News

The AI Targeting Joke; Agentic AI Outgrows Its Hype

Analog Intelligence The AI marketing boom is here. And not just for auto-generated creative or campaign optimization.  San Francisco is one of the few places (besides airports) filled with B2B advertising on billboards. Good luck relaxing during a stroll with your iced coffee and Tartine pastry on a weekend, because you’ll walk or drive by […] The post The AI Targeting Joke; Agentic AI Outgrows Its Hype appeared first on AdExchanger.

Local Media Needs Consolidation To Compete, But An Outdated Legal Standard Stands In The Way

When I was a kid, my dad ran a small local business. Like countless owners, he depended on local broadcast media to reach customers, build trust in the community and keep the lights on to support our family.  That connection between local media and local livelihoods left a lasting impression on me and pulled me […] The post Local Media Needs Consolidation To Compete, But An Outdated Legal Standard Stands In The Way appeared first on AdExchanger.

Q4: Omnicom’s IPG Merger Is An AI Test Case

On Wednesday, Omnicom reported its first earnings since closing its $13.5 billion acquisition of IPG, and guess what? AI will be a key growth driver for the combined company. (Uh, duh.) Executives framed the deal as a “data-led AI transformation,” highlighting plans to use AI for targeting, measurement and creative testing through Omni, Omnicom’s centralized […] The post Q4: Omnicom’s IPG Merger Is An AI Test Case appeared first on AdExchanger.

PepsiCo’s first creator-led product launch reimagines chips for Gen Z

The CPG giant teamed with Madison Beer, iShowSpeed and Dude Perfect on products meant to shrink the distance between creators, culture and checkout.

Depop touts ability to support consumer incomes with ‘Depoponomics’

A 30-second spot set to the song “Millionaire” by Kelis, who makes a cameo in the ad, is supported by a Depop shop curated by the R&B icon.

Why Google Runs AI Mode On Flash, Explained By Google’s Chief Scientist via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google's Jeff Dean explains why latency and cost make Flash Google's production tier for AI search, and why models are built to retrieve, not memorize. The post Why Google Runs AI Mode On Flash, Explained By Google’s Chief Scientist appeared first on Search Engine Journal.

ChatGPT Search Often Switches To English In Fan-Out Queries: Report via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Peec AI analyzed fan-out queries from 10M+ ChatGPT prompts and found 43% of background searches ran in English, even for non-English prompts. The post ChatGPT Search Often Switches To English In Fan-Out Queries: Report appeared first on Search Engine Journal.

EBay is buying Depop from Etsy in a bid to boost its fashion business

Depop has about 7 million buyers, 90% of whom are younger than 34, eBay’s CEO said.

Omnicom doubles its cost savings target and plans to exit some smaller markets and non-strategic businesses

The industry’s new agency giant offered a look at revenue, cost savings and plans to streamline its sprawling portfolio.

Omnicom Swings to $941M Q4 Loss After Closing IPG Deal

The company doubled its cost-synergy target to $1.5B and authorized a $5B buyback.

A New Startup Is Personalizing Paywalls for Bots and Humans Alike

Monetization OS, which has raised millions and partnered with Google, brings a new approach to the emerging world of content marketplaces

8 creative campaigns to know about today

Dayforce reimagines work responsibilities, LinkedIn acknowledges its limitations and Stavros Halkias auctions Manscaped’s Super Bowl hairball.

Dentsu–profile, facts and figures

Ad Age Datacenter’s profile of Dentsu with facts, figures and agency company details.

Seedance - Will Smith fighting a spaghetti monster - 15s

Sideline Sam - 15s

You can axolotl personal questions with Personal Intelligence in Gemini - 38s

Alibaba Cloud - Your Epic Vibe - 2m10s

Beyond models: The infrastructure powering agentic advertising

AI that truly works for advertising requires more than better-trained models—it requires a better-developed structure.

Nielsen’s TV and Streaming Ratings for January 2026

The cable viewing segment was the star of the month, with a +9% increase in viewership compared to December.

TikTok Reverses Plan to End Independent Shipping for U.S. Sellers

In an email to merchants, TikTok said Seller Shipping “remains unchanged,” pausing the earlier plan that would have required orders to go through its own logistics network.

Big CPG Brands Are Quick To Cut Ad Spend Amid A Tough US Market

Happy Q4 earnings season! This is the time of year when the biggest brands disclose their full-year results and report on their make-or-break holiday seasons. And it’s not been an easy few weeks for some of America’s biggest CPG brands. Companies like Procter & Gamble, Pepsi and Colgate-Palmolive are contending with cautious consumers and shrinking […] The post Big CPG Brands Are Quick To Cut Ad Spend Amid A Tough US Market appeared first on AdExchanger.

How QSRs are building on value marketing with pop culture, nostalgia

Fast food marketers including McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s will have to move beyond price-point value to drive sales and traffic.

How Hefty is unifying its brand portfolio marketing with John Cena

The actor and retired pro wrestler explains why his authentic connection to the brand has made a 10-year relationship resonate with consumers.

Frosted Flakes remixes ‘90s jingle to reintroduce Tony the Tiger

The cereal brand partnered with rap artist JID for a fresh take on its “Hey Tony” jingle as it looks to grow loyalty with a new generation.