growth, with 70% of marketers increasing spend on the platform. ★ Anthropic confidentially filed for an IPO after reaching a $965 billion valuation and a reported $47 billion revenue run rate. ★ Anthropic released Opus 4.8 and Dynamic Workflows, enabling AI-managed software migrations across hundreds of thousands of code lines. ★ The IAB warned a Washington court case targeting Meta Pixel could classify ad-tracking pixels as illegal wiretaps. ★ Enjoy!

BIDDABLE ADS

Google appears to be testing new branded search controls in AI Max campaigns
Google Ads launches built-in lead management dashboard
Google expands customer acquisition targeting with “new prospects” mode ★★★
ChatGPT Ads Are Here: Everything We Know So Far
Google launches Real-Time Policy Reviews for faster ad approvals
Google Ads will start deleting historical reporting data after set retention periods ★★★
How to get your Google Ads seen in AI Overviews
OpenAI is preparing conversion-focused ads for ChatGPT
Google Is Retiring Standalone Display Campaigns In Favor Of Demand Gen ★★★

SEARCH MARKETING

How a ‘client brain’ gives AI the context SEO work needs
What Google’s New AI Guide Actually Debunks. And What It Doesn’t
Google May 2026 Core Update Hits Hard Saturday - May 30th
Google SERP Layout Shift: Position 1 Now Appears Halfway Down The Page
Brand depth determines what AI systems recommend
Google Preferred Sources Hit 345K, Expand Into AI Search
DuckDuckGo installs are up 30% as users reject being ‘force-fed’ Google’s AI Search
Similarweb: ChatGPT Shows More Links Leading To 150% Increase In Referrals
Google Discover Report Bug Cause Decrease In Clicks/Impressions May 21
Users behave differently in AI Overviews vs. AI Mode ★★★
Google Search Console links report showing old data after breaking
Sundar Pichai: Google Search, AI agents, and tools will become one ★★★
Bing Officially Releases AI Guided Image Search Experience

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media Apps and Short-Form Video Continue to Dominate Mobile in 2026
Bluesky embraces long-form content to counter X Articles
Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions, with more to come, including AI plans ★★★
YouTube adds conversational custom feed generation
YouTube updates unique reach calculation, adds music for still image posts

SHOPPING ADS, eCOMMERCE, SOCIAL COMMERCE, RETAIL MEDIA

Walmart Connect expands offsite advertising ambitions with Yahoo, Magnite
Commerce media expands beyond retail sites with Demand Gen integration
Google AI Overview Data Looks Different For Commercial Queries
Future of Marketing Briefing: OpenAI is working with Skai to bring retail and commerce advertisers into ChatGPT
TikTok Shops expands to new EU merchant countries ★★★
Reddit expands Shopify integration access globally
Google adds AI shopping visibility insights to Merchant Center
Visa invests in Replit to power agentic payments for developers
New Ecommerce Tools: May 27, 2026

PROGRAMMATIC, DISPLAY & VIDEO, CTV

This New Tool Cuts Out Identity Providers By Linking Trade Desk Data With Brands’ First-Party IDs
Rise Launches Agentic Bid Enrichment: Real-Time Intelligence on Every Bid Request
Amazon Has New Tools To Help Publishers Prove Which Bidstream Signals Drive Demand
Global Study: YouTube Leads Global Streaming Ad Investment Growth ★★★
A Guide to the New, Wide World of Agentic Advertising and Commerce Protocols
Why Critics Say Email-Based IDs Don’t Work For CTV
MarkApp Becomes an Official Google Authorised Buyer, Strengthening Global Programmatic Access

TRACKING, MEASUREMENT

Pixel Conversion Loss is Real. Server-side Tracking Adoption is Overdue
Why Agentic Measurement Will Reprice The Ad Market
Why Server-Side Tracking Is No Longer Optional for Paid Media

DOOH, AUDIO, OTHERS

YouTube adds new podcast features, including an AI recommendation tool and ‘Auto speed’
Azerion Integrates Spotify Ad Exchange into Hawk DSP, Unlocking Global Premium Inventory at Scale

CREATOR ECONOMY, INFLUENCER MARKETING

The Death of Vanity Metrics: Why True Video Authority is the Ultimate Business Predictor
X looks to improve incentives for original creators

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Anthropic files to go public ★★★
Consumers like AI content until they know it’s AI
Meta plans to introduce a wearable AI pendant
Gemini Spark rolls out to Google AI Ultra in the US: How it works
How AI is moving more ad production in-house
Google adjusts Gemini’s new usage limits in response to complaints
Meta and X make deals to monetize AI projects
The internet is being rebuilt for machines
Why AI Video Generation Is Transforming the Way We Tell Stories
Anthropic releases Opus 4.8 with new ‘dynamic workflow’ tool ★★★
Sneak peek at new Siri app reveals Apple’s plans to take on ChatGPT and more

fAIlure - Behind the hype

Hackers hijacked Instagram accounts by tricking Meta AI support chatbot into granting access
Why Google’s AI can’t spell Google (or anything else)
Most generative AI and custom model projects will be a bust: Gartner
AI hiring algorithms reject Black, Asian job seekers at higher rates
4 in 10 AI agents headed for demotion or the rubbish bin
Uber president says AI spending is getting ‘harder to justify’

AGENCIES

Media Buying Briefing: Dentsu’s agentic ambitions and how it plays out in the upfronts
Omnicom’s ‘fewer middlemen’ push is reaching publishers - just not their P&Ls

PUBLISHERS

The End Of The Programmatic Pageview
Media Briefing: As Google traffic ebbs, some publishers see social platforms as real revenue lines
How Much Are Bots Costing You? IAB Tech Lab Wants Content Owners To Find Out
Why publishers are betting on video to counter AI search

PRIVACY, LEGAL, DATA PROTECTION

Temu fined more than $230 million by EU over illegal product sales
Pixels On Trial: Why The IAB Says A Recent Lawsuit Is A Threat To All Ad-Supported Media ★★★
EU moderation watchdog says social media giants hate taking down hate speech
Google Officially Appeals Search Monopoly Ruling

MISCELLANEOUS

WordPress Market Share Declines For Six Months In A Row
Agentforce needed a content layer, so Salesforce is buying Contentful
Europe told to cool its datacenter boom before water and power run short

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

Ad Tracking Compared To Tapping Phone Calls

Andrea Girelli — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:25:54 GMT

The most interesting signal this week is how aggressively platforms are trying to keep users inside their own ecosystems. Google is moving toward AI agents that answer questions and complete tasks without sending users elsewhere, Meta is bundling social, AI and creator services under a single subscription umbrella, and TikTok continues to collapse the gap between content and commerce through in-app shopping. Meanwhile, YouTube is attracting the strongest growth in streaming ad investment, reinforcing the appeal of large, controlled environments. The backdrop is growing pressure on cross-site tracking, highlighted by a lawsuit that could classify advertising pixels as illegal wiretaps. If measuring users across the open web becomes harder, owning the entire customer journey becomes significantly more valuable.

Ciao Digital Folks, here’s the latest news in Digital Marketing, 25 May-1 Jun 2026

📌 Google Ads Launches New Prospects Targeting
📌 Google Ads Limits Data Retention To 37 Months
📌 Display Campaigns Move Into Demand Gen
📌 Study Reveals AI Overview-AI Mode Differences
📌 Search, Gemini And Agents To Become One
📌 Meta Adds Plans Starting At $2.99
📌 TikTok Shop Lands In Four New Countries
📌 YouTube Leads Streaming Ad Growth
📌 Anthropic Takes First IPO Step
📌 Anthropic Launches Opus 4.8
⭐ Ad Tracking Compared To Tapping Phone Calls

Enjoy!

Google Ads Launches New Prospects Targeting

Google is expanding its New Customer Acquisition tools with a new AI-powered “new prospects” targeting mode that helps advertisers reach consumers who have never interacted with their brand. Launching this year, the feature automatically excludes users who have previously purchased, searched for branded terms, visited a brand’s website or app, or engaged with its content across Google and YouTube. By focusing ad spending on completely brand-unaware audiences in the discovery phase, Google aims to help marketers drive incremental customer growth more efficiently. The move reflects the company’s broader strategy of using AI, behavioral signals, first-party data and automated exclusions to identify potential customers earlier in the buying journey while improving return on ad spend.

https://searchengineland.com/google-expands-customer-acquisition-targeting-with-new-prospects-mode-478930

Google Ads Limits Data Retention To 37 Months

Google is introducing a new data retention policy for Google Ads that will automatically delete historical reporting data after fixed periods, requiring advertisers to export records if they want to preserve long-term performance histories. Starting June 1, hourly, daily and weekly reporting data will remain available for only 37 months, while monthly, quarterly and annual data will be retained for up to 11 years. Reach and frequency metrics, including unique users and impression frequency measures, will have a shorter three-year retention window. The change affects both the Google Ads interface and APIs, increasing pressure on advertisers, agencies and analytics teams to build external storage and automated export systems for reporting, forecasting and modeling purposes.

https://searchengineland.com/google-ads-will-start-deleting-historical-reporting-data-after-set-retention-periods-478795

Display Campaigns Move Into Demand Gen

Google is retiring standalone Display campaigns and moving Google Display Network inventory into Demand Gen campaigns, continuing its broader effort to consolidate advertising products within Google Ads. Advertisers will still be able to run Display-only campaigns, but these will be created and managed through Demand Gen alongside inventory from YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Google Maps. The transition begins in June 2026 with a migration tool, while remaining eligible campaigns will eventually be migrated automatically through 2027. Google says the move will provide access to additional features such as carousel ads, expanded video formats, AI-powered creative tools, lookalike audiences and enhanced reporting, although advertisers may need to reassess targeting, placement controls, reporting and brand safety settings.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-is-retiring-standalone-display-campaigns-in-favor-of-demand-gen/575889/

Study Reveals AI Overview-AI Mode Differences

Eric Van Buskirk of Clickstream Solutions analyzed anonymized clickstream data from about 846,000 U.S. Google search sessions to examine how AI Overviews affect user behavior. The study found that AI Overviews encourage users to compare, reconsider and re-read search results, unlike AI Mode, where users often accept AI-generated recommendations and make decisions without further clicks. Nearly half of scrolling on AI Overview pages is spent moving back up the results, indicating repeated evaluation. AI Overviews also reduce behavioral differences between search intents, keeping users on search pages longer regardless of query type. Even brand-name searches trigger more scrutiny, as users increasingly assess surrounding AI-generated information before clicking through.

https://searchengineland.com/users-behave-differently-in-ai-overviews-vs-ai-mode-478590

Search, Gemini And Agents To Become One

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said Google’s Search, Gemini, AI agents and app-building tools will eventually merge into a single AI-powered system capable of finding information, creating content and completing tasks for users. He described AI agents as the next major evolution of the web, with Google developing technologies that can operate in the background to help users plan trips, build applications and manage complex activities. While acknowledging that AI is reducing some low-value search clicks, Pichai rejected concerns that Google will stop directing traffic to websites, stressing the company’s commitment to connecting users with content across the web. He also noted that Google is adapting to publishers’ growing reliance on subscriptions and reorganizing Search leadership to accelerate AI-driven innovation.

https://searchengineland.com/sundar-pichai-google-search-ai-agents-tools-one-product-478726

Meta Adds Plans Starting At $2.99

Meta announced the global rollout of paid subscription plans for Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, while also launching tests of new AI, creator and business-focused offerings under a broader “Meta One” brand. For monthly fees ranging from $2.99 to $3.99, users gain access to additional features such as profile customization, advanced story tools, enhanced analytics, premium reactions and messaging personalization. Meta is also testing AI subscriptions that provide greater reasoning capacity and expanded image and video generation, alongside professional plans offering increased visibility, audience insights, content management tools and promotional features for creators and businesses. The initiative aims to diversify revenue beyond advertising and create a unified subscription ecosystem across Meta’s products.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/27/meta-officially-launches-instagram-facebook-and-whatsapp-subscriptions-with-more-to-come-including-ai-plans/

TikTok Shop Lands In Four New Countries

TikTok announced the expansion of TikTok Shop to Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland, enabling users and retailers in those countries to buy and sell products directly within the app from mid-June. The move is part of TikTok’s broader strategy to grow e-commerce revenue by combining entertainment and shopping through shoppable videos and livestreams. Since launching in several European markets, more than 100,000 businesses have joined TikTok Shop, helping drive strong growth in sales volume. The expansion also includes tools allowing merchants to sell across multiple EU countries and access a wider creator affiliate network. TikTok hopes to replicate the success of its Chinese counterpart, Douyin, where in-app commerce has become a major source of revenue.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-shop-grows-to-new-eu-merchant-countries/821443/

YouTube Leads Streaming Ad Growth

DoubleVerify reported that advertisers worldwide are increasing spending on major streaming platforms, with YouTube leading investment growth, according to its 2026 Global Insights study based on campaign measurement data and surveys of more than 2,000 marketers and 22,000 consumers across over 20 markets. The research found that 70% of marketers increased their investment in YouTube during the past year, followed by Netflix (65%), Amazon Prime (59%) and Samsung streaming environments (48%). The findings highlight the growing importance of connected TV and premium streaming services as advertisers seek greater audience reach, engagement, transparency and measurable business results in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.

https://www.exchangewire.com/blog/2026/05/29/global-study-youtube-leads-global-streaming-ad-investment-growth/

Anthropic Takes First IPO Step

Anthropic announced that it has confidentially filed for an initial public offering in the United States, marking a major step toward becoming a publicly traded company. The AI developer, known for its Claude models, submitted a draft registration statement to regulators following a recent funding round that valued the company at approximately $965 billion. The confidential process allows Anthropic to prepare for a stock market listing without immediately disclosing detailed financial information. Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees, the company has rapidly expanded its enterprise business, with revenue reportedly surging from $9 billion at the end of 2025 to a $47 billion annualized run rate. The move intensifies competition with OpenAI as both firms pursue growth in the booming AI sector.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/01/anthropic-files-to-go-public/

Anthropic Launches Opus 4.8

Anthropic released Opus 4.8, the latest version of its flagship Claude model, alongside a new research-preview feature called Dynamic Workflows, designed to coordinate complex tasks across hundreds of parallel AI subagents. Available at the same price as the previous version, Opus 4.8 aims to improve reliability by more proactively identifying uncertainties, problematic inputs and unsupported conclusions, addressing a common weakness of large language models. Anthropic says the combination of Opus 4.8 and Dynamic Workflows can manage large-scale software engineering projects, including code migrations involving hundreds of thousands of lines of code. The release comes amid intensifying competition with OpenAI and Google, while Anthropic continues refining safeguards before broadly releasing its more advanced Mythos model.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/28/anthropic-releases-opus-4-8-with-new-dynamic-workflow-tool/

Ad Tracking Compared To Tapping Phone Calls

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has warned that a lawsuit before the Washington Supreme Court could fundamentally reshape digital advertising by classifying common tracking pixels as illegal wiretaps under decades-old state surveillance laws. The case challenges a hospital’s use of the Meta Pixel, arguing that transmitting users’ browsing activity to third parties constitutes unauthorized interception of private communications. The IAB contends that applying wiretapping statutes to routine online functions such as analytics, attribution, ad measurement and fraud prevention would create legal uncertainty and conflict with modern state privacy laws, which generally rely on opt-out rather than opt-in consent models. A ruling favoring the plaintiffs could trigger widespread litigation, increase consent requirements and disrupt ad-supported business models across the web.

https://www.adexchanger.com/privacy/pixels-on-trial-why-the-iab-says-a-recent-lawsuit-is-a-threat-to-all-ad-supported-media/

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

the full batch. #128

Andrea Girelli — Wed, 27 May 2026 18:01:02 GMT

TL;DR? NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

Google launched Gemini-powered conversational ads, AI shopping flows, Ask Advisor and predictive Analytics 360 tools across Search and YouTube. ★ Google introduced Conversational Discovery ads and Highlighted Answers, embedding sponsored recommendations directly inside Gemini-powered AI Mode conversations. ★ Google upgraded AI Mode with Gemini 3.5 Flash, multimodal Search, background information agents and booking assistants for services. ★ Meta launched Forum, a Reddit-like Facebook Groups app with AI-powered discussion summaries, nicknamed posting and moderation assistants. ★ Google unveiled Universal Cart, a Gemini-powered shopping hub tracking prices, compatibility and loyalty perks across Search and YouTube. ★ WPP executives warned autonomous AI media buying still fails complex campaigns, especially healthcare-focused plans requiring regulatory oversight and coordination. ★ Google Analytics added an “AI Assistant” traffic channel in GA4 to separately track ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude referrals. ★ Forrester and Dentsu Creative found 25% of North American agencies fully adopted fixed-fee pricing amid AI-driven operational pressures. ★ NBCUniversal, Amazon, Netflix and YouTube used 2026 upfronts to pitch AI-powered targeting, attribution and performance-focused advertising ecosystems. ★ IAB Europe proposed carbon.json, a machine-readable standard for adtech companies to disclose campaign infrastructure emissions across supply chains. ★ Google introduced Gemini Spark agents, multimodal Gemini Omni models, AI shopping tools and Android XR smart glasses at I/O 2026. ★ Enjoy!

BIDDABLE ADS

OpenAI expands Ads Manager Beta with new budgeting and geo targeting controls
Google Marketing Live 2026: Everything you need to know ★★★
Google Expands AI Mode With New Ad Placements For Advertisers ★★★
Google Ads Benchmarks 2026: Competitive Data & Insights for Every Industry
Major ad tool announcements from TikTok World 2026
Google Quietly Alters Search Terms Reporting For AI Queries In Google Ads
Google Ads adds Gemini-powered dashboards for real-time insights
OpenAI adds product feed ads to ChatGPT

SEARCH MARKETING

Google Confirms May 2026 Core Update Is Now Rolling Out
Microsoft Clarity Now Shows Grounding Queries Behind AI Citations
Google Reveals First AI Mode Usage Numbers After One Year
90% Of Brands Have Zero AI Search Mentions, New Study Finds 4 Key SEO Insights
Google’s New Search Box Hands Queries To AI Agents, I/O Reveals ★★★
Inside ChatGPT Search: how web.run and fan-out queries shape AI visibility

SOCIAL MEDIA

Meta quietly launches a new Reddit-like app called Forum ★★★
‘Ask YouTube’ brings AI-powered conversational search to video, adds Gemini Omni to Shorts
X implements new posting restrictions on nonpaying users
2026 Social Media Marketing Industry Report
Meta expands AI chatbot access to Threads

SHOPPING ADS, eCOMMERCE, SOCIAL COMMERCE, RETAIL MEDIA

Google Announces New Universal Cart At I/O ★★★
Google’s product packs are now a primary sales channel. Here’s what the data shows
YouTube will soon let you buy products while watching videos on your TV, more
Google partners with Affirm, Klarna on BNPL for agentic commerce
Amazon launches an AI shopping assistant for the search bar, powered by Alexa+

PROGRAMMATIC, DISPLAY & VIDEO, CTV

Future of Marketing Briefing: Agentic advertising is closer than you think and further than you hope
The Programmatic Auction Is Changing In Real Time - Here’s How
Autonomous Ad Buying Just Ain’t Ready Yet; A CMO By Any Other Name ★★★
These AI Agents Want To Handle All The Annoying Parts Of Media Buying
YouTube announces ad updates at 2026 Brandcast Event
Microsoft Advertising expands LinkedIn profile targeting to CTV
IAB Releases Campaign Data Standards 1.0 for Public Comment
The state of agentic advertising

MEDIA QUALITY & BRAND SAFETY

Nearly half of online articles are now AI-generated: Study
Google Brings AI Content Verification To Search
Meta expands advanced ad placement controls to Threads
DoubleVerify Launches AI-Powered Threads Suitability Controls?
Global Study: Fuelled by AI, CTV Fraud Schemes Surge 140% Globally

TRACKING, MEASUREMENT

Google brings Meridian marketing mix modeling into Analytics 360
Google Analytics Adds AI Assistant As Default Channel Group ★★★

DOOH, AUDIO, OTHERS

Spotify’s AI bet: more of everything, less of what you want
Spotify will reserve tickets for top fans of an artists in a bid to drum up engagement
Digital Audio Proves Its Full Funnel Credentials in Audion & Happydemics Study

CREATOR ECONOMY, INFLUENCER MARKETING

Influencer Marketing Grows Up
Meta adds new creator publishing tools
X announces creator-driven ad partnership
Amazon bets creator video podcasts can be the next TV network - if it can fix measurement
TikTok introduces 2026 FIFA World Cup creator correspondents
YouTube Goes All-In on Creator Shows, Pitches Itself as the Future of Media
TikTok expands TikTok Go in the US

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Gemini’s new usage limits are live, and users already seem frustrated about it
Gemini Omni, the ‘create anything’ model, starts today with lifelike video
Google introduces Gemini Spark, a 24/7 agentic assistant with Gmail integration, at IO 2026
Gemini app rolling out ‘Extended’ thinking level, new 3rd-party app integrations

fAIlure - Behind the hype

How VCs and founders use inflated ‘ARR’ to crown AI startups
AI code accelerates production failures and spending, study finds
The class of 2026 has heard enough about AI, thanks
Sick and wrong: Ontario auditors find doctors’ AI note takers routinely blow basic facts

AGENCIES

WPP Media Shows Signs of New Business Bounceback, Report Finds
One Quarter of North American Agencies Have Shifted to Fixed-Fee Pricing ★★★

PUBLISHERS

The New Upfront Playbook
Media Briefing: Publishers brace themselves for the zero-click era amid Google’s AI search overhaul
How Google Discover publisher profiles work and why they matter
We Went To Eight Upfronts This Week. Here’s What We Learned ★★★
Condé Nast CEO: Plan As If Search Traffic Will Be Zero

PRIVACY, LEGAL, DATA PROTECTION

Google appeals search monopoly ruling, says it won business ‘fair and square’
One of Meta’s big legal reckonings just ended in a settlement
Trump delays AI security executive order, saying language ‘could have been a blocker’
UK’s Education Committee: Social media ban a must to save children’s mental health
Mark Zuckerberg announces ‘completely private’ encrypted Meta AI chat
Instagram can now read all users’ private messages. Will this make kids safer or just boost ad targeting?

MERGERS & ACQUISISTIONS

Publicis buys LiveRamp for $2.2B to improve AI agent sophistication
Media Briefing: BuzzFeed’s $120M sale marks another step in the repricing of digital media scale

MISCELLANEOUS

IAB Europe Opens Public Comment on carbon.json Disclosure Specification ★★★
Everything Google announced at I/O 2026: Gemini, Search, Android XR, & more ★★★
Everything announced at The Android Show: Gemini Intelligence, Googlebooks, and more

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

Google Launches Universal Cart

Andrea Girelli — Wed, 27 May 2026 14:49:09 GMT

Google is no longer presenting AI as a feature layer around Search and advertising, but as the operating system connecting discovery, media, commerce, measurement and productivity. The overlap between Google Marketing Live, I/O and the 2026 upfronts is striking: every major platform is converging on the same narrative of performance, attribution and AI-driven automation. Search is evolving from a keyword interface into an agentic environment where recommendations, shopping, booking and ads happen inside conversational flows. At the same time, media companies are repositioning streaming and video ecosystems as measurable performance channels rather than awareness platforms. The real shift is not just generative AI, but the consolidation of media, commerce and analytics into closed, AI-orchestrated ecosystems increasingly controlled by a few dominant platforms.

Ciao Digital Folks, here’s the latest news in Digital Marketing, 12-24 May 2026

📌 Google Marketing Live 2026 Summed Up
📌 Google Places Ads Inside AI Chats
📌 Google Replaces Search Box With AI
📌 Meta Launches Reddit-Like Forum App
⭐ Google Launches Universal Cart
📌 AI Ad Buying Hits Reality Check
📌 GA4 Tracks Browser AI Referrals Only
📌 Agencies Accelerate Shift To Fixed Fees
📌 2026 Upfronts Summed Up
📌 IAB Europe Opens carbon.json Consultation
📌 Google I/O 2026 Summed Up

Enjoy!

Google Marketing Live 2026 Summed Up

Google unveiled a broad expansion of Gemini-powered advertising, commerce and analytics tools at Google Marketing Live 2026, positioning AI as the core layer across Search, YouTube, Merchant Center and Google Analytics. The company introduced conversational ad formats for AI-driven Search, including Conversational Discovery ads, Highlighted Answers and AI Shopping ads, alongside Ask Advisor, a cross-platform AI assistant for campaign creation and optimization. Google also expanded AI-assisted shopping through Universal Commerce Protocol, native checkout, Klarna and Affirm integrations, and travel deals with Booking and Expedia. Asset Studio gained Gemini-powered image and video generation, while Demand Gen added creator tools, Maps inventory and AI optimization. Google further upgraded measurement with Meridian integration and predictive conversion modeling in Analytics 360.

https://searchengineland.com/google-marketing-live-2026-everything-you-need-to-know-478167

Google Places Ads Inside AI Chats

Google introduced two new Gemini-powered advertising formats for AI Mode in Search, called Conversational Discovery ads and Highlighted Answers, designed to embed sponsored content directly into conversational AI responses and recommendation flows. Conversational Discovery ads respond to detailed prompts by generating tailored creative and contextual product suggestions during evolving user conversations, while Highlighted Answers insert sponsored recommendations directly into AI-generated lists, such as travel or app suggestions. Google said ads will remain clearly labeled and accompanied by AI-generated explainers. The move signals a deeper integration of advertising into conversational Search experiences, shifting optimization toward creative quality, structured data and first-party signals, while also creating new challenges around measurement and attribution as user queries become less keyword-driven and more conversational.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-introduces-new-ad-formats-in-ai-mode/575354/

Google Replaces Search Box With AI

Google upgraded AI Mode in Search by making Gemini 3.5 Flash the default model globally, redesigning the Search box for longer multimodal queries, and introducing AI agents capable of monitoring the web, booking services and generating task-based mini applications. The new Search interface supports images, videos, files and Chrome tabs while enabling conversational follow-up questions directly from AI Overviews. Google also announced background “information agents” that track updates across news, blogs and social platforms, plus agentic booking tools for services like home repair and pet care in the U.S. The company expanded Personal Intelligence to nearly 200 countries without subscription requirements, allowing AI Mode to integrate with Gmail, Photos and soon Calendar to deliver more personalized search experiences.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-adds-ai-agents-to-search-redesigns-search-box-at-i-o/575311/

Meta Launches Reddit-Like Forum App

Meta quietly launched Forum, a standalone app for Facebook Groups designed to support deeper, Reddit-like discussions and community interactions through conversation-focused feeds and AI-powered features. Users can access existing Facebook groups, post with nicknames and continue discussions seamlessly across both platforms, while an “Ask” feature uses AI to compile answers from conversations across groups. The app also includes an AI assistant for moderators to help manage communities and content moderation. Forum follows Meta’s recent release of Instants, a disappearing-photo app inspired by services like BeReal and Snapchat, reflecting CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broader push to rapidly expand Meta’s app portfolio using AI-driven development efficiencies and experiment with new social formats beyond Facebook’s core platform.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/22/meta-quietly-launches-a-new-reddit-like-app-called-forum/

Google Launches Universal Cart

Google introduced Universal Cart at I/O 2026, an AI-powered shopping system designed to persist across Search, Gemini, YouTube, Gmail and participating retailers, turning shopping into a continuous, agentic experience managed by Gemini models. The cart can monitor prices, inventory, loyalty perks and compatibility issues, suggest alternatives and eventually support AI-assisted purchases through Google Wallet and the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). Google said the system will integrate with major retailers including Nike, Walmart, Sephora, Target and Shopify merchants, while expanding UCP-powered checkout into Canada, Australia and YouTube in the U.S. The initiative reflects Google’s strategy to keep more of the ecommerce journey within its own ecosystem, increasing the importance of structured product data, Merchant Center optimization and integrated commerce experiences for retailers and advertisers.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-announces-new-universal-cart-at-i-o/575301/

AI Ad Buying Hits Reality Check

WPP executives said fully autonomous AI-powered media buying is still unrealistic for most advertising campaigns, despite growing industry interest in agentic advertising. Speaking at AdExchanger’s Programmatic AI event in Las Vegas, Emily Lai, Group Director of Media Optimization at WPP Media, explained that AI can currently manage only simpler programmatic guaranteed or deal-based campaigns with limited targeting, while the majority of media plans remain too complex for end-to-end automation. Oleg Korenfeld, CTO of WPP-owned healthcare agency CMI Media Group, added that large-scale AI agents coordinating across campaigns are not yet practical, especially in highly regulated industries like healthcare. The comments highlighted a more cautious industry perspective on AI automation despite ongoing investment in AI-driven advertising infrastructure and standards.

https://www.adexchanger.com/daily-news-roundup/autonomous-ad-buying-just-aint-ready-yet-a-cmo-by-any-other-name/

GA4 Tracks Browser AI Referrals Only

Google Analytics introduced a new default “AI Assistant” channel group in GA4 to automatically classify traffic coming from recognized AI chatbot referrers such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, separating it from generic referral traffic without requiring manual configuration. When detected, these visits are labeled with the medium “ai-assistant” and grouped into a dedicated reporting category, simplifying AI traffic attribution for marketers and analysts. The update replaces the need for custom regex-based channel groups previously used to track chatbot traffic and reflects Google’s growing focus on measuring the business impact of generative AI interactions. However, traffic arriving without referrer data, such as through mobile apps or copied links, will still appear as direct traffic, leaving some AI-driven visits difficult to attribute accurately.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-analytics-adds-ai-assistant-as-default-channel-group/574974/

Agencies Accelerate Shift To Fixed Fees

A Forrester Consulting study conducted with Dentsu Creative found that 25% of North American agencies have fully shifted to fixed-fee pricing models as AI reshapes agency economics and puts pressure on traditional billable-hour structures. Surveying 356 marketing and procurement leaders across the U.S. and Canada, the report showed that 63% of agencies using fixed-fee pricing are satisfied or extremely satisfied with the approach. Among marketers not yet using fixed-fee agreements, more than half expressed strong interest in adopting the model, while another 28% showed moderate interest, signaling growing openness to alternative commercial structures. The findings suggest agencies and clients are increasingly exploring pricing models that better align with AI-driven efficiencies, predictability and value-based relationships.

https://www.adweek.com/agencies/one-quarter-of-north-american-agencies-have-shifted-to-fixed-free-pricing/

2026 Upfronts Summed Up

Media companies at the 2026 upfronts heavily emphasized performance advertising, measurement and AI-driven targeting as central themes across presentations from NBCUniversal, Amazon, Disney, Netflix, YouTube and other major publishers. NBCUniversal promoted its Performance Insights Hub and linear TV retargeting capabilities, while Amazon highlighted the strength of combining ecommerce and streaming data to prove ad outcomes, particularly around live sports. Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix showcased AI-powered advertising, attribution and programmatic capabilities, with Netflix also announcing expanded integrations with Amazon and Yahoo. TelevisaUnivision focused on Hispanic audience measurement accuracy, and YouTube positioned itself as balancing reach, relevance and performance. Across the week, media companies consistently framed their platforms as performance-driven ecosystems capable of delivering measurable advertising outcomes rather than traditional brand-awareness channels alone.

https://www.adexchanger.com/tv/we-went-to-eight-upfronts-this-week-heres-what-we-learned/

IAB Europe Opens carbon.json Consultation

IAB Europe opened a public consultation on carbon.json, a proposed machine-readable specification designed to standardize how digital advertising companies disclose infrastructure emissions data across the adtech supply chain. Developed with input from adtech firms, sustainability vendors and Ad Net Zero, the framework aims to improve the accuracy and consistency of carbon emissions calculations for campaign and supply-path measurement by reducing reliance on broad estimates and assumptions. The specification supports multiple infrastructure environments, including public and private cloud systems, and is intended for use by DSPs, SSPs, exchanges, publishers and measurement providers. Following industry feedback, IAB Europe plans to explore integrating methodologies based on carbon.json into the next version of the Global Media Sustainability Framework, expected later in 2026.

https://www.exchangewire.com/blog/2026/05/21/iab-europe-opens-public-comment-on-carbon-json-disclosure-specification/

Google I/O 2026 Summed Up

Google unveiled a broad set of Gemini-powered updates at I/O 2026, positioning AI agents and multimodal experiences at the center of Search, shopping, productivity and Android ecosystems. The company introduced Gemini 3.5 Flash as the default model across Search and Gemini products, alongside Gemini Spark, a personal AI agent capable of acting across Workspace apps and third-party tools. Google redesigned Search with conversational AI capabilities, background information agents and custom “mini app” dashboards, while Universal Cart expanded AI-assisted shopping across Search, Gemini, YouTube and Gmail. Google also launched new multimodal Gemini Omni models for image, audio and video generation, upgraded the Gemini app interface, introduced AI-powered Workspace features such as Gmail Live and Docs Live, and previewed Android XR smart glasses and Android Halo for persistent agent visibility.

https://9to5google.com/2026/05/19/google-io-2026-news/

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

the full batch. #127

Andrea Girelli — Fri, 15 May 2026 09:01:42 GMT

TL;DR? NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

Google Ads launched Journey-aware Bidding, combining offline conversion data, ROAS exploration, and demand-led pacing across Search, Shopping, and PMax. ★ OpenAI launched a self-serve ChatGPT Ads Manager with CPC bidding, pixel tracking, and conversion APIs for performance-focused advertisers. ★ Google expanded Preferred Sources globally, letting publishers influence Discover and Top Stories visibility through user-selected source preferences. ★ TikTok launched a £3.99 UK ad-free subscription letting users disable personalized ad tracking under stricter privacy regulations. ★ Amazon opened its logistics infrastructure to external businesses, offering freight, warehousing, fulfillment, and parcel delivery beyond marketplace sellers. ★ Albertsons and YouTube integrated grocery purchase data into DV360, enabling SKU-level retail media targeting and measurement for video campaigns. ★ IAB projected U.S. digital video advertising will surpass $80 billion in 2026, driven by social video, CTV, and AI tools. ★ Google previewed Meridian GeoX, an open-source incrementality testing tool, alongside AI-focused Data Manager and marketing mix modeling updates. ★ OpenAI released GPT-5.5 Instant as ChatGPT’s default model, adding lower hallucination rates, Gmail memory integration, and stronger reasoning benchmarks. ★ Chiefmartec’s 2026 landscape showed martech growth plateauing at 15,505 tools while AI revitalized CMS, ecommerce, analytics, and automation categories. ★ The European Union delayed AI Act enforcement for high-risk systems until 2027 after pressure from major industrial and technology companies. ★ China blocked Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus, forcing deal unwinding and restricting key executives from leaving China. ★ Enjoy!

BIDDABLE ADS

OpenAI Aggressively Expands Ads Pilot to More Countries
Google Ads Rolls Out Journey-Aware Bidding And New Pacing Controls For Advertisers ★★★
‘CPC pain is real’: One year on, Google’s AI Max has pushed up search budgets - and costs
OpenAI Launches Self-Serve Ads Manager for ChatGPT ★★★
Similarweb Data: ChatGPT Ads Click-Through Rates
Google Launches AI Max For Shopping and Travel Campaigns
New: AI Brief And Text Disclaimers Come To Google AI Max
X introduces rebuilt AI-powered ad platform
Meta launches AI ad connectors that work with outside chatbots
Snapchat launches sponsored AI chatbots
AdMarketplace Is Piloting Performance Ads In AI Chat
TikTok expands Out of Phone campaigns

SEARCH MARKETING

Schema Markup Didn’t Move AI Citations In Ahrefs Test
Bing Reveals What Grounding Means For AI Search Visibility
Google making links in AI Mode and AI Overviews a bit more direct
Ask.com shuts down after over 25 years
Google’s Preferred Sources Is Now A Global SEO Signal ★★★
A blueprint for semantic programmatic SEO
Study Confirms Google AI Overviews Cut Organic Clicks 38%

SOCIAL MEDIA

TikTok launches ad-free offering in UK ★★★
TikTok Now Lets Brands Control Video Keywords: Here’s What That Means for Organic Discovery
Meta’s daily active user count declined in Q1 2026
Jack Dorsey-backed Vine reboot Divine launches to the public

SHOPPING ADS, eCOMMERCE, SOCIAL COMMERCE, RETAIL MEDIA

Google rolls out Merchant Center for Agencies globally
Google’s UCP Update: Carts, Catalogs, And Loyalty In AI Shopping
Koddi and Comcast’s Universal Ads Ink Deal to Target Streaming Ads With Commerce Data
Amazon opens up its global logistics network to all businesses ★★★
Kevel, Dollar General & The Trade Desk Introduce First-of-its-Kind Retail Media
Ecommerce Trends: What Anthropic, OpenAI and Google are each doing in agentic commerce
Rakuten And Impact.com Forge A New Alliance That Resets The Affiliate Industry
New data: 77% use AI to shop. Nearly 1 in 3 won’t let it spend.
Albertsons injects fresh retail media data into YouTube advertising ★★★
LinkedIn partners with Amazon Ads

PROGRAMMATIC, DISPLAY & VIDEO, CTV

Prime Video Ads Can Now Change Based on What Viewers Already Saw
Amazon Data Will Be Available on Netflix Inventory in the UK May 18
PubMatic’s Agentic AI Is Going Beyond Direct Deals
Pubstack’s Q1 2026 State of Programmatic Benchmark Shows UK Publishers Facing Sharp Volume Pressure, While eCPM Holds
StackAdapt Announces AI-Powered Marketing Capabilities Through Ads in ChatGPT Pilot
U.S. Digital Video Ad Spend to Surpass $80B in 2026; Growing 20% Faster Than the Total Ad Market, According to IAB ★★★
Ad Tech Briefing: Yahoo pairs with Kochava to pitch ‘agentic’ DSP workflows
Google TV is adding YouTube Shorts to the homescreen, new Photos screensaver, more
Ad Tech Briefing: Meta and Pinterest showcase CTV possibilities at ad tech’s Miami jamboree

DATA, TARGETING & COOKIELESS

A Publisher Didn’t Get Its UID2 Setup Right. The Trade Desk Didn’t Notice. What Went Wrong?
Snowflake helps unlock data collaborations with consent signals from OneTrust
Walmart’s expanded data offering to agencies and advertisers gets closer to self-serve
Even PayPal Ads Has Its Own ID Now
News UK turns The Times’ first-party data into synthetic audiences for advertisers

MEDIA QUALITY & BRAND SAFETY

Silverpush Brings Broadcast-Quality YouTube Buying to EMEA Advertisers with SilverScreen™
Zefr Builds A New Front Door For YouTube Buys
Google Ads adds “Association” metric to Brand Lift Studies
The $41 Billion Bot Problem: How Fraud Is Quietly Draining Publisher Revenue
IAS touts ‘linear-like’ transparency with CTV ad measurement solutions
The Web’s Highest-Quality Publishers are Shifting, Picnic’s PIQ 10 Shows

TRACKING, MEASUREMENT

Google Ads Will Limit Access To Older Reporting Data
Google Ads surfaces Tag Manager controls inside its interface
Google Analytics Data API adds cross-channel conversion reporting (alpha)
Google Meridian GeoX Preview: 3 Key Updates For Marketing Measurement ★★★
IAB Europe Opens CTV Measurement Framework for Public Comment
Google Analytics introduces Task Assistant

CREATOR ECONOMY, INFLUENCER MARKETING

Writers are fleeing the Substack Tax
Instagram adds AI Creator labels
The state of generative AI in the creator economy
Spotify introduces verified artist badges to help distinguish humans from AI
Instagram updates algorithm to benefit original creators
Omnicom’s New Influencer Tool Uses Agentic AI to Tweak Content For Brand Standards

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Claude Code is getting higher usage limits, doubled for most users
Google readies ‘AI Ultra Lite’ plan and explicit ‘usage limits’ for Gemini
Anthropic wants Claude to play with money, unleashes finance agents
OpenAI releases GPT-5.5 Instant, a new default model for ChatGPT ★★★
Anthropic and OpenAI are both launching joint ventures for enterprise AI services
Amazon unveils a Copilot for all your apps
Brands Can Now Deploy Their Own Agents Inside Publisher Chatbots

fAIlure - Behind the hype

Microsoft researchers find AI models and agents can’t handle long-running tasks
AI layoffs backfire as cutting staff doesn’t cut it, firms warned
OpenAI talks about not talking about goblins
ChatGPT finally knows how many ‘R’s are in ‘strawberry,’ but confident mistakes remain
South Africa yanks AI policy after AI-assisted drafting invents citations

MARTECH

WordPress Loses Marketshare. Is Astro Eroding Their User Base?
2026 Marketing Technology Landscape Supergraphic: Peak Martech Achieved! (Maybe) ★★★

AGENCIES

Omnicom credits Q1 wins to core operations, reaffirms ongoing cost cuts
Omnicom Has An AI-Powered Plan To Cut Out Ad Tech Middlemen
WPP says turnaround is making early progress, but there’s a long road ahead
As holdcos sour on The Trade Desk, Stagwell goes all in
Stagwell (STGW) Builds AI-Powered, Outcome-First TV Advertising Platform with FreeWheel

PUBLISHERS

Prime Video follows Netflix and Disney by adding a TikTok-like ‘Clips’ feed in its app
Future of TV Briefing: The upfront glossary, 2026 edition
Netflix wants you to watch ‘Clips,’ its TikTok-like vertical video feed
Australia forces Big Tech firms to pay for news or face a 2.25% tax

PRIVACY, LEGAL, DATA PROTECTION

EU hits snooze on AI Act rules after industry backlash ★★★
FTC settles lawsuit over alleged X ad boycott
Meta will use AI to analyze height and bone structure to identify if users are underage
The FTC Bars Kochava From Selling Sensitive Data Without Consent
EU Commission says Meta’s age restriction systems are inadequate

MISCELLANEOUS

China blocks Meta’s $2B Manus deal after months-long probe ★★★
10 Things We’re Fired up for at the 2026 Experiential Marketing Summit
POSSIBLE 2026: AdExchanger’s Hot Takes
From AI Travel Agents to Creator Technology: Exploring 2026’s Ad Tech Trends

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

Digital Video Ads To Top $80B in US

Andrea Girelli — Thu, 14 May 2026 09:07:21 GMT

IAB’s projection that U.S. digital video advertising will surpass $80 billion in 2026 confirms that video is rapidly becoming the center of performance media, fueled by AI-driven personalization, social video growth, and CTV expansion. The Albertsons-YouTube partnership shows how this growth is increasingly tied to commerce data, bringing retailer loyalty insights and SKU-level attribution into premium video buying through DV360. Video advertising is no longer just about reach and engagement; it is becoming directly connected to measurable sales outcomes. Google’s Meridian GeoX and broader measurement updates address the next critical challenge: proving incrementality and causal impact in a fragmented, privacy-constrained ecosystem. Together, these shifts point toward a future where AI, retail media, and advanced measurement become inseparable parts of digital video advertising.

Ciao Digital Folks, here’s the latest news in Digital Marketing, 27 Apr-11 May 2026

📌 Google Adds Journey-Aware Bidding To PMax
📌 OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Ads Manager
📌 Google Expands Preferred Sources Worldwide
📌 TikTok Launches UK Ad-Free Subscription
📌 Amazon Opens Logistics Network To Businesses
📌 DV360 Adds 175 Albertsons Shopper Segments
⭐ Digital Video Ads To Top $80B in US
📌 Meridian GeoX Adds Geographic Incrementality Testing
📌 OpenAI Releases GPT-5.5 Instant
📌 Martech Growth Stalls After 15 Years
📌 Europe Hits Pause On AI Act Enforcement
📌 China Stops Meta’s $2B Manus Buy

Enjoy!

Google Adds Journey-Aware Bidding To PMax

Google Ads introduced several automation-focused updates across Search, Shopping, and Performance Max campaigns, including a beta feature called Journey-aware Bidding that optimizes toward the full lead-to-sale journey rather than only front-end conversions like form fills. The system learns from both online and offline conversion data, helping advertisers with long sales cycles better connect campaigns to qualified revenue outcomes. Google also expanded Smart Bidding Exploration to Shopping and Performance Max campaigns, allowing broader query exploration through ROAS tolerance settings, and launched demand-led budget pacing, which shifts spend toward periods of predicted higher consumer demand while respecting monthly and daily budget limits. The updates further strengthen Google’s push toward AI-driven bidding, automation, and campaign management.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-ads-introduces-journey-aware-bidding-and-new-budget-pacing-updates/574141/

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Ads Manager

OpenAI launched a beta self-serve Ads Manager for ChatGPT, allowing U.S. advertisers to directly create, manage, and optimize campaigns within the platform instead of relying on managed partnerships or agencies. The rollout introduces CPC bidding alongside existing CPM models, giving advertisers more flexibility to optimize campaigns around clicks, engagement, and downstream actions. OpenAI also added conversion measurement tools through pixel tracking and Conversions API integrations, enabling advertisers to track purchases, sign-ups, and leads while maintaining aggregated reporting and privacy protections around user conversations. The platform already includes partnerships with major holding groups such as Omnicom, WPP, Publicis, and Dentsu, and signals OpenAI’s broader move toward a mature AI-native advertising ecosystem.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/openai-launches-self-serve-ads-manager-for-chatgpt/573971/

Google Expands Preferred Sources Worldwide

Google expanded its Preferred Sources feature to all languages supported by Google Search, turning the user-controlled preference system into a global SEO and audience-building signal for Top Stories and Google Discover. The feature allows users to select publishers they want to see more often, helping Google personalize news and Discover feeds while still relying on relevance and freshness signals. Publishers can encourage users to add them as preferred sources through downloadable badges and on-site prompts, indirectly increasing visibility in Google surfaces. Google also updated its Search Central documentation and released translated assets in 16 languages, reinforcing the feature’s international rollout and highlighting its growing importance for publishers seeking stronger audience loyalty and recurring visibility across Search and Discover experiences.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/googles-preferred-sources-feature-is-now-a-global-seo-signal/573591/

TikTok Launches UK Ad-Free Subscription

TikTok launched an ad-free subscription option in the U.K., allowing users aged 18 and over to pay £3.99 per month to remove ads and disable the use of personal data for targeted advertising. The move aligns with evolving U.K. privacy regulations that give users greater control over how platforms use their data for direct marketing, following similar changes already introduced by Meta in Europe and the U.K. Users who do not subscribe will continue using TikTok with personalized ads enabled. The update reflects growing regulatory pressure on social platforms to provide paid alternatives to ad-funded models, while preserving advertising revenues and maintaining compliance with stricter data protection and consent requirements across European markets.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-launches-ad-free-offering-in-uk/819920/

Amazon Opens Logistics Network To Businesses

Amazon opened its global logistics network to all businesses through a new offering called Amazon Supply Chain Services, expanding beyond its traditional support for marketplace sellers and positioning itself more directly against logistics providers such as UPS and FedEx. The service gives companies access to Amazon’s freight transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, distribution, and parcel delivery infrastructure, supporting sectors including retail, healthcare, automotive, and manufacturing. By commercializing the supply chain capabilities built over decades for its ecommerce operations, Amazon aims to create a new growth area similar to how AWS extended its internal cloud infrastructure into a global enterprise business. Major brands including Procter & Gamble, 3M, Lands’ End, and American Eagle Outfitters have already adopted the service.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/04/amazon-opens-up-its-global-logistics-network-to-all-businesses/

DV360 Adds 175 Albertsons Shopper Segments

Albertsons Media Collective partnered with YouTube and Google’s Display & Video 360 to bring retail media data and purchase-based audience targeting into YouTube advertising, giving brands access to more than 175 shopper segments built from Albertsons’ first-party loyalty and transaction data. Advertisers can combine these audiences with Google AI-powered optimization tools and closed-loop measurement capabilities, including SKU-level sales reporting supported by LiveRamp, to better connect video campaigns with real retail outcomes. Keurig Dr Pepper is among the first brands testing the integration. The partnership reflects the growing convergence between retail media and premium video advertising, as retailers expand offsite monetization strategies and platforms like YouTube strengthen their position against competitors such as Amazon through commerce-driven targeting and measurement solutions.

https://www.marketingdive.com/news/albertsons-injects-fresh-retail-media-data-into-youtube-advertising/818548/

Digital Video Ads To Top $80B in US

IAB projected U.S. digital video advertising spend to surpass $80 billion in 2026, growing 11% year over year and outpacing the overall advertising market by nearly 20%, driven by strong momentum in social video, connected TV, and AI-powered advertising tools. The report found that social video is growing faster than CTV for the first time, fueled by AI-driven personalization, creator economy investments, and performance-focused formats, while streaming sports rights continue supporting CTV expansion. Digital video is expected to account for more than 60% of total TV and video ad spending in 2026. The study also highlighted rapid adoption of agentic and generative AI across planning, targeting, creative testing, inventory management, and campaign optimization workflows throughout the digital video ecosystem.

https://www.iab.com/news/u-s-digital-video-ad-spend-to-surpass-80b-in-2026/

Meridian GeoX Adds Geographic Incrementality Testing

Google previewed several new advertising measurement tools ahead of Google Marketing Live, including Meridian GeoX, an open-source geographic incrementality testing solution designed to measure the causal impact of media campaigns through regional experiments. The company also introduced Meridian Studio, a Google Cloud-based enterprise platform for large-scale marketing mix modeling, alongside updates to Data Manager that add visual data-flow mapping and expanded API integrations with platforms such as BigQuery, HubSpot, Shopify, and Google Analytics. Google additionally announced a simplified visual setup flow for Google tags aimed at non-technical marketers. Together, the updates strengthen Google’s focus on first-party data, causal measurement, and AI-driven marketing analytics as advertisers seek more reliable performance measurement amid signal loss and growing privacy constraints.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-previews-meridian-geox-data-manager-measurement-updates/573885/

OpenAI Releases GPT-5.5 Instant

OpenAI released GPT-5.5 Instant as the new default model for ChatGPT, replacing GPT-5.3 Instant with improved reasoning, lower hallucination rates in sensitive domains such as law, medicine, and finance, and stronger performance in coding, multimodal reasoning, and mathematics benchmarks. The model maintains low-latency responses while adding enhanced context management capabilities that allow Plus and Pro users to reference past conversations, uploaded files, and Gmail content for more personalized interactions. OpenAI also introduced visible memory source tracking across models, enabling users to review, correct, or delete stored context behind responses. For developers, GPT-5.5 is available through the API under the “chat-latest” endpoint, while GPT-5.3 support for paid users will remain available temporarily before deprecation.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/05/openai-releases-gpt-5-5-instant-a-new-default-model-for-chatgpt/

Martech Growth Stalls After 15 Years

The 2026 Marketing Technology Landscape reached 15,505 products, growing just 0.79% year over year and signaling a possible plateau after 15 years of continuous expansion from only 150 products in 2011. While overall growth nearly stalled, the market remains highly dynamic, with 1,488 new products added and 1,367 removed, reflecting increasing consolidation and churn among smaller SaaS vendors. AI is reshaping the sector by revitalizing mature categories such as CMS, ecommerce platforms, analytics, integration, governance, and marketing automation, as companies adapt digital experiences for AI agents, search assistants, and machine-driven commerce. The report highlights how context engineering, structured data, and AI-powered orchestration are becoming central capabilities as marketers redesign customer journeys for both humans and autonomous AI systems.

https://chiefmartec.com/2026/05/2026-marketing-technology-landscape-supergraphic-peak-martech-achieved-maybe/

Europe Hits Pause On AI Act Enforcement

The European Union agreed to delay key enforcement deadlines of its AI Act by up to 16 months through a new “Digital Omnibus on AI” package, following mounting pressure from major technology and industrial companies that argued the regulations were becoming too difficult to implement. Rules governing high-risk AI systems in sectors such as biometrics, employment, education, migration, and critical infrastructure will now apply from December 2027 instead of August 2026, while AI embedded in products like toys and elevators receives an even longer extension. The revised package also simplifies some compliance requirements and reduces overlaps with product safety laws, while introducing new bans on AI-generated non-consensual sexual deepfakes and child sexual abuse material amid growing concerns over generative AI misuse.

https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/05/07/eu-hits-snooze-on-ai-act-rules-after-industry-backlash/5234530

China Stops Meta’s $2B Manus Buy

China’s National Development and Reform Commission blocked Meta’s planned $2 billion acquisition of Manus, an agentic AI startup founded by Chinese engineers and later relocated to Singapore, ordering the companies to fully unwind the transaction after a months-long regulatory review. The decision represents one of China’s strongest interventions in a cross-border AI deal and could significantly affect Meta’s ambitions in the rapidly growing AI agents market. Despite the acquisition being announced in late 2025 and parts of the Manus team already integrated into Meta’s Singapore operations, Chinese authorities reportedly imposed exit bans on key executives, including CEO Xiao Hong and Chief Scientist Yichao Ji. The case highlights escalating geopolitical and regulatory tensions surrounding AI ownership, talent mobility, and foreign investment involving Chinese-linked technology firms.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/27/china-vetoes-metas-2b-manus-deal-after-months-long-probe/

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

the full batch. #126

Andrea Girelli — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 08:16:08 GMT

TL;DR? NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

Google added view-through conversion optimization and Commerce Media Suite integration to Demand Gen, letting YouTube ad views drive conversions using retailer data. ★ Google introduced AI-powered Search tools including hotel price alerts, store-calling agents, and a Canvas planner that builds full travel itineraries. ★ X launched a standalone X Chat app with encrypted DMs and no ads, though experts warn static keys could expose entire conversations. ★ Meta launched Instants, a Snapchat-style app for disappearing, unedited photos, aiming to capture younger users with quick, one-view sharing. ★ Amazon sellers staged a 24-hour ad boycott over fees and payouts, exposing shrinking margins and rising difficulty building sustainable brands on the platform. ★ Google and WooCommerce enabled product tagging in YouTube videos, turning Shorts and content into direct shopping channels synced with Merchant Center data. ★ OpenAI began showing native ads in ChatGPT to logged-out users, expanding inventory and embedding sponsored messages directly within conversational responses. ★ OpenAI is testing a ChatGPT Ads Manager dashboard, giving advertisers real-time campaign control as ad inventory and monetization rapidly expand. ★ OpenAI introduced $3–$5 CPC bidding in ChatGPT ads, shifting from CPM to performance pricing and attracting marketers focused on measurable click results. ★ YouTube partnered with SiriusXM to sell podcast-style audio ads, offering guaranteed impressions and targeting listeners during high-attention moments like commuting. ★ OpenAI released GPT-5.5, boosting reasoning, coding, and research performance while advancing its vision of an all-in-one AI “super app.” ★ Enjoy!

BIDDABLE ADS

Why Microsoft’s AI Ad Strategy Deserves More Attention From PPC Managers
YouTube ads surface in subscriptions feed as side-by-side ads hit more live content
Google Ads Demand Gen campaigns hit by review delays
Google Adds View-Through Conversion Optimization To Demand Gen ★★★
Google changes budget pacing rules for scheduled campaigns
Microsoft launches AI Max and new ad tools for the “agentic web” era

SEARCH MARKETING

AI Overview CTR Fell 61%, But Clicks Didn’t Collapse
Google’s Updates Push Search Further Into Task Completion
Google AI Overviews CTR shows early signs of recovery: Study
The Facts About Google Click Signals, Rankings, And SEO
Google’s Liz Reid on AI search changes, query shifts, and AI slop
Google Search Console Has Been Overstating Impressions for Nearly a Year
AI Search Is Eating Itself & The SEO Industry Is The Source
Google Adds New Tasked-Based Search Features ★★★
68 Million AI Crawler Visits Show What Drives AI Search Visibility

SOCIAL MEDIA

TikTok lets users add relevant keywords to metadata
X officially launches X Chat ★★★
X is shutting down Communities because of low usage and lots of spam
Meta launches Instagram spinoff Instants as a standalone app ★★★
Hands on with X’s new AI-powered custom feeds
That is a wrap on Social Media Week 2026!
X introduces topic-based Custom Timelines
Meta tests new add-on package WhatsApp Plus subscription
Threads will add Broadcast Channels-style feature called live chats

SHOPPING ADS, eCOMMERCE, SOCIAL COMMERCE, RETAIL MEDIA

Home Depot helps advertisers reach DIY audiences on Reddit and Pinterest
Ecommerce Trends: AI’s key conversion metric is improving
Amazon Faces An Easy Boycott But An Existential Question ★★★
PayPal Goes After Streaming TV Advertisers With New Adtech Deals
New Ecommerce Tools: April 22, 2026
WooCommerce Stores Can Now Sell Products Via YouTube Videos ★★★
Marketplaces account for 61% of European ecommerce
Mixed Reports on AI Ecommerce Traffic
Selling To AI: The Complete Guide To Agentic Commerce

PROGRAMMATIC, DISPLAY & VIDEO, CTV

EDO Strikes Back Against iSpot By Offering TV Intelligence Data For Free
Unity And Index Exchange Unite Behind Gaming Data In Non-Gaming Channels
Taboola Launches Realize+
Bedrock Debuts Containerised DSP Deployment on Index Cloud, Enabling Model-Driven Bidding at Scale
Thrad Is Now Live as an Advertiser Inside ChatGPT
Clinch Brings AI-driven Creative Personalisation to Pause Ads Through OpenGlass Partnership
ChatGPT ads expand to logged-out users ★★★
Advertisers test ChatGPT Ads Manager ★★★
Seedtag Revolutionises Media Planning & Activation with the Launch of NeuroX
StackAdapt Brings Campaign Intelligence into Claude with MCP Server Launch
ChatGPT Ads Now Offer CPC Bidding Between $3 And $5: Report ★★★

MEDIA QUALITY & BRAND SAFETY

DoubleVerify Earn MRC Accreditation for TikTok Video Viewability Reporting
New Study: CTV Content Adjacency Drives 4X Brand Lift in Key Categories
TikTok boosts measurement partnerships in play for advertiser confidence
Introducing DV’s AI SlopStopper for Social, Maximising Media Quality & Campaign Performance

DOOH, AUDIO, OTHERS

Amazon’s new podcast strategy: Monetize everything
Advertisers Can Now Buy In-Store Audio and Fuel Pump Ads at Sam’s Club
Amazon Ads & Global Announce Integration Bringing the UK’s Biggest Commercial Audio Brands to Amazon DSP
YouTube teams up with SiriusXM for audio ads on podcasts, more ★★★
Triton Digital: Master Your Podcast Monetization With Precision Audience Insights and Rankings

CREATOR ECONOMY, INFLUENCER MARKETING

Beehiiv rolls out new creator tools, including webinars and customizable paywalls
Creator marketing now a ‘core media channel’ while search slows: IAB

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Anthropic created a test marketplace for agent-on-agent commerce
DeepSeek previews new AI model that ‘closes the gap’ with frontier models
Claude’s new connectors use AI to order food, control music, and do your taxes
OpenAI releases GPT-5.5, bringing company one step closer to an AI ‘superapp’ ★★★
Google turns Chrome into an AI co-worker for the workplace
Meta expands access to Meta AI business assistant

fAIlure - Behind the hype

Stale gov.uk pages are feeding AI overviews old data and Brits are believing it
Anthropic’s super-scary bug hunting model Mythos is shaping up to be a nothingburger
Ordering with the Starbucks ChatGPT app was a true coffee nightmare
Claude Desktop changes app access settings for browsers you don’t even have installed yet

MARTECH

15 HubSpot updates from March 2026 managers and admins need to know
Martech replacement is slowing, and that changes everything

AGENCIES

WPP Restructures Commerce Expertise Into One Team
Adobe expands agency partnerships as part of agentic AI platform debut

PRIVACY, LEGAL, DATA PROTECTION

IAB Statement on the SECURE Data Act
Meta will let parents see their teens’ AI queries
Lawmakers in Turkey pass teen social media ban
The DROP Is Coming: Why Fines Under California’s Delete Act Are About to Spike
Meta sued by Consumer Federation of America
Google May Have To Share Search Data With Rivals
Emails show Amazon colluding with other firms to raise prices, California authorities allege

SUSTAINABILITY

X-energy stock pops 27% on first day of trading following upsized IPO
Datacenter boom keeps dirty coal plants alive in the US

MISCELLANEOUS

Microsoft offers buyout for up to 7% of US employees
Meta to cut 10% of jobs, or 8,000 employees, report says
Tim Cook stepping down as Apple CEO, John Ternus taking over

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

ChatGPT ads introduce CPC bidding option

Andrea Girelli — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 08:02:36 GMT

Three examples of expansion by invasion. First, YouTube is going full-funnel: WooCommerce partnership turns videos into storefronts, Demand Gen now optimizes for view-through conversions to prove top-funnel value and connects with Commerce Media, while premium audio inventory is handed to SiriusXM; Amazon, under pressure from seller fees and margins, counters by plugging UK audio inventory into its DSP. Second, X launches X Chat, its own ‘WhatsApp’, and Meta its own ‘BeReal’ - Instants - as standalone apps, going for asset-building or monetization separation rather than feature expansion. Third, ChatGPT Ads is scaling fast: ads now reach logged-out users, CPC bidding ($3–$5) attracts performance marketers, and a real Ads Manager brings it closer to Google and Meta. It’s total war.

Ciao Digital Folks, here’s the latest news in Digital Marketing, 19-26 Apr 2026

📌 Demand Gen now optimizes for view-through conversions
📌 Google Search now completes real-world tasks
📌 X launches standalone X Chat app
📌 Meta launches Instants photo-sharing app
📌 Amazon sellers stage ad boycott over fees
📌 WooCommerce adds YouTube shopping integration
📌 ChatGPT ads expand to logged-out users
📌 OpenAI tests ChatGPT Ads Manager dashboard
⭐ ChatGPT ads introduce CPC bidding option
📌 YouTube partners with SiriusXM for audio ads
📌 OpenAI releases GPT-5.5 model update

Enjoy!

Demand Gen now optimizes for view-through conversions

Google added new features for Demand Gen campaigns in Google Ads, adding view-through conversion optimization and expanding Commerce Media Suite support. The view-through conversion option enables campaigns to optimize for users who see YouTube ads without clicking but later complete a conversion, aligning Demand Gen with capabilities on other platforms. The Commerce Media Suite expansion allows advertisers to leverage retailers’ first-party catalog and conversion data across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail, improving shopper targeting. These updates aim to enhance campaign effectiveness and consistency across channels. Google also highlighted third-party data suggesting Demand Gen drives higher new-customer conversions and indicated further updates will be announced at Google Marketing Live.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-adds-view-through-conversion-optimization-to-demand-gen/572840/

Google Search now completes real-world tasks

Google introduced new task-based features in Search, enhancing its shift toward completing real-world actions for users through AI. It added hotel price tracking for individual properties with email alerts, enabled AI Mode to launch agents that call nearby stores to check product availability, and expanded the Canvas tool to create personalized travel itineraries with flights, hotels, and attractions. These tools aim to reduce manual effort by handling planning and local inquiries directly within Search. The updates reflect Google’s strategy to move beyond traditional results toward an interactive system that executes tasks, making structured business data and accessibility increasingly important for visibility and engagement.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-adds-new-tasked-based-search-features/572547/

X launches standalone X Chat app

X launched a standalone X Chat app after beta testing, offering a dedicated platform for direct messages with claims of end-to-end encryption, no ads, and no tracking. The app uses device-based keys and PIN protection to secure conversations, aiming to enhance user privacy and trust. However, researchers have raised concerns about potential vulnerabilities, noting that its encryption system relies on a static conversation key that could expose messages if compromised, and suggesting X itself may still access chats. Despite these issues, the app may support X’s broader goal of becoming an all-in-one platform, particularly by strengthening its case for regulatory approval to introduce payment services in the United States.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/x-officially-launches-x-chat/818508/

Meta launches Instants photo-sharing app

Meta launched Instants, a standalone Instagram spinoff app designed for sharing disappearing photos, aiming to attract younger users with spontaneous, unedited content. The app opens directly to the camera and allows one-time viewing of images, combining elements of Snapchat and BeReal to encourage casual interaction. Built from a previous Instagram feature called Shots, Instants reflects Meta’s continued effort to compete with Snapchat, especially as its rival faces slowing growth in some regions. By focusing on quick, privacy-oriented sharing, Meta seeks to boost engagement and potentially capture market share where Snapchat is weaker, though similar past attempts have seen limited success.

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/meta-launches-instagram-spinoff-instants-as-a-standalone-app/818389/

Amazon sellers stage ad boycott over fees

Amazon sellers organized a brief advertising boycott to protest rising costs and policy changes affecting their margins, including new fees, delayed payouts, and a proposed ban on credit card payments for ads. The protest aimed to pressure Amazon, which later postponed the credit card restriction, showing sellers retain limited leverage through ad spending. However, the situation highlights a deeper issue: building a sustainable brand on Amazon is becoming increasingly difficult. Higher costs and tighter conditions are pushing sellers to diversify across other channels, while fewer sellers now generate a larger share of revenue, signaling growing consolidation and reduced viability for smaller businesses on the platform.

https://www.adexchanger.com/commerce-roundup/amazon-faces-an-easy-boycott-but-an-existential-question/

WooCommerce adds YouTube shopping integration

Google and WooCommerce introduced an update enabling merchants to sell products directly through YouTube videos by integrating the Google for WooCommerce extension with YouTube Shopping. This allows store owners to tag products in videos and Shorts, displaying clickable shopping cards during playback and in a channel’s shopping tab. Product data, including pricing and inventory, syncs automatically via Google Merchant Center and is reused across ads and shopping listings, ensuring consistency. The integration turns YouTube into both a discovery and purchase platform, helping merchants reach billions of users while simplifying campaign management and enabling video content to drive direct sales.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/woocommerce-youtube-shopping/572690/

ChatGPT ads expand to logged-out users

OpenAI has begun showing ads in ChatGPT to logged-out users, expanding its advertising reach and increasing available inventory for marketers. These ads appear seamlessly within chat responses rather than as traditional banners, aiming to maintain a natural user experience while remaining clearly labeled. The move addresses previous limitations where advertisers struggled to scale campaigns due to low inventory and high entry costs. By including unauthenticated users, OpenAI can offer broader audience access and improve campaign performance potential. This shift reflects growing advertiser demand and positions ChatGPT as a more competitive and scalable channel in the digital advertising landscape.

https://searchengineland.com/chatgpt-ads-expand-to-logged-out-users-475377

OpenAI tests ChatGPT Ads Manager dashboard

OpenAI is testing a new ChatGPT Ads Manager interface, giving advertisers real-time tools to run, monitor, and optimize campaigns more effectively. The dashboard marks a shift from basic reporting toward a more advanced, self-serve platform similar to Google Ads or Meta systems. Early testers have reported increased ad visibility within ChatGPT, alongside brands already appearing in placements, indicating growing inventory and monetization efforts. The update aims to address previous limitations in control and scalability, with future improvements expected in targeting, reporting, and automation, as OpenAI works to expand ChatGPT into a more mature and competitive advertising channel.

https://searchengineland.com/advertisers-test-chatgpt-ads-manager-475114

ChatGPT ads introduce CPC bidding option

OpenAI is expanding ChatGPT’s advertising capabilities by introducing cost-per-click (CPC) bidding between $3 and $5 for some pilot advertisers, shifting beyond its initial impression-based pricing model. This allows marketers to pay only when users click, making the platform more appealing to performance-focused advertisers and enabling direct comparison with channels like Google and Meta. The change follows declining ad costs and lower minimum spend requirements, broadening access beyond large enterprises. These updates signal a move toward a more scalable, self-serve ad platform, though measurement tools remain limited, requiring advertisers to carefully evaluate click quality and campaign effectiveness.

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/chatgpt-ads-now-offer-cpc-bidding-between-3-and-5-report/572652/

YouTube partners with SiriusXM for audio ads

YouTube partnered with SiriusXM to handle advertising for its audio-focused content, including podcasts, by making SiriusXM the exclusive seller of its U.S. audio ad inventory. Through this deal, advertisers will be able to purchase guaranteed audio ad placements at scale, using SiriusXM’s expertise and ad technology platform. The move aims to better monetize YouTube’s growing audio audience, which increasingly consumes content in situations like commuting or working. While the user experience is expected to remain largely unchanged, ads may become more aligned with traditional audio platforms, reflecting a shift toward more targeted and professionally managed audio advertising.

https://9to5google.com/2026/04/22/youtube-teams-up-with-siriusxm-for-audio-ads-on-podcasts-more/

OpenAI releases GPT-5.5 model update

OpenAI released GPT-5.5, its latest AI model, enhancing performance across areas like coding, scientific research, and enterprise tasks while improving speed and efficiency. The model introduces more advanced reasoning and agentic capabilities, supporting complex workflows and potentially aiding fields such as drug discovery. It is being rolled out to ChatGPT users across multiple subscription tiers, with a more powerful version available for higher-level plans. The launch reflects OpenAI’s rapid development pace and its broader goal of building a unified “super app” that combines tools like ChatGPT, coding systems, and browsing into a single platform for both consumers and businesses.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/23/openai-chatgpt-gpt-5-5-ai-model-superapp/

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.

the full batch. #125

Andrea Girelli — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:30:32 GMT

TL;DR? NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

Google is replacing Dynamic Search Ads with AI Max, automatically migrating campaigns to an AI system using broader signals and tighter controls. ★ Google’s Addy Osmani introduced Agentic Engine Optimization framework, urging shorter, structured content with front-loaded answers and markdown formats for AI agent consumption. ★ Pew Research found U.S. teens use TikTok for entertainment and product discovery, while Snapchat dominates private communication and social connection. ★ Instacart acquired Colombia’s Instaleap to expand internationally via enterprise retail tech, avoiding building delivery networks outside North America. ★ IAB released guidelines at its commerce summit outlining AI-driven models, measurement standards, and cross-channel frameworks to scale commerce media performance. ★ OpenAI began rolling out ads to Free and Go users in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand while keeping premium tiers ad-free. ★ OpenAI is testing a self-serve ads manager with basic impression pricing and targeting, but lacking conversion tracking, advanced analytics, and robust tools. ★ IAB Tech Lab adopted Amazon’s Dynamic Traffic Engine to let buyers signal intent, reducing wasted programmatic bids and improving supply-demand alignment. ★ Picnic reported 44% of web inventory fails quality standards, with AI-generated content flooding supply and hiding low-value environments behind misleading metrics. ★ OpenAI is building a conversion tracking pixel to link ChatGPT ads to actions like purchases, aiming to compete for performance advertising budgets. ★ IAB reported digital ad revenue hit $294.6 billion in 2025, driven by social, video, and commerce media as AI reshapes performance advertising. ★ Enjoy!

BIDDABLE ADS

Google Is Replacing Dynamic Search Ads With AI Max ★★★
Meta to shoot past Google in digital ad revenue for first time: Emarketer
Google Ads advertisers report wave of unexplained ad disapprovals
YouTube livestreams will now hold back ads during peak engagement to protect the vibe
Reddit expands Reminder Ads globally
TikTok adds new AI video generation to Symphony ad toolkit
How Much Do TikTok Ads Cost in 2026?
YouTube says its 90-second unskippable ads were the result of a bug, fix rolling out [U]
What 10 years of PPC testing reveals about breaking best practices

SEARCH MARKETING

Google Bans Back Button Hijacking, Agentic Search Grows - SEO Pulse
Google’s Patent On Autonomous Search Results
ChatGPT Often Retrieves But Rarely Cites Reddit Pages, Data Shows
Google AI Mode in Chrome Gets Side-by-Side Browsing
March 2026 Google core update more volatile than December - here’s what changed
The AI Slop Loop
Agentic engine optimization: Google AI director outlines new content playbook ★★★
Shorter, Focused Content Wins In ChatGPT
Google Lists 9 Scenarios That Explain How It Picks Canonical URLs
‘Google app for desktop’ launches on Windows
Google Answers If Outbound Links Pass “Poor Signals”

SOCIAL MEDIA

SaySo is a new short-form video app that aims to restore users’ trust in news
Search Ad Growth Slows As Social & Video Gain Faster
YouTube Shorts are a lot easier to ignore with this new setting [Gallery]
Instagram expands Your Algorithm tool to Explore
Social media has positive benefits for teens ★★★
Snap is cutting 1,000 jobs, 16% of its workforce
Reddit launches new public beta integration with HubSpot

SHOPPING ADS, eCOMMERCE, SOCIAL COMMERCE, RETAIL MEDIA

Google’s Product Feed Strategy Points To The Future Of Retail Discovery
Google’s AI Mode can now help you find products in stock nearby
AI traffic converts better than non-AI visits for U.S. retailers: Report
Hard Truths For Retail Media At The IAB Connected Commerce Summit
New Ecommerce Tools: April 15, 2026
Instacart acquires Instaleap to expand its enterprise platform internationally ★★★
IAB Introduces Actionable Industry Guidelines as Commerce Media Enters AI-Fueled Performance Era ★★★
GoWit & Numatec Forge Retail Media Partnership in Spain and Italy
Dell: Agents drive more ecommerce traffic, but conversions lag
50% European consumers use BNPL

PROGRAMMATIC, DISPLAY & VIDEO, CTV

OpenAI begins rolling out ads in select markets ★★★
Advertisers are testing ChatGPT ads - but uncertainty remains high
A closer look at OpenAI’s ads manager - and how much work it still needs ★★★
IAB adopts Amazon framework to improve programmatic signals ★★★

MEDIA QUALITY & BRAND SAFETY

Gemini helped Google block more than 99% of bad ads before they ran
44% of Web Inventory Fails Quality Standards, Picnic Finds ★★★
TikTok publishes first transparency report on EU hate speech removal
X says it’s reducing payments to clickbait accounts
OpenAI, Meta, ByteDance Lead AI Bot Traffic In Publishing
X eliminates thousands of accounts in new bot purge

TRACKING, MEASUREMENT

Google Ads tests direct Google Tag Manager integration for conversion setup
OpenAI builds tool to track whether ChatGPT ads convert ★★★
Meta Is Launching An Easy Button For CAPI
Google is bringing back a familiar name: Data Studio
Google Ads simplifies enhanced conversions into a single switch

DOOH, AUDIO, OTHERS

Measurement Biggest Barrier to DOOH Investment, Azerion Finds; It’s Partly a Perception Problem
Spotify launches the ability to purchase physical books in the US and UK
Audio Ads Are Coming to 6,000 More Dollar General Stores

METAVERSE, AR/VR, GAMING, WEARABLES

Gucci-branded Android XR smart glasses are coming in 2027
Meta raises the price of its Quest VR headsets
Snap partners with Qualcomm on Specs hardware
Apple reportedly testing four designs for upcoming smart glasses

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Claude Opus 4.7 launches with coding improvements, but it’s no Mythos
OpenAI takes aim at Anthropic with beefed-up Codex that gives it more power over your desktop
Google Chrome Skills Turn Gemini Prompts Into Reusable Workflows

fAIlure - Behind the hype

Don’t let the bot play doctor! AI gets early diagnoses wrong 80% of the time
Chatbots are great at manipulating people to buy stuff, Princeton boffins find

AGENCIES

FTC Orders WPP, Publicis, and Dentsu to Stop Alleged Brand Safety Collusion
Dentsu Revamps Its AI Platform for an Agentic Future
Stagwell Brings in Growth Chief to Step Up Push for Big Clients
Publicis leans on Microsoft in race to lead agentic AI for marketers

PUBLISHERS

Netflix plans to add a vertical video feed, use AI for recommendations
Google AdSense Offerwall Is Now Generally Available
Roku is in ‘more than half’ of US homes, crosses 100 million milestone
Netflix Ad Revenue Set to Reach $3 Billion in 2026, New Ad Products Coming
Inside RTL’s Plan To Aggregate Europe’s Fragmented TV And Video Supply
Inside Google Discover: 20 pipelines, 42 million cards, and what they mean for publishers

PRIVACY, LEGAL, DATA PROTECTION

Brussels tells Google to hand rivals its search crown jewels as privacy row brews
Newly unsealed records reveal Amazon’s price-fixing tactics, California attorney general claims
Facebook wants to scan users’ camera rolls for content
Cookies, Whether You Want Them Or Not; Feeding The ‘Industry Plants’
Advertisers are gearing up to hit Google with mass arbitration claims worth billions
EU officials explore plans for teen social media bans
Google simplifies Analytics and Ads consent rules

MISCELLANEOUS

IPA Bellwether Q1 2026: Marketing Budgets Revised up to Highest Level in Almost Two Years
Digital Ad Revenue Climbs to Nearly $300B as IAB Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary ★★★
Why the Inbox Is the New Algorithm
Google previews I/O 2026 sessions: What’s new in Android, AI, more

All sources are credited with care. If you’d rather not be mentioned, no problem at all — just email me at friedbids@substack.com and I’ll take care of it.