Looming uncertainty over a potential U.S. TikTok ban is not putting off advertisers from committing ad spend to the platform. In fact, agencies are pledging a year-over-year increase in ad dollars in 2025. One agency executive, speaking anonymously to protect industry relations, plans to increase the agency's TikTok spend by 20%-30% this year. DigiShopGirl Media...
Meta might have opted for a content moderation tactic similar to X, but don't expect brands to boycott Facebook in the same way they did Elon Musk's platform. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced changes to the company's content moderation policies this week--specifically ending third-party fact-checking, and lifting restrictions on free speech across Facebook and Instagram....
Jack Bamberger, TikTok U.S.' general manager of agency business, left the company on Jan. 3, according to a person with direct knowledge. A second source from an advertising agency told ADWEEK that a TikTok rep confirmed Bamberger's departure to them. The move coincides with TikTok's intensifying challenges, including a potential U.S. ban slated for January...
Dappier, a startup focused on helping publishers monetize their content by connecting it with AI companies, is getting into the ad game by making banner ads more interactive. The ad unit embeds Dappier's search chatbot--Ask AI, which publishers already embed on their sites--directly into online banner ads, offering audiences a way to ask questions about...
Sameer Singh, TikTok's North America head of ad sales, is leaving the company, according to an internal memo reviewed by ADWEEK. The announcement comes as the popular video-sharing app faces mounting pressure, with a U.S. ban set to take effect on January 19. Singh joined ByteDance in 2019 and has been a central figure in...
With a potential TikTok ban set to take effect on January 19 in the U.S., the ripple effects will be felt far beyond its millions of users in the country, causing major disruptions to the broader digital landscape. In April last year, Congress passed a law banning "foreign adversary-controlled applications" from app stores, which could...
Virtual product placement startup Rembrand has raised $23 million in Series A funding to broaden its generative AI-powered capabilities and launch new business models. The round was led by super{set}. The Trade Desk, Naver D2SF, and existing investors including BOLD (L'Oreal's corporate venture fund) and Greycroft also participated in the round of funding. Two-year-old Rembrand...
In 2025, generative artificial intelligence will shift from a behind-the-scenes tool to a central driver of innovation in marketing. We can expect the emergence of agent AI 2.0, a new breed of agent AI that will manage complex, real-time tasks. Alongside this shift, tech firms like Apple and Anthropic are poised to become key players,...
Tensions have been flaring between publishers and AI companies over content usage in 2024, but some AI-backed startups have emerged to help reconcile these conflicts. From helping publishers navigate AI integration, set optimal prices for their content, and monetize more effectively when AI companies want to license their data, to striking deals with publishers and...
WPP has named former IPG's McCann Worldgroup head of AI Elav Horwitz as its new evp and global head of strategic partnerships and solutions. Horwitz brings nearly nine years of experience at McCann, where she served as evp, global head of applied innovation and generative AI, integrating AI into creative workflows, as well as working...
As the artificial intelligence gold rush continues, valuations have soared to dizzying heights. From generative AI models that can write codes to AI-driven search engines that promise smarter answers, U.S. AI startups are raking in billions from investors eager to bet on the next money-making technological revolution. In Q3 2024, venture capitalists poured $3.9 billion...
Omnicom's reported $14 billion blockbuster acquisition of IPG has the potential to rival Publicis Groupe's position as a center for tech and innovation excellence, thanks to the potential interplay of the new Omnicom entity's data, commerce, and AI tech capabilities. But, while having separate pieces of the puzzle will be helpful, merging them successfully is...
Artificial intelligence startup ProRata.ai wants to bring a more equitable compensation model to media companies with the launch of its AI-powered search engine, Gist.ai. The startup uses gen AI to accurately attribute search results and share revenue with content owners. This revenue is generated by subscriptions and ads that run Gist. People can sign up...
Puma is giving Manchester City fans the chance to design the team's third kit for the 2026 season, using artificial intelligence to bring their creative visions to life. The initiative lets fans generate custom designs, with the final kit selected through a mix of fan votes and expert judging. The winning design will be worn...
With a valuation of $157 billion and a string of strategic moves, OpenAI is setting the stage for what could be a transformative 2025. The company is pushing to dominate the AI landscape by recruiting top advertising talent from Google and Meta, launching a search-integrated ChatGPT, and exploring ad-driven revenue as it refines its for-profit...
Perplexity's Publisher Program, which distributes revenue to media outlets when their content appears next to ads on the AI search platform, has recruited its second batch of publisher partners. The San Francisco-based startup now works with over a dozen global media titles, including the Los Angeles Times, Blavity, The Independent, Prisa Media (the leading Spanish-language...
Editor's note: This story was updated after publication with a statement from The New York Times. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took a jab at The New York Times' high-profile lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft while speaking at The New York Times' own DealBook conference. Altman discussed all things artificial intelligence, including the future of artificial...
This article was originally published in August, and has since been updated with new information. Brands promoting ads featuring artificial intelligence, and tech capabilities at large, are not reading the room. Major brands such as Levi's and Toys R Us have eagerly experimented with AI in their marketing efforts. Tech giants like Google and Apple...
As marketers know only too well, there are trade-offs with everything. And in the era of set-it-and-forget-it tools, that trade-off is one of spend efficiency for ads sometimes showing up in questionable environments. Despite grumbles, a lot of marketers have accepted that trade-off. But with AI fuelled made for advertising sites springing up, the phenomenon...
After nearly two months of testing TikTok's Smart+--which lets AI optimize creative and choose who to serve an ad--there are some areas for improvement, four ad buyers told ADWEEK. Especially when compared to Meta's Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns (ASC), which launched in 2022. Granted, Meta's ASC has had more time to finesse its AI-buying tool, but...
