Tag: artificial intelligence
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AI Citations, Demystified: The Robots Have Apparently Discovered SEO
Cyrus Shepard, founder of Zyppy SEO, went spelunking through 54 experiments, patents, and case studies and came back with a ranked list of 23 factors correlated with getting cited by AI search engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. The headline takeaway is unsexy on purpose: the top factors are URL accessibility, scoring 9.5, and plain…
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Marketers Keep Buying AI. The Skills Part Is Still Loading.
Digiday+ Research’s latest report, based on a survey of 142 brand and agency professionals plus interviews, shows AI investment moving from “nice-to-have” to “budget line item someone now has to explain.” Marketers reporting company investment in AI rose from 44% in 2022 to 57% in 2023, 71% in 2024, and 86% in 2025. The org…
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Behind the A.I. Boom, a Boring Business Is Soaring With Better Ads
DribbleUp, a sports equipment company, says it used to spend its own time and resources figuring out whom to target on Facebook. For the last two years, it has placed those ads “entirely through Facebook’s artificial intelligence tools,” according to The New York Times. Since then, the company says sales have outpaced marketing expenses. It…
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Nearly 80% Of Businesses Struggle To Measure AI Search Impact
Branch’s new enterprise benchmark data suggests AI-driven discovery is no longer a side quest: 26% of companies say AI search delivered more than half their site traffic in 2025, and 49% expect to cross that threshold by late 2026. AI search’s share of traffic is rising faster than traditional search (up from 35% to 50%),…
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AI Is the New “What Should I Watch?” Button
Nielsen/Gracenote surveyed 4,003 U.S. AI chatbot users (ages 13–79) and found chatbots are now edging out streaming-service recommendation rails as the go-to source for what to watch. Usage is accelerating across the board: 66% say they’ve increased chatbot use in the last 12–18 months, jumping to 80% for Gen Alpha—and more than half of Gen…
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Google: AI ads driving up to 80% sales lift for some brands
Google’s message is basically: AI didn’t kill search, it just made it chattier—and ads are coming along for the ride. Alphabet cleared $400B in revenue in 2025, with Q4 ad revenue at $82.28B (+13.5% YoY) and YouTube ads at $11.38B (about +9% YoY). So despite the “AI chatbots will eat search” anxiety, Google’s ad engine…
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AI adoption rises at work, but leaders use it most frequently
A new Gallup poll (via Axios) suggests the internal AI adoption curve has a familiar shape: leadership first, everyone else squinting at the change log. Even as companies debate whether to mandate AI or let employees experiment, the people at the top are the ones reaching for it most often—at least in organizations where AI…
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AI brain fry: What marketers need to know
That wiped-out feeling after “saving time” with AI now has a label: AI brain fry—mental fatigue that comes from using and, more importantly, babysitting AI tools past your cognitive limit. Research cited from Boston Consulting Group and UC Riverside (published via Harvard Business Review) surveyed 1,488 full-time US workers: 14% reported AI brain fry overall,…
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Publicis Buys a Creative Crystal Ball (AdgeAI Joins the Fold)
Publicis Groupe just added another item to its AI shopping cart, acquiring Israel-based AdgeAI for an undisclosed price—funded from the $970 million deal budget it’s set aside for 2026. AdgeAI is a predictive creative analytics platform that uses machine learning to forecast which parts of an ad (video, images, text, GIFs) are most likely to…
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America’s AI Mood: Heavy Use, Light Trust
A new Quinnipiac University poll says Americans are bringing AI into the daily routine—research, writing, school/work projects, and data analysis—but they’re keeping one hand on the eject button. Among nearly 1,400 respondents, 76% say they trust AI “rarely” or “only sometimes,” while just 21% trust it “most” or “almost all of the time.” Adoption is…
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Smart Shelves and Smarter Spend: Retail’s AI Budget Boom
Retailers and CPG companies are no longer dabbling in AI—they’re bankrolling it. NVIDIA’s latest survey shows that 90% of industry leaders plan to hike their AI budgets in 2026, focusing heavily on open-source tools and agentic AI. Why? Because AI isn’t just handling analytics; it’s pulling serious weight in supply chain forecasting, customer personalization, and…
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Chatbot Success: JCPenney’s GiftBot Case Study
JCPenney and dentsu X took on holiday chaos headfirst with GiftBot, a chat-based shopping assistant that made gifting less stressful and more personal. Designed using dentsu’s Intelligent Messaging tech and deployed across Facebook and Instagram via click-to-message ads, GiftBot provided real-time, tailored product suggestions based on user preferences like price, rating, and category. It even…
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AbelsonTaylor Hits Fast Forward with AT Studio
AbelsonTaylor Group just rolled out AT Studio, its new production-centric division tailored to crank out high-volume healthcare marketing assets at a much faster clip—without dropping the ball on quality. Think of it as a hybrid assembly line and art studio: a production engine that fuses manual craftsmanship with AI-assisted workflows to churn out everything from…
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Lowe’s AI Tool Doubles Conversions — and It’s Just Getting Started
Lowe’s is doubling down on e-commerce (and conversions) through its ChatGPT-powered assistant, “Mylow.” Already live online and in-app, Mylow has delivered double the conversion rate among users, surfacing not just on-brand product picks but also DIY tutorials and how-to guides. And they’re not stopping there. In 2026, shoppers may be snapping pics of their outdated…
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Stagwell Puts AI on the Line With Voice-First Service Platform
Stagwell has launched NewVoices.ai, a new AI-powered workflow tool designed to handle everything from sales tasks to customer service—using virtual agents that speak any language and never sleep. It’s pitched as a full-stack operating system for enterprise teams that want to automate their appointment setting, lead conversion, customer inquiries, and support issues without sacrificing personalization.…
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Virgin Australia Lands AI Co-Pilot with OpenAI
Virgin Australia is claiming a first for the Australian airline industry with a new partnership with OpenAI, aiming to simplify how travelers search, plan, and book their flights. Now building directly on OpenAI’s developer tools—like ChatGPT’s new Apps SDK—the airline is testing ways for customers to describe travel plans conversationally and receive relevant flight options…
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How Jersey Mike’s Uses AI to Boost Local Ad Efficiency
While AI continues to be tech’s favorite buzzword, the real test for marketers isn’t hype—it’s whether the tech can actually trim waste and drive results. That’s especially true in local markets, where programmatic inefficiencies and ad fraud can gobble up limited budgets. With $26.8 billion in programmatic waste still rattling around the system, advertisers are…
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Nissan Puts AI in the Driver’s Seat with Matador
Nissan USA has officially hitched its digital wagon to Matador AI, naming the company its first-ever preferred AI partner. This isn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision—the two have been quietly working together since 2020, driving some real results in dealership engagement. Matador’s tech helps Nissan dealers not just answer leads faster, but actually turn inquiries into appointments…
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Claritin Gets a Lift from a Smarter Algorithm
Bayer is pulling its programmatic strategy tighter to home, bringing control of its custom ad-buying algorithm in-house and into Snowflake’s data clean room. Partnering with Chalice AI, Bayer now runs its model inside its own data ecosystem—one that includes media, creative, and commerce info—without shifting sensitive files all over the place. Previously, integrating the algorithm…
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Cue the Algorithms: AI Pool Hall Breaks Rack in London
The team behind Topgolf and Puttshack is trading clubs for cues with Poolhouse, an AI-powered pool hall opening in early 2026 at 100 Liverpool Street. Spanning two Vegas-inspired floors, each digital pool table doesn’t just track shots—it adapts gameplay to the user’s skill level. Whether you’re a novice or a hustler in disguise, the tables…
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How Visa Wove AI into Its Core Operations
Visa didn’t just dabble in AI—they rebuilt their house around it. With over 2,500 engineers focused solely on AI and more than 100 internal AI apps in production, the company’s approach spans everything from software development to customer dispute resolution. AI is part of the operating system at Visa—literally. Even before large language models became…
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Inside Honeywell’s Six-Chapter AI Strategy for Growth
Honeywell’s approach to generative AI isn’t just structured—it’s scripted. With a six-chapter AI framework rolled out across all business units, the company has turned AI from a tech experiment into standard operating procedure for all 100,000 employees, from HR to engineering. Tools like “Honeywell GPT” and a virtual assistant named Red are already boosting productivity…
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AI Gets a Side-Eye: Most Americans Want Tools, Not Takeover
A new Pew survey of over 5,000 U.S. adults reveals that Americans are cautiously circling the AI buffet—happy to try the data salad, but skipping the emotional entrees. Nearly three-quarters are open to AI helping with daily tasks, but two-thirds want more say in how it shows up in their lives. And when it comes…
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Retailers Embrace AI Despite Trust Issues
Retailers are increasingly adopting AI despite concerns about accuracy, cost, and customer trust, with 60% of industry leaders expressing unease over its reliability. A recent survey indicates over half anticipate AI will dominate customer interactions within five years. Challenges include data privacy, inconsistent quality, and internal resistance. Notably, Under Armour employs AI for operational efficiencies…
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The Future of Agencies: AI as a Smart Colleague
Agencies like Dentsu’s Carat and indie firm Apollo Partners are integrating generative AI into their operations to enhance collaboration rather than eliminate jobs. Carat is utilizing tools from Vurvey Labs for richer consumer insights and faster decision-making. In a test with a restaurant, they streamlined media recommendations and creative input. Meanwhile, Apollo is developing its…
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Three Seconds to Sell: Kellanova’s AI Test Drive in Creative Effectiveness
Kellanova is leveraging AI to enhance its advertising creative through a year-long collaboration with Vidmob and MMA Global. By analyzing 443 assets across ten brands, the company optimized elements to capture attention, resulting in a 2x view-through rate and an 11% ROI increase on AI-scored assets. Additionally, predictive models for sweet and salty products demonstrated…
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AI or Bye: Why Agencies Can’t Show Up Empty-Handed at Reviews
AI has transitioned from being a novel advantage to a fundamental expectation in media agency evaluations. Brands are demanding deeper insights into AI capabilities, leading agencies to reveal intricate details about their technologies. While agencies need to be proficient in AI, brands often lack understanding, necessitating education and clearer questioning. This evolution is altering agency…
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WPP Open reimagines planning with AI
AI is revolutionising how agencies plan – and how we create. WPP Open aims to combine data, tools and advanced AI to unlock faster, smarter, more agile planning. From social-first campaigns to real-time cultural activations, it’s helping brands stay ahead of the curve in a fast-moving world. Whether it’s finding the perfect TV show tie-in…
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Stagwell Taps Palantir to Supercharge Ad Targeting
Stagwell is dipping into Palantir’s toolbox to see if military-grade AI can sharpen its data targeting game. During its Q2 earnings call, CEO Mark Penn shared that they’re running a trial with Palantir’s technology to supercharge their ID Graph by combining both structured and unstructured data across platforms like BERA and the National Research Group.…
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In the Relevance Economy, AI’s the New Mad Man
The era of generic B2B messaging is over, replaced by hyper-targeting through AI. Successful brands utilize machine learning to segment audiences and tailor content, enhancing engagement. Companies like Salesforce and Adobe demonstrate significant improvements in metrics by optimizing personalized messaging. Future strategies focus on trust and authenticity over sheer volume.
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R/GA Makes AI-focused Acquisition
R/GA just closed its first buy since splitting from Interpublic Group, scooping up AI studio Addition—a tight team of about a dozen that’s already punched above its weight with work for Google, The New York Times, and others. Founded in 2021, Addition excels in AI strategy, personalization, and rapid prototyping, thanks mainly to its “AI-native”…
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PepsiCo CMO on the importance of AI skills
In a chat recorded at Cannes, PepsiCo Beverages U.S. CMO Mark Kirkham made one thing clear: stagnation isn’t an option in the beverage world. “Innovate or die” isn’t just a catchphrase—it’s the guiding principle behind moves like the recent acquisition of prebiotic soda brand Poppi. Kirkham sees innovation not just in chasing new trends, but…
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Morrisons Builds a Digital Twin for Supply Chain Optimization
British grocer Morrisons is rewiring how its supply chain thinks. In partnership with AI simulation firm Kallikor, Morrisons is building a “digital twin” of its full supply network. Think of it as a virtual sandbox that mirrors the real-world logistics web: warehouses, delivery flows, customer demands, the whole nine yards. The digital model runs on…
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WPP Media launches Open Intelligence
GroupM may have a new name (hello, WPP Media), but it’s a familiar ambition: dominate digital media through smarter targeting. The holding company has rolled out Open Intelligence, a new AI-powered identity solution designed to create tailored predictive models using first-party data and sources like CTV and retail networks. Unlike consumer-facing LLMs scraping the web’s…
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AI Personas Land Ads on Fox News — Without the Brand Risk Panic
Running ads on news content has historically made brands as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. But PMG and AI startup Mobian are flipping the script. By using AI personas that mimic a brand’s ideal customer, PMG programmed campaigns to navigate the choppy waters of controversial content with surprising…
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Avery Dennison’s AI Gameplan: Culture First, ROI Second… and It’s Working
Avery Dennison isn’t just layering AI on top of business as usual—it’s rewiring from the inside out, starting with culture. Through its Project Loop initiative, the labeling and RFID giant activated more than 20 generative AI pilots in 2024 after hosting employee ideation sessions and hands-on training across departments. From predictive maintenance to marketing content…