MediaPost.com: MediaDailyNews

X Makes Lead Gen Ads Available To All Advertisers

Sun, 01 Nov 2026 19:51:36 -0500

X has opened its Lead Gen Ads to all advertisers across the globe, and has extended its in-feed form format to small businesses, PPC Land reports. The change, which took effect last Friday, also allows advertisers who buy through X Ads Manager on their own to use the new tool. An almost identical product was retired by Twitter nearly a decade ago.

Q3 Results For Google, Meta Show Chatbots Outpacing Search

Sun, 01 Nov 2026 19:46:32 -0500

Google’s search division revenue grew by 12%, to $63.4 billion in Q3, while Meta’s ad revenue rose by 26% to $63.1 billion, CNBC reports in an analysis. This contrast reflects that chatbot users are clicking far fewer Google links, hurting the firm’s ad revenue. It also shows that Mark Zuckerberg’s investments in artificial intelligence are leading to better targeting tools for advertissers on Facebook and/or Instagram. “If ChatGPT or Claude or Muse is better at helping them find what they’re looking for, people’s search habits might change for the first time in a generation says Nate Elliott, an analysist for Emarketer. “That’s potentially catastrophic for Google’s ad business.”

Platform Debuts To Help SMBs Create, Launch Ad Campaigns In CTV, Social

Sun, 01 Nov 2026 19:42:40 -0500

Kargo, an advertising platform, has launched an agentic AI tool called Karlo that it says will help small businesses create and activate campaigns in the internet, CTV and social media from a sole system, Brand Innovators reports. Karlo provides Kargo’s performance and audience data with the firm’s contextual signals. This powers AI agents that can perform most of the functions, including planning, buying and creative, needed to launch campaigns, via natural language prompts.

New Tool Uses AI To Suggest Ad Targeting And Creative

Sun, 01 Nov 2026 19:38:16 -0500

Bluefish has launched a service called Paid Media Briefs that it says can leverage gaps in Google and ChatGPT recommendations to suggest ad targeting, creative and landing pages, Content Grip reports. Available in the Bluefish Optimization Suite, the new offering generates campaign briefs around AI-generated answers instead of anonymously buying ad inventory. The offering can also help marketers connect AI search monitoring with a brand’s media buying processes, the firm says.

Q3: Roblox Boosts Revenue, Bets On AI Game Creation

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 17:38:51 -0400

In its most recent earnings report, Roblox shows strong revenue growth and quarterly boosts alongside year-over-year decreases in bookings, users, and hours played.

Apple To Court: Let Google Pay For Search Distribution

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 16:17:33 -0400

"A payment ban would mean Apple would either distribute Google no cost, affording Google a massive windfall, or Apple would cease offering its users the highest quality product on the market, thereby harming consumer welfare and Apple's brand reputation," Apple argues.

CTV Advertisers Are Buying Shows They Can't Even Identify

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:16:59 -0400

More viewers, more inventory and more opportunities to advertise alongside God knows what.

YouTube Pushes Premium 'Living Room' Image

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:11:10 -0400

More than a third of YouTube's ad revenue in Q3 this year is from living-room TV viewing, management says - its fastest-growing segment.

MS Now, CNN Post Double-Digit Midterm Gains, Fox Declines

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:46:07 -0400

MS Now was up 30% to 954,000 Nielsen-measured prime-time viewers from Oct. 19-25, with CNN 28% higher to 632,000. Longtime cable TV news leader Fox News Channel remained strongly on top, but fell 23% to 1.75 million compared to the same week period a year ago (Oct. 20-26, 2025).

Google Sues To Halt Impersonation Ads

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:37:17 -0400

"Schemes that impersonate reputable companies, such as Google, have surged, inflicting significant harm on consumers and eroding trust in legitimate brands," the company writes in a new trademark infringement complaint.

September Ad Market Remains Tepid, Expands Just 1.3%

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:13:20 -0400

Removing the the big tentpole sports months of February, June and July, the U.S. ad market has expanded just 1.7% year-to-date, according to an analysis of data from Guideline.

Court Grants Texas Request To Revisit 'Harmful Content' Law

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:43:31 -0400

An appellate court will reconsider its July decision to a block a law requiring social platforms to block "harmful" content to minors.

Reddit Forced Login Requirement Meant To Boost Ad Performance

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 09:46:51 -0400

The platform will authenticate users in a move to improve ad performance, personalize content feeds and protect data across its platform from unauthorized scraping by AI.

Dems Use Trump In Campaign Ads Far More Than GOP: AdImpact

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:00 -0400

In the world of political campaign ads this season, President Trump has switched parties.

People Inc. Cuts 195 Staff Positions

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 23:58:20 -0400

Barry Diller’s People Inc. is laying off 195 employees, CEO Neil Vogel wrote in a memo to the staff on Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter writes. “The vast majority of those affected today are in our print and legacy web businesses, as we continue to evolve for a prosperous future,” Vogel wrote. He also said, “The rapid changes in media are evident to us all, and require us to be constantly changing as well.”

Political Campaigns Use Streaming TV To Get Most Out Of Budgets

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 23:55:46 -0400

Political advertisers are turning to streaming TV to stretch campaign dollars and reach voters beyond traditional television, according to a study byTegna’s Premion and Advertiser Perceptions, TV News Check reports. Of the advertising decision-makers polled, 32% plan to devote budget to political advertising during the next six to 12 months. The main reasons for investing in streaming and connected TV as to improve spend efficiency and strengthen targeting, measurement and accountability.

TransUnion Cuts Consumer Ad Spending, Revenue Declines

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 23:47:06 -0400

TransUnion reduced its consumer advertising spend by $11 million during the first nine months of 2026, PPC Land reports. The company sells credit reports and scores and identity protection to consumers. Consumer Interactive revenue fell by 3% to $140.3 million in the quarter that ended on September 30, "due primarily to a decrease in demand for paid credit products,” the company said in its 10-Q. In contrast, the firm’s business that offers services to media companies, retailers and other businesses, grew by .3% to $361 million.

Meta Launches AI-Powered Consumer Apps

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:36:20 -0400

The newly launched apps both collect user data - 'Waddle World,' a 'pet care game,' and 'Style Sketch,' an 'outfit planner' that uses generative AI to recommend clothing pairings.

Lyft Renews Voter Support Initiative

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:06:18 -0400

Lyft estimates nearly 4 million riders have used the platform to get to a polling location since 2014.

Agentic Plays Chess To Programmatic's Checkers In Premium Video

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 15:40:13 -0400

For the first time in TV history, advertisers and agencies can optimize their linear TV ad campaigns like digital campaigns. But some issues remain.

Reddit Launches 'For You,' 'Following' Feeds

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 15:05:10 -0400

Bringing recommended feeds to the app is a move intended to drive active discovery, which could help advertisers reach a broader audience and help users find new communities and conversations.

Google, NIQ Partner On Agentic Commerce

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 14:55:42 -0400

The strategic partnership with NIQ, formerly Nielsen IQ, will track market and consumer buying behavior. It represents a shift from buying human attention to bidding for agentic execution of ad buys.

Tech Group Seeks To Block Alabama Law Restricting App Downloads

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:50:25 -0400

Alabama's law "imposes a broad censorship regime on mobile app stores and apps," the Computer & Communications Industry Association says.

Stagwell Shares Surge On Positive Q3 Earnings Report

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:46:57 -0400

Company CEO Mark Penn told investors the firm is pivoting from a marketing services outfit to a company selling transformation software and services.

Advertisers Want Audience Attention But Shouldn't Get Carried Away

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 12:44:55 -0400

Attention has become advertising's latest obsession, and marketers are embracing it with the enthusiasm of people who've discovered another metric to put on their dashboards. But a new study suggests that chasing attention too aggressively can turn a promising strategy into an expensive exercise in self-sabotage.

Research from Integral Ad Science (IAS) finds that higher attention scores are associated with substantially better advertising performance. The catch? Advertisers who impose rigid attention requirements risk eliminating most of their available inventory while paying more for what's left.

In other words, there's a difference between getting consumers to pay attention and making your media budget disappear.

Everybody's Paying Attention To Attention

An IAS and YouGov survey found that 88% of U.S. digital media professionals say their organizations already measure attention. Another 83% consider an effective attention strategy important, while 78% of attention-measurement users feel ready to optimize campaigns around it.

That's a remarkable level of enthusiasm for an industry that still struggles to agree on what constitutes a meaningful impression.

IAS analyzed approximately 197 million impressions across 30,358 website domains in 182 countries. The July 2026 dataset included $672,214 in media spending.

Its findings suggest attention isn't just another shiny object.

Increasing attention scores from 55 to 75 was associated with a 207% improvement in calibrated success rates, which measure advertiser-defined conversions and clicks relative to impressions.

The success rate climbed from 0.1276% to 0.3918%.

Not bad, considering how much advertising competes with the irresistible temptation to check whether somebody liked your lunch photo.

Better Attention, Bigger Bills

Unfortunately, quality doesn't come cheap. IAS found that CPMs increased an estimated 29.4% for every 10-point improvement in attention scores. Moving from 55 to 75 produced a 57.5% pricing premium.

Still, the performance gains outweighed the higher costs in the study's modeled scenarios.

Under conservative assumptions that included a 25% decline in delivery, attribution-adjusted revenue per advertising dollar increased from $5.07 to $11.12.

That's encouraging, although those returns depend on assumptions about attribution, frequency and conversion values. They're projections, not guaranteed profits.

How To Destroy Your Reach In One Easy Step

Here's where things get entertaining. IAS examined what happens when advertisers impose strict minimum attention scores rather than gradually improving campaign averages.

Raising the minimum threshold from 55 to 75 eliminated 87.9% of eligible impressions. Yep, nearly nine out of every 10 impressions vanished.

The remaining inventory cost 43.4% more, while its success rate would need to improve 723.2% just to maintain the original conversion volume.

Congratulations. You've optimized your campaign into near-oblivion.

Optimize, Don't Obsess

IAS recommends improving creative, placements and formats rather than treating attention scores like nightclub bouncers.

Advertisers should also manage frequency, test performance against established baselines and avoid paying premiums merely to bombard the same consumers.

Attention matters. But the goal isn't to win a trophy for having the most attentive impressions.

It's to sell something. Preferably without spending a fortune showing ads to an audience you've already eliminated.

FTC Questions Retailers, Airlines, Others About 'Personalized' Pricing

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:57:33 -0400

"Consumers deserve to know whether companies use their web surfing habits or other personal data to estimate the highest price they can charge each consumer," FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson said.

Apple TV: Looking To Really Define 'Premium'

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:28:03 -0400

Unscripted content spiked in Q2 vs. last year across five major streaming services - Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Paramount+ - with Apple TV+ the sole exception to this trend, according to Ampere Analysis.

Versant Media Adds 4 FAST Channels

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 10:43:03 -0400

The new niche FAST channels for CNBC, E!, and Oxygen are already available on Prime Video and will roll out on The Roku Channel starting in November 2026.

WPP Media Biz Returns To Growth, Stagwell's Declines Despite Holdco's Gains

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 09:26:34 -0400

The media operations of the two major agency holding companies moved in opposite directions in terms of their contribution to overall business, according to their third-quarter earnings releasees.

DoorDash To Acquire Instacart For $17B, Consolidate Retail Media

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:40:07 -0400

DoorDash's agreement to acquire Instacart, Maplebear Inc., for $17 billion will combine two retail media businesses that each generate more than $1 billion in annualized advertising revenue.

Netflix Doc Alleges No One Has Ever Heard Of 'SCTV'

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:00:00 -0400

A new documentary dropping Friday on Netflix has the intriguing title "SCTV: The Greatest Show You've Never Heard Of."

OOH Campaign Targets Campus Sexual Violence

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 06:00:00 -0400

OOH ads start off recruiting, then swerve to grim stats: "A Thriving Academic Community -- Where 26% Of Women Experience Sexual Assault."

Microsoft Generated $10B In Revenue From OpenAI

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 22:53:11 -0400

Microsoft generated $10 billion from its commercial arrangements with OpenAI - nearly 11% of the company's total quarterly revenue of $92.3 billion.

Jack in the Box Unveils 'Avengers: Doomsday'-Themed Meal

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 21:27:17 -0400

Each meal features one of eight "Avengers: Doomsday"-inspired special edition collectible magnets, which connect like puzzle pieces.

YouTube Rolls Out 'Shorts Series' Subscriptions

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:54:24 -0400

As consumers show increasing interest in social-media microdramas, YouTube is prioritizing "serialized storytelling" by providing new monetization options for its episodic Shorts content.

CNN Leads In YouTube News Channel Viewership

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:49:59 -0400

Traditional news channels surged on YouTube in September, driven by midterm election coverage and the White House ban of several media outlets, StreamTV Insider reports. . Increases of 20% or more were experienced by CNN, ABC News, Fox News, NBC News, MS Now and CBS News. CNN increased its unique U.S. viewership by 60% over viewership in August, reaching 44.7 million. ABC News saw a 37% hike month-over-month to 43.8 million, while NBC News had a 42% increase.

MS Now And NBC News Could Merge Again, Observers Say

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:42:57 -0400

Observers are speculating that MS Now and the traditional NBC News division will reunite after NBCUniversal has separated from Comcast, Cord Cutter News reports. This follows the splitting off of Versant as a standalone public company and the name change of MSNBC to MS Now, reflecting the end of direct ties with the NBC brand. In June, Comcast announced plans to spin off NBCUniversal as a separate, publicly traded company.

Google Ad Growth Slows, Misses Wall Street Estimates

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:42:40 -0400

Google's ad revenue fell short of analyst expectations after its parent company Alphabet reported $127.6 billion in sales during the Q3 earnings call.

'Life' Magazine Returns As A Print Quarterly

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:39:02 -0400

Life magazine is back. The iconic publication founded in 1936 by Henry Luce will reappear next month as a quarterly print magazine almost 20 years after its last version folded, The New York Times reports. Model and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss is backing the project through her Bedford Media company. The revived brand will also launch a website and social media presence, and also move into short-form video, documentary films and events. “What made Life extraordinary was its ability to make the world feel closer,” Kloss said. “And our responsibility is to preserve and to protect that legacy.”

Journalistic Content Declines In AI Citations

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:34:46 -0400

Journalism’s share of artificial intelligence (AI) citations has declined by 5% to 22%, down from 27% in May, according to Muck Rack’s October study, What Is AI Reading?, Unite.AI reports. In contrast, third-party and brand content have risen. ChatGPT is a major driver of the decline. Meanwhile, owned media’s share increased from 13.7% to 15.2%, while government, encyclopedic. paid and advertorial content remained steady at 0.3%. Muck Rack cautions that the reduction in journalism citations should not be construed as a measure of readership or trust.