Latest Marketing & Advertising News
Meta launches Andromeda AI to optimize advertising campaigns
Meta announced its Andromeda AI system for advertising optimization, signaling deeper platform automation and consolidation toward Advantage+ campaign structures, with migrations required by Q1 2026.
Industry execs predict AI and owned channels will transform digital advertising in 2026
A survey of 28 marketing executives forecasts AI-powered personalization and interactive owned channels (email, SMS, wallets) will reshape marketing, with emphasis on first‑party data as third‑party cookies decline.
Contextual and emotional targeting rises as privacy tightens
Seedtag highlights emotional-context targeting—matching ads to users' emotional state—as a competitive edge after privacy changes reduced identifiable signals; tests reported 3.5× response and improved recall in studies with Columbia University.
Holiday campaigns split between AI-generated and human-crafted creative
Reports show 2025 holiday ads divided: some brands embraced generative AI automation for scale while others prioritized human creativity and craftsmanship to preserve brand distinctiveness.
Programmatic and real-time contextual creative show large CTR gains
Research reported by industry outlets indicates generative AI and real-time contextual creative can boost click-through rates substantially (reports cite increases in the tens to hundreds of percent versus static ads) as advertisers combat banner blindness.
Google December 2025 algorithm update affects search and content strategies
A December 2025 Google algorithm update increased SERP volatility across sectors (Business, News, Shopping), prompting SEO and content strategy adjustments to align with Google's relevance and quality signals.
Platforms tighten ad targeting and privacy controls
Major platforms have moved to deprecate legacy targeting features and tighten privacy controls—Meta consolidated APIs and removed some targeting exclusions while Google advanced privacy guidance for AI-driven ads—making first‑party identity strategies more important.
Ad industry emphasizes measurement beyond performance metrics
Executives and vendors urge measuring emotional engagement and brand outcomes rather than pure performance KPIs, arguing contextual/emotional alignment yields stronger long-term brand impact.
Agencies and publishers pursue international partnerships and identity solutions
Reports note increased cross-border collaborations and M&A to build identity, data and contextual capabilities as publishers try to monetize safer, higher‑value inventory under new privacy regimes.
Marketing hiring and skills shift toward AI, data and creative synthesis
Employers list AI, data-driven marketing, social and product marketing among top skills for 2025–26 as teams adapt to automation and the need for creative strategies that leverage AI insights.
Holiday ad performance analysis highlights winners and losers
Analyses of 2025 holiday campaigns show brands that blended AI-driven personalization with emotionally resonant creative tended to outperform those relying solely on automation or generic creative approaches.
SMB and performance agencies report standout platform performance on AI-enabled platforms
Agencies and growth partners are publicizing top-tier results on AI-enabled lead-generation platforms, reflecting strong ROI from automated optimization and contextual creative during peak shopping season.