The Privacy Sandbox was Google’s answer to growing privacy regulation and industry backlash against cross-site tracking — but its complexity, limited adoption, and regulatory scrutiny stalled momentum. At last, Google is no longer forcing a shift away from third-party cookies, preserving the familiar targeting and measurement tools that power much of digital advertising.

YouTube videos have made it easy for consumers to quickly move from browsing to purchasing. The transition is being supported not only by videos, but also ads. 46% of consumers have bought a product they discovered on the platform, most within two weeks, according to Channel Factory.

The smartest SEOs won’t fight AI – they’ll lead it. Learn how human-led, agent-powered teams are building the next era of search success.

WPP has launched WPP Open Pro, a platform that lets brands of all sizes plan, create, and publish campaigns independently — targeting smaller advertisers and echoing the self-serve model that fuels Alphabet and Meta’s ad businesses.

Marketers are set to cut display ad spend by 30% in 2026 as consumers shift from the open web to AI-driven and entertainment platforms, Forrester predicts. With AI summaries and chat interfaces reducing audiences and click-throughs, budgets will move to CTV, streaming audio, and social video, while offline experiences rebound as 52% of US adults seek more in-person connections.