Paid Media News (Week 11)
Paid Media News (Week 11)
Explore every update from this edition, with the original reporting and contributor credits.
A digest of the original edition. Updates and availability reflect what was reported at the time.
Merchant Centre for Agencies launches in the US and Canada
Google has made Merchant Centre for Agencies generally available in the US and Canada. The interface provides a centralised command centre for managing multiple client accounts, with features for onboarding, portfolio-wide alerts, issue detection, and growth opportunities.
Read this update in detail →PMax AI voice-over opt-out deadline is March 20
Google is rolling out an AI-driven voice-over feature for Performance Max video ads. The system pulls from your headlines and descriptions to generate voice-over for silent videos, saving the result as a new asset.
Read this update in detail →Auto end screens rolling out for video ads
Google Ads has introduced auto-end screens that display product or service details after video ads finish. The feature pulls information from your campaign, including app name, icon, price, and install link.
Read this update in detail →Google Ads displays a large AI Max recommendation card
A large recommendation card promoting AI Max is now appearing in the Recommendations tab in Google Ads. The panel highlights the potential benefits of enabling AI-driven optimisation for Search campaigns and allows advertisers to activate AI Max, Text customisation, and Final URL expansion directly from the recommendation.
Read this update in detail →Asset Optimisation panel gets a refreshed layout
Google Ads has updated the Asset Optimisation interface with a cleaner design and a new Manage opt-ins page. From this panel, advertisers can now control shorter videos (auto-generated from existing assets), resized videos (in different aspect ratios), and landing page previews (images pulled directly from your landing page).
Read this update in detail →Google is expanding its creative toolkit with rich media assets
Google Ads is expanding its creative toolkit within the platform with a notification that reads "More rich media available for your Google Ads." Google-owned assets, including photos, videos, icons, 3D assets, and text elements, will now be available directly in the platform.
Read this update in detail →Sponsored Shops blocks appear in Google Shopping
Google is testing Sponsored Shops blocks inside Shopping results, highlighting entire stores with multiple products in a single block rather than individual product listings. The block displays store name, ratings, and product range, shifting visibility from product-level to store-level competition.
Read this update in detail →New Stores menu appears in the Google Shopping tab
Google has introduced a Stores menu item in the Shopping tab that displays stores with integrated local inventory feeds. In the US, results show local pack listings with "sold here" labels.
Read this update in detail →Malaysia financial services verification required by April 14
Google is introducing new Financial Services verification requirements for advertisers promoting financial services in Malaysia. Advertisers must complete verification through an external compliance partner, G2, and then apply for financial services verification with Google.
Read this update in detail →UK pharmacy cross-border certification programme ending
Google is updating its Healthcare and Medicines policy to end the cross-border certification programme that allows online pharmacies based in the United Kingdom to target Germany and Austria. The change takes effect in March 2026.
Read this update in detail →Cross-channel conversion reporting now available in Google Analytics
Google Analytics has introduced cross-channel conversion reporting, allowing advertisers to connect paid advertising, organic marketing, and site behaviour in a single view. The feature includes separate reporting sections for conversions and key events, attribution model comparison, and the ability to switch between Google Analytics and Google Ads attribution settings.
Read this update in detail →Branded queries filter now available to all eligible sites in Search Console
Google Search Console has rolled out the branded queries filter to all eligible sites. The feature automatically differentiates between branded and non-branded queries in the Performance Report, helping analyse traffic from users familiar with your brand versus those discovering you organically.
Read this update in detail →Looker Studio adds component-level visibility controls
Looker Studio has released component-level visibility controls, allowing report creators to hide specific charts and components from specific viewers within the same report. Visibility is controlled using group membership variables, so executives, agencies, and internal teams can see different data without maintaining separate reports.
Read this update in detail →YouTube Topic Insights dashboard released as open-source
Google has released YouTube Topic Insights, an open-source Looker Studio dashboard built on Google Cloud. The tool uses the YouTube Data API and Gemini to analyse video data and surface emerging trends and top creators.
Read this update in detail →Shopify app pixel optimisation settings can auto-disable tracking
Shopify added an "optimised" option to app pixels and customer events in January that will shut off an app if it does not detect data capture. The setting was designed to stop unused apps from running and sharing data.
Read this update in detail →Meta folds Collection Ads into other ad formats
Meta is removing Collection Ads as a standalone format from Ad Setup, with the change rolling out by account. The format will be included as an expanded display option within Single Image Ads or Catalogue Ads.
Read this update in detail →Meta announces format selection is changing
Meta has begun displaying a message in Ads Manager that announces a change to format selection. The message states that "Format display options in Ad creative will be the new way to choose formats" and that this gives advertisers "the flexibility to show ads in multiple formats."
Read this update in detail →Meta adds push delivery toggle for manual creative testing
Meta has introduced a "Push delivery to this ad" toggle that lets advertisers allocate a specific portion of their budget to a single ad. The feature guarantees the selected ad receives impressions regardless of how the algorithm would otherwise distribute spend.
Read this update in detail →Meta adds a call insights dashboard and a quick view breakdown
Meta is rolling out new features in Ads Manager. A new call insights dashboard is being added to Meta Business Suite, providing details on calls received through call ads with filtering options and customised call quality settings.
Read this update in detail →WhatsApp Business AI agent launches in Mexico
WhatsApp has expanded its native AI agent to business chats in Mexico. The tool responds to customer chats in real time and learns from each conversation in the account.
Read this update in detail →Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands prompts move to general availability
Amazon is moving Sponsored Products prompts and Sponsored Brands prompts from open beta to general availability in the US on March 25, 2026. Prompts are an AI-powered enhancement that automatically surfaces relevant product information to shoppers during their journey.
Read this update in detail →Sponsored Brands Collections are now live with automatic and manual options
Amazon has made the Sponsored Brands Collections format live with two options. Automatic mode lets Amazon's AI select products from your catalogue based on keyword targets and shopper queries, generating the ad title and landing page automatically.
Read this update in detail →Amazon adds AI Summary to campaign dashboards
Amazon has launched an AI Summary feature inside campaign dashboards. The summary analyses keywords, placements, visibility, and return metrics, then draws conclusions on a trend basis and suggests actions.
Read this update in detail →Meta acquires Moltbook, the AI agent social network
Meta has acquired Moltbook, the Reddit-like social network where AI agents using OpenClaw communicate with one another. Moltbook creators Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr are joining Meta Superintelligence Labs.
Read this update in detail →OpenAI is testing Ads Manager with pilot partners
OpenAI is testing an Ads Manager with a small group of partners as its ChatGPT advertising pilot takes shape. Early data shows some brands seeing click-through rates below 1%, far behind Google Search benchmarks.
Read this update in detail →ChatGPT builds an e-commerce product feed infrastructure
ChatGPT is now ingesting product feeds directly from merchants rather than scraping Google Shopping. Shopping results now display source feed names, including Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Chewy, Best Buy, Etsy, and Shopify merchants.
Read this update in detail →Shopify and ChatGPT checkout plans appear contradictory
Shopify emailed merchants that checkout in ChatGPT will launch by the end of March 2026. However, The Information reported last week that OpenAI is abandoning in-chat checkout.
Read this update in detail →Google Marketing Platform NewFront scheduled March 23rd
Google Marketing Platform has announced a NewFront event to introduce the Gemini advantage across its ecosystem. The presentation will cover how Gemini models are being integrated into the platform.
Read this update in detail →German industry rejects Apple's ATT Framework remedies
Six German umbrella associations representing publishers, broadcasters, advertisers, and ad-tech intermediaries have called on the Bundeskartellamt to reject Apple's proposed remedies for its App Tracking Transparency Framework. The Bundeskartellamt informed Apple in February 2025 that it considers ATT an abuse of dominance designed to boost Apple's advertising business.
Read this update in detail →Google Maps adds Ask Maps and Immersive Navigation
Google has introduced Ask Maps, a conversational AI layer built on Gemini that answers complex real-world questions. Users can ask questions like "Where can I charge my phone without waiting in line for coffee?"
Read this update in detail →Agents on BigQuery enable conversational analytics
Google Cloud has launched Agents on BigQuery, allowing users to build conversational analytics services by selecting tables and letting Gemini handle queries. The agent uses Gemini to understand questions, builds precise SQL queries, and determines the best visualisation format.
Read this update in detail →Decision frameworks for data-driven marketing
Arben Kqiku has published a guide on decision frameworks for data-driven marketing, addressing the gap between abundant data and clear decision-making. The article covers how to structure choices using potential (opportunity size) and efficiency (execution quality) dimensions, with practical examples from financial industry funnel analysis.
Read this update in detail →Global State of PPC 2026 report published
PPCsurvey.com has published the Global State of PPC 2026 report, featuring responses from over 1,300 practitioners across 60+ charts and 14,000 words. The report includes the first full chapter on AI in PPC with 10 questions on how practitioners actually use AI in daily work.
Read this update in detail →The advertiser takeaway
Each update reflects the source reporting at the time. Open an individual update for its full description, original links and media.
Explore the original edition
Every update from this edition is linked above. Explore the original newsletter for its full context, contributor credits and reporting links.
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