Digiday·2026-03-02
The agency holdcos have an AI story, but not an AI business modelWhat if the agency holdcos have got it wrong? Over the past month, the groups have settled on a familiar investor script when framing their financial fortunes: AI as margin defense, integration as operating leverage, scale as a moat and automation as productivity. It’s a tidy frame — a way to signal that generative tools won’t hollow out the model and EBITA can be protected. Continue reading this
Digiday·2026-03-02
Media Buying Briefing: The Big Three’s pieces are in place – let’s see who winsNow that the three major agency holding companies have issued their 2025 earnings results and set their strategies in place for 2026 and beyond, it’s fair to ask a few questions. Which will end 2026 in the best shape? And which one is truly built to last, in a media world dominated by platforms and inexorably altered by generative AI? Clearly the holding company that adapted its model the most is
The Guardian·2026-03-02
Paramount+ and HBO Max to become one streaming service, Ellison saysParamount Skydance plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into one streaming service, chief executive David Ellison announced during a call with investors, days after the company said it would acquire HBO parent company Warner Bros Discovery. The deal would allow major HBO Max titles, such as The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and Succession, to sit alongside Paramount offerings including Yellowstone and Survivor. Ellison said combining the two platforms would give the company more than 200 million direct-to-consumer subscribers. “We think that really positions us to compete with the leaders in the space,” Ellison said. Ellison said he wants HBO to “operate with independence” and said CEO Casey Bloys and his team “do a remarkable job”. “Our viewpoint is HBO should stay HBO. And they built a
Marketing Week·2026-03-02
Why It Works: Specsavers and what behavioural science can teach us about humourSpecsavers has found great success through the use of humour in its marketing for decades now - and behavioural science tells us why it is so effective. Source
Digiday·2026-03-02
WTF is pay per ‘demonstrated’ value in AI content licensing?Developing AI content licensing marketplaces are introducing new pay structures for how publishers could be compensated for the content they allow AI systems to access. Publishers and tech companies are determining how to scale compensation to match the value of the content publishers are allowing AI systems to access. It’s another sign of the evolution from flat-fee AI content licensing deals to
Digiday·2026-03-02
Why more brands are rethinking influencer marketing with gamified micro-creator programsUrban Outfitters last week rolled out ME@UO, its latest bet on micro-creators, joining brands like American Eagle, Express, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Sephora that are reworking affiliate marketing into always-on, gamified creator programs. These creator programs reward smaller creators for consistent content, signalling a shift in how brands engage and scale influencer marketing. “It reflects a broa
Marketing Week·2026-03-02
‘Walk, don’t run’: Small steps marketers can take to improve mental healthWhether it's confiding in a manager, finding a trusted ally or reaching out wider for support, small actions can help marketers rebuild their mental health. Source
The Guardian·2026-03-02
Daily Mail royal editor denies using private investigator to ‘blag’ Harry informationThe Daily Mail’s royal editor has denied using a private investigator to “blag” information about the Duke of Sussex and his former girlfriends, as she was shown emails suggesting the investigator “went out on a limb” to help her. Rebecca English’s name appears on six of the articles cited by Prince Harry in his case against Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail. He is one of seven claimants suing the publisher, claiming its journalists benefited from unlawful information gathering over decades. ANL denies all the allegations of wrongdoing, saying all its stories were obtained legitimately. The allegations largely refer to work carried out by Mike Behr, a South Africa-based private investigator that English said she knew only as “a freelance journalist who could help
The Guardian·2026-03-01
Spotting a peacenik by the newspaper they read | Brief lettersSome years ago, my sons travelled with Aston Villa supporters going to Wolves. A young policeman picked them out at the railway station along with others to be shepherded to the ground. But an older sergeant advised the constable: “Not those two – that one’s got a Guardian under his arm.” How’s that for peacenik recognition? Non-bearded, they weren’t even wearing sandals. David Drew Birmingham • There’s a simple solution for those concerned with running their washing machine at 60C to wash underwear or risking contamination (Letters, 24 February) – take the military option and go commando. Dr Bob Aron Ilkley, West Yorkshire • Washing underwear at 60C could lead to shrinkage, which could well be harmful to the wearer. Neil Angrave London • Regarding the taboo on talking to strangers (How to
Adweek·2026-02-27
Ticker: CNN’s First of All Celebrates 100 Episodes, CNBC LayoffsLayoffs hit CNBC as fewer than a dozen positions have been eliminated as part of an editorial overhaul.
Marketing Week·2026-02-27
Diageo’s shift to affordability and a B2B masterclass: Your Marketing WeekAt the end of every week, we look at the key stories, offering our view on what they mean for you and the industry. From Diageo's new CEO Dave Lewis suggesting it needs to reach "all consumers" to the story behind Procell's turnaround in a low interest category, it’s been a busy week. Here is my take. Source
Marketing Week·2026-02-27
Netflix walks away from Warner Bros Discovery dealNetflix has withdrawn its bid for Warner Bros Discovery after the media group’s board deemed a higher offer from Paramount Skydance “superior”, escalating the battle for control of the entertainment giant. Source
Adweek·2026-02-27
Why Adidas Originals Brought Samuel L. Jackson and His Superstars Back for Chapter TwoMarketing boss Annie Barrett wants to build on the 'halo' effect from Jackson's first ads.
Adweek·2026-02-27
What’s CNN’s Future Under Paramount Skydance?CNN staffers are reportedly apprehensive following the news that they will be part of Paramount Skydance.
Adweek·2026-02-27
With Netflix Out, Paramount and WBD Could Reshape TV AdvertisingParamount and Warner Bros. Discovery are poised to shake up the ad industry, but not without clearing some hurdles.
Nieman Lab·2026-02-26
“Same values, same mission, same ethics”: How the Houston Chronicle chooses creators to work withNash: What are the metrics that you re looking at? Like, how do you determine whether this is successful? What are the important things to you? Chang: Earlier, I think there was a flash [on the screen] on the results that we have from our initial partnership through the API grant. We started with three videos, and each video had its own set of North Star [key performance indicators]. We mainly wan
Adweek·2026-02-26
Week of Feb. 16 Cable News Ratings: Across-the-Board DeclinesMS NOW fell by single digits outside of the primetime demo.
Adweek·2026-02-26
Week of Feb. 16 Morning News Ratings: Today Remains No. 1 Despite Losing ViewersCBS Mornings saw double-digit growth in the prized Adults 25-54 demo.
Adweek·2026-02-26
Week of Feb. 16 Evening News Ratings: World News Tonight Sees GrowthNBC Nightly News remained the No. 1 broadcast in the Adults 25-54 demo.
Marketing Week·2026-02-26
System1’s Jon Evans departs to pursue Uncensored CMO full timeEvans is looking to grow the podcast brand with sub-brands and events as System1 makes sweeping changes to its executive team. Source
Marketing Week·2026-02-26
‘Intense pressure zone’: Tackling marketing’s morale problemFrom burnout to stalling progression and self-consciousness over skills, marketing leaders discuss how to improve morale. Source
Marketing Week·2026-02-26
The rise and fall of BrewDog, the role of brand community, and the lessons for marketersNews that BrewDog has put itself up for sale shows a brand in distress, but there are lessons to be learnt about the power of building a genuine community that helped the brewer scale in the first place. Source
Marketing Week·2026-02-26
Marketing Week Awards 2026 are open for entriesMarketing Week’s annual celebration of effectiveness, creativity and innovation returns for 2026 with a stellar panel of senior marketers lined up to determine the winners. Source
Digiday·2026-02-26
Urban Outfitters shifts its influencer strategy from reach to participationUrban Outfitters is launching a creator program centered around the hyper-personalized engagement that comes with passionate micro-creators and their communities. The move marks a structural shift in the retail brand’s creator strategy, and sees it join a growing group of brands that are gamifying their creator programs — moving away from curated, one-off partnerships toward broad, recurring, poin
Adweek·2026-02-26
Show’s Over: Netflix Declines to Up Offer After WBD Chooses Paramount Bid [UPDATED]Netflix is out after WBD calls Paramount bid 'superior.'
Digiday·2026-02-26
Media Briefing: Without transparency, publishers can’t tell if Google’s Preferred Sources feature benefits themThis week s Media Briefing will look at how Google’s Preferred Sources feature promises publishers more control over audience loyalty — yet leaves them flying blind on traffic data and impact six months in. Preferred Sources is another Google update with a data gap The Economist braces for its next stage, X s algorithm deprioritizes traditional news outlets Another Google update, another data gap
Digiday·2026-02-26
Rising demand for principal media buying underpins WPP’s turnaround planDemand for principal based media buying expertise is rising among the industry’s top clients despite long-held transparency concerns, according to WPP’s top execs. Speaking as the once market leading agency group published a turnaround plan on Thursday (Feb. 26) to return the company to commercial growth in 2027, WPP Media boss Brian Lesser and chief financial officer Joanne Wilson said principal
Nieman Lab·2026-02-26
The New York Times is adding another daily crossword, because why notVeni, vidi, vici? Try Mini, Midi, Maxi. Okay, The New York Times does not call its big daily crossword the Maxi — but otherwise it fits. Just as Julius Caesar came, saw, and conquered , the Times continues to push the boundaries of its gaming empire with a new Midi edition of its puzzle. Today, we are excited to introduce the Midi Crossword , the newest subscriber-only addition to the New York Tim
Digiday·2026-02-26
Reddit has carved out an upper funnel niche for brand advertisersReddit’s ad business has been on the rise in recent quarters. For marketers, the platform has become a useful avenue to target specialist audiences with brand awareness messaging. According to five media buyers who spoke with Digiday, the platform is attracting between 5-20% of paid media budgets from some brands, including retailers and beverage advertisers. “This year we have more clients either
Nieman Lab·2026-02-25
Why “magic links” and passcodes are taking over news loginsI grew up in India, which is increasingly a country that runs on OTPs, or one-time passcodes. I bump into them everywhere each time I visit: When trying to connect to airport WiFi, getting into an Uber, or accessing a digital menu at a cafe. But lately, if I m homesick, I ve found a way of replicating that particular experience that doesn t require getting on a flight. All I have to do is try to g
Nieman Lab·2026-02-25
The Baltimore Beat experiments with pay-what-you-can adsThe newspaper and nonprofit news site Baltimore Beat is rolling out pay-what-you-can ads. We hope this is a way that small businesses can feature themselves in the paper, keeping their services at the front of readers’ minds, the Beat wrote in an announcement. The Beat, launched after the city s alt-weekly closed in 2017 and relaunched as a Black-led outlet in 2022 , does not have a paywall, unlik
Augusta Chronicle·2026-02-24T17:29:30Z
Atlanta Braves announce their own streaming platform for 2026 seasonThe Atlanta Braves ended their broadcast agreement earlier this year, and have now announced their own media platform for the start of the 2026 season
