Commerce

Nextdoor isn’t ruling out AI data licensing, but it has concerns; NBCU touts sports and streaming as drivers of its record Upfronts; and Scholastic follows kids and parents to YouTube.

Hearst has seen improvements in addressability between 30% and 200% since introducing AURA, its AI-powered ad targeting solution, last year.

Enjoy this weekly comic from AdExchanger.com that highlights the digital advertising ecosystem … 

Amazon locked in two more publishers for its AI shopping engine; AI companies are working on web browsers now; and platforms have a hard time telling AI from reality.

With Amazon Prime Day in full force, marketers are navigating one of the biggest retail events of the summer. But this Prime Day isn’t just a moment to drive sales; it’s a critical opportunity to test and learn.

AI Overviews makes dodgy product recommendations because it scrapes marketing copy; discrepancies in TV ratings hamper upfronts negotiations; and why mar tech companies are building software fortresses.

Critics say the FTC’s deal with OMG/IPG prohibits agency practices that don’t exist. And it distracts from legitimate concerns about brand safety news blocking and principal media.

How Amazon uses the threat of knockoffs to win brand business; YouTube introduces new creator video metrics; and Substack is the latest platform to pivot to video.

Michelle Urwin, Chief Marketing Officer of Skai, joined Sarah Sluis at Cannes Lions 2025 to share the biggest shifts in commerce media . From Amazon’s expanding DSP and full-funnel capabilities to the rise of Agentic AI in campaign optimization, this conversation dives into how retail media is evolving fast, and how advertisers can keep up. […]

Today, David’s Bridal is as much an AI-powered tech company as it is a retailer of wedding apparel and accessories, according to Elina Vilk, president and chief business officer. The company recently unveiled a new digital transformation strategy centered on agentic AI and personalized experiences.

Where would the New York Times be without its recipes?; Cannes Lions deals with controversy; and Netflix wants to get ultra-personal with its ads.

In this fast-paced and insightful conversation from Cannes, Michelle Urwin, Chief Marketing Officer at Skai, breaks down the top three trends shaping Amazon Ads and how advertisers are successfully targeting their rich data across platforms and devices driving more revenue and maximizing campaign performance.

Pub tech SaaS startup Swivel wants to make ad ops much less manual and time-consuming with an AI-driven yield optimization tool designed by people who used to build ad servers.

New Generation AI, a startup founded last year, is looking to build agentic AI products for brands and retailers of any size. It’s an exciting time, says Jonathan Arena, one of New Gen’s co-founders and a former product lead at Patreon.

In a media landscape that’s more fragmented than ever, brands face mounting pressure to prove ROI and outmaneuver competitors, especially as budgets tighten. Nielsen’s Matt Devitt breaks down how marketers can gain a competitive edge by leveraging accurate, comparable data across channels and understanding their share of voice in the broader market. He also tackles […]

Crisp announced its acquisition of Cantactix, an in-store analytics company which helps retailers optimize their shelf space.

PayPal Ads SVP and GM Mark Grether joins Allison Schiff at Cannes 2025 to reveal how PayPal is leading a new category with financial media networks (FMNs). Unlike traditional retail or commerce media, PayPal Ads leverages its powerful “transaction graph” to deliver seamless, high-frequency campaigns across the open web. Grether discusses the recent launch of […]

With a growing array of platforms and channels competing for consumer attention, advertisers have been increasingly looking for ways to understand which ads and placements drive engagement and sales – not just engagement and sales that would have happened anyway but true incrementality.

After a reenergizing week at the Cannes Lions festival, here are six observations on how our industry is changing to meet its new challenges.

When it comes to the red-hot retail media sector, history doesn’t have to repeat itself. Here’s how to add accountability and transparency to a space where those attributes are sorely lacking.

What’s DoorDash’s post-acquisition plan for the retail media ad tech startup Symbiosys?

Going For The Cinematic Effect; Do The Youngs Shop Google?; X Marks The Spot

In the early hours of Monday morning, Roku and Amazon jointly announced a partnership that will reportedly result in the “largest authenticated TV footprint” in the US.

Despite the heightened economic uncertainty this year and the continued slowdown of traditional media’s growth, global advertising revenue is still trending upward, according to Magna’s latest global ad forecast.

Dentsu and Criteo announced a strategic partnership to consolidate their respective retail audience data within Dentsu Connect, the agency holding company’s data and identity product.

Retroactive reinforcement won’t be enough to ensure a fairer and more innovative ad market going forward. The advertising industry needs proactive antitrust enforcement.

On Wednesday, DoorDash announced its acquisition of Symbiosys, a retail search ad startup that launched two years ago. The deal price is $175 million.

The Trade Desk is adding a new retail tool to its data marketplace toolkit – or a new element to its periodic table, if you will.

Expect to see more AI-generated ads on the Amazon website going forward. On Tuesday, Amazon announced the US release of its AI-powered video generator tool after nine months of beta testing. It also rolled out an updated version of the image generator first announced in 2023.

For proof of the uncertainty facing marketers in 2025, look no further than the industry’s ping-ponging projections for ad spending. WPP Media’s revised forecast is just the most recent example.