WPP, no stranger to financial strains as of late, is facing another major headache. Though it’s not decided yet, one of its biggest spending advertisers — Coca-Cola — is considering a new partner for its biggest market in North America, according to three sources with knowledge of the account.

If Coca-Cola does opt for a change, Publicis Groupe is the frontrunner to handle its media dollars in North America, which is reportedly worth $620 million in the U.S., according to Comvergence data — but likely closer to $700 million including Canada, according to those sources.

Even if the account were to change, WPP isn’t being shut out entirely. It remains Coca-Cola’s global marketing partner under the OpenX model, which includes media and creative. And while the media account in North America is in flux, those same sources say the region’s creative business is expected to stay put.

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The Trade Desk (TTD) and media agencies are drifting apart — a conscious uncoupling that crept in slowly but is now moving fast. 

Agencies say their spending isn’t climbing like it used to, while The Trade Desk is busy chasing direct deals with advertisers. It’s not a full on breakup yet, but both sides are clearly eyeing other options. 

One holding company media buyer, who exchanged anonymity for candor, told Digiday that rising client investment in CTV — and the many DSPs that can be used to place such spend — meant their agency was becoming less reliant on The Trade Desk over time.

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When you think of influencer marketing, you typically picture brands working with a younger creator to target Gen Z (ages 13-28) or Gen Alpha (up to 12 years old). That’s not always the case. As the influencer marketing space and creator economy continues to grow, so-called silver influencers, or creators from Gen X (45-60 years old) and boomer generations (ages 61-79) are increasingly catching marketers’ attention.

Progresso Soup and Harmless Harvest, a coconut product company, are eyeing the older cohort of creators to earn some cultural cache and boost brand awareness. They’re not alone. Brands’ interest in Gen X and Boomer influencers has been on the uptick in recent years, according to previous Digiday reporting. Alaska Airlines, Mountain Dew and clean beauty brand Ilia have made similar campaigns over the past few years.

“They’re still [linear] TV watchers. But also, it’s a pretty social group,” said Maria Carolina Comings, vice president of the sweet and savory business unit at General Mills, referring to the soup brand’s 55-plus consumers. “So one of the places we went to was TikTok.”

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Creator company Whalar Group opened its doors to a newly-built co-working and production space in Los Angeles for creators in February. Named The Lighthouse, it’s not exactly a school, but not exactly an office either. For Whalar, the intention is to gather creators in one place and see what comes of it, whether that’s business ventures, funding or other creative pursuits, explained Neil Waller, co-founder and co-CEO of Whalar Group.

“Now, a week after when the space is open, I just see people talking to each other and agreeing to do things with each other just by the nature of being around each other,” Waller said in late February. “It’s literally everything we could have like dreamt of coming to fruition.”

The Lighthouse is a members-only place for creators to connect with fellow creators, work on attracting brand partnerships and access professional resources. That’s why Whalar sees it as akin to a university campus that aims to not just provide a networking and production ground for creators, but also act as a vehicle for brands to recruit talent — and prove that all these services under one roof can work as a business.

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The latest ad fiasco might suggest otherwise, but some marketers are finally shedding one of their deepest programmatic misconceptions.

Turns out, fixating on low-fee supply chains, or prioritizing ad tech intermediaries with the cheapest fees, was never the magic fix they hoped for. If anything, it’s looking more like a game of chasing rebates than a revolution in efficiency.

The cracks started showing when the math stopped adding up. 

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When Greg Swan first attended South by Southwest (SXSW) 17 years ago, it “cracked open” his world. 

“It’s a culture of people who start with ‘yes’ versus start from a ‘no’ or ‘we can’t’,” said Swan, senior partner and Midwest digital lead at Finn Partners.

Being surrounded by attendees with that mindset makes it a crucial stop for Swan, who has over the years changed his networking approach for the festival. Instead of seeking out the hottest parties, Swan now hosts what he calls “stranger dinners” each night, where he gathers eight to 10 attendees for dinner to talk about what they saw and debate ideas. That’s his plan for this year’s conference, which kicks off today and will run through March 15th in Austin, Texas.

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Gabriela Maestre, vp, global creative solutions, Nexxen

Last year, there was a major uptick in the buzz around generative AI and emotional creative analysis, particularly in marketing. Since then, both tools have become indispensable for optimizing performance and increasing output, with advertisers and publishers using them to enhance audience engagement, personalize content for specific demographics and drive conversions. 

The challenge, though, is figuring out how best to harness these tools — individually or in combination; a question that’s fueled industry-wide debate for months.

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Publicis Groupe has agreed to acquire ad tech firm Lotame, expanding the holding company’s global identity and data-management capabilities.

The terms of the deal, announced today, weren’t disclosed. However, the company said it’s invested more than $1.5 billion in acquisitions over the past six months. The efforts are part of a broader push to build out Publicis Groupe’s CoreAI platform, which launched early last year, alongside updates for the Paris-based company’s major AI investments.

The purchase also marks a significant expansion of its global identity and data capabilities, especially in APAC and Europe, where its new acquisition has a strong presence. Lotame was already Publicis Groupe’s data partner in both regions and helping to power CoreAI applications. Publicis also plans to expand its publisher network by integrating Lotame with Epsilon’s first-party tagging system to help publishers navigate cookie deprecation.

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TikTok wrapped up a successful year in 2024, even with a murky future ahead. Brands’ usage of the platform started strong and increased, and their marketing spend followed. But 2025 is shaping up differently. TikTok’s ban in the U.S. has officially moved from an uncertainty to a reality. Sure, it’s on hold for now, but a very real clock is ticking in a very real way.

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Pinterest is gearing up for a big 2025, doubling down on visual search, expanding its global footprint and rolling out more performance-driven tools to woo long-tail advertisers.

Visual search has always been core to Pinterest’s DNA, so it’s no shock that it’s a top priority, especially as the platform tries harder to stand out from the competition.

In conversation with Digiday, Matt Crystal, Pinterest’s vp of performance, said that the team would have “a lot to share later this year,” though didn’t provide any specifics. However, he did suggest that these announcements will be “uniquely Pinterest and no one else can really do it in the way we can,” and will “open up a tremendous amount of opportunity for our advertisers.”

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This week’s Media Briefing looks at the role Apple News+ plays in publishers’ audience and revenue ambitions. Execs told Digiday they are seeing continued growth in engagement — and therefore revenue — on the platform, which is a welcome change from the unstable referral traffic ecosystem.

• Apple News+ is a “growing” source of audience and revenue

• The LA Times pulls AI bias meter, The Wall Street Journal reorganizes tech coverage and more

Apple News+ audiences are ‘growing’

Publishers are feeling quietly optimistic about Apple’s latest efforts to develop its news subscription product.

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In 2025, content creators are no longer afraid to share their political opinions — and it’s created a headache for brands looking to engage in influencer marketing without prodding the hornet’s nest.

People have debated politics on the internet for years, but the political turmoil of 2024 and early 2025 has spurred many creators to be more vocal about their beliefs, particularly within the gaming space. Last week, for example, livestreamer Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa — who is primarily known for her hot tub and ASMR streams — ignited a firestorm of controversy after a clip of Siragusa mocking LGBTQ activists went viral on X. A representative of her team declined to share an on-the-record comment on the situation.

Siragusa’s comments were the latest of many political statements made by once-apolitical content creators within recent memory. Over the past year, the leading esports organization FaZe Clan endorsed Donald Trump, and creators who had previously focused on gaming content, such as prominent Twitch streamers Zack “Asmongold” Hoyt or Steven “Destiny” Bonnell, pivoted to spend most of their time discussing current events like the U.S. presidential election and the conflict in Gaza. (Hoyt and Bonnell did not respond to requests for comment prior to the publication of this story.)

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During the halcyon days of the 2010s, business growth rates in the online ad industry were buoyant, as advertisers clamored for ‘media-firsts,’ and VC-backed tech firms competed at a breakneck pace in an industry land grab.  

However, during the subsequent decade, a more somber atmosphere prevailed as the industry matured, despite the overall industry registering double-digit growth, with the sector surpassing $309 billion (15% growth) for the first time.

While these numbers appear healthy, eMarketer researchers also note how the industry’s annual growth rates consistently averaged more than 20% in the decade prior. Hence, a plateau is starting to emerge, and the sector is taking a Darwinistic hue. It is in this climate that ‘Joint Business Plans,’ a.k.a. ‘joint business partnerships’ or JBPs, are an increasingly common tactic to remain on clients’ media plans.      

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While brands see creators as a safe bet to boost awareness or drive conversions, they’re missing something. Analyzing influencer campaigns from 2024 uncovered an intriguing trend: that much of the industry isn’t necessarily utilizing or thinking about influencers in the most beneficial way. They’re overlooking the true superpower at their fingertips: influence.

One of the biggest blocks to increasing spend on influencer marketing is measurement. For example, when teams set an objective for their campaign, they often take a familiar route: If the goal is awareness, they focus on reach and impressions; if it’s conversions, they turn to UTMs and sales data. But, creators do more than influence consumer perceptions and behavior in the moment of a single campaign; they do more than reach audiences and drive action — they spark a ripple effect of a growing community and many more actions.

“Influence at scale is a movement, not a moment,” said Max Osborne, founder of ThisThat. 

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Tyler Romasco, svp of global publisher development, OpenX

It’s no secret that CTV is experiencing explosive growth. By 2026, nine streaming services are projected to generate over $1 billion in ad revenue, up from just two in 2020. At that time, CTV will also account for one-fifth of the daily media consumption of U.S. adults.

The most important driver behind this meteoric rise in revenue is biddable CTV, which encompasses non-guaranteed 1-to-1 PMPs, multi-publisher PMPs, curated deals and open market inventory that combines the real-time optimization of digital with the premium, brand-safe experience of traditional TV. 

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Digg, the once-dominant social news aggregator, is set to relaunch with a vision that seeks to recapture the spirit of early internet communities while addressing the shortcomings of Web 2.0. 

Founded in 2004, Digg once rivaled Reddit for the role of “the internet’s homepage.” Now, Digg founder Kevin Rose and Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian have bought it back for an undisclosed amount.

The ambitious reboot, announced today, aims to create a community-first platform that uses AI to empower users and improve content moderation. Additional funding comes from True Ventures, which Rose recently joined as partner, and Ohanian’s venture firm Seven Seven Six.

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YouTube’s short-form video push has created new opportunities for dance creators to make money on the platform — but some creators believe these changes are too little and too late to reverse the dance community’s exodus to Instagram and TikTok.

Viewership of both short-form and long-form dance videos on YouTube has consistently decreased year-over-year since 2022, according to figures shared with Digiday by Tubular Labs. That year, dance videos received a total of 20.4 billion views; in 2023, dance videos garnered 17.2 billion views; and in 2024, dance viewership on YouTube declined to 14 billion views.

Amid this viewership decrease, YouTube Shorts became the dominant format for dance videos on the platform, with 86 percent of dance video views coming from videos under one minute long in 2024, compared to only 47 percent in 2022. (A YouTube representative declined to comment on this story.)

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Amazon’s ads business is muscling in on the same ad tech players that once fueled its rise.

Granted, it’s been edging into that cottage industry for years but its latest moves make those earlier steps look like a warm-up. Recently, Amazon has been rolling out features and services that were once the domain of companies like Skai and Pacvue. As Amazon tightens its grip, some casualties may be inevitable.

Amazon’s UnBoxed event last November revealed the writing on the wall. The tech behemoth announced a flurry of announcements and new tools, including a complete overhauling of its demand-side platform (DSP). That overhaul included the launch of its Performance+ tool, its AI-powered, black-box style ad campaign that was designed to woo non-endemic advertisers. Amazon also introduced AI-powered creative tools and a multi-touch attribution model. (Amazon did not immediately return a request for comment.)

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This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks at how Hulu’s error-prone Oscars live stream exemplifies the development that streaming still needs to undergo to usurp traditional TV.

• Downstream effects
• MLB’s streaming rights plan, Paramount’s DE&I policy, YouTube’s CTV home screen and more

Downstream effects

The highlight of Mikey Madison’s career coincided with a lowlight for streaming’s development.

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Curation has its fair share of skeptics but Index Exchange CEO Andrew Casale isn’t one of them. He sees it as the biggest shake-up in programmatic advertising since header bidding — maybe even bigger.

In his view, curation’s impact could rival that of open RTB, not just header bidding. His reasoning: while header bidding was a technical shift, curation is fundamentally about economics.

“Curation will be bigger than header bidding and as big as programmatic or RTB — that’s our bet,” Casale said at the Prebid Ascent event in London yesterday (March 4).

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