The AI Marketing Action Brief: Ads Become AI-Native

TikTok Launches AI Content Slider

New setting lets users control AI-generated content volume in “For You” feed. Over one billion AI videos are on the platform; your ads compete with synthetic content for attention. Test ad performance against organic AI content, adjust creative strategy accordingly.

See TikTok's AI Controls Update.

In Partnership with Roku: The Black Friday approaches.

As with any digital ad campaign, the important thing is to reach streaming audiences who will convert. To that end, Roku’s self-service Ads Manager stands ready with powerful segmentation and targeting options. After all, you know your customers, and we know our streaming audience.

Worried it’s too late to spin up new Black Friday creative? With Roku Ads Manager, you can easily import and augment existing creative assets from your social channels. We also have AI-assisted upscaling, so every ad is primed for CTV.

Once you’ve done this, then you can easily set up A/B tests to flight different creative variants and Black Friday offers. If you’re a Shopify brand, you can even run shoppable ads directly on-screen so viewers can purchase with just a click of their Roku remote.

Bonus: we’re gifting you $5K in ad credits when you spend your first $5K on Roku Ads Manager. Just sign up and use code GET5K. Terms apply.

Use code GET5K now

Google AI Mode Getting Ads Soon

Google is testing ads in AI Mode (conversational search interface). Queries in AI Mode are 2-3x longer than standard search, providing better targeting potential. Monitor AI Mode rollout, prepare for new ad format specs.

See full report.

LinkedIn Now Shares Your Data with Microsoft for AI

LinkedIn began sharing user profile data with Microsoft for AI training and ad targeting on November 3. B2B targeting gets smarter, but privacy-conscious audiences may opt out. Review LinkedIn audience targeting assumptions, test new Microsoft Ads integrations.

Check the LinkedIn policy update.

Ulta Beauty: TikTok Retail Media Delivers 40% ROAS Lift

What they did: UB Media (Ulta Beauty's retail media network) ran multi-brand holiday campaigns across haircare, skincare, fragrance, and cosmetics using TikTok In-Feed Ads with Web Conversion objective. Creative assets leaned into trending formats: gift guides, self-gifting, GRWM videos, and most-wanted product showcases.

The numbers:

How to copy it:

Time to implement: 3-4 weeks (includes creative development and TikTok rep coordination)

Read the TikTok retail media case study.

In Partnership with Levanta: Make sure your ad spends pay off.

See how creator-led partnerships can boost sales with Levanta’s Affiliate Ad Shift Calculator.

Get instant insight into potential revenue lift, ROI gains, and efficiency improvements based on your current digital advertising strategy.

Run your numbers to find out how small shifts could drive big results.

Get your free calculation

EMERGING PATTERN: Salesforce expands Agentforce with retailer data connecting to ChatGPT, Amazon, and social commerce. New capabilities let retailers connect product catalogs to AI channels while delivering agent-driven shopping experiences on their own platforms, blurring lines between conversational AI and traditional e-commerce.

PLATFORM UPDATE: Pinterest hits 600 million monthly users, adds 22 million in Q3 alone. The visual discovery platform grew in every region, including Europe (after losing 2M users last quarter), while average revenue per user climbed across the US, Canada, and Europe, powered by a new AI assistant for conversational visual search.

WORTH WATCHING: Microsoft embeds native AI agent infrastructure directly into Windows 11. Allows autonomous AI agents to discover tools, execute workflows, and interact with applications through standardized protocols in secure, policy-controlled environments, separate from user sessions but integrated at the OS level.

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