ITV, the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster, is leveraging Magnite’s streamr.ai technology as the basis of ITV’s bespoke production service ITV GenAI Ads Manager to make it easier for SMEs to create their own advertising of a high enough creative threshold to run across ITV’s broadcast and streaming platforms. The tech creates GenAI ads for TV advertisers sourced from the customer’s online owned footprint such as websites or social media pages. Working hand in hand with, and managed by, ITV Commercial’s creative production team, advertisers using the platform can create TV ads in less than thirty seconds with a low-cost entry level tailored package. The UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP Code) has been integrated into the creation and feedback process to help facilitate the necessary clearance process and ensure the ads are within the required regulatory framework. As with all TV advertising, any advertisements generated by the platform will be cleared by ClearCast before appearing on TV.
Canva has announced the Canva app in ChatGPT, which helps you generate and edit designs within your conversations. Announced at OpenAI’s DevDay, Canva’s app for ChatGPT redefines the path from vision to visuals, enabling users to generate new designs in context, translate text, make edits to their designs, and coming soon, autofill brand templates with fresh data. The app is enabled by the Canva AI Connector, which brings Canva tools into AI workflows so creation can flow seamlessly and securely right inside the chat. Canva is also one of the first platforms building on ChatKit, a new tool by OpenAI that makes it easier to build chat UI with embeddable components. Canva is now empowering its Canva Developers community to interact with developer docs via chat for a more intuitive experience while building apps on Canva.
Ads automation platform Creatopy has rebranded as The Brief and rolled out the industry’s first end-to-end “AI agency” platform. The system automates major parts of the campaign process, from market research to ad creation, publishing, and optimization, helping brands cut costs and accelerate time to market. Customers report up to 10x more content, 35% lower costs, 50% faster production times, and campaign launches accelerated by as much as 90%. Made up of four agents (Discover, Create, Launch, and Optimize) The Brief works in a continuous loop to transform the campaign lifecycle by automating repetitive tasks and eliminating tool-switching, shortening the distance between insight and execution.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has appointed Sky Media as its ad sales partner in the UK & Ireland. The new multi-year agreement consolidates the representation of WBD’s advertising inventory into a single partner, making it simpler for brands to access WBD’s extensive portfolio of assets in market, as well as broadens the collaboration between the two organisations across the UK and Ireland. Under the new agreement, Sky Media will represent WBD’s linear television entertainment and sport brands in the UK and Ireland from January 2026, a portfolio including Animal Planet, Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel, DMAX, Food Network, Quest, Quest Red, Really, TLC, TNT Sports and more. Sky Media will also be responsible for advertising sales across WBD’s streaming services, including discovery+ and the highly anticipated HBO Max, set to launch in early 2026.
NBA China and Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, have announced a multiyear collaboration to reimagine the ways fans in China experience and engage with the NBA through AI and cloud technologies. Through the collaboration, which makes Alibaba Cloud an Official Cloud Computing and AI Partner of NBA China, Alibaba Cloud will develop innovative applications to enhance live game viewing and other fan engagement experiences, including in conjunction with NBA All-Star, the NBA Playoffs and the Finals. The NBA China Games 2025 presented by Taobao 88VIP, will feature the Nets and the Phoenix Suns playing preseason games at The Venetian Arena in Macao.
Channel 4 and UKTV have announced a multi-year carriage agreement that will offer audiences thousands of hours of free, unmissable and bingeable British content from UKTV’s U service on Channel 4 streaming. From January 2026 Channel 4 streaming audiences will be able to find hundreds of shows from the U service – including smash hit U&Original titles like Outrageous, Bergerac, Big Zuu’s Big Eats, Bangers & Cash and Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake, as well as much-loved classics from the BBC and premium acquisitions such as The Office, Red Dwarf, QI, The Count of Monte Cristo and MasterChef Australia. The carriage deal, which will complement UKTV’s existing standalone U service, will mark the first time Channel 4 streaming has carried a third-party service on its platform. The partnership is designed to boost the reach and scale of both services.
The age of lifelong brand devotion is over. For the first time, ‘True Loyalty’ has stalled in the UK, according to the fifth annual Customer Loyalty Index (CLI) from SAP Emarsys. In its place, a new phenomenon is emerging: ‘Trend Loyalty’, an emotionally charged, fast-moving allegiance driven by viral moments rather than long-term trust. This is particularly true of younger generations, with 43% of Gen Z shoppers admitting to buying a product purely because it was trending on social media, almost double the rate of the general population. In fact, 20% of Gen Z say they’re loyal to brands because they trend, while 25% will be less loyal if a trending product disappoints.
Screenverse has acquired key technology assets from Perpetual Media, strengthening its ability to unlock scaled video monetization for digital out-of-home (DOOH) networks. The move reinforces Screenverse’s commitment to advancing video-first solutions and enabling enterprise partners to maximize the value of their digital screen inventory. Screenverse has acquired Perpetual Media’s proprietary prDOOH software platform, associated U.S. patents, and related integration rights, forming a technology stack purpose-built for programmatic video delivery in digital out-of-home environments. This software and IP suite standardizes the handshake between DOOH endpoints and omnichannel demand-side platforms (DSPs). The technology natively supports IAB-standard video measurement, including quartile tracking and adaptive rendering across different screen formats. By integrating Perpetual Media’s technology, these screens will be able to stream CTV and digital video creative with the exact targeting and measurement buyers expect online, bringing DOOH fully into the video conversation.
Four in ten (41%) of Gen Z in the UK say they are willing to share personal data to enable faster, personalised, or seamless online experiences, according to new research from European privacy tech leader, Usercentrics. In contrast, just 29% of Baby Boomers report the same. While 74% of Boomers feel like they have become “the product” for online services, only 51% of Gen Z agree. This pragmatic stance positions Gen Z as the ‘convenience-first generation’ – more willing to share their data when the trade-off delivers real value online. Based on a survey of 2,000 consumers in the UK, the research highlights a generational flip in digital trust. Among Gen Z, 38% say they trust social media platforms with their personal data. By contrast, just 37% trust government institutions, the lowest level among all generations.
Global, the Media & Entertainment group, has (Tuesday, 7 October) revealed details of a brand-new Studio for bold, video-first original podcast content. Global Studios will be home to Global’s award-winning podcast slate, including The News Agents and My Therapist Ghosted Me, alongside shows from the newly-acquired The Fellas Studios, the creative powerhouse behind shows including The Fellas, Saving Grace, Pitchside and Bach & Arthur. Global Studios aims to be a one-stop-shop for creators, with best-in-class video and audio facilities, distribution across all major platforms, and the marketing power of Global’s radio, digital and outdoor network. From market-leading hosting and distribution powered by Captivate (acquired by Global in 2021), to data-driven insights and industry-leading monetisation via DAX, Global Studios puts creators and advertisers at the heart of a fast-growing, video-first podcast world.
Strategy is at a crossroads, according to 80% of strategists worldwide, and all too often is treated as expendable. Yet in a world characterised by uncertainty and volatility, client demand for clear strategic guidance is high. These are key findings included in The Future of Strategy 2025, released by WARC, the global authority of marketing effectiveness. The annual WARC study highlights key challenges facing agency-side strategists and outlines ways to reignite the discipline, pivotal to the marketing ecosystem. The research is based on a global survey with 1,127 strategists worldwide fielded in August 2025. 62% of survey respondents believe strategy is treated as expendable when there are budget constraints. With headcount in decline (only 31% of respondents expect strategy headcount to grow in the next 12 months versus 47% in 2024), agency strategy is struggling at a time when strategists are needed.
Steven Bartlett, host and creator of The Diary Of A CEO (DOAC), today announced the launch of Flightcast, a powerful new platform built to help video podcasters grow their audience. The platform, co-founded with Roxcodes, the former engineer at MrBeast, is a direct response to the fragmented and time-consuming workflows that hold back today’s top creators. Flightcast is an all-in-one platform for distributing, analyzing, and growing video podcasts across YouTube, Spotify, Apple, and more. It simplifies everything from multi-platform distribution to advanced analytics—a system that Bartlett credits with the rapid growth of his DOAC, one of the fastest-growing podcast brands globally.
L’Oréal backed AI-driven beauty shopping platform, Noli, has selected Akeneo’s Product Information Management (PIM) solution to power its hyper-personalised product recommendation model, tailored to meet the unique needs of each customer and allowing shoppers to take charge of their beauty buying experiences. Through its proprietary AI-driven beauty engine, Noli unlocks the best skin and haircare routines for each customer from a library of over 200,000 combinations. Using an expert-designed quiz, drawing on insights from top dermatologists and scientists, alongside advanced face scan technology, Noli creates an individual BeautyDNA profile for each shopper. It then curates a personalised routine tailored to each customer’s specific skincare concerns and goals, removing the guesswork, and endless scrolling, from product discovery and selection.
Lynk & Co is rolling out a bold Europe-wide Out-of-Home (OOH) campaign to support the launch of the game-changing Lynk & Co 08 – the first plug-in hybrid SUV in Europe offering up to 200 km all-electric range combined with DC fast charging. The campaign features high-visibility placements in central urban hubs across Europe, showcased on premium digital screens and large-scale formats in areas with strong pedestrian and commuter flows. By blending digital and traditional OOH executions, the campaign ensures consistent visibility while reinforcing Lynk & Co’s positioning as a design-led, lifestyle-driven brand.
Topsort, an artificial intelligence (AI) and auction-based retail media infrastructure company, has announced its partnership with luxury European fashion and lifestyle company E. Breuninger GmbH & Co. The collaboration marks a significant step in elevating the retail media experience for both shoppers and brand partners in the luxury space. Breuninger, renowned for its premium brand curation and exceptional customer experience, operates 13 department stores across Germany and Luxembourg, as well as a thriving ecommerce business serving multiple European countries. This partnership reinforces Topsort’s growing presence in the European luxury retail media market, comparable to powering retail media for Saks Fifth Avenue or Nordstrom in the U.S. From summer 2025 onwards, Breuninger runs its retail media operations using Topsort’s sponsored listings and banner ads.
iCo Medios, a digital out-of-home (DOOH) media company in Colombia, has announced a strategic partnership with VIOOH, the global digital out of home (DOOH) supply-side platform. This alliance, officially signed in March 2025, marks a significant milestone for the Colombian advertising industry — enabling programmatic access to additional high-impact screens in key urban locations for both local and international advertisers. The partnership integrates iCo Medios’ premium DOOH inventory, currently 72 digital screens located in Bogotá, Medellín and Cali, into VIOOH’s platform, making these assets available for programmatic buying from anywhere in the world. The screens are strategically placed in high-traffic environments including shopping centers, mass transit systems, and key urban access points. The integration into VIOOH’s platform empowers buyers to activate campaigns in Colombia with the same ease and intelligence they use for digital media. Brands will be able to target audiences by geolocation, dayparting, mobility patterns, weekdays or weather conditions, maximizing message relevance and campaign efficiency.
HW Fisher, part of the Sumer Group, had announced its acquisition of Media Marketing Compliance (MMC), an industry-leading firm enabling businesses to achieve financial transparency throughout their media and marketing supply chain. The acquisition strengthens HW Fisher’s forensic and audit capabilities by integrating its established expertise in licensing and investigations with MMC’s specialist knowledge in auditing media and marketing agencies across the globe. Together, this creates a comprehensive service offering to help clients audit and protect significant marketing and advertising spend. With the global advertising industry valued at $1 trillion annually, the acquisition responds to increasing client demand for specialist media and marketing auditing capabilities, meeting the needs of the complex media and advertising landscape.
