Each day, New Digital Age gathers the most interesting digital marketing industry news from around the web…
AI
Digiday – 25th September 2026
Marketers bemoan the culture of ‘good enough’ as standards fall amid the AI bubble
It’s Fall 2026, i.e., the peak of the annual ad industry events cycle, when the term “AI…” will, predictably, echo from conference centers across the U.S., Western Europe, and further afield.
Digiday – Alyssa Mercante, 25th September 2026
YouTube invests in AI agents, live ‘gamification,’ and editing tools to keep creators close
YouTube is piling on AI agents, live “gamification,” and new testing tools as it looks to keep creators, and their ad dollars, firmly within its ecosystem.
Guardian – Dan Milmo, 24th September
Launch of UK’s ‘largest AI supercomputer’delayed by power supply problems
A huge datacentre project hailed by the UK government will miss its launch date next year and could be delayed into the mid-2030s.
Guardian – Rachel Hall, 24th September
Nick Clegg plays down fears ‘godlike’ AI could exterminate humanity
Nick Clegg has dismissed fears over AI’s “godlike power to exterminate humanity”, calling it a sign that tech bosses are “breathing their own fumes”.
CONSUMER
Retail Week – George MacDonald, 25th September 2026
Consumer confidence climbs, but caution creeps in
Consumer confidence improved for the third consecutive month in September but there were signs of potential cooling.
EMARKETER – Grace Harmon, 24th September 2026
Older consumers trust traditional ads but are influenced to buy through digital channels
Traditional offline advertising commands the most trust among US adults 55 and older, but digital channels are gaining influence over what they buy, per CivicScience.
RETAIL
Retail Gazette – Kieran Howells, 25th September 2026
Retailers slash orders at fastest rate on record as sales slump
UK retailers have cut orders from suppliers at the fastest rate on record as weak consumer sentiment continues to weigh on sales, according to new CBI data.
Modern Retail – Anna Hensel, 24th September 2026
Big-Box Briefing: Best Buy puts CTV at the center of its retail media pitch
Best Buy held its annual showcase event highlighting what’s coming up in its retail media business — including a new part of its advertising business that the company is branding as Best Buy CTV.
COMMERCE
AdWeek – Lauren Johnson, 24th September
McDonald’s wants to build a $1bn Ad Business
During an investor day presentation on Wednesday, McDonald’s leadership revealed that it is rolling out McDonald’s Media Network, an ad business that will pitch its data to other brands. McDonald’s hopes to build a $1 billion business off of advertising revenue, according to Morgan Flatley, global chief marketing officer at McDonald’s.
PAUSE ADS
Performance Marketing World – Robin Langford, 24th September 2026
Netflix to bring Pause Ads to programmatic buying
The streaming platform is expanding demographic targeting to include household income and composition.
Social Media Today – Andrew Hutchinson, 24th September 2026
Google provides more Demand Gen ad features
Google has shared its latest Demand Gen ads updates, including artificial intelligence-powered assistance for product discovery on YouTube, new one-click ads on YouTube Shorts and Gmail and promoted location pins on Google Maps.
