Each day, New Digital Age gathers the most interesting marketing and ad tech news from around the world…
HOLDCOS
Digiday – Michael Bürgi, 19th June 2026
Stagwell enhances its AI-powered tools on the media side
Stagwell has launched The Media Machine, a media-side extension of The Machine, Digiday has learned. The Media Machine is essentially the challenger holding company’s equivalent of an operating system, powered and empowered by AI.
VIDEO
Digiday – Seb Joseph, 19th June 2026
Marketers are nervous about agentic media buying. WPP is betting governance is the answer.
AI
Digiday – Sam Bradley, 19th June 2026
L’Oréal accelerates generative AI content engine with fresh OpenAI deal
OpenAI’s advertising platform remains a building site, but marketers remain incredibly keen to forge alliances with the generative AI leader.
Digiday – Krystal Scanlon, 19th June 2026
OpenAI expands ads manager to U.K., adds CPC
Just six weeks after OpenAI’s ads manager was made widely available in the U.S., the AI company has now expanded the product to the U.K., in beta.
Performance Marketing World – Bethany Lee, 18th June 2026
Fox to launch TV’s ‘first end-to-end agentic advertising platform’
A series of partnerships have been unveiled to power the platform and create an agentic ecosystem for the TV industry.
Performance Marketing World – Bethany Lee, 19th June 2026
Snapchat invests in AI-powered ads stack
New features include a platform-native AI agent and a server to link third-party AI tools.
RETAIL
Retail Gazette – Kieran Howells, 18th June 2026
UK AI adoption reaches ‘tipping point’ as retailers move beyond trials
AI adoption in the UK reached a “tipping point” as businesses shifted from trials to large-scale deployment, Google Cloud said.
Research Live – 19th June 2026
Dunnhumby launches network partnership to connect retail media
UK – Dunnhumby has launched a network alliance to connect brands with audiences and retailers, with Tesco, B&Q, John Lewis and Waitrose taking part in pilots.
Retail Week – Megan Robinson, 19th June 2026
UK retail sales see growth again in May, according to ONS data
Retail sales grew again in May following a fall in April, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Retail Gazette – Kieran Howells, 19th June 2026
UK borrowing surge adds fresh pressure to consumer outlook
UK government borrowing rose sharply in May, raising fresh concerns over the public finances, as retailers continue to face fragile consumer confidence and cost pressure.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Decision Marketing – 19th June 2026
How can the industry adapt to the social media ban?
It is fair to say that reaction to the UK’s proposed social media ban for under-16s has been deeply divided, sparking intense debate across parents, teenagers, tech giants, and child safety experts.
