Search Microsoft lets advertisers add 50 search themes to Performance Max campaigns Microsoft Advertising expands search theme capacity from previous limits, giving advertisers more control over automated campaign targeting signals.
Display Your favorite website might be rotting away Traffic to established websites dropped 11% over five years while AI platforms rise, leaving outdated content to clutter search results with broken links.
Search Google quietly expands asset A/B testing to all Performance Max campaigns Google extends Performance Max asset experimentation beyond retail campaigns, enabling advertisers to test creative combinations within single asset groups.
Search Google opens Belarus gambling ads with dual-authority licensing Google accepts online gambling ads in Belarus starting January 22, 2026, requiring operators to secure authorization from Ministry of Taxes and presidential offices.
Display Google blocks rummy and fantasy sports ads in India after legal crackdown Google Ads will disallow all rummy and daily fantasy sports promotions targeting India starting January 21, 2026, following regulatory compliance requirements.
Display OpenX unveils software suite promising 70% cost reduction OpenXBuild APIs let advertisers inject custom logic directly into auctions, cutting conversion costs dramatically according to early adopter tvScientific.
Data StackAdapt brings self-serve NPI targeting to pharmaceutical advertisers StackAdapt launches in-platform NPI targeting and measurement on Jan. 6, 2026, enabling pharmaceutical marketers to run deterministic HCP campaigns.
Data Google shuts down session tracking for new advertisers in Ads API Google restricts IP address and session attribute imports in Google Ads API starting February 2, forcing developers toward Data Manager API migration.
AI Amazon pushes Alexa+ beyond Echo devices into Samsung TVs and BMW cars Amazon extends AI assistant to third-party hardware with Samsung television integration and automotive deployments across BMW, HERE Technologies, and TomTom navigation systems.
Video Sophie Turner leads star-studded Tomb Raider cast for Amazon Amazon MGM Studios announces complete cast for Prime Video's Tomb Raider series led by Sophie Turner as Lara Croft with Sigourney Weaver and Jason Isaacs.
Video Magnite secures Roblox's 151 million daily users for programmatic video Magnite gains exclusive global rights to monetize Roblox's rewarded video inventory across 151 million daily users as programmatic gaming advertising expands
Data Microsoft Advertising and Epsilon bring precision targeting to search campaigns Microsoft Advertising Platform now integrates Epsilon data through Third-Party Search collaboration with PMX, achieving 2x higher ROAS in travel pilot campaign tests.
Retail JPMorgan Chase takes over Apple Card in $2.2 billion banking shift Apple's credit card moves from Goldman Sachs to Chase after consumer lending losses topped $1 billion, with 12 million cardholders facing 24-month transition.
Audio Spotify finally lets you spy on what your friends are listening to right now Spotify launches listening activity and Request to Jam in Messages on January 7, 2026, enabling real-time music sharing for 40 million messaging users.
AI Ten hard truths separating AI advertising hype from working systems Advertisers face genuine operational changes through agentic AI while navigating empty promises, brand safety crises, and platform power plays reshaping 2026.
Retail Microsoft launches checkout inside Copilot as AI commerce battle intensifies Microsoft introduces Copilot Checkout on January 8, enabling direct purchases through AI conversations with PayPal, Shopify, and Stripe while launching Brand Agents for merchant websites.
Retail Criteo sets Luxembourg vote as ad platform seeks capital flexibility Criteo schedules February 27, 2026 shareholder meeting for Luxembourg redomiciliation vote, streamlining corporate structure with direct Nasdaq listing.
AI Why expert developers refuse to "vibe" with AI coding tools Experienced programmers maintain strict control over AI agents rather than delegating design decisions, new research reveals amid industry debate.
AI Agentic AI infrastructure dominates advertising week Agentic AI infrastructure commanded the advertising industry this week as platforms deployed autonomous campaign management while CES showcased deployment roadmaps.
Video Teads hires former Innovid CMO to steer omnichannel platform growth Teads appoints Dani Cushion as CMO effective January 6, 2026, bringing IPO experience from Innovid, Cardlytics to guide marketing during growth phase.
Data Adsquare launches Q1 seasonal audiences targeting $18.6 billion spending window Location intelligence platform releases four high-intent audience segments for Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, Super Bowl, and Winter Olympics campaigns.
Video RTL+ surpasses 7 million subscribers as Germany's streaming race intensifies RTL Deutschland's streaming platform reached 7 million paying subscribers around the turn of the year, strengthening position as Germany's largest national service.
AI IAB Polska's 300-page AI guide expands Polish marketing playbook by threefold IAB Polska released AI Guide 2.0 on January 8, 2026, expanding from 2024 edition to over 300 pages covering large language models, agents, and performance marketing.
AI UK advertisers brace for AI content chaos as brand safety concerns surge Digital video dominates investment priorities while 56% flag AI-generated content adjacency as top 2026 challenge, according to Integral Ad Science survey of 220 UK media professionals.
Data Iran goes dark: 98% of internet infrastructure collapses in nationwide shutdown Iran's government executed a near-total internet blackout on January 8, 2026, eliminating 98.5% of announced IPv6 address space and cutting traffic by 90% within 30 minutes as protests spread across the country.
