Hello Marketers!! Today’s issue dives into what’s actually working right now: how Meta ads scale post-Andromeda, why retention is becoming the real growth lever, and how to reset content before it burns you out. There’s more inside too, from platform updates to smart strategy plays worth noting…

YouTube rebranded brand-initiated video linking as Brand Partner Access, giving approved brands direct access to sponsored video performance data and the ability to run creator content as ads across YouTube and Google. Creators can tag sponsored videos directly during upload. Brands no longer need screenshots for reporting, and promoted creator videos can be surfaced to new, highly relevant audiences. While the underlying capabilities existed before, YouTube is streamlining access and transparency. Why it matters (POV): This removes friction from creator partnerships and makes sponsored content easier to measure and justify as part of paid media. 

For conversion campaigns, the winning setup is a single CBO campaign with one Advantage+ ad set, 10–20 creatives spanning TOF, MOF, and BOF, and tight signal quality via APIs that send back only qualified leads or purchases. Scaling happens through controlled budget increases (+20%) and ongoing creative diversification around a single winning angle, with new angles introduced only after saturation. Why it matters (POV): Meta is rewarding clean structures and high-quality signals over constant tweaking. Brands that simplify and scale through creative are more likely to see stable growth post-Andromeda.

Share of search (how often a brand is searched compared to competitors) is emerging as a clearer signal of real demand and future market share. Backed by IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) research, it correlates strongly with buying behavior and brand growth, works across platforms, and captures intent even when AI answers don’t send traffic. In a post-SEO world, it offers a practical way to understand whether marketing is actually increasing brand consideration. Why it matters (POV): Share of search gives us a common language to assess brand momentum, competitive pressure when traffic doesn’t follow.

SEO marketers get more impact when they stop thinking in isolated tickets and start operating with a product mindset. By joining agile ceremonies like sprint planning and discovery, SEOs can better understand impact vs. effort, align with engineers early, and avoid work that never ships. Instead of pushing dozens of small tasks, the recommendation is to bundle SEO work into larger projects, build MVPs to prove value quickly, and prioritize outcomes over outputs because audits, fixes, and launches only matter if they actually bring you results. Why it matters (POV): SEO work gets prioritized when it speaks the same language as product and engineering. Framing initiatives around impact, feasibility, and measurable outcomes turns SEO from a backlog of tickets into a growth lever you want to invest in.

The reset for 2026 comes down to 5 ideas: (1) clean up bloated content libraries so outdated assets don’t resurface, (2) stop treating AI as a magic tool and integrate it into defined content systems, (3) replace outdated personas with sharper, more current audience segments, (4) expand content ownership beyond awareness into mid and bottom-funnel impact, and (5) resist chasing every new channel and double down on where audiences actually engage. Why it matters (POV): Brands that simplify, prioritize relevance, and connect content to real business outcomes will outperform those stuck in constant creation mode.

AI has changed how consumers shop by speeding up research. But one thing hasn’t changed: shoppers still trust people more than AI.

Levanta’s new Affiliate 3.0 Consumer Report reveals a major shift in how shoppers blend AI tools with human influence. Consumers use AI to explore options, but when it comes time to buy, they still turn to creators, communities, and real experiences to validate their decisions.

The data shows:

The most effective brands are combining AI discovery with authentic human influence to drive measurable conversions.

Affiliate marketing isn’t being replaced by AI, it’s being amplified by it.

Download the full report to see what this means for your brand.

X generated $752M for Q3 and is projecting $2.9B for the full year, up 10% YoY, indicating that advertisers are slowly returning despite ongoing controversy. While this marks a recovery from 2023 lows, revenue remains 35% below pre-Elon levels, and the platform is still close to break-even. The bigger shift is structural: with X now merged into xAI and positioned as its data engine, X’s standalone ad revenue is no longer the sole pillar supporting the business. Why it matters (POV): X’s rebound suggests advertiser pragmatism is outweighing platform sentiment, but its future is increasingly tied to AI economics, not ads alone. 

Scam ads were approved and distributed on FB & IG using agencies listed in Meta’s own “Trusted” or “Badged Partner” directory. Meta’s AI tools even suggested optimized scam variations, highlighting how enforcement gaps, agency incentives, and automated ad systems can combine to amplify fraud at scale. Why it matters (POV): This exposes a structural risk in Meta’s ad ecosystem: trust signals and AI optimization can be exploited faster than how Meta can react. For legit marketers, it raises questions about platform credibility, brand safety, and how much control Meta truly has over its own “trusted” partner network.

AI-generated scam ads promoting fake health and weight-loss products are spreading rapidly on TikTok. Despite strict policies against misleading health claims, advertisers can use TikTok Symphony Creative Studio to generate realistic ads with AI avatars and voices in minutes, with little friction during creation. Many of these ads impersonate real businesses, link to cloned websites, and make unverified medical claims. Why it matters (POV): As platforms push AI-powered ad creation at scale, moderation is struggling to keep up. For brands, this increases brand-safety risk.

TLDR: Retention isn’t a post-growth KPI. When embedded early, it compounds revenue, shortens CAC payback, and turns acquisition into a multiplier - not a cost center.

Customer retention measures how many customers you keep over time: ((End customers − New customers) ÷ Starting customers) × 100. In B2C, it shows whether growth compounds or leaks. A 5% lift in retention can drive outsized profit gains because repeat buyers spend more and cost less to convert.

How to Implement It:
Segment customers by recency, frequency, and lifetime value. Design post-purchase journeys (email, SMS, remarketing) that drive the second and third purchase. Track retention alongside ROAS and LTV:CAC so acquisition decisions optimize for long-term value, not day-one conversions.

Here are 2 examples from me…

Post-Purchase Education Ads - Use small budget retargeting to show recent buyers how to get the most out of their purchase before asking them to buy again.

Facebook shuts down Messenger’s desktop app, retiring and pushing users to the web as Meta fully folds Messenger back into Facebook after years of declining standalone relevance.

Reddit is challenging Australia’s under-16 social media ban, arguing the law unfairly treats Reddit like a traditional social network despite its forum-based structure.

Jeep is betting big on AI-generated ads, using fictional visuals to cut production costs by up to 60% while staying on-brand and showing how AI can augment, not replace, human creativity when executed well.

Lululemon’s shares jumped after announcing a CEO transition, indicating investor optimism for a strategic reset as the brand struggles with slowing U.S. demand and rising competition.

CTV transparency is still fragmented, with agencies pushing for more control over inventory, clearer pricing, and fewer intermediaries as PMPs, curated deals, and DSP diversification emerge as the most reliable ways to regain performance.

— Sam C.