Facebook is rolling out a new design for right-hand column ads to make them visually consistent with News Feed ads, using the same proportions, larger size, and fewer ads. This change aims to improve user experience and simplify ad creation for advertisers. Early tests have shown up to 3x more engagement.
Advertisers can now use the same image for both News Feed and right-hand column placements, eliminating the need for separate creative. The rollout begins for some advertisers later this month, with all advertisers transitioning later this year. During the transition, both old and new formats will be supported.
Google is introducing new ad formats powered by Gemini models for AI Mode in Search. These include Conversational Discovery ads, which answer specific user queries with tailored creative, and Highlighted Answers, which surface relevant ads within AI-generated recommendations. Additionally, AI-powered Shopping ads provide custom product explainers, and Business Agent for Leads offers chatbot interactions for lead generation. The Direct Offers pilot is expanding with promotional bundling, native checkout, and travel partner integration. For ad ops decision-makers, these innovations emphasize personalization, transparency with independent AI explanations, and seamless conversion paths.
Google is testing new AI-powered ad formats in Search using Gemini models. Conversational Discovery ads answer specific queries with tailored creative, while Highlighted Answers surface relevant sponsored recommendations. AI-powered Shopping ads generate custom product explainers, and Business Agent for Leads provides real-time chatbot interactions. The Direct Offers pilot expands with promotion bundling, native checkout, and travel deals. 75% of users make faster decisions with AI Mode. These innovations shift ads from static listings to helpful, conversational experiences, building trust through independent AI explanations and clear sponsorship labels.
TikTok and Salesforce expand partnership with integrations across Agentforce Sales, Marketing, Commerce, and Data 360. Key benefits: real-time lead syncing from TikTok Lead Gen ads into Salesforce CRM, automated product catalog sync for commerce campaigns, first-party data activation for targeting and lookalike audiences, and AI-powered workflows. This enables advertisers to streamline operations, improve conversion tracking, and turn TikTok discovery into measurable customer relationships.
In 2025, AI agents will automate ad production and UA, reducing personnel needs. Privacy concerns persist despite Google's cookie reversal, driving contextual targeting and new identifiers. Advertisers will explore CTV and in-app inventory via cost-per-outcome deals. M&A activity ramps up, with deal volume up 118% YoY. AI-generated creative becomes crucial as targeting narrows, enabling scalable, varied ad creatives.
Analysis of 2022 World Cup mobile data reveals that the tournament's largest engagement window occurs early, with sports entertainment installs spiking 189% and sports news 204% on November 22. Engagement revolves around national team matches, with significant spikes from non-participating markets like China (+1,294% sports entertainment installs). For 2026, brands must adapt in real-time to shifting attention across matches and regions. Adjust's AI-powered attribution and analytics provide the visibility needed to capitalize on these global events.
Unity Vector expands its ROAS suite with D28 Ad Revenue ROAS and D28 Hybrid ROAS campaigns, enabling advertisers to optimize for long-term user value across ad-only and hybrid monetization models. Closed beta results show significant lifts in retention and ARPU compared to D7 campaigns: D28 Ad Revenue ROAS achieved up to +62% median D28 retention uplift and +68% ARPU uplift; D28 Hybrid ROAS saw +76% retention and +41% ARPU uplift. This completes Unity's D28 ROAS offering alongside existing IAP ROAS, allowing advertisers to target users whose value builds beyond the first week.
OneLink API 2.0 turns deep link creation into scalable infrastructure, addressing the surge in owned-media conversions (67% growth) and web-to-app journeys (250%+). It adds programmatic QR generation, custom TTL controls, and an upgraded developer experience. For ad ops decision-makers, this means automating personalized links across channels, improving conversion rates, and enabling measurable offline-to-app acquisition—without manual overhead or separate vendors.
At MAU 2026, the industry agreed that attention, not production, is the bottleneck. Cross-platform web-to-app attribution is now achievable with AppsFlyer's mobile-grade measurement extending to web, giving ad ops a unified view. AI is in production, with Square's team shipping six live workflows. Web-to-app is the most efficient top-of-funnel for app businesses, and retention overtakes acquisition. Ad ops must prioritize clean signal layers and incrementality testing over single-metric attribution.
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