Latest Marketing & Advertising News
ChatGPT Launches Ads Targeting 800 Million Weekly Users
OpenAI is introducing advertisements in ChatGPT starting early February 2026, placed below responses with sponsored labels, initially for U.S. free tier users. Advertisers must commit $200,000 upfront for the beta, potentially diverting budgets from Google and Meta with projected $20B revenue in five years.
This marks a shift from ChatGPT's ad-free stance amid its massive 800 million weekly active users.
Google's Market Share Dips Below 90% Amid AI Browser Threats
Google's search market share has fallen below 90% for the first time since 2015, facing competition from AI-powered browsers by Perplexity and ChatGPT. AI Overviews are driving zero-click searches, reducing click-through rates and organic traffic by 16%.
New Google Search Console features include query groups and AI configurations.
Threads Surpasses X in Daily Active Users
Meta's Threads now has more daily active users than X (formerly Twitter), boosting its position in social media. This comes alongside Meta updates like Instagram replacing follower counts with 'friend' counts, though it doesn't impact strategy.
Meta Verified gains new features including Competitive Insights.
YouTube Announces 2026 Priorities: AI Tools and In-App Shopping
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan outlined 2026 focuses: AI tools for Shorts, text-to-game features, in-app shopping, and image posts in Shorts. The platform is testing photo carousels in Shorts feeds, enhancing social features.
These updates aim to integrate shopping and gaming directly.
IAB Launches Project Eidos to Modernize Ad Measurement
IAB announced Project Eidos on February 2, 2026, an industry-wide initiative to overhaul advertising and marketing measurement standards. CEO David Cohen emphasized addressing foundational issues beyond single-channel fixes.
This coordinated effort targets advanced measurement shortcomings.
Anmol Industries Appoints Abhishek Kumar as VP Marketing
FMCG firm Anmol Industries named Abhishek Kumar Vice President of Marketing on Feb 3, 2026, leveraging his 18+ years in brand management and sales. Kumar brings expertise from India's consumer goods sector.
The appointment strengthens go-to-market strategies.
Luma AI Offers $1M for Cannes Lions Gold-Winning Commercial
Luma AI launched the Dream Brief competition, offering $1 million for a Cannes Lions Gold-winning ad using its AI tools, with submissions open until March 22, 2026. It invites creatives to realize unmade ideas via AI-generated commercials.
This highlights AI's role in advertising production.
PHD Secures Global Media Mandate for Mandai Wildlife Group
Omnicom's PHD won the global media mandate for Mandai Wildlife Group, handling strategy, planning, and activation across Singapore, India, Australia, and Japan from January 2026. This integrated approach covers multiple markets.
It underscores agency shifts in wildlife and tourism marketing.
Google Unveils Universal Commerce Protocol for AI Shopping
Google launched the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard co-developed with Shopify and others for AI agents in commerce. It introduces Direct Offers ads pilot for exclusive discounts in AI Mode to high-intent shoppers.
This evolves PPC toward direct offer bidding.
Firefox Rolls Out AI Controls for Users
Firefox 148, launching February 24, 2026, adds settings to manage or block AI features entirely. This responds to growing concerns over AI in browsers amid competition from Perplexity and ChatGPT.
Users gain granular control over enhancements.
B2B Marketers Face Significant AI Skills Gap
A major AI skills gap persists in B2B marketing, with many professionals feeling under-skilled for AI-integrated roles. This highlights the need for upskilling amid 2026's AI focus.
Predictions emphasize comprehensive AI strategies across departments.
Gartner Predicts 25% Search Shift to AI by End of 2026
Gartner forecasts 25% of search volume moving to AI chatbots by end-2026, aligning with declining organic traffic from AI Overviews. Traditional SEO and PPC must adapt to AI-mediated discovery.
This signals a major pivot for marketers.