Weekly update week 35: Online marketing and AI

Online marketing and AI are evolving at breakneck speed - even toward the end of summer. In this weekly update, TMCmedia shares the most important trends and innovations of week 35. Developments that not only change the way we advertise and communicate, but also show where the opportunities lie to future-proof your digital strategy. One thing is clear: those who stand still are falling behind.

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Google tests new AI features in Search

Google is experimenting with AI-generated summaries at the top of search results. Instead of a list of links, users will see compact answers instantly. This is being rolled out in the U.S. for now.

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Possibleimplications: SEO is entering a new phase. It is no longer enough to rank high in Google; companies must optimize their content so that it also becomes visible in AI summaries. Authority and reliability become even more important factors.

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Salesforce's Agentforce encounters adoption problems

Salesforce's AI agent, Agentforce, was supposed to be the answer to automated workflows. Yet it turns out that many companies suffer from "decision fatigue": they can't see the forest for the trees in the growing array of AI tools.

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Possibleimplications: Companies that formulate a clear AI vision now and include their teams in this process will soon have a big head start. It's not just about technology, but mainly about implementation and change management.

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Virtual influencers are gaining ground

AI influencers like Yuri are increasingly used because they are inexpensive and completely controllable. Yet younger audiences indicate that authenticity remains important. Big brands therefore often opt for a hybrid approach: human and machine side by side.

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Possibleimplications: Brands that smartly balance between efficiency and credibility can grab an edge. AI influencers will not replace human creators, but rather complement them.

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Meta bets on AI-driven ads

Meta announced plans to let advertisers enter only budget and goals, then AI generates complete campaigns. From visuals to copy, everything will be generated automatically.

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Possibleimplications: This democratizes advertising, especially for smaller companies. But the danger lies in uniformity: brands must be careful not to lose their unique tone of voice in AI-standardized content.

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Publicis invests heavily in AI startups

Publicis Groupe already invested €600 million in AI this year and has another €300 million ready for acquisitions. Candidates include Persado, Superscale.AI and Akkio.

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Possibleimplications: The marketing world will soon have access to integrated AI solutions on a large scale. This could make for powerful campaigns, but also reduce diversity by concentrating power among a few major players.

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Breakthroughs in AI marketing research

Researchers developed SLM4Offer, a model that makes offers 17% more effective, and RAMP, which improves target selection by more than 28 percentage points. Both techniques use innovative learning methods such as contrastive learning and iterative verification.

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Possibleimplications: These advances promise more effective and reliable AI marketing tools. Campaigns will become not only smarter, but also more accurately tailored to individual consumers.

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Conclusion

Week 35 once again showed that AI and marketing are reinforcing each other faster than ever. Where Google is reinventing the search experience and looking to fully automate Meta ads, researchers are laying the groundwork for even smarter personalization. At the same time, Salesforce's adoption problems and the discussion around virtual influencers highlight that technology alone is not enough: strategy, humanity and trust remain crucial.

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What can TMCmedia do for you?

At TMCmedia, we follow these developments closely and translate them into concrete opportunities for your business. From AI-driven campaigns to maintaining your unique brand identity: we make sure your marketing strategy is ready for the future.

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Want to know how your business can use AI to grow online? Contact us today and find out what's possible for your brand.

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