The feed
Martech news and analysis. Every story says what changed, why it matters and what marketers should do next.
Klaviyo reported $370.6 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, and Braze $227.2 million for the quarter ended July 31. Both say AI agents are driving adoption.
Why it matters
The market for messaging and customer-data platforms is growing at a similar rate for a specialist in e-commerce (Klaviyo) and one aimed at larger brands across channels (Braze), which gives buyers a benchmark.
At Google Marketing Live on May 20, 2026, Google announced new ad formats for AI answers in Search, a Gemini agent that spans its advertising and analytics tools, and marketing mix modeling inside Analytics 360.
Why it matters
More of campaign setup, bidding and measurement is being delegated to Google's AI, so advertisers need their own checks on what it does and what it reports.
Publicis Groupe agreed on May 17, 2026 to acquire LiveRamp for $38.50 a share in cash. LiveRamp's shareholders approved on August 17; Publicis says LiveRamp will stay neutral.
Why it matters
LiveRamp's identity and clean-room products are used by advertisers, publishers and agencies, including competitors of Publicis, so ownership affects trust in the data collaboration they share.
Yext signed a definitive agreement to buy Flamel.ai, which runs localized ad campaigns across Google, Meta and ChatGPT. Closing is expected by January 31, 2027.
Why it matters
It connects organic local visibility (listings, search presence) with paid campaigns, including the new ChatGPT ad channel, in one platform for multi-location brands.
Phave replaces rules-based workflows with a reasoning engine and starts at $36,000 a year, priced on monthly active recipients.
Why it matters
It is an attempt to rebuild marketing automation around AI reasoning, led by someone who helped define the category, and its pricing model breaks from database-size pricing.
Taboola announced an offer for Dianomi, a financial ad network serving 600+ advertisers and publishers. Completion is expected before the end of 2026.
Why it matters
It strengthens Taboola in finance, a high-value advertising vertical, and fits Dianomi into Taboola's Realize platform.
Infillion plans to buy Foursquare, adding 100 million places of interest and 16 billion check-ins. Terms were not stated.
Why it matters
Linking ad exposure to store visits and purchases is a central measurement problem. Owning the underlying place and visit data gives Infillion a stronger measurement asset.
Automatic upgrades began in September 2026 and the Dynamic Search Ads sunset has been extended to February 2027.
Why it matters
Search campaigns that rely on dynamic ad generation will be changed whether advertisers act or not, and reporting for the new setup is still being built.
AEO, also called GEO, is the work of making sure AI assistants describe your brand accurately. What it is, how it is measured, and what to be careful about.
Why it matters
If buyers get a shortlist from an assistant, a brand that is missing or described wrongly loses consideration before a visit happens.
The Commission proposed single-click reject and a six-month pause on re-asking. In mid-2026 the Council's working text dropped the cookie provisions.
Why it matters
Marketers should not redesign consent flows around a proposal that is not law and may change, but they should expect pressure toward simpler consent and browser-level signals.
