News

OpenAI is b building the ad tech stack it’s currently borrowing

Companies don’t build out an internal ads org – let alone pay up to $385,000 to do it – if they’re planning to rely on outside vendors forever.

Target CEO says ‘busy families’ will be company’s focus as it seeks growth

The company is making tweaks to departments like food and baby, as well as services like same-day delivery.

Ad Tech Briefing: Embattled, embittered and determined

Company executives come out swinging as the markets issue their judgements on Wall Street pitches.

TikTok after the legal fight and why it’s coming for Meta’s ad dollars

With legal issues behind it, TikTok is stepping up marketing and making a stronger play for Meta’s ad budgets.

GEO hype busted: How it differs (and how it doesn’t) from SEO

GEO is flooding media execs’ inboxes. But SEO veterans say these AI visibility services may not be as revolutionary as they seem.

The Amazon Ads Spigot; Has Claude Earned Its Newfound Consumer Trust?

Amazon’s Fire TV redesign is extra friendly for ads; Anthropic benefits from its newfound spine; and the children yearn for the malls. The post The Amazon Ads Spigot; Has Claude Earned Its Newfound Consumer Trust? appeared first on AdExchanger.

WordPress Releases Updated AI Experiments Plugin via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Official WordPress AI Experiments plugin enables users to get advance access to AI features right now. The post WordPress Releases Updated AI Experiments Plugin appeared first on Search Engine Journal.

Top 50 Most Viewed YouTube Channels Worldwide • Week Of 03/08/2026

We have a new #1 in the Global Top 50. Last week's leader, Anaya Kandhal, dropped down to fourth while couple channels Jasmin and James and Cadel and Mia retained the #2 and #3 spots, respectively. All three of those hubs earned at least one billion views during the first week of March. BabyBillion surged forward to fill the gap at the top of the chart. There was nothing "baby" about the billion the channel put up over seven days. With 1.57 billion weekly views, BabyBillion was close to two billion than it was to one billion. Such is the power of family programming on YouTube Shorts. Visit Tubefilter for more great stories.

Top 50 Most Subscribed YouTube Channels Worldwide • Week Of 03/08/2026

At the start of February, MrBeast was the #1 channel in the Global Sub Top 50 ranking. Since then, Alejo Igoa, Nick DiGiovanni, and KIMPRO have taken turns in this chart's pole position, but March is starting exactly where February did: With one million weekly subscribers, MrBeast is back on top. The runner-up position is where things start to get a little more interesting. A channel that was nearly out of the top 500 a week ago has surged forward to the #2 spot, and its ascendance says a lot about where YouTube Shorts content is in 2026. Visit Tubefilter for more great stories.

KreekCraft has spent over $100,000 making a Roblox game. What’s the ROI for developers?

You might have heard: KreekCraft started his own Roblox development studio. He’d planned to keep that under wraps for a little while longer, but addressed it in a recent video after blowback against the studio’s first game, Sail a Brainrot. Unhappy commenters accused KreekCraft of selling out and trying to milk his audience with microtransactions. […] Visit Tubefilter for more great stories.

‘Neuro Contextual’ Ads Offer Relief From the ‘Intrusive’ Retargeting Trap

Are you haunted by the ghosts of products past? Most consumers recognize the phenomenon of searching for a product only to be followed by advertisements for that specific item for weeks afterward. While this behavioral targeting strategy became an industry standard, it is increasingly viewed by some as an inefficient use of media budgets that [...]

AI Is Moving Fast but Work Still Gets Done in the Present: Hearst’s Lee Garfield

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – At an industry event where conversations often drift toward what advertising might look like in five or 10 years, Lee Garfield is urging people to slow down and look at what is happening right now. The vice president of programmatic sales and agency relationships at Hearst Magazines, whose more than [...]

NewFronts Arrives Earlier as Media Buyers Plan Year-Round: IAB’s Craig Coleman

Media buyers who like a little extra time to plan their video budgets may want to circle the calendar early this year. The IAB NewFronts is moving up the schedule, arriving in March with a familiar mix of digital video pitches, shiny technology and enough buzzwords to power a small agency brainstorm. Craig Coleman, senior [...]

Survey: How Rising Review Expectations Are Reshaping Brand Reputation Strategies

The BrightLocal 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey highlights a major shift for brands operating in local markets. Reviews from the last three months now carry the most influence in consumer decision-making, while rising rating expectations and AI-powered recommendations are redefining how consumers evaluate businesses. For brands with local footprints, maintaining a steady flow of fresh, […] Survey: How Rising Review Expectations Are Reshaping Brand Reputation Strategies first appeared on Street Fight.

3 AI Search Changes Every Marketer Needs A Plan For In Q2 via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

AI search changed how people find you, click on you, and convert. Here's what the Q1 data says and how to build your Q2 plan. The post 3 AI Search Changes Every Marketer Needs A Plan For In Q2 appeared first on Search Engine Journal.

CMO Moves - Feb 2026 - 46s

Target debuts Free People intimates assortment

The mass retailer is selling Intimately FP in select stores and online with a selection of exclusive offerings.

Saks Global announces 15 more store closures, expands vendor base to 500

Three Neiman Marcus and 12 Saks Fifth Avenue locations will shutter. The luxury company, which is in bankruptcy court, said its fleet is likely now set.

Target to open 2,000th store

The North Carolina location “represents the future of Target’s elevated guest experience” and is part of the retailer’s plan to open over 30 stores this year.

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Watch the newest commercials from Kayak, Dick’s, AT&T Business and more

Dick’s promotes its DSG brand gear in a spot that shows a young boy growing up “in the blink of an eye.”

Paramount Could Face a High Cost for Changing CNN

David Ellison has said CNN’s 'editorial independence' will be maintained.

Stop Marketing Like the Brand You Envy

Marketers are easily dazzled. We’re great at spotting magic, and that’s what makes us such good storytellers. The trouble is, once we’ve spotted it, we immediately want to import it.

The Best Way To Embrace Convergent TV? Break Down The Silos Between Linear And Streaming

Marketers who want to remain competitive need to reexamine the way they view, plan and measure performance across video and streaming platforms. If they’re still debating programmatic vs. direct or linear vs. streaming, then they’re missing out on the real meaning behind convergent TV, according to Mike Fogarty, head of client development, brand and agency […] The post The Best Way To Embrace Convergent TV? Break Down The Silos Between Linear And Streaming appeared first on AdExchanger.