Author: Geek Planet

[ad_1] Eight months after quietly rolling out Performance+, Pinterest is now turning up the volume. The platform’s bid to automate more of its ad business is moving from test phase to full-throated sales pitch. CEO Bill Ready teed it up recently on the company’s most recent earning call: “While we’re pleased with our progress, we’re still in the early days of driving adoption, and will continue to drive advertisers to adopt the full Performance+ suite of solutions in the quarters and years ahead.” That moment has arrived. Digiday obtained the pitch deck that shows Pinterest plans to make it happen.  The…

[ad_1] It seems the ad networks have finally hit their maturation curve, inking partnerships with ad tech and off-site platforms to prove their value beyond lower-funnel conversions.  Last week, a flurry of product, measurement and partnership announcements came out of this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity from the likes of DoorDash Ads, Albertsons Media Collective and Walmart Connect. To media buyers, all signs point to a new, necessary — and more attractive — phase of growth for retail, commerce and ad networks. “We’re seeing more convergence between commerce, media, and technology with new partnerships and capabilities designed to bring…

[ad_1] This research is based on unique data collected from our proprietary audience of publisher, agency, brand and tech insiders. It’s available to Digiday+ members. More from the series → Interested in sharing your perspectives on the media and marketing industries? Join the Digiday research panel. TV and streaming are one and the same in the eyes of today’s consumers, and, therefore, marketers. As a result, the majority of marketers are directing ad spend toward TV, with a focus on ads that drive impressions and branding. This is based on a Digiday+ Research survey conducted in the second quarter of…

[ad_1] Google’s AI ambitions are moving fast, and the old architecture of search advertising is starting to show its age. As user behavior shifts toward more conversational, visual queries, the need for automation is growing. But automation comes at a cost: marketers still want control. Google’s latest update — with AI Max — is an attempt to square the circle.Rolling out this summer, this suite of ad tools is Google’s latest effort to thread the needle, letting automation do more without cutting marketers out of the process. Unlike Performance Max — Google’s full-throttle, AI-everywhere product — AI Max is being positioned…

[ad_1] TripleLift, the self-styled creative supply-side platform, implemented significant layoffs late last week, as the industry prepares itself for a more lean second half of the year.  Digiday was unable to precisely quantify the scale of the cutbacks, with the company unable to comment on Digiday’s clarification request by press time, although sources indicate the number of roles impacted by the cuts is likely in the mid-to-high double-digits. Prior to the official revelation of the reduction-in-force, TripleLift’s homepage stated that it had “400+ talented workers.”  The latest round of layoffs is understood to have impacted all departments at the SSP…

[ad_1] What began as a supposed rebellion against traditional media is now increasingly modeled after it — the creator economy — complete with middlemen, agency layers, and bundled tech stacks promising growth, monetization, and brand safety. In other words: business as usual. Around a third (33%) of U.K. marketers spend between £746,000 and £2.3 million per year on creator marketing, while 34% of U.S. marketers spend between $1 million and $3 million, annually, according to data from Billion Dollar Boy. Furthermore, 37% of U.S. marketers invest more than $3 million in creator marketing, compared to just 19% of U.K. marketers,…

[ad_1] Instagram is ramping up efforts to drive interest in its Creator Marketplace with a brand new, 26-page how-to document for marketers — aimed at making the whole process quick and painless. All they need is a business account and access to Meta’s business suite to get the ball rolling.In July 2022, Instagram started testing its initial marketplace feature, but it was only available on an invite-only basis to select business and creator accounts. Three years later, the image-based platform has opened the doors to what the set-up guide describes as “the best place for brands to discover and evaluate…

[ad_1] To launch a new sparkling water in the U.S., Nestlé Waters turned to the country’s most well-known “love affair” with Italy (as the brand’s global CMO puts it): The Sopranos.The campaign — featuring Sopranos stars Michael Imperioli (Christopher) and Steve Schirripa (Bobby) — highlighted “the craft” of creating the new beverage, Sanpellegrino CIAO!, from harvested citrus in Sicily, said Elisa Gregori, who was promoted six months ago to global CMO Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages. The ad, in partnership with Ogilvy, won a Bronze Lion at Cannes for Film Craft (Script), and was shortlisted for Film (Microfilm) this year. TikTok…

[ad_1] This article is part of our Confessions series, in which we trade anonymity for candor to get an unvarnished look at the people, processes and problems inside the industry. More from the series → For the past few years, big brands and their agency partners have largely shied away from advertising on conservative channels, citing brand safety fears in ads showing up next to politically charged content. The tides, however, may be turning. In today’s highly polarized cultural stratosphere, marketers are toeing the line with a both-sides approach to media spend and marketing messaging. For one diverse, inclusivity-driven comms…

[ad_1] This story was first published by Digiday sibling Glossy Procter & Gamble on Tuesday announced a 2% growth in net sales for the fourth quarter of 2025. But the conglomerate’s forecast remains modest as uncertain tariffs and consumer sentiment threaten sales growth in the U.S., its largest market. The owner of beauty and personal care brands like Olay and Gillette also shared full-year results for fiscal year 2025, with net sales remaining flat at $84.3 billion. “We’re pleased with the performance P&G people delivered last fiscal year in the face of a very dynamic, difficult and volatile environment,” said…