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A new study by Rival Technologies found that Gen Z's trust in AI companies, influencers, and social media ranks lowest among 14 types of institutions. Trust in AI companies is only 24%, influencers 31%, and social media 33%. In comparison, trust in healthcare institutions reaches 79%. The study also shows that Canadian Gen Z's trust in AI companies is only half that of their American counterparts (14% vs 33%).
Kate's Real Food has selected Pinnacle Advertising as its new agency of record to drive growth in the brand's DTC channel and strengthen retail and Amazon operations. Pinnacle will lead integrated marketing services including strategic planning, creative development, full-funnel media, website optimization, and social media.
MERGE acquires Brado's insights and digital business, combining qualitative research with digital performance capabilities, including generative engine optimization, to build the industry's most complete human-centric growth engine. This move responds to the trend of patient digital decision-making revealed in the 2026 EY report, strengthening the application of the Humanity Suite in the AI era.
FouAnalytics, an independent digital advertising, website, and mobile app analytics and verification platform, announced on September 1, 2026, the public release of the "Digital Media Governance, Verification, Transparency, and Brand Safety MSA Template" (Master Services Agreement Boilerplate). The template provides advertisers and procurement teams with a contractual framework requiring directly observed delivery-level analytical evidence as the basis for media delivery, quality, and billability. The template adopts a "measurement-first" billing model and clearly distinguishes between measurement gaps and measurement discrepancies. FouAnalytics CEO Dr. Augustine Fou stated that advertisers should not rely solely on dashboards, invoices, or aggregate scores to judge the effectiveness of media investments.
VG Health by ViralGains has received the Fierce AI Innovation Award. The solution uses zero-party data and VoiceAlike® AI technology to help pharmaceutical and healthcare marketers precisely reach patients, enhance media efficiency, and achieve significant growth in commercial outcomes.
Through new ads "Afterdate" and "Wedding," Axe looks back at the Y2K era with self-deprecating humor, launches three retro-inspired fragrances, and upgrades its spray technology, aiming to attract both longtime fans and a new generation of consumers while reinforcing a more mature brand image.
Athletic Brewing Company announced that Dan Kleinman has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer, effective September 8. Kleinman will succeed Senior Marketing Director Rosalie Kennedy, who had been serving in the role on an interim basis. Prior to this, Andrew Katz departed after nearly five years as CMO. Kleinman previously served as CMO at Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits and spent 16 years at Diageo. The company currently holds a 20.7% market share in off-premise non-alcoholic beer sales and plans to increase national media spending by 120% year-over-year.
The UPS Store launched brand character Blu on Monday as its first brand image, aiming to unify brand messaging and highlight services such as printing, shipping, and mailboxes. The campaign, produced by Paramount Media Labs, will run across TV, digital, social, and print channels, and features NFL player Aidan Hutchinson. This move follows parent company UPS's strategic shift toward premium services.
Hershey kicked off its integrated marketing campaign for its new Salted Caramel and Affogato-flavored Creme Bars on Tuesday, centered on a partnership with the Katseye girl group. The campaign is based on European confectionery innovation and the Gen Z 'small indulgence' consumption trend, combining the product with the hand-gesture culture of the song 'Pinky Up' through a 60-second subway scene advertisement, and plans to cover all channels, extending into next year.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and attorneys general from 22 states have filed a lawsuit against Amazon, alleging secret surcharges in its search ad auctions that lasted over seven years, impacted more than 1 million brands, and brought Amazon tens of billions of dollars in revenue. Internal documents show that Amazon executives actively concealed this behavior, fearing that disclosure would cause "irreparable harm to advertiser trust." Amazon denies the allegations, stating that such practices are common in the industry, and emphasizes that advertisers adjust their bids based on actual performance.