mark zuckerberg

Meta is channeling its booming ad revenue into a $135 billion AI drive to power its “personal superintelligence” future.

Meta cuts its metaverse investment by 30%; Netflix makes a renewed push in the gaming market; and the rush to slap an AI label on everything is placing existing ad tech under renewed scrutiny.

You are not immune to shopaganda; AI responses are more limited than retailers would like; and FIFA is forcing ad-mandated water breaks.

On Google and Meta platforms, AI search becomes the default; TTD might cut its costs; and apparently, toddlers like AI slop on YouTube.

After pulling back on moderation, Instagram gets flooded with antisemites; BidSwitch builds a programmatic way for AI bots to pay to crawl websites; and nearly half of Gen Z dislikes AI content.

Meta’s Q3 earnings saw increased growth in its ad business and continued the conversation on superintelligence.

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

Delivery apps are launching social networks now; Google is the latest Big Tech company to write a huge check to Trump; and ad agencies of all sizes apparently aren’t big enough.

Meta’s AI vibes have been very different lately; times are tough for The Trade Desk; and fingerprinting has a bad reputation.

New social media content moderation policies will enable connections with audiences that reflect a broader range of perspectives, expand inventory, and provide opportunities for contextual alignment.

Meta is making a massive investment in AI because “we have a conviction that superintelligence is going to improve every aspect of what we do,” Mark Zuckerberg told investors.

US Bank CMO Michael Lacorazza on the brand’s novel use of AI: Creating avatars of key target customers to capture insights and inform ad creative.

AGI is Meta’s latest pipe dream; the Nerds Gummy Clusters blueprint for ROAS; and how the gen AI vibe shift could pave the way for “vibe targeting.”

IAB Tech Lab to highlight the industry’s favorite CTV ad formats; how agentic AI could transform ad agency practices; and the Trump tariffs trigger an uptick in false “Made in America” claims.

The CFPB backtracks on plans to bar data brokers from selling financial data; Jamie Lee Curtis takes on Mark Zuckerberg over fake AI ads; and Gas Station TV drives traffic to Applebee’s.

WPP’s GroupM is getting a new name; there’s no such thing as a TikTok ban at NewFronts; and Meta’s ad growth prospects might be plateauing.

Meta teased new ad optimization offerings as it touted solid Q1 results. It also hyped its AI agents and its launch of a standalone AI app, while hinting at monetization opportunities.

Criteo dives into video ads; after 20 years, YouTube might be the world’s biggest media brand; Threads opens up for advertising.

Do Google AI Overviews really bring exposure to more websites?; Meta considered an all-ad Instagram feed; and agencies are cautiously optimistic even as tariff concerns threaten upfronts season.

Proof keeps piling up that gen AI makes marketing creatives lazy; Google stops serving ads to parked domains, prompting questions as to why those domains were ever monetized; and a resurgent David’s Bridal thinks it can reach profitability this year.

YouTube is adding a new tier with a “light” ad load. Plus, remember Facebook?

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

Slap on your Ray-Ban smart glasses, ask Meta AI to remind you to post on Threads and then hop into Horizon Worlds. Welcome to the near future, according to Meta.

Under the guise of preventing “censorship,” Jim Jordan and the FCC’s Brendan Carr are attacking the First Amendment rights of private companies to choose what kinds of political content they support.

Would the internet be a better place if it weren’t run by billionaires? Plus, more brands are cutting out the ad tech middlemen.

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

Threads will introduce ads to capitalize on users fleeing X; Perplexity tests ads and sponsored queries; and Amazon pulls the plug on Freevee.

Meta’s capex in 2024 will clock in somewhere between $38 billion and $40 billion, roughly $1 billion more than previously anticipated. Where’s most of that money going? AI, of course.

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

While CTV has emerged as a powerful and unique advertising medium, venue-based DOOH streaming is distinct and requires its own marketplace to fully realize its potential.