Digital Digest
Marketing Intelligence Weekly
Weekly updates on the digital marketing news you need to know, including data reform, AI, cookie deprecation and platform updates.
AI in digital
First AI-led purchases have gone through in Australia
- An autonomous AI agent successfully used a CBA debit card to buy Event Cinemas tickets and book accommodation in Thredbo, showing agentic commerce is now live in Australia.
- Mastercard says this shift could profoundly change consumer behaviour and is investing in regional teams and frameworks to support secure, transparent AI transactions.
- Aussies are primed to use AI for buy triggers, with nearly half using AI for online product searches and a majority trusting AI recommendations, according to recent surveys.
- Some platforms are resisting by blocking or restricting AI bots and agents, with companies like eBay explicitly banning automated purchasing without human review, signalling tension between innovation and control.
- While many see AI agents as a convenience boost, others worry about data scraping, competitive impacts and how brands balance AI advantages with customer trust.
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AI in digital
Platforms
Follow-up questions in AI Overviews now go directly to AI Mode
- Google now connects follow-up questions in AI Overviews directly to AI Mode, letting users jump straight into a conversational back-and-forth from the summary at the top of search results.
- Google’s Gemini 3 is now the default model powering AI Overviews globally, replacing prior setups and aiming to deliver more consistent, high-quality AI-generated responses right on the search page.
- The shift potentially reduces clicks back to publisher websites, because follow-ups happen inside Google’s AI Mode overlay without showing source links by default, which could further impact organic traffic.
- This change signals a strategic pivot toward conversational, AI-centric search experiences, blurring the lines between traditional link-based search and interactive AI responses.
- Currently rolling out on mobile first, the feature brings context from the AI Overview into the deeper AI dialog, aiming to save users from repeating or rephrasing their questions.
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AI in digital
Marketing by numbers
AI answers vary so much there’s less than a 1% chance of identical recommendations
- AI recommendations vary wildly: When 600 volunteers ran the same prompts through major generative AIs (ChatGPT, Claude, Google AI) nearly 3,000 times, the tools almost never returned the same list of brands/products — there’s less than a 1% chance of identical lists across runs.
- Three types of inconsistency: Not only do the brands vary, but the order and number of items in responses shifts every time — sometimes only 2–3 items, other times 10+.
- Implication for AI visibility tracking: Classic ranking metrics (e.g., “#1 vs #3”) are unreliable in AI contexts — marketers should focus on how frequently a brand appears across many runs instead of fixed positions.
- Variation partly real-world behaviour: Real user prompts are semantically diverse (even when intent is similar), adding to the inconsistency — so tools measuring “AI rankings” may be mixing prompt noise with genuine visibility effects.
- Strategic takeaway: If you’re investing in AI tracking, validate that the provider measures appearance rates across multiple prompt variations rather than single-query rankings — because simple rank tracking is “mostly noise.”
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Platforms
Data Exclusions now available for PMax campaigns
- Google is rolling out “Data Exclusions” for Performance Max campaigns, letting advertisers exclude specific audience lists (e.g., website visitor lists or Customer Match lists) from PMax. This appears in campaign settings under a new Data Exclusions section.
- This isn’t just basic audience signals — it can exclude remarketing lists, giving more control over who your PMax campaigns don’t target.
- Many advertisers are now seeing the feature live, so it’s worth checking your own Google Ads UI.
- This gives marketers more granular control in PMax — helping reduce wasted spend on unwanted audiences and improving campaign efficiency on one of Google’s most automated ad types.
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AI in digital
Platforms
Google launches major update to Chrome with Gemini 3
- Chrome gets a major AI upgrade with Gemini 3 built in: A persistent side panel helps users summarise content, compare options and multitask without leaving the current tab.
- “Auto Browse” is the standout feature: Available initially to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, it lets Gemini actively browse the web to complete multi-step tasks like research, bookings and online shopping.
- Gemini can act across text and images: The AI can recognise products from images, find deals, apply budgets and even add items to carts, making shopping and discovery more seamless.
- User control and transparency are baked in: Gemini pauses for confirmation before sensitive actions (like purchases or posting) and clearly shows what it’s doing at each step.
- Big productivity implications for everyday tasks: Early use cases include managing bills, subscriptions and admin-heavy chores, cutting down time spent manually browsing.
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AI in digital
Platforms
Bing tests AI Performance report in Webmaster Tools
- Bing is testing an AI Performance report inside Bing Webmaster Tools that shows how often your content is cited in AI-powered results like Microsoft Copilot and partner platforms — effectively giving a first look at AI visibility beyond traditional SEO metrics.
- Key metrics include AI citations by day, number of pages cited, grounding queries (how Bing interprets the user’s intent) and a breakdown of query intent types (informational, navigational, etc.).
- Important limitation: the report does not currently include click or CTR data from those AI citations, so you can’t yet measure real visitor traffic or engagement coming from AI answers.
- This feature is in super-limited beta and hasn’t been formally announced by Microsoft, meaning access is restricted and timelines are unclear.
- Why it matters: as AI-generated search results grow in prominence, this begins to give SEO teams a way to track visibility in generative experiences, even if traffic attribution isn’t there yet — hinting at future shifts in optimisation strategy.
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AI in digital
Platforms
It’s official. Ads coming soon to ChatGPT
- Ads coming soon in ChatGPT — OpenAI plans to start testing advertising in the U.S. on ChatGPT’s free tier and the new low‑cost ChatGPT Go tier to help broaden access to the AI.
- Ads will be kept separate & transparent — Ads are clearly labelled, placed below responses, and won’t influence the AI’s answers or be mixed in with the content users ask for.
- User privacy & control emphasised — Conversations won’t be shared with advertisers, personal data won’t be sold, and users can turn off ad personalisation or clear data used for ads.
- Ad‑free paid options remain — Premium tiers like Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise will stay ad‑free, giving marketers clarity about who will see ads.
- Goal is broader access and trust — OpenAI frames this ad strategy as a way to make powerful AI more affordable and accessible while protecting user trust and product quality.
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AI in digital
Platforms
Apple partners with Google Gemini to power Siri
- Apple inks multi‑year partnership with Google to power next‑gen Siri by using Google’s Gemini AI models and cloud infrastructure as the backbone for future Apple Intelligence features, including a revamped Siri expected later this year.
- Gemini chosen after careful evaluation — Apple says Google’s AI offers the “most capable foundation” for its AI ambitions, aiming to turn Siri into a more capable AI answer engine than the current version.
- Rollout later in 2026 — the upgraded Siri, with deeper AI capabilities, should begin rolling out this year as part of Apple’s broader AI strategy.
- Apple still keeping privacy front and centre — though Google’s cloud and models power the tech, Apple Intelligence will continue running on Apple devices and Apple’s Private Cloud Compute to safeguard user data.
- Strategic context — this move comes amid delays and scrutiny of Apple’s AI efforts and positions Siri to better compete with rivals like ChatGPT‑powered assistants.
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Platforms
Google Ads launches Campaign Total Budgets
- Campaign total budgets let you set a fixed spend for the entire campaign duration, automatically adjusting daily spend to hit your target without going over.
- It’s only available for new campaigns and can’t be switched mid-way from average daily budgets.
- You must set a start and end date (3–90 days, or up to 1 year for some formats) – this is ideal for time-bound promotions or events.
- Supported across all major campaign types including Performance Max, Search, Shopping, Demand Gen and YouTube with various bidding strategies.
- Frequent changes to budget or timing can disrupt performance; set your parameters upfront and minimise tweaks for best results.
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AI in digital
Marketing by numbers
AI traffic surged across holiday period according to Adobe
- Huge AI traffic growth, especially in retail: AI‑driven visits to retail sites jumped 693% year‑on‑year, outpacing other sectors like travel (539%), financial services (266%), tech (120%) and media (92%).
- AI traffic isn’t just browsing — it converts: Visitors referred from generative AI sources converted 31% more than other traffic and drove 254% higher revenue per visit year‑to‑date, signalling real commercial impact.
- Stronger engagement and intent: AI‑sourced shoppers spent around 45% more time on site, viewed more pages and had lower bounce rates than other visitors, pointing to higher purchase intent and relevance.
- Growing trust and improved shopping experience: Nearly half of consumers reported trusting AI search results, with 81% saying AI improved their shopping experience and return rates slightly falling.
- Record online holiday spending backdrop: Total online holiday sales hit a record US$257.8 billion, with extended peak spending days and robust use of “buy now, pay later.”
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AI in digital
Platforms
Google Trends gets an AI upgrade with Gemini
- Google Trends gets an AI makeover: The Explore page is redesigned with embedded Gemini AI to help users automatically identify and compare relevant search trends and insights, making trend analysis faster and easier.
- Gemini powers smarter discovery: A new AI‑powered sidebar suggests related searches and automatically populates comparison graphs so you don’t have to manually find related terms.
- Visual and UX improvements: The interface now has distinct icons and colours per term, the ability to compare more terms, and shows twice as many rising queries for clearer insights.
- Rollout details: The updated Trends Explore is launching first on desktop with a gradual rollout to all users.
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AI in digital
Platforms
Google launches UCP for agentic ecommerce in AI Mode and Gemini
- Google and partners are launching the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) — an open standard to let AI agents not just recommend products but actually complete purchases for users directly within AI experiences like Google Search AI Mode and the Gemini app.
- This move supports the shift to agentic commerce — where AI does more than answer queries and instead acts on behalf of users, handling discovery, cart building, and checkout seamlessly.
- Early adopters include major retailers like Walmart, Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair and Target, who are integrating UCP so customers can shop and buy within AI conversations rather than on standalone retail sites/apps.
- Retailers need to prepare by structuring product data and checkout workflows to be agent‑ready, or risk losing visibility as AI agents become the new primary shopping interface.
- The strategic implication is less friction for consumers and new commerce channels driven by conversational AI — but brands must balance convenience with trust, data accuracy, and governance to succeed.
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AI in digital
Platforms
Microsoft unveils Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents
- Microsoft is launching Copilot Checkout, letting customers discover, compare and complete purchases entirely within Copilot chats (no redirects), turning conversational intent straight into conversion.
- With Copilot Checkout, brands remain the merchant of record, owning customer data, relationships and transactions rather than handing them over to AI intermediaries.
- Brand Agents are customised AI assistants trained on a merchant’s own product catalog and voice to guide shoppers, answer detailed queries, and drive decisions on the brand’s own website.
- Early results show strong conversion uplift from AI‑assisted journeys, and tooling is built to launch quickly with partners like PayPal, Shopify and Stripe.
- These features reflect a shift toward AI that collapses discovery, consideration and purchase into seamless interactions — a potential new frontier for retail and advertising.
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Data privacy
Platforms
Google launches Google Tag Gateway in Google Cloud Platform to help bypass privacy restrictions
- Google has launched a beta integration of Google Tag Gateway with Google Cloud Platform (GCP), enabling one‑click deployment from Google Tag Manager or Google tag settings. This routes tag traffic through your own first‑party domain via a Google Cloud load balancer.
- This setup helps bypass ad blockers, ITP (Intelligent Tracking Prevention), and other browser privacy restrictions, by making tracking requests appear as first‑party — preserving measurement data that might otherwise be blocked.
- It’s a big win for privacy-conscious marketers — since the tagging is first-party and server-side, you retain more control over user data flow, improving compliance with data protection laws like GDPR and CCPA.
- Set-up is faster and cleaner for teams already using GCP, removing the need for third‑party CDNs like Cloudflare, which were previously needed to implement custom tagging domains.
- This marks a shift towards future-proof, privacy‑resilient tagging, with stronger measurement reliability as third-party tracking options continue to disappear.
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Platforms
New rules for product IDs in Google Merchant Center with March deadline
- New rule from March 2026: Google Merchant Center will require separate product IDs for the same product if it’s sold online and in physical stores but has different attributes (e.g., price, availability) — replacing the old single‑ID approach for those cases.
- Online attributes are now the default: If a product’s in‑store details differ from the online baseline, retailers must create and manage a second version with its own unique ID in their product feeds.
- Action needed now: Google is emailing merchants about affected products — marketers should audit feeds ahead of the March deadline to avoid visibility or eligibility issues for Shopping and Local Inventory Ads.
- Why it matters: This change should lead to cleaner, more consistent product data across Google surfaces, but shifts more operational responsibility onto advertisers — especially important for large omni‑channel retailers.
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AI in digital
Platforms
OpenAI introduces ChatGPT Health
- OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Health, a separate, secure experience within ChatGPT tailored for health and wellness conversations, helping users feel more informed and confident navigating their health.
- Users can securely link medical records and wellness apps (like Apple Health, Function, MyFitnessPal and others) so ChatGPT can provide insights grounded in personal health data — e.g., interpreting test results, tracking trends, or preparing for doctor visits.
- The feature is built with layered protections (separate chats, encryption) and developed with feedback from hundreds of physicians worldwide; sensitive health info isn’t used to train models.
- OpenAI emphasises this tool is not a medical diagnostic or treatment service — it supports users with explanations and planning, not clinical decisions.
- Early access is available via waitlist to select users (Free to Pro plans) outside EEA, Switzerland and UK, with broader web and iOS availability planned in coming weeks.
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AI in digital
Marketing by numbers
Platforms
Gemini gaining ground on ChatGPT according to Similarweb data
- Gemini is rapidly gaining ground on ChatGPT. According to Similarweb’s January Global AI Tracker, ChatGPT’s share of direct web visits now sits at around 64.5 %, down from roughly 86 % a year ago, while Google’s Gemini has grown to about 21.5 % of visits.
- Traffic trends show diverging momentum. Over the last 12 weeks, Gemini’s visits were up about 49 %, whereas ChatGPT’s were down about 22 %, signalling shifting user behaviour in direct access to AI chat tools.
- Other AI tools still trail well behind. Alternatives like DeepSeek, Grok, Perplexity, and Claude account for much smaller slices of overall traffic, each sitting only in the low single digits.
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Data privacy
Help desk
2026 is the year of data privacy with sweeping changes this month
- Vietnam’s new Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) kicked in on 1 Jan 2026, delivering strict obligations and penalties for any business — local or global — handling Vietnamese personal data.
- The PDPL bans unlawful use or trading of personal data and applies extraterritorially, meaning offshore marketers must now align with Vietnam’s local privacy standards.
- In Australia, the OAIC launched its first-ever privacy compliance sweep this January, targeting 60+ businesses across six “high-risk” sectors like real estate and licensed venues.
- The OAIC is focusing on how personal data is collected in person (but yes, this is still a risk for digital marketers), and whether businesses are meeting key transparency requirements under Australian Privacy Principle 1.4.
- For marketers, it’s clear: privacy isn’t just legal—it’s strategic. 2026 is a wake-up call to audit your data practices, tighten consent flows, and build trust by design.
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Platforms
Google has finished rolling out the December 2025 core update
- Publications saw a hit, especially for broad “Best of” queries, as Google now leans into surfacing commercial and brand-led content over generic info articles.
- Ecommerce shifts favour niche and specialist retailers over general marketplaces, particularly on mid-funnel product searches—think depth over breadth.
- SaaS queries now reward niche software solutions and dedicated sites, surfacing more specialist publications.
- This update cements Google's push towards rewarding clear expertise, specialisation, and commercial intent in SERPs—less “jack-of-all-trades”, more subject-matter authority.
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AI in digital
Platforms
Meta acquires Manus for $2B one of the largest AI acquisitions
- Meta pays over USD 2 billion for Manus, signalling a major strategic bet on autonomous AI agents rather than just large language models — one of the biggest AI acquisitions to date.
- Manus builds “general purpose” AI agents that can perform multi‑step tasks like research, coding and analytics autonomously, and already serves millions of users with strong commercial traction.
- Meta plans to integrate Manus technology into Meta AI and its core apps (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) while still selling Manus’s subscription services independently.
- Geopolitical and data security angles matter — Meta will cut remaining Chinese ownership and operations as part of the deal to address scrutiny, with Manus continuing to operate out of Singapore.
- The acquisition positions Meta more directly against rivals like Google and OpenAI in the next generation of AI tools that don’t just converse but act as proactive assistants.
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Platforms
Platforms in travel
Google Maps can now be selected in Demand Gen campaigns
- Google Maps is now a selectable channel in Demand Gen campaigns — advertisers can include Maps placements alongside YouTube, Discover, Gmail, etc., or even run Maps‑only Demand Gen campaigns.
- This adds location‑centric reach to Demand Gen, letting brands show visual ads where people are actively exploring places, routes and local businesses — essentially tapping high‑intent discovery moments.
- It gives much finer control than before, moving Demand Gen from a mostly automated mix into something marketers can tailor more precisely by channel.
- Local and multi‑location advertisers stand to benefit most, especially for driving foot traffic or awareness where Maps usage aligns with real‑world decisions.
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Platforms
Google Ads has reduced minimum audience size for remarketing and customer targeting
- Minimum audience size cut to 100 users — Google has reduced the minimum audience requirement across all ad types (Search, Display, YouTube), allowing lists with just 100 active users to be used for remarketing and customer targeting.
- More accessible for smaller advertisers — This opens up advanced audience strategies to small businesses and niche advertisers that previously couldn’t meet high thresholds like 1,000 users.
- Applies to all segment types — The new rule standardises eligibility for remarketing lists, customer match lists, and other audience segments, plus the requirement for Audience Insights has also dropped from 1,000 to 100 users.
- Barriers lowered for personalised ads — With smaller lists now usable, advertisers can activate more personalised and first‑party data campaigns without needing large audience volumes.
- What to watch next — This could shift how marketers approach segmentation, with a greater focus on quality and relevance of audiences over sheer size.
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Platforms
Google Search Core Update December 2025
- Google has released the December 2025 core update to Google Search.
- In a LinkedIn update by Google Search Central, Google stated: “This is a regular update designed to better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites. “
- The update was released on 11 December 2025 and may take up to 3 weeks to fully roll out.
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Platforms
Google introduces social channels to Search Console
- Google is rolling out a new experimental integration that lets site owners see how their linked social media channels (e.g. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram) perform in Google Search alongside website data — including clicks, impressions, queries and audience metrics.
- Rather than keeping web and social search data separate, this feature merges them in the Insights report so marketers can better understand overall brand discovery across Search and social platforms.
- Access is currently limited: Search Console auto‑detects and links social channels for selected sites, and only those in the experiment will see the prompt to include their profiles. Manual addition isn’t yet supported.
- Marketers will see total reach (search clicks + impressions), content performance trends, top search queries leading to social profiles, and audience location breakdowns — all in one place.
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AI in digital
Platforms
That was fast! GPT 5.2 is here
- GPT‑5.2 is positioned as OpenAI’s most capable model series for professional knowledge work, with measurable improvements in reasoning, coding, long‑context understanding, tool use and vision tasks — outperforming previous models across core benchmarks.
- The rollout includes three variants — Instant for fast everyday tasks, Thinking for structured, longer and more complex workflows, and Pro for highest‑stakes queries — giving teams flexibility depending on task depth and speed.
- The launch follows internal “code red” efforts at OpenAI to respond to competition from Google’s Gemini 3, with GPT‑5.2 aiming to reclaim leadership in advanced AI performance.
- GPT‑5.2 is rolling out first to paid ChatGPT plans and developers via API, with broader access expected to follow; earlier versions like GPT‑5.1 remain available temporarily.
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AI in digital
AI in travel
Platforms
Platforms in travel
Google Labs unleashes AI-powered browser, Disco
- Disco is an experimental AI‑powered browser experience from Google Labs that reimagines how browsing works by turning your open tabs into interactive, task‑focused mini web apps.
- Using Google’s Gemini 3 model, Disco’s GenTabs feature analyses what you’re doing across tabs and natural language prompts, then dynamically generates a custom web app to help you complete that task (e.g., trip planner, meal organiser, study tool).
- Rather than passive browsing, Disco blends browsing + action — users open real web pages, and GenTabs synthesises them into an interactive interface tailored to your goal.
- This is an early prototype available via a waitlist, initially on macOS, with Google gathering feedback and potentially evolving ideas into broader Chrome features later.
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AI in digital
Marketing by numbers
Traffic from AI search converts 8x the rate of social media
- Traffic from AI platforms like ChatGPT converts at about eight times the rate of social media traffic, according to 2025 Cyber Week data from Salesforce.
- During Cyber Week, online sales in Australia rose 7% year‑on‑year even though overall site traffic dipped 2%, driven by more purposeful, AI‑informed shoppers.
- Shoppers increasingly use AI to research before purchase, meaning visitors arrive at checkout already informed and ready to buy.
- Traffic from third‑party AI tools tripled year‑on‑year, underscoring how consumer habits are shifting toward AI‑led shopping journeys.
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AI in digital
Platforms
OpenAI pauses ad initiatives to improve ChatGPT
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has issued an internal “code red,” putting a priority on improving ChatGPT rather than expanding into advertising or other add-on features.
- The pause affects advertising initiatives, AI agents for shopping and health, and a personality‑driven assistant feature known as Pulse — all are being delayed while the company focuses on core performance.
- Key areas for improvement include ChatGPT’s personalisation, speed, reliability, and ability to handle a broader range of queries — the goal is to make it “more intuitive and personal.”
- The move is in response to rising competition: Gemini 3 from Google has recently outperformed ChatGPT on several benchmarks and is gaining traction rapidly among users.
- For marketers and advertisers, this likely means the anticipated ad placements inside ChatGPT will be postponed
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Platforms
New lifecycle audiences in Google Analytics: “High Value” and “Disengaged” Purchasers
- Google Analytics (GA) has launched two new lifecycle-focused audience templates — “High‑Value Purchasers” and “Disengaged Purchasers” — making it much easier for marketers to build segments targeting top customers or lapsed buyers.
- The High‑Value Purchasers template uses purchase count or a new “LTV percentile” metric to isolate customers who bring the most value.
- The Disengaged Purchasers template segments users by how long it's been since their last purchase, helping brands identify and re‑engage customers who haven’t bought in a while.
- On top of that, GA now offers dynamic remarketing directly within the platform — once you have ecommerce tracking enabled, GA can feed personalised display ads to past site visitors through linked ad accounts, no separate remarketing setup needed.
- The upshot: these updates lower the technical barrier for lifecycle marketing — making it faster and more efficient to target and re‑engage high‑value or lapsed customers using first‑party data.
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Platforms
Search Patners added to PMax reporting in Google Ads
- Google has added a dedicated “Search Partners” segment to its Performance Max (PMax) reporting.
- Advertisers can now see exactly how much budget PMax spends on Search Partners and track whether traffic from that network drives incremental value or conversions.
- The update improves transparency by revealing how Search Partner traffic compares with other PMax channels (Search, Display, YouTube, etc.), helping you evaluate ROI channel by channel.
- While this doesn’t give direct control over channel delivery, the added insight helps marketers make more informed decisions about spend allocation and optimisation of PMax campaigns.
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