#strategy

Zendesk is acquiring Forethought for more than 200M USD to build AI agents for customer service. The deal is Zendesk's seventh AI acquisition in 2.5 years. The company expects over half of all voice and chat interactions on its platform to be handled by AI agents this year. https://martech.org/the-latest-ai-powered-martech-news-and-releases/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI #Zendesk

AI is transforming the marketing tech landscape, but not in the way many expected. Rather than collapsing the stack, AI is repricing it by making coordination layers easier to replicate while structural systems that absorb liability retain their value. For marketing operations leaders, the key is distinguishing between convenient surface tools and systems that manage real operational risk. https://martech.org/ai-is-repricing-the-marketing-stack-not-collapsing-it/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI #MarTech

Brands that chase relevance and attention by jumping on every trend often end up signaling nothing at all. Strategic clarity in brand positioning and customer communication outperforms high-volume engagement tactics. https://martech.org/brands-that-win-are-clearer-not-louder/ #Marketing #Strategy #Brand

Brands are testing longer streaming ad formats on platforms like Apple TV, moving beyond traditional 30-second breaks to multi-episode storytelling campaigns. Ford recently ran such a campaign centered on its Formula One return, presenting a micro-docuseries as sequential ads during race weekend. https://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/ford-campaign-shows-brands-testing-longer-streaming-ads/ #Marketing #Strategy #Ford

Peer recommendations are the most trusted source for B2B buyers (73%), far exceeding AI chatbots (39%), according to a Reddit and SurveyMonkey survey of 1,200 decision-makers. Only 18% use chatbots during research, citing accuracy concerns. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/b2b-buyers-trust-peers-over-ai-chatbots-report-finds/569261/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Netflix and NBCUniversal are experimenting with hybrid marketing campaigns that blend in-person experiences with digital engagement, moving beyond trailers and traditional ads. During a panel at Campaign Convene 2026, executives discussed how studios are building campaigns that connect with audiences beyond the streaming screen. https://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/netflix-and-nbcuniversal-test-hybrid-marketing-campaigns/ #Marketing #Strategy #Social #Netflix

AI is transforming B2B buying beyond search. Private AI tools like Microsoft Copilot are used by 68% of business buyers, with over a third on corporate instances. Traffic declines tell only half the story — visibility in AI answers is now essential. https://www.forrester.com/blogs/zero-click-is-only-half-the-ai-story/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI #Forrester

Creator marketing has become a primary growth engine, with nearly half of U.S. buyers ranking it a must-buy channel behind search and social. Creator ad spend is projected to reach almost 44B USD this year, yet measurement infrastructure has not kept pace - most campaigns are still evaluated using outdated proxies. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/creators-work-but-measurement-doesnt-yet/813952/ #Marketing #Strategy #Analytics

Re-engaging dormant email lists can drive pipeline, but doing it wrong damages sender reputation. Here are 7 ways to safely revive old subscribers without wrecking deliverability. https://martech.org/7-ways-to-revive-dormant-email-lists-without-wrecking-deliverability/ #Marketing #Strategy #EmailMarketing #MarTech

A study of U.S. workers finds 14% report 'brain fry' from AI overuse. Marketing had the highest rate at 26%, the study found. Marketers are experiencing more AI fatigue than any other sector as tools proliferate. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/marketers-report-highest-rates-of-ai-brain-fry-report-finds/569110/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI #SEJ

More than half of shoppers now use AI for product research, and nearly 20% rely on AI-powered LLMs for most searches. Yet brands remain focused on chat and customer experience rather than discovery - creating a gap in AI adoption that is reshaping online retail. https://martech.org/ais-disruption-of-online-commerce-is-just-starting/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI #Retail

IAB Tech Lab released CoMP, a standardized protocol for AI systems to pay publishers for content access. The spec creates payment rails before crawling, addressing the 50% traffic decline publishers face from AI search. https://martech.org/iab-proposes-new-payment-rules-for-ai-content-access/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Netflix is expanding ad-targeting capabilities through partnerships with Amazon and Yahoo's demand-side platforms. Beginning in Q2, U.S. advertisers will be able to tap into Amazon Audiences data based on trillions of first-party shopping, streaming and browsing signals. Netflix is also introducing a Conversion API tool for tracking campaign outcomes ahead of the key upfronts season. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/netflix-enriches-ad-targeting-prowess-with-amazon-yahoo-audience-data/814030/ #Marketing #Strategy #Netflix

P&G briefly retired Mr. Clean mascot last month with an animated press conference and social posts showing the character pursuing new hobbies. The brand unretired on March 4 with new product innovations - its biggest launch in over 20 years. The campaign by Publicis shop MSL shows how absence can create buzz. https://www.marketingdive.com/news/how-procter-gamble-got-good-buzz-by-briefly-retiring-mr-clean/814312/ #Marketing #Strategy #P&G

This framework uses original data, tools and cross-channel content to drive AI citations and high-intent leads. A 90-day plan provides actionable steps to build authority that AI systems cite and reference. As AI increasingly evaluates vendors before buyers do, organizations that establish AI-citable authority gain competitive advantage in B2B purchasing. https://martech.org/a-90-day-plan-to-build-ai-citable-authority/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Phone conversations are one of the highest-converting interactions in marketing, yet they remain largely unmeasured. Privacy changes are weakening attribution models, making call analytics and conversation intelligence essential first-party data sources. AI-powered analysis now enables organizations to analyze 100% of customer interactions instead of relying on small QA samples. https://martech.org/the-marketing-data-most-companies-still-fail-to-measure/ #Marketing #Strategy #Analytics

AI tools could let marketers fill techstack gaps without waiting on vendors through vibe coding - building custom solutions with AI assistance. But this approach requires organizations to assume ownership of documentation, quality management, and maintenance responsibilities. https://martech.org/how-vibe-coding-will-disrupt-martechs-buy-or-build-debate/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI #MarTech

Target is using AI to predict retail trends and accelerate product decisions as the retailer seeks to return to sales growth. The company is tying demand forecasting, trend identification and shopper personalization to AI systems to sharpen how it plans products and serves customers across stores and apps. https://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/target-uses-ai-to-predict-retail-trends-and-speed-product-decisions/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI #Target

AI is becoming the decision layer in marketing, shifting the focus from visibility to eligibility. Instead of competing for human attention, brands now compete to be included in AI recommendations. Recent research shows AI rankings are highly unstable, making eligibility the new prerequisite for visibility. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/how-ai-is-reshaping-who-gets-recommended-marketing-in-the-eligibility-era/568041/ #Marketing #Strategy #AI

Direct traffic in GA4 is often misinterpreted as brand strength, but it usually signals missing data rather than user intent. When GA4 cannot determine where a session originated, it labels it as direct. This misunderstanding could lead to flawed marketing strategies. https://martech.org/why-direct-traffic-in-ga4-isnt-what-it-looks-like/ #Marketing #Strategy #Analytics #Google