Marketing stories
Bots now generate more than half of web requests worldwide, with AI-driven browsing pushing automated traffic up 7,851% in 2025.
Advertisers are getting more clicks for less, as paid media outlays climbed 17.5% in the first half of 2026 despite a 10.8% drop in click costs.
Marketing teams could cut content delays as Progress embeds AI agents for analysis, optimisation and review directly into Sitefinity workflows.
Holiday season spending is shifting earlier, with 71% of shoppers planning to start before Black Friday and value-driven buying under pressure.
The tie-up could speed enterprise AI adoption as firms shift from pilots to secure, regulated deployments across core operations.
Brands are struggling to turn customer records into ad audiences, as tighter privacy rules and fragmented platforms slow activation.
Brands will be able to buy placements in ChatGPT through Pattern, as shopping discovery moves from search engines towards AI tools.
Retailers risk missing Black Friday shoppers as AI tools increasingly narrow product choices before customers reach a website.
AI tools are increasingly steering UK shoppers to products, but most still buy through retailer sites, stores and human advice.
In-house B2B marketers in Australia and New Zealand will gain more visibility as Generate opens shortlists across 19 award categories.
The appointments signal growing demand for AI-led production as agencies and brands seek faster social content, live experiences and hybrid campaigns.
Irrelevant messages are pushing UK shoppers to tune out, with 35% more likely to unsubscribe after poor or repetitive marketing.
The smart home maker is betting a household name will lift trust as it expands Australian retail sales amid fierce competition and privacy concerns.
Employer demand for AI know-how is rising fast, with vacancies paying 34% more and formal qualifications losing sway in hiring.
Existing customers can now govern AI agents more tightly, as Cequence links model, API and tool access to role-based policy controls.
A store-led strategy has helped the Melbourne family retailer outpace a shaky sector, with demand holding up for bulky, in-person purchases.
More US high school students will get classroom finance lessons as free Intuit materials are folded into a new AP course.
Paid social costs are rising as UK finance marketers struggle to produce enough creative for platforms that now reward constant ad testing.
Marketers can now set campaign goals in one place as StackAdapt adds AI agents to its ad platform for planning, reporting and execution.
Brands may be judged by AI assistants before customers ever reach them, as the new tool spotlights mismatches between messaging and model replies.
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