DIGIDAY+ MEMBER EXCLUSIVES
‘They’re going to be extinct at some point’: Why the chief AI officer is a transitional species
AI has quietly automated large swathes of how ads are bought, from walled garden auctions to the programmatic pipes that fund the open web.
OpenAI's ads program matures
Media
Why retailers like Target and Aerie are moving beyond straight affiliate deals with creators
Creator programs are changing as retailers like Target and Aerie realize they require a multifaceted approach that doesn’t just rely on affiliate links.
Rising gas prices may push more household spending toward Amazon
The spike has squeezed household budgets and changed how people shop. Consumers are pulling back on discretionary spending and foot traffic is in decline.
Dhar Mann is going to Tribeca X to prove CTV can do TV’s job — and that creators belong in the conversation
Hyper-engaged audiences, lightning-fast production, and a finger on the cultural pulse has made CTV partnerships with creators like Dhar Mann very enticing for brands.
Marketing
As feeds become entertainment hubs, marketers rethink social’s role
As social platforms become entertainment hubs, brands are acting more like media companies to capture attention and drive sales.
How Olly is updating its product detail pages for the AI era
As more shoppers use AI chatbots for recommendations, supplement brand Olly is updating its product pages with clearer descriptions and FAQs to boost AI-driven sales.
In Graphic Detail: Why the best brands are relearning how to entertain first, advertise second
Read on to learn more about the factors driving that shift, in graphic detail.
Future of TV
Future of TV Briefing: How AI agents will figure into this year’s upfront negotiations
This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks at the conversations that upfront sellers including Disney, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are looking to have with advertisers regarding incorporating AI agents in ad buys.
Digiday+ Research: The marketers’ 2026 guide to a shifting CTV landscape, including YouTube, Peacock and Roku
Digiday+ Research’s fifth annual report analyzes the state of ad-supported streaming and the challenges those companies pose to marketers.
Future of TV Briefing: The upfront is overtaking streaming’s programmatic marketplace
This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks at how major TV and streaming ad sellers are seeing upfront deals represent a larger share of their programmatic businesses.
Media Buying
Media Buying Briefing: Dentsu’s agentic ambitions and how it plays out in the upfronts
Beth Ann Kaminkow and Will Swayne explained how they’re adapting AI into Dentsu’s processes, as well as what to expect in this upfront market that’s getting underway.
Future of Marketing Briefing: OpenAI is working with Skai to bring retail and commerce advertisers into ChatGPT
Like the Criteo deal before it, the idea is to give advertisers a route into ChatGPT inventory through infrastructure they already use.
Universal Ads must pass the pizza test if it’s to steal ad dollars from social
Universal Ads continues to build out its targeting and tracking feature set, but needs to meet small and mid sized advertisers’ need for performance.
Annual research reports
Podcasts
Research
Upfronts
Why Amazon and YouTube pitched operating systems, not just TV inventory at this year’s upfront
Negotiations over identity, infrastructure, AI-driven buying take place as much as programing.
Media Buying Briefing: What buyers expect out of this year’s upfront marketplace
Although no deals have been cut yet, outcomes will be a major factor in this year’s negotiations, while complicating factors include measurement and flexibility.
With sports fragmentation, following the fans is crucial
Drew Groner, svp, head of sales and marketing, DIRECTV Advertising Live sports remain one of the last true appointment-viewing experiences — audiences don’t just tune in; they plan their schedules around it. That kind of attention is increasingly rare in modern media, and it is precisely why advertising inventory during live sports commands a premium. […]
Nest New York is expanding in the U.K. through Cult Beauty, Harrods, Selfridges and John Bell & Croyden, as fragrance layering becomes a bigger beauty opportunity.
Nest New York is expanding in the U.K. through Cult Beauty, Harrods, Selfridges and John Bell & Croyden, as fragrance layering becomes a bigger beauty opportunity.
Artificial intelligence is allowing Walmart to achieve levels of personalization it has long dreamed of. At the same time, the company is also cracking down on redundant or inefficient uses of AI internally, knowing the technology has a price tag.
Artificial intelligence is allowing Walmart to achieve levels of personalization it has long dreamed of. At the same time, the company is also cracking down on redundant or inefficient uses of AI internally, knowing the technology has a price tag.