Digiday Daily

March 23, 2026

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The standoff between Publicis Groupe and The Trade Desk is widely viewed as a transparency dispute, but that’s only the surface; deeper analysis shows it’s indicative of tectonic plates shifting.

Away from the pearl-clutching social media posts, operators with insights into the sector argue that the real narrative at play is one centered on margin, control and who ultimately captures the most value from a dollar of media spend.

TOP STORY

The Programmatic Marketer

Publicis vs. The Trade Desk isn’t really about transparency – it’s about who gets the margin

As audit fallout escalates, the deeper conflict points to a structural power shift in programmatic advertising.

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

When a campaign has clear goals, impressions are measured accurately and scale is sufficient to generate learnings, effective cross-platform measurement can help marketers turn negative lifts into positives. Partner insights from Cint.
Publishers: How are AI tools reshaping how media companies operate, from subscription marketing and ad sales to audience development and product management? What’s working for you and what’s not? And where is AI headed in media businesses this year and beyond? Tell us in this survey.
AI exposes where measurement breaks down, where assumptions hide and where decision-making confidence outpaces accurate outputs. It forces marketing organizations to confront a hard reality: Automation magnifies whatever uncertainty already exists. Partner insights from AppsFlyer.

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MARKETING

The Creator Economy

A year after Unilever, the ad-funded creator economy is still catching up to its own ambition

Creators had already become too big to ignore. Now, for a different set of reasons entirely, it has become too important to get wrong.

The Creator Economy

Joint signings highlight growing convergence between creator and Hollywood agencies

What a spate of joint signings between Reign Maker Group and Paradigm Talent Agency tells us about diversifying talent and owning media in the creator economy.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM THE WEATHER COMPANY

Video explainer: Using weather targeting to influence action

In this video, learn how advertisers tap into a consumer’s mindset, motivation and emotional state at a given moment that moves the needle.

MEDIA & PLATFORMS

AI Revenue Generation

News/Media Alliance signs AI licensing deal to unlock recurring RAG revenue for small and mid-sized publishers

The News/Media Alliance has signed an AI licensing deal that lets its 2,200 publisher members opt in to monetizing RAG-driven enterprise demand.