Digital advertising
MarTech is your source for digital advertising content. You’ll find a variety of up-to-date and authoritative resources, including the latest news, tactic-rich tutorials, and the latest data to help you work smarter and make better decisions.
What you read here is written by our experienced in-house team of editors and research professionals, and subject matter experts from leading brands and agencies.
Why we care:
Advertising isn’t just about growing brand awareness or planting a seed. Advertisers and their adtech partners can reach audiences big and small at any stage of the funnel, delivering cross-channel ads across multiple touchpoints. And they aren’t just using traditional demographics and ratings, they’re leveraging device-level or user-specific data, as well as contextual insights, to serve the right message to the right customer at the right time.
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GenAI taking over digital video buyers’ creatives
86% say they are or will soon use it. Small and mid-tier brands wanting better video for less money are among the biggest users.
Google advertisers can now activate campaign changes via Gmail
Google Ads emails now include an 'Enable your recommendations' button that lets changes go live from Gmail – no platform login needed.
Diversity and inclusion in marketing
Brands’ retreat from Pride costs them credibility
Consumers across the political spectrum lose faith in brands that flip-flop on political issues.
Data clean rooms: What you need to know
Data clean rooms are a great solution to privacy and data sharing issues -- if you find the right one.
5 Amazon Ads features you’re not using — but should be
Missed these Amazon Ads features? Catch up on Attribution, Prime Video and more ways to drive better, data-backed campaigns.
Google Ads rolls out AI Max search match type
Google Ads’ new AI Max match type gives visibility into automated search performance for clearer comparisons and more informed campaign decisions.
Microsoft Ads gets new granular asset-level reviews
Microsoft Advertising now reviews ads at the asset level, allowing approved elements to continue running even if others are disapproved.
AI can scale ads, but great creatives drive brand impact
Want your ads remembered and acted on? Use these creative levers to boost distinctiveness, emotional impact and profitability.
New IAB Framework aims to bring clarity to gaming ads
The framework standardizes game ad campaign metrics and outlines what metrics to expect and what additional data to request.
FTC says Omnicom deal is OK, as long as there’s no brand safety involved
The world's largest ad agency is forbidden from using 'political or ideological' viewpoints to determine where an ad should run.
What your dashboards reveal about channel performance — and what they miss
Not all high-performing channels drive results. Some just show up better in reports. Here’s how to spot the difference and optimize smarter.
Retail media moves from the bottom of the funnel to center stage
Retail media networks are moving beyond digital shelf ads, emerging as full-funnel brand platforms with premium formats, deep data and real results.
Supermetrics acquires real-time CDP Relay42
Another standalone CDP is off the market, as consolidation continues to hit the space.
TransUnion data shows importance of good targeting for ROAS
An analysis by TransUnion shows good targeting has an exponential effect on return on ad spend.
IAB releases draft digital advertising invoice API specifications
The rules aim to automate and standardize invoice processes, decreasing errors and increasing speed of payments. They are open to public comment until Aug. 11.
How tariffs are reshaping long-term strategies for brands and buyers
Brand loyalty is gone, as consumers wait longer to make purchases. Marketers are focusing on owned channels and trying not to say the "T" word.
How to integrate CTV with other PPC channels for a full-funnel growth loop
CTV isn’t a standalone driver, but it can boost your PPC efforts. Learn how to sync it with other channels for measurable growth.
IAB releases draft of updated digital ad terms for public comment
This is the first major revision of the agreement in nearly 25 years and is designed to reflect how much the industry has changed.
3 ways to get more from your paid social ad spend
Make paid social profitable with smart platform choices, strong creative, sharp targeting and advanced tactics that amplify ROI.
What your attribution model isn’t telling you
The best marketers don’t just track – they test, model and optimize. Learn tips for building a future-ready measurement framework.
Marketing artificial intelligence (AI)
Figma’s new tools create a design-to-deployment ecosystem
Features for marketing and brand teams position Figma as a direct competitor to Canva, Adobe, WordPress and Wix.
US asks court to breakup Google ad businesses
Spinning off AdX exchange and DFP platform would severely impact the tech giant's revenue and be a seismic shift in digital advertising.
The real reason marketing measurement keeps failing
Attribution and MMMs need to evolve. But without cleaner, more consistent data behind them, they’ll never reach their full potential.
Google’s Privacy Sandbox: What you need to know
Updated with the latest news about Privacy Sandbox's future now that Google is keeping third-party cookies in Chrome.
How should marketers market to consumers under stress?
How should marketers approach consumers stressed out by economic uncertainty, tariffs and political turmoil?
How does conversion lift testing work, and which ad platforms offer it?
Need to measure the incremental impact of your advertising efforts? Conversion lift testing will help.
Marketing artificial intelligence (AI)
Firefly brings AI-powered content creation into Creative Cloud and marketing workflows
The revamped platform includes the ability to use Google and OpenAI genAI models, as well as Firefly's Video model.
Marketing artificial intelligence (AI)
ChatGPT with ads: ‘Free-user monetization’ coming in 2026?
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously said he hates ads and was concerned about products that manipulate the truth to suit advertisers.
As Google brings back cookies, marketers stick with privacy-first strategies
The consensus among marketers is that cookies are the past, and respecting consumer privacy is the future.
Google is keeping cookies in Chrome
The tech giant reverses course on its long-planned depreciation of third-party cookies.
Google’s adtech antitrust verdict is a turning point in marketers’ fight for transparency
It is a moment when marketers should rethink the strategies hemmed in by Google's ad tech.
Google adtech antitrust trial: Everything you need to know
An in-depth look at the verdict, arguments and trial about Google's monopoly practices in the $200 billion digital advertising industry.
Google loses advertising monopoly case
A Federal judge found Google “willfully engaged in anticompetitive acts” to control the ad server and ad exchange markets.
IAB report reveals digital ad growth and marketers ready for economic turmoil
Omnichannel strategies, better audience segmentation and data-driven campaign management show marketers are prepared for turbulent times.
How attribution masks what’s actually driving growth
Attribution tells you what happened. Incrementality tells you if it mattered. Here’s why that difference is costing you more than you think.
Marketers push back on Google’s attempt to derail California privacy bill
They are angry about Google's astroturfing and want consent-driven online interactions with consumers.
Canva’s Visual Suite upgrade unifies campaign planning and creation
The upgrade puts design and productivity tools in one platform, making it easier to create, execute and monitor campaigns.
How to make CTV ads that stick
From heartstrings to humor — see what makes CTV creative click in 2025, and how to test and measure what really works.
The latest trend in martech M&A: Agencies buying data collaboration firms
More data means a more comprehensive view of consumers, which should lead to more effective campaigns. That’s the theory, anyway.
How tariffs impact retail sales and ad spending, and why 2025 might be different
Advertisers are worried tariffs will take a bite from their budgets. What does recent history have to say?