Each day, New Digital Age gathers the most interesting digital marketing industry news from around the web…
HOLDCOS
Performance Marketing World – 18th August 2026
Ex-WPP executive claims Sony probe found $350m in client rebates retained
Richard Foster’s amended $100m lawsuit cites an alleged client investigation following the GroupM China scandal. WPP calls the claims “baseless and without merit” and plans an updated motion to dismiss.
GROCERY
Retail Week – Aoife Morgan, 18th August 2026
Grocery inflation slips to lowest rate since October 2024
The rate of inflation has slowed to 2.1%, the lowest since October 2024, as price rises continued to ease and groceries bought on promotion rose to their highest, according to the latest data by Worldpanel.
CREATIVE
The Drum – Margo Waldrop, 17th August 2026
10 of the best back-to-school ads ever made
From comic relief and playground monsters to some of advertising’s darkest creative twists, these campaigns found something more enduring than a seasonal sales pitch.
BIG TECH
The Times – The Times Reporters, 17th August 2026
Andy Burnham ‘too happy-clappy on TikTok’ to tackle Big Tech
Baroness Kidron, the digital rights campaigner, is concerned the PM is too seduced by social media platforms to tackle the might of the companies behind them.
The Economist – The Economist Reporters, 18th August 2026
Is big tech the new big tobacco?
Meta goes on trial on Tuesday, facing accusations by four American states of designing Facebook and Instagram in order to harm children. Opening arguments begin in a federal court in Oakland, California, with the lead plaintiffs—California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey—alleging that Meta crafted its platforms to keep children hooked and misled the public about their safety. They are among 29 states also claiming Meta collected data from children without parental consent.
ROUND UP
AdExchanger – 18th August 2026
Word Of Mouth Is The New Brand Gospel; All Roads Lead To Ads
The most lucrative advertising strategy doesn’t have to be particularly expensive or high tech. Rather, having a product that’s so good people can’t stop talking about it is the preferred approach for some brands.
ExchangeWire – Sheila Obeng-King, 18th August 2026
In today’s Digest, we discuss Apple overhauling app tracking consent rules following a German antitrust probe, France’s top court blocking an under-15 social media ban in a setback to Macron, and Alibaba offloading its gaming unit Lingxi Games to Trustar Capital in a USD$1.5bn (£1.12bn) deal.
