AI systems cite original data mainly when it’s presented as a clear benchmark that answers a ‘which is best’ question, while raw data dumps are mostly ignored. Because primary research pages generate over three times more citations per page, marketers should package proprietary data into comparative benchmarks to boost visibility and authority.
IAB Europe’s latest AdEx Benchmark shows ad spend jumped 10.5% to €131 billion, with video, especially social video, accounting for over half of display spend. Self‑serve tools let small businesses pour money into the market, while classic banner display shrank. Marketers must double down on video‑first, SMB‑friendly tactics to ride the growth.
Former equity analyst Ian Whittaker says advertising lost its strategic moat because agencies turned media buying into a price‑only game, commoditizing the product and abandoning value‑based pricing. He warns the sector must replace CPM‑driven metrics with judgment‑based, value conversations or risk staying irrelevant.
Vista Equity Partners and Quinti Capital have submitted a takeover bid that values Criteo at more than a 50% premium to its recent share price, lifting the stock 21% to a $1.2 billion market cap. The move shows private‑equity firms still see growth potential in ad‑tech platforms.
AI assistants now serve as a discovery layer that answers user queries without sending them to websites, rendering raw traffic counts a poor performance signal. Marketers must pivot to metrics that track AI visibility, relevance, and intent to gauge real impact.
HubSpot announced a default opt‑in to share customers’ contact, company and engagement data for a new “Trusted Prospecting” enrichment pool. After a backlash accusing the CRM of turning user data into a product sold to competitors, the company reverted the policy and pledged to keep data under customer control.
You’re caught up.
That was all 10 stories in the 8 July issue.