The year has come and passed, the busiest time for many in Marketing. AI has once again reared its head, with Instagram exploring stronger solutions around AI content labelling and a dive into Google’s AI bidding mechanism showing it might not be in your best interests. Elsewhere, TikTok has enhanced its performance reporting, and Martin Sorrell declares there’s no such thing as PR. Let’s start there.
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Digital PR
1. There’s no such thing as PR
Martin Sorrell, the founder of WPP, the world’s largest advertising and PR group, said ‘there’s no such thing as PR anymore’, and that it’s ‘morphed into social media’. He faced backlash from many PR and DPR professionals who vehemently disagree, arguing that this is a misdiagnosis, and PR in the digital world is alive and well.
When one of the most respected men in the industry starts trumpeting its demise, fellow PRs are quick to think that they’re ready to put out for pasture. Martin Sorrell has shown a longing for the ‘good old days’ of PR and a willingness to underestimate the power of digital PR in the new world of digital marketing.
In a primarily online world the PR industry has had to adjust and reshape to meet their audience on their own playing field, including social media, AI overviews and online only news and niche titles. There’s no long term success without the enthusiasm to adapt along with the landscape.
Source: mmm-online
2. Is AI a powerful tool for in-house DPRs but a death sentence to agencies?
New research strikes fear in agencies, suggesting that AI may see a surge of businesses bringing in in-house PRs over hiring agencies. According to the research, 67% of in-house marketers said AI made their workloads easier to manage, and 0% said it would help bring in agencies.
AI is a powerful tool, and industry chatter about that has been plentiful. What’s important to take away from this, especially for agencies, is that they can adopt this technology to increase their value as well.
In order to continue to be ‘worth it’, DPR agencies need to be utilising the same tech, if not focussing more on maximising efficiency and keeping an eye on tools and developments. AI falling into the hands of the in-house DPRs doesn’t mean the agency expertise is lost, it just means that in order to maintain value they need to keep adapting.
Source: PR Moment
3. AIO not quick to give credit where credit is due.
AI overview is taking the SERPs by storm, but it’s known to often discredit authors by summarising information provided by a brand without crediting. The rules are different when trying to get AIO to credit your DPR efforts.
It’s important to use branded keywords across all media to drive authority and enhance the chance of being recognised as the thought leader you are.
Whilst you can’t send the algorithm an email asking for a link, you can play the long game by focusing on quality and clear meta data, which makes it much more likely that the snipped in AI overview will be correctly attributed to your brand.
Making sure that terminology used in press releases matches what’s used in blogs, webpages and other online content is also a habit that will increase your chances of correct attribution if you’re lucky enough to land a spot in an AI summary.
Source: PR News Online
4. AI generated heart strings, the lesson to learn from a McChristmas Flop
McDonald’s Christmas ads are one of the many beloved and eagerly awaited each year. Up there with the likes of John Lewis, Coca-Cola and Aldi. Reindeer treats are a great example of Christmas marketing that lasts.
This year, however, McDonald’s in the Netherlands tried their hand at an AI generated Christmas ad and it proved one thing – people don’t want to be emotionally manipulated by computers.
Although AI is an increasingly popular and beneficial tool for enhancing efficiency, there’s one thing it seriously lacks – heart. Popular complaints were that it was soulless and creepy, because AI simply cannot connect in that human way, and if McDonalds can’t do it right then the rest of us should probably keep human connection between humans and let AI help with the admin side of things.
Source: BBC
PPC
1. Google shrinks audience size threshold
Google dropped the minimum audience size needed for remarketing and customer lists down to just 100 users.
This used to be a blocker for smaller advertisers, but now even niche segments can run remarketing and customer list targeting across Search, Display, and YouTube. For clients with smaller lists, this opens up more personalised targeting that used to be out of reach. For marketers, it means better reach without needing a massive user base first.
Source: Search Engine Land
2. Google Ads rolls out AI-based advice under performance graphs
Google added a new layer of AI suggestions that appear right below the performance graphs in the ads interface.
This feels like another way Google is offering “help” while steering you toward spending more. Sure, it’s handy to get quick insights without hunting through menus, but take these nudges with caution. They are automated suggestions and may not align with your actual goals or context. Use them as starters, not gospel.
Source: PPC News Feed
3. Google adds Maps as a Demand Gen placement
Google now lets advertisers run Demand Gen ads directly on Google Maps as a selectable placement within campaigns.
This gives marketers a location intent surface that’s interesting for brands with physical presence or local offers. You can reach people while they are discovering places or navigating locally, instead of just interrupting discovery feeds. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s another example of Google folding more real-world intent into its automated systems.
Source: Search Engine Land
4. Google clarifies keyword eligibility in AI Overview ads
Google clarified that exact and phrase match keywords will not trigger ads inside AI Overviews, yet they also won’t block broader match keywords from doing so.
This is one of those niche clarifications that actually matters now AI placements are becoming more common. If you’re leaning into placements like AI Overviews you need to understand eligibility. Broad match or AI centric targeting will be the ones that get the placements, so traditional exact match won’t lock them out anymore.
Source: Search Engine Land
5. AI bidding isn’t always the answer
A deep dive into Google’s AI bidding shows that while it can scale spend and drive volume, it doesn’t always prioritise what you care about. The system will often chase conversions in ways that inflate spend and erode efficiency unless you intervene early.
This is one of those updates that should be on every marketer’s radar. Google’s messaging makes automated bidding sound like a “set and forget” miracle, but in reality it optimises toward platform goals that favour spend and volume. You still need to interject strategy, constraints, and human judgment. Let the AI run when it makes sense, but know when it’s steering you off course.
Source: Search Engine Land
Paid Social
1. Meta shares tips on reels hooks, creative diversification in Ads and Threads
Meta has shared tips on how to improve your ads, encouraging advertisers to diversify their creative assets. Providing a wider range of videos, visuals and messages allows Meta to better match ads to different users and improve overall performance. They shared that Reels that use audio such as music or voiceovers tend to perform better. Meta also highlights that using its AI powered creative enhancements to generate variations can lead to higher engagement and conversion rates
Much of this we already know – Paid Social marketers need to design creatives with attention grabbing openings as a priority. The success of Reels ads increasingly depends on strong hooks in the opening seconds rather than polished branding later in the video. Creative volume and variation are now essential for performance. Marketers should plan for ongoing creative production with multiple concepts, formats and messages rather than relying on a small set of ads
When possible, automation and AI tools should be integrated into Paid Social workflows. Marketers who embrace Meta automated creative and delivery systems while still monitoring performance closely are more likely to see efficiency and scale benefits.
Source: Social Media Today
2. TikTok partners with DoubleVerify to offer more ad performance insight
TikTok has partnered with DoubleVerify to provide advertisers with more detailed performance insights by offering impression-level attention data, helping them understand not just clicks but how ads actually capture user attention. DoubleVerify’s Authentic Attention measurement looks at many signals such as viewable time, share of screen, audibility and video presentation to evaluate the value of ad exposure and engagement on TikTok beyond basic metrics.
The changes mean Paid Social marketers will gain richer measurement data for TikTok campaigns, allowing them to analyse ad performance beyond simple click metrics. Understanding how long audiences actually view content and how prominently ads appear can lead to smarter optimisation and better creative decisions.
With access to attention signals, marketers can identify which versions of creative content truly hold attention and allocate budget to elements that drive deeper engagement. An easy way to improve the quality of future campaigns and reduce spend on creative that does not perform as well.
Enhanced attention measurement can help marketers better connect performance to business outcomes even when conversions occur outside TikTok. By evaluating impression quality, time in view and engagement signals, marketers can more confidently link ad exposure to eventual conversions and refine optimisation strategies for stronger performance.
Source: Social Media Today
3. Instagram Chief outlines the challenges of AI content
Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri explains that the rapid growth of AI generated images and videos is making it increasingly difficult for users to distinguish real content from synthetic content on the platform. He notes that social platforms may no longer be able to rely on the assumption that people trust what they see by default, as AI tools can now produce highly realistic and convincing media at scale. Instagram is exploring solutions such as AI content labelling and stronger identity and credibility signals to help users better understand who created content and whether it is authentic.
Authenticity will become more important in paid social performance. Ads that feel clearly human, branded and grounded in real experiences may outperform highly polished or generic AI generated creatives that lack trust signals. Paid Social marketers should prepare for clearer disclosure and labelling requirements around AI usage in ads. Transparency about how creative assets are produced may become necessary to maintain user trust and platform compliance. As audiences become more sceptical of AI generated media, ads that feature real creators, genuine reactions and everyday environments can build trust more effectively, leading to higher engagement and improved conversion performance.
Source: Social Media Today
4. TikTok Shop launches digital gift cards to challenge Amazon and eBay
TikTok Shop has launched digital gift cards that users can purchase, personalise and send digitally. The cards can be redeemed directly within the TikTok app and are available in a range of values, typically from around £10 up to several hundred pounds. This launch is part of TikTok Shop’s wider push to become a serious ecommerce competitor to platforms like Amazon and eBay, where digital gift cards are already well established as a driver of repeat spending. TikTok is positioning gift cards as a social commerce feature rather than just a payment tool, with plans to add more interactive elements such as video messages and richer gifting experiences.
Digital gift cards introduce a new lower friction conversion option for paid campaigns. Marketers can promote gift cards as an easy entry point for new customers who may not be ready to purchase a specific product, helping to increase conversion volume and future lifetime value. Gift cards also allow Paid Social strategies on TikTok to increasingly tap into gifting occasions such as birthdays, holidays and celebrations. Creative that frames gift cards as quick, social and personalised options may resonate strongly with UK audiences and drive higher engagement and purchase intent.
As gifting becomes more embedded in the TikTok experience, Paid marketers can lean into creator led and UGC style content that shows real reactions to receiving and spending gift cards. This more human and entertaining approach aligns with TikTok culture and can improve trust and conversion performance.
Source: TechCrunch
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