ICYMI: Brave blocks your ads and sells its own - and it's working: Brave browser grew from 80M to 109M monthly active users while selling its own ads after blocking publishers' - Jean-Paul Schmetz explains the model in detail. https://ppc.land/brave-blocks-your-ads-and-sells-its-own-and-its-working/ #BraveBrowser #AdBlockers #DigitalMarketing #Privacy #OnlineAdvertising

Google Marketing Platform gets the Gemini Advantage

Google’s Gemini models now sit at the heart of its marketing stack, helping brands predict where customers will go next across streaming, search and shopping.

https://gadgetbond.com/google-marketing-platform-gemini-advantage-newfront-2026/

YouTube rebranded BrandConnect to Creator Partnerships at NewFronts 2026

As creator sponsorships surge on YouTube, Creator Partnerships steps in to help brands scale beyond mega‑channels and work efficiently with mid‑tier voices.

https://gadgetbond.com/youtube-creator-partnerships-newfronts-2026/

Search Engine Land: YouTube tests sticky banner after ad skip. “YouTube is testing a sticky banner overlay that appears once a user skips an ad. Instead of the ad disappearing entirely, a branded card remains on-screen until the viewer actively dismisses it.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/03/19/search-engine-land-youtube-tests-sticky-banner-after-ad-skip/

ZDNet: There’s an easy way to skip YouTube’s new unskippable ads, but you may not like it. “The ads, which can be 6, 15, or 30 seconds long (Google AI will decide which length is appropriate in which instance), are designed to ‘ensure your message is delivered in its entirety,’ Google says. However, viewers on the receiving end of these ads are using words like unsufferable, miserable, […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/03/17/zdnet-theres-an-easy-way-to-skip-youtubes-new-unskippable-ads-but-you-may-not-like-it/

ZDNet: A Meta-powered investment scam is spreading across 25 countries – how to spot (and avoid) it. “Malvertising — the practice of using fake ads and websites in scams — is nothing new. However, several noteworthy insights emerged from the report regarding how a sprawling, coordinated network is using sponsored and paid Meta advertising to reach new victims on every corner of the globe.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/03/17/zdnet-a-meta-powered-investment-scam-is-spreading-across-25-countries-how-to-spot-and-avoid-it/

FYI: Google kills the ad load slider - AdSense banner ads get granular controls: Google AdSense replaces the ad load slider with advanced settings for banner ads on April 16, 2026, giving publishers precise control over ad count and spacing. https://ppc.land/google-kills-the-ad-load-slider-adsense-banner-ads-get-granular-controls/ #Google #AdSense #DigitalMarketing #OnlineAdvertising #BannerAds

Maine Morning Star: Maine considers regulation of AI-generated political ads. “Maine lawmakers advanced a proposal on Tuesday that would require political campaigns and political action committees to provide a disclosure label for any content significantly altered by artificial intelligence.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/03/15/maine-morning-star-maine-considers-regulation-of-ai-generated-political-ads/

Australia's internet ad market hits $18.4bn - but not all formats won: Australia's internet advertising market grew 11.5% to $18.4bn in 2025, with video surging 19.8% and social video up 35.1%, per IAB Australia and PwC data. https://ppc.land/australias-internet-ad-market-hits-18-4bn-but-not-all-formats-won/ #Australia #InternetAds #DigitalMarketing #AdvertisingGrowth #OnlineAdvertising

Search Engine Land: Google contacts advertisers with a mandatory EU political ads deadline. “Google is reaching out directly to advertisers via email, requiring them to confirm whether their campaigns contain EU political ads — with a hard deadline of March 31st…. EU regulation now requires Google to verify political ad status across all active campaigns, and advertisers who don’t act […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/03/09/search-engine-land-google-contacts-advertisers-with-a-mandatory-eu-political-ads-deadline/