Bonded Bitesize – Your Midweek Roundup

Amazon recently pulled its Google Shopping ads presence, meaning Google Listings no longer include Amazon products. That shift affects advertisers who relied on competitor visibility within search ads. For brands and agencies, this is a reminder to diversify performance strategies across marketplaces and channels, as they can’t count on Amazon appearing everywhere. Media plans need to factor in channel exclusivity, first-party e‑comm, and affiliate platforms going forward.
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Reach plc (owners of Metro, Daily Mirror, Sunday titles) saw subscription revenue surge by 27% in H1 2025, with digital subscribers overtaking print. Ad revenue flattened but online audience metrics spiked. For media buyers, this underscores the value of programmatic and native ad formats across publisher networks. Reach’s data-rich, diversified format mix makes it a premium partner for cross‑platform planning targeting news‑consuming audiences.
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The Interactive Advertising Bureau has launched its “2025 Unified Media Planning Playbook,” offering an actionable framework geared toward integrated video planning across CTV, FAST, online video, and social. It tackles measurement challenges like fragmented identity resolution and privacy signal loss. The guide is essential for media planners working across multiple video platforms who need cohesion across campaign execution, attribution and identity while navigating privacy shifts.
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Clear Channel reports that programmatic DOOH now reaches 70% of UK adults weekly. Automated planning, real‑time bidding, and geo or audience targeting are making OOH more dynamic and measurable. For planning and buying teams, blending pDOOH with social, display, and broadcast not only primes awareness but also boosts digital campaign response, with studies showing 36% more attention and 50% higher conversion when digitally supported.
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Warner Bros. Discovery has extended its relationship with VideoAmp, adopting clean‑room data and cross‑platform measurement tools via its StreamX initiative. This enables planning and optimization across linear, digital, and streaming inventory with audience guarantees and precise attribution. The collaboration highlights the shift toward multi‑currency ecospheres where clean‑room match rates and actionable insights boost reach and ROI for linear buyers entering digital ecosystems.
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Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg is betting big on AI to fully automate advertising from targeting to creative, optimization, and execution. Recent reports estimate the company’s generative AI tools (used by ~5 million advertisers already) could boost ad revenue by up to $28 billion annually by 2030. AI-powered Reels recommendations are already boosting conversions by ~5%, and Meta is investing heavily in infrastructure and talent to scale this model. For media planning teams, this signals a major shift: brands may soon hand over control to AI-led formats, necessitating new best practices for oversight.
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PwC’s latest ‘Annual Global Entertainment & Media Outlook’ forecasts the global E&M sector will grow to $3.5 trillion by 2029. Digital ads are central, with formats like video, connected TV, retail, and mobile expected to drive most growth. AI-powered ad delivery and personalization are highlighted as key enablers. As brands increasingly rely on precision targeting across video and social, media planners should be ready to pivot budgets toward AI-optimized formats.

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Google has introduced Gemini 2.5 Pro and Deep Search functionality for paid users powerful generative AI tools aimed at improving ad targeting, content generation, and performance measurement. These features integrate into Google Ads workflows, offering smarter campaign ideation and keyword research. As Google leads in native AI adoption, paid search teams should assess integration timelines and test how generative models enhance creative workflows.

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Publicis Groupe has allocated over €900 million in 2025 toward acquiring generative AI-focused adtech firms, including Persado, Superscale.AI, and Prescient AI. The move reflects a broader industry trend to integrate AI-powered creative messaging, predictive modelling, and marketing-mix optimization into platforms. Media planners should monitor this activity, these tools may soon influence media buying workflows, campaign planning automation, and creative production processes.

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According to the IAB’s 2025 Video Spend & Strategy report, 86% of advertisers are already using or planning to use GenAI for video ads, rising to 40% of all video ads by 2026. Small and mid-sized brands lead the shift, blending cost efficiency with scale. Key trends include interactive CTV inventory, real‑time bidding, and personalized creative. For media buyers, this signals a shift toward AI Creative as a normalized part of campaign workflows.

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