Online Marketing Strategy ⌘

Google engineer Nikola Todorovic has explained why AI models function like a "black box" in search, making machine learning difficult to deploy. The lack of transparency challenges marketers trying to optimise for AI-driven search. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-engineer-explains-black-box-ai-models-in-search/573625/ #Marketing #AI #SEO

Websites now need to optimise for AI agents, not just human users. A new framework called AAIO (Agentic AI Optimization) is emerging as the successor to SEO, AEO and GEO. AI agents are already shopping, researching and making decisions - the question is whether websites can serve them. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/from-seo-and-cro-to-agentic-ai-optimization-aaio-why-your-website-needs-to-speak-to-machines/569983/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI #SEO

Apple Maps is introducing ads that prioritize context and intent over traditional user profiling. Instead of tracking users, Apple's privacy-first approach targets moments when users are looking for nearby services. This shifts local advertising from demographic targeting to real-time context. https://martech.org/apple-maps-ads-shift-focus-to-context-and-intent/ #Marketing #Automation #AI

AI Mode is reshaping how consumers make high-stakes purchases. A study of 185 tasks shows 74% of AI-generated shortlists are accepted without verification - users trust AI recommendations rather than comparing alternatives themselves. For brands, appearing in AI shortlists has become critical. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/how-consumers-navigate-high-stakes-purchases-in-ai-mode/571361/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

ChatGPT now crawls 3.6 times more than Googlebot, with 24 million requests analysed. AI search tools are increasingly dominant crawlers, changing how marketers approach SEO and content discovery. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/chatgpt-googlebot-crawl-data-alliai-spa/570885/ #Marketing #Strategy #SEO

ChatGPT Search now cites around 20% fewer websites per response after the shift to GPT-5.3 Instant. Analysis shows average domains dropped from 19 to 15 per answer. The change matters for SEO and referral traffic from AI. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/chatgpt-search-is-citing-fewer-sites-data-shows/571219/ #Marketing #SEO #ChatGPT

AI is reshaping marketing beyond pure automation toward systems that combine efficiency with genuine empathy. As customers face information overload, brands that design experiences centred on human connection will outperform those just chasing scale. https://martech.org/ai-and-empathy-define-the-next-era-of-marketing-systems/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Brands beloved by people risk being invisible to AI. Starbucks, Nike and Burberry returned to founding stories. The same qualities that drive these turnarounds - clear narratives and brand identity - are what AI needs to evaluate brands. With generative AI traffic to retail up 4,700% YoY, brands must optimise for both human and AI audiences. https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/brands-beloved-by-people-risk-being-invisible-to-ai/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

AI is automating marketing execution but flooding channels with low-quality workslop. As teams face pressure to produce more content with AI, quality suffers. The antidote: treat AI as a collaborator that interrogates strategy, not an autopilot that dilutes brand integrity. Human judgment becomes the differentiator. https://martech.org/ai-commoditizes-marketing-execution-and-elevates-judgment/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Marketing leaders are moving beyond Salesforce as data complexity and contract lock-ins limit innovation. A new fireside chat explores how brands are migrating to modern composable platforms like Braze for greater speed and flexibility. https://martech.org/how-marketing-leaders-are-getting-unstuck-from-salesforce/ #Marketing #Strategy #MarTech

Coca-Cola revives its iconic 'I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke' melody for an America250 campaign. The 'Drink In America' video features a 25-person choir as part of the US semiquincentennial partnership. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/coca-cola-says-id-like-to-buy-america-a-coke-in-america250-campaign/816694/ #Marketing #Strategy

MLB has expanded its partnership with Adobe to enable its 30 clubs to create targeted marketing campaigns using automation and fan data. Teams can now develop campaigns based on fan behaviour, such as targeting Star Wars Day attendees with Grogu-themed content or loyal fans with player-specific messaging. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/how-mlb-is-leveraging-automation-and-data-to-enhance-fan-messaging/816034/ #Marketing #MarTech

Forrester predicts private AI models will generate 70% of AI revenue within five years, outpacing public models like ChatGPT and Gemini. Trust issues around data security are driving companies to build their own AI systems for customer interactions. Banks, insurers and brands are already replacing websites with conversational AI. https://www.forrester.com/blogs/the-private-ai-model-explosion/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

OpenAI solidifies ad platform ambitions with ChatGPT Ads Manager, expanding its ads pilot to new territories and introducing a new self-serve portal and cost-per-click bidding. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/openai-solidifies-ad-platform-ambitions-with-chatgpt-ads-manager/819801/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

The agent runtime is becoming the new browser layer. Cloudflare and OpenAI both shipped agent SDKs in April, focusing on durable execution and sandboxing rather than model improvements. Websites will now be evaluated against the runtime, not individual AI models. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/the-agent-runtime-wars-have-begun-is-your-website-ready/574174/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Digital video ad spend will grow 11% in 2026, now accounting for over 60% of total TV and video spend. Advertisers are prioritising AI, precision targeting and measurable outcomes as two-thirds of buyers are already using or planning agentic AI. #Marketing #Strategy #AI https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ai-changed-my-work-and-yours-too/573700/

Opal, a planning platform, has introduced Gem, an AI copilot designed to align campaign data with overall marketing strategy. The tool aims to reduce what Opal calls the alignment tax - the time and effort teams spend reconciling campaign metrics with strategic goals. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/inside-opals-attempt-to-reduce-ais-alignment-tax-for-marketers/818388/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Twilio has launched a new conversation layer to unify AI and human interactions across channels. The platform includes Conversation Memory, Orchestrator and Intelligence components that carry context across customer interactions, addressing fragmented journeys where users repeat information across chat, voice and email. https://martech.org/twilio-launches-conversation-layer-to-unify-ai-and-human-interactions/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Yahoo's first ad campaign for Scout, its AI search assistant, focuses on source transparency. The company says trust is the top user need as AI search tools compete for attention. https://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/yahoo-scout-ai-campaign-trust-ai-search/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

AI-driven creative is falling flat with audiences despite heavy investment. The problem lies not in the technology but in how brands use it - relying too heavily on automation without human oversight. Successful campaigns blend AI efficiency with authentic human storytelling. https://martech.org/why-ai-driven-creative-is-failing-and-how-to-fix-it/ #Marketing #AI #Automation

Most CMOs are still seen as execution-focused rather than as strategic leaders, despite AI reshaping markets. Gartner research shows 82% of business leaders say their brand and culture must evolve to keep pace with AI, but only 15% of CEOs view their marketing leader as strongly AI savvy. https://martech.org/how-marketing-leaders-are-succeeding-in-the-ai-era/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Google's Universal Commerce Protocol has expanded to support shopping carts, live catalog queries and loyalty programmes for AI agent transactions. The March update closes the gap between UCP's ambition and practical capability, enabling agents to handle multi-item baskets and real-time inventory checks. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/googles-ucp-update-carts-catalogs-and-loyalty-in-ai-shopping/571496/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

AI agents have access to your customer data but no authority to act on it. Most companies use AI agents but only 23.3% have them in production - an 84-point gap between experimentation and governance. Decision architecture defines what AI can autonomously commit to. https://martech.org/data-sovereignty/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Estee Lauder has named WPP its first global media partner, centralising media efforts across the beauty brand as part of its Beauty Reimagined initiative. The move aims to improve media effectiveness and marks a significant shift in how the company manages its advertising partnerships. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/estee-lauder-names-wpp-first-global-media-partner-to-centralize-media-effor/816680/ #Marketing #Strategy #MarTech

Gmail's AI Inbox may soon determine which emails get seen. Gemini summarises and prioritises messages, placing the burden on marketers to prove relevance or risk being hidden. https://martech.org/gmails-ai-inbox-may-redefine-deliverability/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

TikTok and Tubi launch a creator programme to bring social media stars to streaming television. The partnership will identify talent through TikTok's Creatorverse Incubator while Tubi supports development of original series. The move reflects growing convergence between social platforms and streaming services. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/tiktok-tubi-start-creator-program-to-bring-social-stars-to-streaming/815190/ #Marketing #Strategy #TikTok

Google has expanded AI search links in its generative AI experience, introducing inline links, explore sections, perspectives from discussions, desktop hover previews, and subscription labels. However, no new click data has been provided to publishers. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-expands-ai-search-links-without-new-click-data/574307/ #Marketing #Strategy #SEO

Search is moving beyond keywords as AI reshapes how ads are targeted. Google says users are asking longer, more complex questions that trigger AI responses. Campaigns need to shift from static keywords to intent-driven approaches. https://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/search-moves-beyond-keywords-as-ai-reshapes-ad-targeting/ #Marketing #AI #MarTech

LinkedIn has over 830 million users worldwide with 310 million monthly active users, making it essential for B2B marketing. A new guide covers the platform's tools, strategies and best practices including its simplified approach to scaling creators and video. The professional network is projected to reach 10.35 billion USD in ad revenue by 2027. https://martech.org/linkedin-the-marketers-guide/ #Marketing #Strategy #SocialMedia #LinkedIn

AI content can rank in search, but quality still determines winners. Semrush study of 42,000 pages shows execution matters more than how content was created. High-performing teams use AI for drafts then refine with human expertise. https://martech.org/ai-content-can-rank-but-quality-still-decides-winners/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Microsoft's Bing team has published a framework showing how grounding for AI answers differs from traditional search indexing. Traditional search asks which pages to rank; grounding asks what information AI can responsibly use. The post identifies five measurement areas where the requirements diverge. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/bing-team-describes-how-grounding-differs-from-search-indexing/574119/ #Marketing #Strategy #SEO

Portal Latino research shows mobile in-game ads deliver higher brand recall among Hispanic consumers than Instagram. Gaming platforms are emerging as an effective channel for targeting this demographic. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/hispanic-consumers-and-mobile-in-game-ads-heres-what-the-numbers-say/815242/ #Marketing #Strategy #Analytics

HubSpot has renamed its annual Inbound conference to Unbound, acknowledging that growth no longer fits within a single framework. The rebrand reflects how modern marketing now spans sales, service and operations across the full customer journey in an AI-driven world. https://martech.org/hubspot-rebrands-its-flagship-conference/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Trade Desk sees advertising opportunity in AI chatbots. Q1 revenue rose 12% to 689M USD as the ad-tech firm positions itself for the emerging market for ads in ChatGPT and other chatbots. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/where-trade-desk-sees-advertising-opportunity-following-bruising-q1/819692/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

AI visibility ROI cannot be measured in clicks because clicks were never part of the design. Here is the framework shift needed before spreadsheets catch up. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/the-roi-problem-with-ai-traffic-nobody-is-measuring-correctly/573638/ #Marketing #Analytics #AI

Google is facing a 1.5M USD lawsuit after its AI Overview falsely identified Canadian fiddler Ashley MacIsaac as a sex offender. The Juno Award-winning musician learned of the error when a First Nation cancelled his concert. The case tests whether Google is liable for false AI-generated summaries. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-sued-over-false-ai-overview-about-musician/573944/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Google's keyword system is becoming obsolete as AI-driven targeting shifts focus to intent-based marketing. PPC is moving past traditional keywords, forcing marketers to prioritise data quality and post-click performance. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/i-helped-build-googles-keyword-system-heres-why-its-becoming-obsolete/572362/ #Marketing #Strategy #SEO

Adobe looks set to bring AI-driven automation to Marketo via a new MCP server, allowing marketers to run campaigns using simple prompts instead of manual workflows. The server is expected at Adobe Summit later this month. https://martech.org/is-adobe-bringing-ai-driven-automation-to-marketo/ #Marketing #AI #MarTech

With customers switching between devices throughout their buyer journey, data silos are making it harder for CMOs to understand purchase behaviour. Unified customer profiles enable true personalisation and ensure GDPR compliance. https://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/how-to-unify-customer-data-from-mobile-apps-and-websites/ #Marketing #Strategy #MarTech

Coca-Cola has launched its first campaign bringing together more than a dozen quick-service restaurants to demonstrate how diverse customers are united by their drink orders, reasserting dominance over Pepsi in the fast-food sector. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/coca-cola-reasserts-fast-food-dominance-over-pepsi-in-new-campaign/816341/ #Marketing #Strategy

Organisations are rethinking how they structure B2B marketing. A new guide examines four key resources - fractional CMOs, in-house teams, consultants and agencies - and when to use each for maximum impact. https://martech.org/structuring-b2b-marketing-across-4-key-resources/ #Marketing #Strategy #MarTech

Using AI is not the same as getting value from it. Most teams have access to AI but still struggle to see meaningful results. The issue is not the tools, but where they are applied. The value is in knowing how to use what you have. https://martech.org/using-ai-isnt-the-same-as-getting-value-from-it/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Google's Liz Reid explains how AI search is transforming keyword research. Users now type longer, more specific queries directly describing their needs instead of forced keyword phrases. This shift challenges traditional SEO foundations and requires new approaches to content optimisation for AI Overviews. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-on-keyword-fragmentation-and-user-needs-in-ai-search/573834/ #Marketing #AI

Research shows consumers are increasingly using AI tools while experiencing growing fatigue. As AI adoption rises across marketing channels, brands must balance automation with authentic human engagement to avoid alienating their audience. https://martech.org/ai-use-and-fatigue-growing-among-consumers/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

AI search visibility now depends on third-party sites beyond your own. Reddit, review platforms and Wikipedia shape what AI recommends more than brand-owned content. https://martech.org/the-third-party-sites-shaping-your-brand-in-ai-search/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Estee Lauder has appointed WPP as its first global media partner to centralise media buying across its beauty brand portfolio. The move aims to improve effectiveness as part of the company's Beauty Reimagined initiative. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/estee-lauder-names-wpp-first-global-media-partner-to-centralize-media-effor/816680/ #Marketing #Strategy #MarTech