- Microdramas Drove In-App Revenue Of $11B Worldwide Last YearThe fastest-growing entertainment format in America is microdramas, one-minute stories that appear on ReelShort, DramaBox, and TikTok’s new PineDrama, Quartz reports. Microdramas, which originated in China, drove in-app revenue of nearly $3 billion last year -- a 115% increase ... read more
- To Succeed With Paid Media, This Indie Agency Advises Nailing Organic FirstContent creation and media buying are often treated as siloes, especially in agencies. But for social-first shop LV8 (pronounced like the word “elevate”), these two disciplines are inseparable. The post To Succeed With Paid Media, ... read more
- Microdramas: Can They Turn The Tables – And Big Living Room Screens?Short-duration TV series and episodes could be just the thing for hard-pressed, financially strapped legacy TV-based media companies that are risk-averse. ... read more
- Pope Urges Media To Show Suffering In War, Not Fall Into Propaganda
- Whoa, Nellie! Will It Be Linear By A Nose?Trade reporters typically cover Nielsen ratings like a horse race, but that's also what Nielsen has been doing according to my analysis of nearly five years of monthly press releases. ... read more
- Now Voyager, Nonprofit Title On Foreign Affairs, DebutsA publication titled Now Voyager has debuted, offering for $29 “an art object version of Foreign Affairs,” The New York Times reported on Friday. The nonprofit publication will appear six times per year. The opening issue contains a ... read more
- HBO Docuseries Bowls A Strike With Heart To Spare"Born to Bowl" shows us a world most of us will never visit ourselves, and it does so with affection and respect for its subject. ... read more
- Trump Backs Carr's Threat To Pull Broadcast Licenses Over Iran CoveragePresident Donald Trump issued a Truth Social post on Sunday, supporting FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s threat to revoke broadcast licenses over perceived negative news coverage of the Iran war, The Washington Post reports. “They get Billions of Dollars of ... read more
- Prestige Taps Horizon As Media AORAnnual net media spending for the company is estimated at $30 million by agency research firm COMvergence. ... read more
- Hot Takes From FTC Commissioner Mark Meador On Cookies And The Limits Of Self-Regulation“Private eyes They’re watching you They see your every move” That was FTC Commissioner Mark Meador’s rather droll choice for walk-on music when he spoke at the Marketecture Live event in New York City earlier ... read more
- Why ads.txt Needs To Evolve For Connected TVThere is an ongoing effort in Connected TV to clean up the supply chain. Much of that effort has taken the form of subjecting resellers to heightened scrutiny, privileging certain endpoints and collapsing supply into ... read more
- Above The Influence; Advertising’s Uncertainty PrincipleInfluencers aren't all on board with shoppable ads; Americans are buying less makeup; and Madison and Wall predicts growth (unless everything falls apart). The post Above The Influence; Advertising’s Uncertainty Principle appeared first on AdExchanger. ... read more
- Ulta Beauty CEO announces TikTok Shop launch, 11.8% net sales jump: ‘We got our swagger back’This story was originally published on sister site, Modern Retail. Ulta Beauty will soon launch on TikTok Shop. “We are pleased to announce today an expanded strategic integration with TikTok,” Ulta Beauty CEO Kecia Steelman ... read more
- Lay’s uses WhatsApp to create a group chat for World Cup fansAgainst a saturated — and more expensive — sports marketing landscape, Lay’s is trying to recreate one of the internet’s most intimate spaces: the group chat. The PepsiCo-owned snack brand is hosting a FIFA World ... read more
- A new studio is betting Hollywood talent and first-party data will reshape creator monetizationLinden Lane Films, a self-described next-generation content studio, is betting that the creator economy’s next move isn’t more followers — it’s a full ad business. The new venture is one company, among others, pairing Hollywood talent ... read more
- Shopify says purchases are coming ‘inside ChatGPT’ through agentic storefronts as OpenAI retreats on Instant CheckoutThis story was first published by Digiday sibling Modern Retail. Shopify told merchants their products will soon be discoverable and purchasable inside ChatGPT through its new “agentic storefronts” feature as OpenAI shifts how checkout works ... read more
- Alliant’s Margo Hock: First-Party Data Has Its LimitsSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Brands relying exclusively on first-party data miss cross-brand consumer behavior patterns, creating blind spots that limit audience understanding beyond single-retailer interactions. “Yes, that first party data is that liquid gold ... read more
- Ads Are Sexy Again as Streaming Discovery Gets Smarter: Gracenote’s Bill CondonSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — In a streaming world overflowing with shows, apps and remote controls that seem to require a pilot’s license, Bill Condon says the real hero is something viewers never see: metadata. ... read more
- Instagram Testing Direct Link-Sharing In Post CaptionsMeta Verified subscribers have reported the ability to incorporate clickable links directly into the captions of their Instagram posts, marking a notable shift in how creators are able to interact with their followers. ... read more
- Streamers Line Up to Support the Kids of Puerto RicoSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Several leading streaming services have committed to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico by donating inventory for a Spanish-language public service announcement. The PSA, created by Omnicom’s ... read more
- 'Scream 7,' Reese's Collab Brings Halloween Fun To International AudiencesIn London, passersby were invited into retro phone booth to see if they were "brave enough to answer the call," from "Scream" killer. ... read more
- Nielsen To Correct – Er, I Mean Methodologically Innovate – The GaugeI originally planned this column for Monday, the day before Nielsen normally publishes its monthly Gauge data, but turns out it's delaying it another week due to a recalibration. ... read more
- Musk, Rumble And Others Battle California AG Over Deep Fake LawThe statute requires online platforms "to adopt a government-imposed system for regulating certain political content," Musk's X Corp argues in papers filed with the 9th Circuit. ... read more
- LinkedIn Uses New AI Models To Rebuild Feed AlgorithmThe company's algorithmic rebuild relies on using AI that "better understands what a post is actually about" and how it relates to each user's in-app behavior, with the goal of delivering "more accurate and helpful ... read more
- Sports Fans Are Streaming, Scrolling And Occasionally Swearing At Their TVsFragmented sports media is creating headaches for fans and opportunities for advertisers. ... read more
- OMD USA Taps Rogers As CEOMost recently Rogers has served as CEO of digital marketing company Red Ventures. Before that he was Global President and Chief Operating Officer of MRM. ... read more
- Forget AI — It's The Rest Of Your Marketing Plan That Needs AttentionAre you trading your brand's soul for a better spot in a search result on a grocer's app? ... read more
- AI Agents Improving Ad PerformancePerion Networks this week extended the agentic capabilities of its "Outmax" AI agent from commerce, retail media and connected television platforms to a social platform with nearly 1.6 billion users worldwide. ... read more
- Perplexity Petitions To Lift Order Banning Shopping Agent From Amazon"Enjoining the use of Perplexity's signature product on one of the internet's most important websites would cause devastating harm to the company and consumers alike," Perplexity tells the 9th Circuit. ... read more
- Perplexity Petitions Order Banning Shopping Agent From Amazon"Enjoining the use of Perplexity's signature product on one of the internet's most important websites would cause devastating harm to the company and consumers alike," Perplexity tells the 9th Circuit. ... read more
- Will Google Fold In Apps To Explore Ad Bidding Options?The integration of ads could become much simpler. ... read more
- OMD's Hanson Rejoins Carat As NA CEO, Global Brand PresidentShe most recently served as CEO of Omnicom's OMD USA unit. ... read more
- Streaming Movie Ding? Universal's Films Are 'Theatrical-First'Starting next year, Universal Pictures will extend the theatrical window for new release movies to five weekends this year (around 35 days), and seven weekends (around 49 days) in 2027, according to a New York ... read more
- NBCUniversal Is Launching An AI Version Of Andy Cohen (And Yes, It’ll Do Brand Sponsorship Deals)Someday soon, marketers may be able to pay NBCUniversal to have an AI-generated approximation of “Real Housewives" executive producer Andy Cohen namedrop their brand to hundreds of thousands of fans. The post NBCUniversal Is Launching ... read more
- U.S. Ad Composite Rises On Bullish Update From Madison & WallThe publisher and consultant boosted its 2026 U.S. ad-growth forecast to 10.2%, or 8.9% excluding political ad spending, despite geopolitical unrest and macroeconomic uncertainty. ... read more
- 'Telegraph' Newsroom 'Cautiously Pleased' After Meeting New Owner Axel SpringerTelegraph staffers said they were “optimistic,” “enthusiastic” and “cautiously pleased” after meeting their potential new owner, German publisher Axel Springer, earlier this week, The Guardian reports. This follows a three-year takeover battle. The staff feels that Axel ... read more
- Search Clicks Show Major Decrease As Traffic For Top Stories Grows, Study ShowsOrganic search clicks have decreased by 42% since the expansion of Google AI Overviews in Google Search in May 2025, according to an analysis by Define Media Group, Search Engine Land reports. But breaking news traffic for ... read more
- IAB Sweden Expels Meta: Warns Advertisers About Fraud, Brand SafetyThe Interactive Advertising Bureau in Sweden at a recent board meeting moved to exclude Meta as a member of IAB Sweden, claiming that Meta is not doing enough to prevent fraudulent ads. The move sets ... read more
- Media Addiction Trial Is Wrapping Up In Los AngelesJurors have heard closing arguments in the social media addiction trial that is concluding in Los Angeles, PBS reports. The parade of witnesses has included addiction experts, therapists and media executives like Mark Zuckerberg. "I don't ... read more
- Data Investments Are Not Paying Off For Media Companies: DPP StudyMedia companies are drowning in data but lack the coherence and alignment they need to make it work, according to a study by the DPP, TVTechnology reports. Many organizations have made significant investments in data ... read more
- New York Bomb Incident Reveals Weakness Of TV NewsLocal news got aspects of the story wrong, or underplayed parts of it entirely - and a CNN news anchor got it wrong three days after it happened. ... read more
- MMM Platform Mutinex Brings On TransUnion’s Mike Finnerty To Head Its US BusinessIf you want to know which way the wind is blowing in ad measurement, follow the people changing jobs. On Wednesday, marketing mix modeling (MMM) platform Mutinex announced that Mike Finnerty is leaving TransUnion to ... read more
- Middle East conflict casts shadow of global ad outlookThe ad spending numbers for 2026 looked good until the war in the Middle East made them provisional. Not because they were optimistic or vacuous about ad spending this year but because they were built ... read more
- M&W: TV Ad Spending To Slide 2.4%National TV advertising will sink 2% to $27.9 billion (excluding political ads), while core local TV is expected to be down 3% to $13.5 billion, according to estimates from Madison and Wall. ... read more
- Are CAPIs The Next Phase Of Performance TV?Netflix unveiled its own conversion API, which is meant to help marketers and media buyers prove their streaming campaigns are actually producing real business outcomes. The news is part of the rising trend of CAPIs ... read more
- AdExchanger’s Comic Caption Contest Winner: Thomas KernanA weekly comic strip from AdExchanger.com that highlights the digital advertising ecosystem… It was neck and neck, but the votes are in and we have a winner! Guess even robots deserve a safe space to ... read more
- A Third-Party Promo Gone Awry; OpenAI Has An App For ThatHeluva Good! gets heluva weird; OpenAI isn't so sure about operating checkouts; and who AI fact checks the AI fact checker? The post A Third-Party Promo Gone Awry; OpenAI Has An App For That ... read more
- The Future of Marketing Briefing: a war, an oil spike and an ad market that can’t see what comes nextWars don’t pause for marketing plans but they do rewrite them. The world, for better or worse, keeps spending. That much has been clear from conversations with ad execs since the U.S. and Israel attacked ... read more
- As AI creative moves upstream, one production firm is pitching brands a model built on that trendThe traditional campaign production model is becoming obsolete as the incessant need for short-form content grows and as companies look to generative AI to fill the gaps. Marketers have latched onto promises that AI technology ... read more
- In graphic detail: Middle-tier creators are fueling the next phase of the creator economyAs top creators turn into celebrities commanding six-figure brand deals, a growing middle tier of creators is building sustainable businesses. These creators — often niche experts, educators, or hobbyists turned entrepreneurs — are monetizing audiences through ... read more
- Customer reviews become a key battleground as AI revolutionizes product discoveryThe story was first published by Digiday sibling Modern Retail. Brands are chasing after a traditional, but powerful tool in the age of AI-powered search engines: customer reviews. Platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are reshaping ... read more
- Sephora announces partnership with F1 AcademyThis story was first published by Digiday sibling Glossy. Sephora is gearing up for another sports partnership. On Wednesday, the LVMH-owned beauty giant announced a multi-year partnership with F1 Academy, the women’s racing championship founded ... read more
- TikTok Radio Set To Premiere Live At SXSWThrough its strategic partnership with iHeartMedia, TikTok plans to launch TikTok Radio -- an app and broadcast station-accessible initiative - live from the South By Southwest festival. ... read more
- TikTok Radio To Premiere Live At SXSWThrough its strategic partnership with iHeartMedia, TikTok plans to launch TikTok Radio -- an app and broadcast station-accessible initiative - live from the South By Southwest festival. ... read more
- Anti-Wokism Hasn't Killed Conscious Consumerism — Bad Messaging HasSome 40% of purchases are still value-driven, and Republicans are nearly as likely as Democrats to shop that way. ... read more
- Will Trump ‘Fight to Win’ in Iran?Iran can’t emerge from the war with a veto on oil flows from the Persian Gulf. ... read more
- Lowe's New Ads Channel Feel-Good Inspo, Not SawdustTurns out Gen Z and millennials don't care for the category's usual sweaty DIY images. ... read more
- Court Partly Upholds Block On California Kids Safety CodeIn a mixed ruling, a federal appellate panel preserved a block on parts of California's kids online safety code, including some provisions that would have restricted companies' ability to harness minors' data. ... read more
- Court Issues Mixed Ruling On California Kids Safety CodeA federal appellate panel preserved a block on parts of California's kids online safety code, including some provisions that would have restricted companies' ability to harness minors' data, but said other provisions can take effect. ... read more
- Americans Turn To Comfort Content As Stress Rises, Headlines Refuse To ChillComfort media is more popular than other popular coping tactics such as resting, spending time in nature, socializing with friends or family or indulging in sensory escapes. ... read more
- Viant Had A Good Q4, But Still Needs To Punch Up At Bigger PlatformsViant reported its Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings on Wednesday evening and investors appeared pleased. Net income last year was $24.1 million, almost double the total in 2024. Full-year 2025 revenue, meanwhile, grew by 22% ... read more
- Facebook Marketplace Sales Now Aided By Meta AIMeta has announced that it will introduce new AI-powered features on Facebook Marketplace, pushing sellers to rely more heavily on the company's AI assistant when listing products, communicating with buyers, and making sales. ... read more
- Microsoft Reshuffles Executives, Rajesh Jha To RetireMicrosoft has announced a shakeup in its Experience + Devices division that primarily targets engineering and internal efficiency, signaling a shift in how Microsoft Advertising will operate within the company's AI-first strategy. ... read more
- Microsoft Reshuffles Ad Parent Division, Jha To RetireMicrosoft has announced a shakeup in its Experience + Devices division that primarily targets engineering and internal efficiency, signaling a shift in how Microsoft Advertising will operate within the company's AI-first strategy. ... read more
- Feeling Like Spring In UkraineRussia hoped to break the will of the Ukrainian people by taking away their heat and power in a brutal winter. They couldn't. This was a winter survived. ... read more
- Expanded Media Services Account For 55% Of The New OmnicomAnd media operations are expected to grow faster than the company overall, which is expected to continue growing at an estimated 4% in terms of gross organic revenue. ... read more
- Journalist Sues Grammarly For Misappropriating Her IdentityJournalist Julia Angwin has sued Superhuman's Grammarly for allegedly using her identity -- along with the identities of hundreds of other writers -- in its paid "expert review" feature. ... read more
- Living Room Video Ad Blinking? YouTube Tops 4 Legacy CompaniesYouTube has some distance to go to surpass all legacy TV networks, stations, and platforms in total advertising - at around $60 billion per year, depending on the estimates. ... read more
- Perplexity Turns Mac Mini Into 24-Hour Agent Despite Amazon LawsuitPerplexity abandoned its ad model in February to focus on optimizing results for search queries and AI agents and software for enterprises - despite the court ruling it must stop using its web browser agent ... read more
- The Fully (Automated) Service AgencyFifteen years ago I had what I thought was a great idea: streamline agency services to serve small clients. Turns out it was a great way to lose money. But not today. ... read more
- World Baseball Classic Delivers Highest Rating With U.S.-Mexico GameThe game produced 5.02 million Nielsen-measured viewers - the highest-rated game ever for the sports event. ... read more
- The Year CTV Goes Full Funnel2026 is the year CTV will bridge the gap between branding and performance. Fresh off the Convergent TV World event, our team discusses the rise of performance TV, shifting live sports rights and the impact ... read more
- Net Conversion Wins Media Duties For Evermore Orlando Resort; Healthy PawsMedia agency Net Conversion has been awarded full-service media duties for Evermore Orlando Resort. The relationship started last year when the agency started working with the resort as a specialized analytics partner. Billings were ... read more
- Nielsen Deep Sixes Sigma Radio, Ad Monitor Terminates Soon"Clients [are] scrambling to find a replacement and it won't be easy," one long-time client tells MediaPost, citing the inability to access audience data via competing verification services. ... read more
- Nielsen's Tone Deaf 'Upfront Planning Guide'It's tone deaf because it features problematic legacy data its clients - and the MRC - have been pushing it to restate for actual upfront planning purposes. ... read more
- Media Accused Of Portraying Childlessness As AbnormalThe news media is responsible for stigmatizing childlessness as a deviation from moral or cultural norms, Phys,.Org reports. The claims were made by Julia Schröders of Umeå University, Sweden, and colleagues. The group seeks to develop media ... read more
- Judge Supports Washington Legislature In Not Granting Press Passes To ConservativesA federal judge has ruled that Washington legislators were within their rights to refuse press badges to three conservative media figures, TVNewsCheck reports. The three—Ari Hoffman, Brandi Kruse and Jonathan Choe—had asked the court to ... read more
- Publicis Acquires Content Optimizer AdgeAiAdge's AI-powered platform optimizes creative and video performance by analyzing engagement and conversion data. The aim is to identify the most effective creative elements to help develop content strategy and improve campaign ROI. ... read more
- Paley Center Empowers 'Charlie's Angels' To New HeightsThe Paley Center's assertions that "Charlie's Angels" was a landmark series that empowered millions are debatable. ... read more
- Why OUTFRONT Invested $20 Million In AdQuick (Hint: It’s About More Than Money)It’s a bucolic scene: the out-of-home views framed by the clouds. But, actually, it’s a programmatic UI play. That’s regarding the recent $20 million investment outdoor media giant OUTFRONT made in digital out-of-home (OOH) DSP ... read more
- Beyond Automation: How AI Is Rewiring Control In The Ad Tech StackThe advertising industry is full of noise about AI making buy-side and sell-side processes more efficient. That framing is convenient, but it misses a broader point. Speed and effectiveness are easy to celebrate. Power dynamics ... read more
- Jeff Green On Why Everyone’s Up OpenPath’s Pipes; Amazon Sues Perplexity’s Shopper BotJeff Green doubles down on OpenPath's value; Amazon wants Perplexity to disable agentic shopping; and the creator economy takes on political fundraising. The post Jeff Green On Why Everyone’s Up OpenPath’s Pipes; Amazon Sues Perplexity’s ... read more
- Inside Amazon’s effort to shape the AI narrative on sustainability and ethicsArtificial intelligence has a trust problem and companies — particularly those like Amazon, Microsoft, OpenAI and others — are facing an uphill battle trying to solve it. Amazon made more deliberate efforts late last month to ... read more
- Media Briefing: In the AI era, subscribers are the real prize — and the Telegraph proves itThis week’s Media Briefing dives into Axel Springer’s acquisition of The Telegraph, breaking down what assets are more valuable and how it positions the publisher for growth in the U.S. and the AI era. ... read more
- Furniture.com was built for SEO. Now it’s trying to crack AI searchThis story was first published by Digiday sibling Modern Retail In the early days of the internet, owning a domain like Furniture.com was the digital equivalent of beachfront property. If shoppers were looking for a ... read more
- How medical creator Nick Norwitz grew his Substack paid subscribers from 900 to 5,200 within 8 monthsNick Norwitz graduated from Harvard Medical School last May. By January, he had already grown his paying Substack subscribers nearly 500 percent, taking the total to 5,200, while registered readers jumped 362 percent to 42,000. ... read more
- DISH Network Customers Are Cut Off From Gray Media Stations As Firms Fail To Reach AgreementA dispute between DISH Network and Gray Media has resulted in DISH Network television customers in several Michigan markets being disconnected from Gray Media-owned stations, the Detroit Free Press reports. The two companies failed to ... read more
- Meta's Moltbook Acquisition Teases A Fully Automated FutureMeta has invited Moltbook cofounders Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr to join the tech giant's AI research division with the goal of devising "new ways for AI agents to work for people and businesses," a ... read more
- Meta Moltbook Acquisition Teases Fully Automated FutureMeta has invited Moltbook cofounders Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr to join the tech giant's AI research division with the goal of devising "new ways for AI agents to work for people and businesses," a ... read more
- America’s Strategic Oil ExportsThanks to Paul Ryan’s 2015 deal, U.S. crude is helping the world. ... read more
- Political Commentator, Lawmaker Press Challenge To Minnesota's 'Deep Fake' BanElon Musk's X is also challenging the law, which prohibits "realistic" deep fakes of politicians. ... read more
- Commentator, Lawmaker Press Challenge To Minnesota 'Deep Fake' BanElon Musk's X is also challenging the law, which prohibits "realistic" deep fakes of politicians. ... read more
- Synthetic Data Is Rewriting The Rules Of MeasurementSynthetic data is artificially generated data that reproduces the statistical characteristics and structure of real datasets. It's not random dummy data and it can help fill gaps where information is incomplete or unavailable. ... read more
- Meta Launches Scam Detection, Parent-Linked WhatsApp AccountsMeta has announced parent-linked WhatsApp accounts for pre-teens, as well as new scam-detection tools across its Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger apps. ... read more
- FTC Revisits 'Click-To-Cancel' RulesThe FTC is once again considering whether to issue rules that could make it easier for consumers to cancel recurring subscriptions for cable television, gyms, newspapers and other products and services. ... read more
- Iran Names Amazon, Google, Microsoft As 'Legitimate Targets'Offices and infrastructure of Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have been declared "legitimate targets" for attack by Iran's government based on the conflict with the U.S. and Israel, according to media sources. ... read more
- Iran Names Amazon, Google, Microsoft 'Legitimate Targets'Offices and infrastructure of Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have been declared "legitimate targets" for attack by Iran's government based on the conflict with the U.S. and Israel, according to media sources. ... read more
- The Missed Opportunity In Performance TV: Long-Term Brand-BuildingTV advertising has traditionally been about brand awareness, with success measured in reach. As TV has transformed into a digital asset, it’s become easier for marketers to measure short-term impacts like sales and sign-ups. However, ... read more
- Ogury’s Nicolas Bidon: Don’t Use AI to ‘Automate the Complexity’Industry leaders risk falling into the trap of leveraging artificial intelligence to automate existing complexity rather than using it to simplify and extract clearer signals from increasingly noisy media landscapes. “One thing I’m hoping is ... read more
- Marriott’s Monique Perlmutter: 75% of Travelers ‘More Open to Discovery’ During Travel Moments