Each day, New Digital Age gathers the most interesting digital marketing industry news from around the web…
AI
Digiday – Krystal Scanlon, 28th July 2026
OpenAI is already building the org chart of a mature ad business
OpenAI may want to own parts of the ad tech stack, but vendors won’t be the collateral damage of it.
Performance Marketing World – Joseph Arthur, 27th July 2026
OpenAI introduces suite of performance upgrades for ChatGPT Ads
The new features across campaign optimisation and measurement may see ChatGPT Ads competing more directly with the likes of Google and Meta in the near future.
BIG TECH
AdExchanger – AdExchanger Reporters, 28th July 2026
Standing On Principal; Google Ads Gets A Security Update
Who bears the brunt of AI costs? The advertising industry hasn’t settled on an answer yet, but many agency holding companies are striking a compromise with clients.
Financial Times – FT Reporters, 27th July 2026
Big Tech credit risks rise sharply as AI spending soars
Investors are increasingly concerned over rush of borrowing to fund huge investments in data centres.
WSJ – Erin Mulvaney & Meghan Bobrowsky, 27th July 2026
Meta Is Fighting a Mountain of Social-Media Lawsuits—at Just the Wrong Time
In the midst of an expensive AI transformation, the company is grappling with litigation that could cost it billions and force painful changes.
ROUND UP
Affiliate Leaders – Ellen Jennings-Trace, 27th July 2026
Deal desk: Amazon Ads partners with Octave as Dentsu and Adthena join forces
This week’s round-up of the latest mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, and account moves includes Amazon Ads, Adthena, Gambling.com.
ExchangeWire – Sheila Obeng-King, 28th July 2026
Digest: China fines Trip.com for monopolistic conduct; WBD takes Amazon to court
In today’s Digest, we look at China fining Trip.com US$765m for monopolistic conduct, WBD taking Amazon to court over alleged executive poaching, and a podcast industry coalition proposing new standards for measurement and attribution.
HOLDCOS
Digiday – Michael Burgi, 27th July 2026
Media Buying Briefing: Why Omnicom merged Mediahub and Hearts & Science
Omnicom wasn’t ready to announce the move yet, but word leaked out last week that the holding company’s media agency group is folding Hearts & Science and Mediahub together into one agency that will operate under a new name and brand. And it may not be the last move the holding company makes in simplifying its offering to bring to market.
PUBLISHER
The Media Leader – Jack Benjamin, 27th July 2026
Digital publishers collectively saw a 4.6% year-on-year decline in revenues in Q1 2026.
AFFILIATE
Performance Marketing World – Joseph Arthur, 27th July 2026
YouTube Shopping Affiliate Programme coming to the UK
The expansion will see eligible creators embed shoppable tags of certain retailers’ products directly within their YouTube content.
COMMERCE
Decision Marketing – 27th July 2026
Deliveroo opens Order Tracker to programmatic ads
Deliveroo Media is offering up its Order Tracker page to programmatic advertising for the first time, which the company claims is one of its most visited sites, with consumers checking the page up to six times for each order.
