🎯 OpenAI Builds Ad Manager
Hi, Marketers!
Search is turning into mentions, ads are turning into AI prompts, and brands are realizing that if ChatGPT forgets you exist, your customers might too.
OpenAI Builds Ad Manager
TL;DR: OpenAI is testing an ads manager for ChatGPT before fully launching its advertising business. The current system supports impression-based ads, basic keyword targeting, and simple click reporting, while features like conversion tracking, demographic targeting, and advanced analytics are still under development. OpenAI is also reportedly updating the platform frequently, adding bulk uploads, onboarding tools, A/B testing, and advertiser-specific feature flags as it builds out the product.
Bluefish Sells AI Visibility
TL;DR: Bluefish raised $43 million in a Series B, bringing total funding to $68 million, to help brands appear more often inside AI products like ChatGPT, Claude, Rufus, and Perplexity. As AI increasingly replaces traditional search, Bluefish is betting brands will pay to manage whether they are cited, ignored, or outperformed inside AI-generated answers.
Converse Stopped Feeling New
TL;DR: Shoe brand Converse has fallen to a 15-year revenue low as the brand struggled to evolve beyond the iconic Chuck Taylor and keep up with rivals like New Balance and Reebok. Revenue fell 35% last quarter, fueling speculation that Nike could sell Converse to Authentic Brands Group. Nike says it will keep the brand, while pushing new collaborations, celebrity partnerships, and cultural moments to make Converse feel relevant again.
Retail Media Needs Creators
TL;DR: Retail media networks like Walmart, Best Buy, and Albertsons are increasingly using creator content to improve ad performance and prove sales impact. By combining retailer purchase data with creator audiences, brands can identify which influencers drive the most conversions, while retailers can tie creator campaigns directly to transaction data and justify bigger budgets.
ServiceNow Sells The Ladder
TL;DR: ServiceNow reorganized its entire product lineup around three AI tiers: assistive AI, task automation, and full role automation. It also launched a Build Agent SDK that works with tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor, plus a Context Engine that personalizes workflows. ServiceNow is packaging AI adoption as a ladder, making customers buy deeper automation over time.
HubSpot Launched GEO Tool
TL;DR: HubSpot launched a new GEO tool inside Marketing Hub to track how often brands appear in AI-generated answers from platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini. The tool measures citations, compares competitors, and recommends new content. HubSpot is betting that as AI search grows, marketers will care less about clicks and more about whether their brand gets mentioned at all.
MrBeast Stops Chasing Brands
TL;DR: MrBeast has become so large that Beast Industries now turns down seven-figure and even eight-figure brand deals if they do not fit his audience. CEO Jeff Housenbold said the company has shifted toward fewer, larger multi-year partnerships that feel more authentic to Gen Z viewers, while also trying to expand beyond Jimmy Donaldson himself into a broader media empire.
Brands Stop Outsourcing Search
TL;DR: Pfizer, U.S. Bank, and other large brands are building in-house teams for SEO, GEO, and AI discoverability as search shifts toward AI chatbots. Companies want direct control over how they appear in AI-generated answers and faster reactions to search changes. Some brands have already seen unbranded search traffic drop by as much as 70%.
Publicis Attacks The Big Cuts
TL;DR: Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun criticized rivals like WPP and Omnicom for relying on layoffs, buybacks, restructurings, and asset sales during what he called the industry’s most negative period since COVID. Sadoun said Publicis is taking the opposite approach by continuing to invest in talent, acquisitions, and new capabilities while maintaining growth across most regions.
Lego Fights Back With Content
TL;DR: Lego has recently been caught in a wave of viral Iran-linked propaganda videos that use Lego-style characters and visuals to package political and war-related content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Instead of issuing a public statement, Lego appears to be flooding the internet with more press releases, Shorts, and branded videos so that positive content dominates searches and social feeds instead of the propaganda clips.
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