Advertising & Marketing

New pre-home- screen video ads are sparking backlash as Roku’s monetization push clashes with users’ expectations for a paid device experience.

Perplexity’s new ad makes Google a target: The company’s biggest ad yet, led by “Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae, could continue the push toward a more divided AI market.

Its biggest acquisition ever arms Google Cloud with elite multi-cloud security, setting it up to rival Azure and cash in on rising AI security demand.

Echo users can no longer block voice data sharing as Amazon quietly makes off-device processing mandatory to train Alexa+.

Shopify is on an AI acquisition spree: The company’s latest purchase, Vantage Discovery, will enable it to offer brands genAI-powered search capabilities and improved product discovery.

Reddit lets users block content from specific advertisers: While the change could improve user experience, it may also jeopardize Reddit’s main revenue source.

Major creators will hold event to vie for YouTube ad dollars: The Spotter Showcase will unveil crucial data and content slates to draw marketers away from traditional TV.

Advertisers are discovering new value in niche women’s sports: NCAA volleyball, gymnastics, and lacrosse offer passionate audiences, low ad clutter, and high engagement, per EDO.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the next waves to hit the streaming world: which platform will emerge as the streaming hub, how will “content tiers” change viewer behavior and subscriptions, and can streaming maintain sizeable enough audiences for awards shows and Presidential debates? Tune in to the conversation with Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, our Senior Editor Daniel Konstantinovic, and Vice President Paul Verna. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

With enterprise users slipping, Zoom is pushing affordable AI agents that write, plan, and coach—aiming to turn fleeting meetings into long-term platform loyalty.

Industry KPIs show AI-driven brand safety tools improve ad targeting, prevent misplacement, and boost engagement. Real-time content analysis ensures ads align with brand values.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how Mint Mobile was able to stand out before a celebrity like Ryan Reynolds joined the team, how he helped them break the marketing mold, and lessons learned along the way to becoming a billion-dollar valued company. Tune in to the conversation with Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, our Senior Director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman, Vice President Suzy Davidkhanian, and Strategic Advisor to Mint Mobile Aron North. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Publicis wins Coca-Cola’s US media business: WPP loses the $785 million account as Coca-Cola separates creative and media.

FTC escalates Omnicom-IPG merger review: The $13 billion deal faces regulatory scrutiny over potential impacts on media competition and pricing power.

A lot happens in a week, so every Friday we're going to analyze all the new data and provide you with some of the key takeaways. Welcome to the Friday 5. This week, teens want ads with products in action, consumers aren’t giving brands negative feedback, and St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t interest consumers as much as other holidays.

Marketers can use this to recognize high growth areas of investment strategies and acknowledge the uncertainty shown in TikTok investments as a potential nudge to diversify their social ad spend.

With profits down and factories years away, Foxconn says tariffs are a major obstacle for companies navigating rising costs and supply chain instability.

This week, in-person events bring consumers closer to brands, agencies face creative challenges, and TikTok’s troubles highlight Pinterest’s potential.

Fast, AI-driven support appeals to many, but empathy and access to live agents are vital to maintaining customer relationships.

Meta’s new Stories payout model drops view minimums, aiming to reengage influencers and win back young users.