Each day, New Digital Age gathers the most interesting digital marketing industry news from around the web…
AI
Digiday – Kimeko McCoy, 27th July 2026
Mythbusters: AI visibility’s biggest misconceptions
Brands are worried about how they show up in LLMs as calls for AIO strategies reach a fever pitch.
Digiday – Sara Jerde, 27th July 2026
Michaels claims Google-powered AI assistant doubles conversion rate of traditional search
This story was originally published on sister site, Modern Retail. One of the best-known arts and crafts retailers in the U.S. has lifted the curtain on how its new Google Gemini-powered AI assistant has performed so far.
PODCAST
The Media Leader – Charli West, 27th July 2026
Podcast measurement proposal claims standardisation could unlock $1bn in ad spend
The Alliance of Measurement in Podcasting (AMP), a coalition of brands, creators, agencies, and podcast platforms including Spotify, has published a whitepaper proposing the definition of a podcast and new standards for exposure metrics and attribution.
BIG TECH
The Wall Street Journal – Chip Cutter, 26th July 2026
Big Companies Are Starting to Hire Again, Defying Predictions of AI Wipeout
America’s biggest companies say they might need more people after all. For months, major employers treated hiring as an expensive last resort. Now, a shift is emerging across industries. Companies ranging from railroad giant CSX to Alphabet have told investors in recent days that they plan to hire to meet growth goals or to seize on emerging technologies.
TechCrunch – Rebecca Bellan & Connie Loizos, 25th July 2026
Monday.com is the latest tech company to blame AI for layoffs — here are 20 others
Monday.com, the Tel Aviv-based work management software company known for its colorful, customizable project-tracking boards, this week became the latest tech company to cite AI as a factor in job cuts. On Wednesday, the company said in an SEC filing that it will lay off about 20% of its workforce, or just over 600 employees, as part of a “restructuring plan” tied to its “ongoing transformation of its product, marketing, and go-to-market strategy” in support of “a leaner, more focused operating model” as it continues investing in its “AI-driven growth strategy.”
RETAIL
Retail Gazette – Kieran Howells, 27th July 2026
Shein plunges to £74m loss due to Trump tariff crackdown
Shein has swung to a £74m quarterly loss after changes to US import rules pushed up costs and dented sales in its largest market.
Retail Gazette – Kieran Howells, 27th July 2026
Waitrose plots dozens of new ‘neighbourhood’ stores in M&S fight
The new shops will sit between the grocer’s full-sized supermarkets and its Little Waitrose convenience stores, targeting suburban areas and commuter towns with high footfall.
CREATOR
Digiday – Alyssa Mercante, 27th July 2026
Kai Cenat’s Streamer U was a ‘masterclass’ for brands looking to tap content creators
Last week, streamer Kai Cenat (who has tens of millions of followers across Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube) hosted the second-annual Streamer University, a five-day creator bootcamp at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas that was streamed live on Twitch and YouTube.
RETAIL MEDIA
Retail Technology Innovation Hub – Scott Thompson, 27th July 2026
Unilever connects with Tesco on Persil Ultimate Capsules connected retail media OOH campaign
Working with Tesco Media, Unilever is bringing its new Persil Ultimate Capsules range to life with an immersive out-of-home campaign running across select Tesco stores. This includes sponsoring a Tesco Clean Event, driving awareness across onsite channels, in-store activations including a category first JCD special build and Gondola End takeover.
