Welcome back to another edition of The Marketer’s Playbook! In today’s edition:

• Google Reimagines Image Search for the AI Era

• OpenAI’s Ad Ambitions Face a Reality Check

• YouTube Tightens Rules on AI Content

• Meta’s AI Ad Push Leaves Brands Scrambling

& More. But first, a word from today’s sponsor 👇

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THE ROUND UP

Rounding up the most important marketing news of the week

Google Reimagines Image Search for the AI Era

Google has overhauled Image Search for its 25th anniversary, introducing a more visual interface with larger images, richer results, and deeper AI integration. The redesign blends traditional image search with AI-powered features that help users explore, refine, and discover content more intuitively. Rather than simply displaying matching images, Google is shifting toward a more interactive experience that better understands context and intent. The update reflects the broader evolution of search, from finding content to helping users explore it through AI.

Google revamps image search for its 25th anniversary with more images and more AI

The new Google image search will use your "unique interests" to create an always-updated gallery.

Ars Technica

OpenAI’s Ad Ambitions Face a Reality Check

OpenAI may be exploring advertising, but analysts say its ad business is tracking far below internal expectations, with projected revenue reportedly missing forecasts by as much as 90%. The shortfall reflects the challenge of building a meaningful advertising business around AI assistants, where maintaining user trust and a seamless experience can conflict with traditional ad models. While conversational AI remains a promising new channel for marketers, the report suggests turning that potential into a sustainable business could take much longer than many expected.

OpenAI's Ad Business Is on Pace to Miss Its Own Forecast By 90%, Analyst Says

OpenAI is projecting $100 billion in ad revenue by 2030. Emarketer puts the ceiling for the entire chatbot ad market at just $5.41 billion. 

www.adweek.com/media/openais-ad-business-is-on-pace-to-miss-its-own-forecast-by-90-analyst-says/?

YouTube Tightens Rules on AI Content

YouTube is updating its monetization policies to crack down on inauthentic and repetitive content, including some AI-generated videos that offer little original value. The changes are aimed at rewarding creators who produce unique, engaging content while making it harder for low-effort, mass-produced uploads to earn ad revenue. As AI tools become more common, the update signals YouTube’s focus on quality over quantity, and serves as a reminder that originality, not automation alone, will be key to long-term success on the platform.

YouTube clarifies that creators can't monetize "generic or repetitive content," content that's "unsatisfying or off-putting," or content with fake AI "experts" - Tubefilter

YouTube is renaming one of its content policies and clarifying three kinds of videos will get creators' channels demonetized.

Tubefilter • James Hale

Meta’s AI Ad Push Leaves Brands Scrambling

Meta’s rapid rollout of AI-powered advertising tools is creating growing pains for brands and agencies, with frequent product changes, shifting workflows, and uncertainty over how much creative control advertisers will retain. While the tools promise faster campaign creation and optimization, many marketers are struggling to keep up with the pace of change and adapt existing processes. The situation reflects a broader challenge across the industry: AI is accelerating ad production, but organizations still need time to rethink roles, workflows, and how humans and automation work together.

Meta's AI advertising dreams have become a nightmare for brands

Meta has inserted a slew of AI features into its ad products. Brands say the tools are clunky and generate misrepresentations and absurdities.

Business Insider

NEWS BITES

Everything else you need to know

• AI Mode Ads: Google’s AI Mode ads appear in only a small share of queries so far, according to a new study.

• TikTok Bans AI Voices: TikTok Shop now bans AI-generated voices in live commerce streams, with violations reducing a seller’s account health score.

• Agentio Expands to Meta: Agentio is bringing its AI-powered creator advertising platform to Facebook and Instagram, helping brands automate creator campaigns across Meta.

• Google Adds Integrations: Google AI Mode now connects with Canva, YouTube Music, and Instacart, letting users complete tasks directly from Search.

• AI Visibility Race: Publishers are increasingly optimizing content for AI search visibility as chatbot referrals become a growing source of traffic and influence.

CAMPAIGN MONITOR

Review recent and note-worthy marketing campaigns

Michaelob Ultra — “Tab Closed”

Michelob ULTRA honors Lionel Messi’s remarkable 20-year FIFA World Cup career with "Tab Closed," a tribute that turns a bar receipt into a tally of his legendary achievements. As the receipt scrolls through wins, goals, trophies, and records before the final “tab” is closed, the campaign celebrates the end of an era with a simple but powerful metaphor. Rather than focusing on the tournament itself, the ad transforms a lifetime of accomplishments into an emotional farewell that resonates with fans well beyond the final whistle.

Gap — “The Hailey Jean”

Hailey Bieber stars in American Eagle’s latest campaign, introducing The Hailey Jean, a denim style inspired by her signature look. Rather than relying on a traditional celebrity endorsement, the campaign positions the jeans as an extension of Hailey’s personal style, blending fashion, identity, and aspiration into a single product. The collaboration reflects the continued power of creator- and celebrity-led branding, where authentic personal association can make a product feel more desirable than features or trends alone.

THANK YOU FOR READING

We will see you again next week!

Welcome back to another edition of The Marketer’s Playbook! In today’s edition:

• ChatGPT Could Soon Become an Ad Platform

• Meta Pulls AI Feature After User Backlash

• Google Labels AI-Made Ads

• Google Gives Creators a Better View of Their Reach

& More. But first, a word from today’s sponsor 👇

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THE ROUND UP

Rounding up the most important marketing news of the week

ChatGPT Could Soon Become an Ad Platform

OpenAI is reportedly exploring AI-generated advertising experiences inside ChatGPT, with early signs pointing to ads that are created dynamically based on the conversation rather than appearing as traditional banners. While no formal rollout has been announced, the approach suggests a future where AI can generate tailored marketing messages in real time, making ads feel more relevant and conversational. The development reflects a broader shift in digital advertising, as AI assistants evolve into new channels for discovery, recommendations, and commerce.

OpenAI ChatGPT Ads Generated Ads For You

OpenAI's ad platform, ChatGPT Ads, is now using AI (I guess) to generate ads for you. The ad platform lets you click on "add new ad," which then says, "Generated ads for you," and then lets you review, edit, and approve that generated ad.

Search Engine Roundtable • Barry Schwartz

Meta Pulls AI Feature After User Backlash

Meta has removed an AI image-generation feature that incorporated content from public Instagram posts following widespread criticism from users concerned about consent and privacy. The tool had allowed AI-generated images to draw from publicly shared content, prompting backlash over how personal content was being repurposed for AI. Meta’s decision to reverse course highlights the growing scrutiny tech companies face when using user-generated content to train or power AI features. The episode underscores a broader reality: as AI capabilities expand, user trust and transparent consent practices are becoming just as important as the technology itself.

Meta Removes AI Image Generation Feature That Used Public Instagram Posts Following User Backlash

Meta has reversed course on an AI image feature after users objected to public Instagram posts being opted in by default.

PetaPixel • Kate Garibaldi

Google Labels AI-Made Ads

Google will begin labeling advertisements that are created or significantly edited using AI, giving users greater visibility into how the content they see was produced. The move comes as generative AI becomes a standard part of the advertising workflow, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between human-created and AI-generated content. By disclosing when AI has been used, Google aims to build trust and setting expectations for how synthetic content is presented across its platforms. The change reflects a broader industry shift toward greater transparency as AI becomes deeply integrated into marketing and digital advertising.

Google will now disclose which ads are made with AI | TechCrunch

While Google prohibits misleading and deceptive ads, an ad can still leverage AI to create some type of synthetic or digitally altered content. Until now, that's something Google only required election ads to disclose.

TechCrunch • Sarah Perez

Google Gives Creators a Better View of Their Reach

Google has expanded Search Console to include new properties for social and video platforms, giving creators and publishers deeper insight into how their content performs across the web. The update helps users track visibility and traffic across a wider range of channels, reflecting the growing importance of platforms like YouTube and social media in search discovery. As audiences increasingly find information through videos and social posts, Google is adapting its analytics tools to better align with modern publishing and search habits.The move underscores how search is evolving from a web-first ecosystem into one that spans multiple content formats and platforms.

Google Search Console Adds Reports For Social Posts

Google is adding platform properties to Search Console, letting creators track how their Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube posts perform in Search and Discover.

Search Engine Journal • Matt G. Southern

NEWS BITES

Everything else you need to know

• Reddit Fights AI: Reddit is using AI to detect and reduce AI-generated spam and low-quality marketing content on its platform.

• Ask YouTube Expands: YouTube is expanding its AI-powered “Ask YouTube” discovery tool to more U.S. desktop users, making video discovery more conversational.

• AI Slop Surge: AI-generated content is flooding the web, especially LinkedIn and X, raising concerns about authenticity and content quality.

• Subscriber Perks: Substack launched Subscriber Perks, letting creators offer exclusive rewards like discounts, downloads, and events to paid subscribers.

• AI Ad Labels: Meta updated disclosure labels for AI-generated Facebook and Instagram ads to improve transparency around AI-created content.

CAMPAIGN MONITOR

Review recent and note-worthy marketing campaigns

Turo — “Carfished”

Turo’s new campaign introduces the idea of being “rental carfished” meaning booking one vehicle only to end up with a disappointing substitute. Using humor, the ads contrast that familiar frustration with Turo’s marketplace, where renters choose the exact car they want to drive. The campaign positions Turo as a more transparent, personalized alternative to traditional rental companies, reinforcing its promise of greater choice and fewer surprises. It also taps into a broader marketing trend by turning everyday consumer frustrations into relatable and memorable storytelling.

Kia — “A real SUV”

Kia’s campaign for the all-new 2027 Seltos embraces the idea that “good things come in small packages,” showcasing how a compact SUV can still deliver style, capability, and everyday practicality. Rather than focusing on technical specifications, the campaign uses playful storytelling to challenge the assumption that bigger vehicles are inherently better. By highlighting versatility and value, Kia positions the Seltos as an appealing option for drivers who want more from a smaller footprint. The campaign reflects a broader automotive marketing trend of selling lifestyle and personality alongside performance.

THANK YOU FOR READING

We will see you again next week!

Welcome back to another edition of The Marketer’s Playbook! In today’s edition:

• TikTok Bets on Bite-Sized TV

• LinkedIn Gives Advertisers an AI Upgrade

• Pinterest Expands Shopping Beyond Borders

• OpenAI Is Building More Than One Kind of Ad

& More. But first, a word from today’s sponsor 👇

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THE ROUND UP

Rounding up the most important marketing news of the week

TikTok Bets on Bite-Sized TV

TikTok has launched Microdramas, a new format featuring serialized, short-form scripted shows designed for mobile viewing. The episodes are just a few minutes long, encouraging viewers to binge entire storylines while staying inside the app. Inspired by the booming popularity of microdramas in Asia, the format gives creators and studios a new way to produce episodic content tailored to short attention spans. The launch signals TikTok’s continued expansion beyond user-generated videos, blurring the line between social media and streaming entertainment.

TikTok introduces branded microdramas, a hit among Gen Z

TikTok is launching branded microdramas on its platform, allowing brands to create and monetize episodic drama content for mobile and vertical viewing.

KTALnews.com

LinkedIn Gives Advertisers an AI Upgrade

LinkedIn has introduced a suite of AI-powered creative tools to help marketers build campaigns faster. The updates include Draft with AI for generating ad copy, Brand Kit for keeping creative assets consistent, and Ad Variants for automatically producing multiple versions of an ad to test performance. Together, the tools reduce the manual work involved in creating and optimizing campaigns while making it easier for brands to scale content. The launch reflects a broader shift in digital advertising, where AI is becoming an integrated creative partner rather than just a tool for targeting and analytics.

From blank page to high-performing ad: Introducing LinkedIn’s new creative tools

Discover LinkedIn's new creative tools—draft with AI, brand kit, ad variants, and more—and learn how to build better-performing ads faster.

www.linkedin.com/business/marketing/blog/linkedin-ads/introducing-linkedins-new-creative-tools-draft-with-ai-brand-kit-and-ad-variants?

Pinterest Expands Shopping Beyond Borders

Pinterest is rolling out international shopping features that make it easier for users to discover and buy products from merchants around the world. The update improves localized product recommendations, pricing, and availability, helping brands reach shoppers across multiple markets while creating a smoother cross-border shopping experience. For merchants, it opens the door to global audiences without requiring separate storefronts for each region. The expansion reinforces Pinterest’s push to evolve from an inspiration platform into a global commerce destination, where discovering ideas and buying products happen in the same experience.

Scale Your International Shopping on Pinterest

Reach high-intent shoppers in new markets with Pinterest’s international shopping tools—flexible catalogues, built-in localisation and global campaigns.

Pinterest

OpenAI Is Building More Than One Kind of Ad

OpenAI is reportedly developing multiple advertising formats for ChatGPT, including image, video, and conversational ads, rather than relying on a single approach. The move suggests the company is exploring ways to integrate advertising into AI interactions without simply replicating traditional search or social media models. While no final format has been announced, the broader strategy points toward ads that are more interactive, context-aware, and tied to user intent. The bigger picture: AI assistants are emerging as a new advertising channel, and platforms are racing to define what marketing looks like in a conversational interface.

OpenAI looks beyond a single ad format with image, video and conversational ads in the works

OpenAI is hiring San Francisco-based software engineers to build text, image video, native, conversational and interactive ads.

Digiday • Krystal Scanlon

NEWS BITES

Everything else you need to know

• YouTube Photo Posts: YouTube is adding licensed music to Shorts photo posts, making image-based content more engaging for creators.

• AI Click Quality: A new study found Google AI Overviews reduce clicks, but the traffic lost isn’t lower quality than the visitors who still click through.

• Reddit Brand Campaign: Reddit launched its first U.S. brand campaign, celebrating authentic human conversations as its key differentiator.

• WhatsApp Usernames: WhatsApp is letting users reserve usernames, making it easier to connect without sharing phone numbers.

• AI Catfish Risks: An AI-generated impersonator got a creator’s Instagram account suspended, exposing growing risks from AI-powered identity fraud.

CAMPAIGN MONITOR

Review recent and note-worthy marketing campaigns

KFC — “Finger Lickin’ Fourth”

Johnny Knoxville stars in KFC’s Fourth of July campaign, bringing his signature over-the-top humor to promote the brand’s holiday offerings. The campaign leans into Knoxville’s unpredictable personality, using comedy and nostalgia to cut through the crowded summer advertising season. Rather than focusing solely on food, KFC is using entertainment and celebrity appeal to create a memorable campaign around one of its biggest sales periods. The broader trend is clear: brands are increasingly relying on recognizable personalities and humor to turn seasonal promotions into cultural moments.

Ohama Steaks — “America’s Table”

Omaha Steaks has partnered with Kevin Costner for its America’s Table campaign, celebrating the lead-up to America’s 250th anniversary. The campaign blends patriotic storytelling with family traditions, positioning shared meals as a symbol of connection and national heritage. Featuring Costner’s unmistakable voice and Americana persona, the ads focus less on products and more on the moments that bring people together. The campaign reflects a broader marketing trend of using cultural milestones and emotional storytelling to build deeper brand affinity.

THANK YOU FOR READING

We will see you again next week!

Welcome back to another edition of The Marketer’s Playbook! In today’s edition:

• LinkedIn Wants Brands and Creators to Share the Spotlight

• Meet Symphony: TikTok’s AI Marketing Agent

• Walmart Makes a Billion-Dollar Bet on Streaming Ads

• Instagram Is Testing Its TV Show Era

& More. But first, a word from today’s sponsor 👇

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THE ROUND UP

Rounding up the most important marketing news of the week

LinkedIn Wants Brands and Creators to Share the Spotlight

LinkedIn is testing a new Collab Posts feature that lets creators and brands co-author content, making partnerships more visible and expanding their reach to both audiences. Similar to collaboration features on other social platforms, the tool reflects LinkedIn’s growing focus on the creator economy and influencer marketing. As more professionals build personal brands, LinkedIn is evolving beyond networking into a platform where creators, businesses, and thought leaders can collaborate more seamlessly. The move signals that professional content is increasingly following the same playbook as consumer social media.

LinkedIn tests ‘Collab’ posts feature with creators and brands

LinkedIn begins testing collaborative posts, allowing multiple users and pages to co-author content and share attribution, with early access for select creators and brands.

www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/linkedin-tests-collab-posts-feature-with-creators-and-brands-102021.htm?

Meet Symphony: TikTok’s AI Marketing Agent

TikTok has introduced Symphony Agent, an AI-powered assistant designed to help brands create, manage, and optimize advertising campaigns. The tool can generate creative ideas, produce content, and recommend campaign improvements, reducing the time and expertise needed to launch ads. Built into TikTok’s Symphony AI suite, it reflects the platform’s push toward automating marketing workflows. The bigger trend is clear: advertising platforms are evolving from places where brands buy media into AI-powered partners that help plan, create, and optimize campaigns from start to finish.

Symphony Agent arrives on TikTok to automate advertising campaigns

TikTok has launched its new AI for advertisers, joining the race among major platforms to automate the creation of marketing campaigns.

Marketing4eCommerce English • Rafael Sotelo

Walmart Makes a Billion-Dollar Bet on Streaming Ads

Walmart has acquired streaming ad-tech company Vibe in a deal reportedly valued at more than $1 billion, strengthening its position in the rapidly growing connected TV advertising market. Often described as the "Google Ads of streaming," Vibe helps businesses buy and manage TV ads across multiple streaming platforms. The acquisition expands Walmart’s retail media ambitions, combining its shopper data with Vibe’s ad technology to offer brands more targeted, measurable campaigns. The move underscores a broader shift in advertising, as retailers increasingly compete with traditional media companies by turning their customer data into powerful ad businesses.

Walmart buys ‘the Google Ads of streaming’ Vibe in a deal tipped at a $1 billion-plus valuation

Walmart wants to better compete with platforms like Meta and Pinterest for SME ad dollars with its latest billion-dollar purchase of Vibe.

Digiday • Ronan Shields

Instagram Is Testing Its TV Show Era

Instagram is experimenting with a new format for long-form, episodic storytelling, allowing creators to publish serialized content that unfolds over multiple posts. The feature is designed to encourage deeper audience engagement and give creators new ways to build recurring narratives beyond short-form Reels and Stories. By supporting episode-based content, Instagram is edging closer to entertainment platforms while giving creators more tools to keep audiences returning. The test reflects a broader trend across social media: platforms are increasingly investing in longer-form content to boost watch time, strengthen creator loyalty, and compete for attention beyond quick-scroll videos.

It’s Not TV. It’s Instagram: App Is Testing Longform, Episodic Storytelling on TV

The Meta-owned company is going decidedly retro by experimenting with time-honored video formats with its creators.

The Hollywood Reporter • Katie Kilkenny

NEWS BITES

Everything else you need to know

• YouTube Powers AI: YouTube creator content appears in over 25% of AI chatbot responses, becoming a major source for AI-generated answers.

• Meta Booking Ads: Meta is adding integrated appointment booking to lead ads, making it easier for customers to schedule directly from ads.

• Google Spam Update: Google has released its June 2026 spam update to improve search quality by reducing spammy content in search results.

• California Bans Loud Ads: Streaming services in California must reduce excessively loud ads under a new law taking effect July 1.

• Custom Algorithm Controls: Threads, Instagram, and TikTok are expanding customizable algorithm controls, giving users more say over what appears in their feeds.

CAMPAIGN MONITOR

Review recent and note-worthy marketing campaigns

Eataly — “The Piazza”

Eataly has launched The Piazza, a new campaign starring Alessandro Del Piero that celebrates the communal spirit of Italian food and culture. Inspired by the traditional town square, the campaign positions Eataly as more than a grocery or restaurant, it’s a place where people gather, connect, and share experiences. Featuring one of Italy’s most iconic athletes reinforces the brand’s heritage while broadening its appeal to a global audience. The campaign reflects a growing marketing trend of selling lifestyle and culture alongside products, turning retail spaces into destinations built around experience and community.

Kalshi x Timothée Chalamet — “Synth”

Timothée Chalamet fronts a new campaign for Kalshi, bringing Hollywood star power to one of the fastest-growing names in prediction markets. Rather than focusing on finance or trading, the campaign leans into curiosity and cultural relevance, positioning Kalshi as a platform where people can engage with real-world events through regulated prediction markets. By pairing a high-profile actor with an emerging financial product, Kalshi is aiming to broaden its appeal beyond traders and introduce prediction markets to a mainstream audience. The campaign signals how fintech brands are increasingly borrowing the storytelling and celebrity-driven playbook of consumer marketing to build awareness.

THANK YOU FOR READING

We will see you again next week!

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Welcome back to another edition of The Marketer’s Playbook! In today’s edition:

• Instagram Just Made Carousels More Like Mini Blogs

• The News Industry’s Biggest Challenge Isn’t AI. It’s Attention

• Shopify Wants to Be Your AI Marketing Team

• Pinterest’s New AI App Lets You Shop by Vibe

& More. But first, a word from today’s sponsor 👇

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THE ROUND UP

Rounding up the most important marketing news of the week

Instagram Just Made Carousels More Like Mini Blogs

Instagram now lets users add a unique caption to each slide in a carousel post, giving creators more room to tell stories, explain ideas, and add context without cramming everything into a single caption. The update turns carousels into a more flexible publishing format, allowing each image or video to carry its own narrative. For creators and brands, it creates new opportunities for tutorials, product showcases, and step-by-step storytelling. The change reflects a broader trend across social platforms: moving beyond simple photo sharing and toward richer, more interactive content formats that keep users engaged longer.

Instagram now lets you add a unique caption to each carousel slide - Engadget

Instagram carousels can now be up to 20 slides with 20 unique captions.

Engadget • Lawrence Bonk

The News Industry’s Biggest Challenge Isn’t AI. It’s Attention

The 2026 Digital News Report finds that more people are getting news through social platforms, creators, video, podcasts, and AI tools rather than directly from publishers. Trust in news remains fragile, especially among younger audiences who increasingly follow personalities over traditional outlets. As AI-generated summaries and alternative discovery channels grow, publishers face mounting pressure to stay visible and relevant. The report’s key takeaway: the future of news is being shaped as much by platforms and algorithms as by the organizations producing it.

Digital News Report 2026

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism

Shopify Wants to Be Your AI Marketing Team

Shopify is expanding its AI tools with the goal of becoming a built-in agency for merchants. Rather than simply helping businesses run online stores, Shopify wants AI to handle tasks like marketing, content creation, customer acquisition, and campaign optimization. The strategy reflects a broader shift in e-commerce, where platforms are moving beyond infrastructure and increasingly offering automated expertise. For merchants, the promise is access to capabilities that once required agencies or dedicated teams—now delivered through AI embedded directly into the platform.

Shopify Wants To Be Merchants' Built-in AI Agency

The ecommerce giant is also bringing ads to ChatGPT and Microsoft

www.adweek.com/commerce/shopify-wants-to-be-merchants-built-in-ai-agency/?

Pinterest’s New AI App Lets You Shop by Mood

Pinterest is testing an experimental AI shopping app called Ask Pinterest, designed to help users discover products through natural language conversations rather than traditional search. Instead of browsing categories or entering keywords, users can describe what they’re looking for and receive personalized recommendations, inspiration, and shopping suggestions. The app builds on Pinterest’s strength as a discovery platform while pushing deeper into AI-powered commerce. The bigger trend: shopping is shifting from search-based experiences to conversational ones, where AI acts more like a personal stylist or shopping assistant than a search engine.

Pinterest launches an experimental AI shopping app called 'Ask Pinterest' | TechCrunch

Pinterest has launched 'Ask Pinterest,' an experimental AI-powered shopping app that lets users seek recommendations and inspiration through a conversational interface.

TechCrunch • Sarah Perez

NEWS BITES

Everything else you need to know

• AI Overview Bias: Google’s AI Overviews may cite self-promotional listicles that recommend competitors, raising concerns about the quality and potential bias of the results.

• Meta Shopping Push: Meta unveiled new ad tools designed to connect product discovery with purchases more effectively across its platforms.

• Creator Business Model: Creators are finding sustainable growth by building direct audience relationships and diversified revenue streams beyond platform algorithms.

• OpenAI Ad Automation: OpenAI is moving toward automating ad creative creation, using AI to streamline campaign production and optimization.

• Reddit Research Growth: New research strengthens Reddit’s position as a key platform for product research and purchase decisions.

CAMPAIGN MONITOR

Review recent and note-worthy marketing campaigns

e.l.f. — "What the h.e.l.f.?"

e.l.f. Beauty is launching its first-ever hair care line with a campaign built around an unlikely spokesperson: Bigfoot. The playful marketing push uses the famously hairy cryptid to introduce the brand’s expansion beyond cosmetics, leaning into humor and internet culture rather than traditional beauty advertising. By turning Bigfoot into the face of hair care, e.l.f. aims to stand out in a crowded category while staying true to its reputation for quirky, social-first campaigns. The move highlights how modern beauty brands increasingly rely on entertainment and cultural relevance, not just product benefits, to capture attention and drive conversation.

Etsy — "Shop Other Jeffs"

Etsy’s latest campaign promotes the idea that shoppers can find products that are “5,000% more distinctive” than those on mass-market retail sites. Without directly naming competitors, the ads contrast Etsy’s handmade, personalized, and creator-driven products with the standardized offerings of large e-commerce platforms. The campaign continues Etsy’s effort to position itself as the destination for unique finds and human-made goods at a time when online shopping is becoming increasingly commoditized. The message is simple: when everything online starts to look the same, uniqueness becomes a competitive advantage.

THANK YOU FOR READING

We will see you again next week!

Welcome back to another edition of The Marketer’s Playbook! In today’s edition:

• A German Court Just Raised the Stakes for AI Search

• LinkedIn Wants a Piece of the Creator Economy

• Meta Wants to Know What You Do Outside of Meta, Too

• TikTok Is Giving Online Retailers Something to Worry About

& More. But first, a word from today’s sponsor 👇

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THE ROUND UP

Rounding up the most important marketing news of the week

A German Court Just Raised the Stakes for AI Search

A landmark ruling in Germany has found that Google’s AI Overviews should be treated as Google’s own statements, not merely summaries of third-party content. That means the company can be held responsible for false or defamatory information generated by its AI search features, even when the underlying errors originate from external sources. The decision challenges a key assumption behind many AI-powered search products, that platforms are simply aggregating information rather than publishing it themselves. Beyond Google, the ruling could have wide implications for the entire AI industry, potentially increasing legal accountability for AI-generated answers and forcing companies to invest more heavily in accuracy, verification, and content moderation. The broader message is clear: as AI systems become the interface through which people consume information, courts may increasingly treat their outputs as publisher-created content rather than neutral search results.

Landmark German ruling declares Google's AI Overviews are Google's own words and makes it liable for false answers

A German regional court has ruled that Google is directly liable for the content of its AI search overviews. According to the court, previous limited liability protections for search engine operators don't apply to AI overviews. In this case, Google's AI had falsely linked two publishers to fraud and made claims that didn't appear in any of the linked sources. The ruling could set a precedent for AI-generated content liability worldwide.

The Decoder • Matthias Bastian

LinkedIn Wants a Piece of the Creator Economy

LinkedIn is launching a Creator Marketplace that connects brands directly with creators for sponsored content and marketing partnerships. The platform aims to make it easier for companies to discover talent, evaluate audience fit, and manage collaborations without leaving LinkedIn’s ecosystem. The move reflects the growing importance of professional creators, industry experts, executives, consultants, and niche influencers, whose audiences can be highly valuable for B2B marketing. More broadly, LinkedIn is evolving beyond networking and recruiting into a creator platform, joining the race to capture a share of the rapidly expanding creator economy by turning professional influence into a monetizable asset.

LinkedIn is stepping up its pitch to creators with a new marketplace

LinkedIn is launching a creator marketplace to help advertisers identify influencers to partner with.

Business Insider

Meta Wants to Know What You Do Outside of Meta, Too

Meta is expanding how it uses activity from websites and apps beyond Facebook and Instagram to personalize content recommendations across its platforms. By incorporating more off-platform browsing and engagement signals, Meta aims to improve feed relevance, ad targeting, and content discovery. The move reflects a broader industry trend toward building richer user profiles as platforms compete to keep attention and improve recommendation systems. While Meta frames the change as a better personalization experience, it also reignites familiar debates around privacy, tracking, and how much data companies should collect to shape what users see online. The bigger picture: the battle for attention increasingly depends on understanding behavior not just inside an app, but across the wider internet.

Meta will use your activity on other websites to personalize your feeds

You’ll still be able to opt out.

The Verge • Emma Roth

TikTok Is Giving Online Retailers Something to Worry About

TikTok is increasingly being included in retailer and commerce-focused marketing budgets alongside giants like Amazon and Walmart. Brands are no longer viewing TikTok solely as an awareness channel; they’re treating it as a legitimate shopping and sales platform capable of driving measurable purchases. Thanks to TikTok Shop, creator-driven commerce, and stronger retail media capabilities, marketers are evaluating the platform in the same conversations as traditional retail giants. The shift signals how social media and e-commerce continue to merge, with content, discovery, and transactions increasingly happening in the same place. The result: TikTok is evolving from a marketing channel into a retail channel.

TikTok now has a seat next to Amazon and Walmart in RFPs

TikTok Shop has earned its place in the brief. What nobody has worked out yet, is who should actually run it.

Digiday • Krystal Scanlon

NEWS BITES

Everything else you need to know

• Google Traffic Reality: Google sends only 23% of searches to the open web, with more queries being answered directly in search results.

• Pinterest Creator Commerce: Pinterest is adding Amazon Storefronts, helping creators monetize product recommendations.

• OpenAI Product Ads: OpenAI is adding product feed ads, letting retailers promote catalog items automatically.

• Instagram Reels Ads: Instagram is rolling out Reels post-view ads to all advertisers, expanding ad reach.

• Spotify Creator Analytics: Spotify is updating creator tools with improved play metrics and analytics to help creators better understand audience engagement.

CAMPAIGN MONITOR

Review recent and note-worthy marketing campaigns

Uber Eats — “Who could cook at a time like this?”

Uber Eats has launched its first global delivery-focused advertising campaign, featuring Gordon Ramsay across 17 markets. The campaign shifts attention from restaurants and promotions to the delivery experience itself, using Ramsay’s recognizable personality to highlight speed, reliability, and convenience. By running a unified campaign worldwide, Uber Eats is reinforcing its identity as a global logistics brand rather than just a food-ordering app. The broader strategy reflects how delivery platforms are maturing: with food delivery now mainstream, the competitive battleground is increasingly about trust, service quality, and brand recognition rather than simply expanding restaurant selection.

ServiceNow — “Introducing Metro Brain Surgery”

ServiceNow’s new campaign, “Don’t Settle for Suggestions,” argues that businesses should expect more from AI than recommendations and insights. The ads position ServiceNow’s platform as one that can take action and automate workflows, not just generate ideas or surface information. The message taps into a growing shift in enterprise AI—from assistants that advise employees to agents that complete tasks on their behalf. By focusing on outcomes rather than suggestions, ServiceNow is aligning itself with the broader industry push toward agentic AI, where the goal is not simply helping people work faster, but enabling software to perform meaningful work autonomously.

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