Google Just Turned TVs Into AI Assistants
Plus: Amazon's AI ads, Google's clever mood board, and AI's ROI problem.
đ Happy Thursday AI Marketers. Gemini is coming to your TV, but itâs about so much more than entertainment. Amazon is the latest to promise end-to-end, AI generated ad campaigns. Mood boards meet AI with Googleâs new Mixboard. And whoâs gonna pay for all this AI? Lots to cover today. Letâs get you caught upâŚ
Google Brings TV Into the AI Era
The quest to deliver the ultimate AI assistant has been playing out on phones, laptops, and smart speakers. But Google just pulled a brilliant move. It put Gemini on the biggest screen in the house.
On Google TV, Gemini is more than a way to find your next binge watch. It can answer questions, brainstorm trips, surface reviews, even teach your kid how volcanoes erupt. The living room TV just became a voice-search hub for products, services, and learning.
For brands, this is massive. The television isnât just for entertainment anymore. Itâs a discovery gateway where purchase intent can spark on the spot. Whoever figures out how to show up in that flow first will own a whole new channel of attention.
Amazonâs New AI âCreative Partnerâ Puts Campaigns on Autopilot
Meta isnât the only tech giant betting brands will embrace ad campaigns on autopilot. Amazon is rolling out an AI assistant that can handle campaign planning end to end, from audience research to final creative assets. Whatâs it all mean? Small brands could get a lot more for their money. And agencies could be cut out of the loop.
What Ad Lawyers Are Saying About AI
If AI generated campaigns are the future, ad lawyers are already bracing for the fallout. At the National Advertising Division conference, lawyers warned that AI-generated ads could easily cross into false advertising territory. A bag of too perfect potato chips? A burger that doesnât match the real thing? Claims like this are already on thin ice and adding AI to the mix wonât help.
Search is Changing, but Wirecutter is Sticking with SEO. Hereâs Why.
Organic traffic is evaporating as AI overviews gain steam, but Wirecutter isnât walking away from SEO. The NYT-owned product review site is shifting headlines toward first-person storytelling, building more service-driven guides, and leaning harder into YouTube and newsletters to reduce dependence on search. Ready to throw in the towel on SEO? Read this first.
How is the World Going to Pay for AI?
Sam Altman says AI will one day be a human right. The problem is, no one wants to pay for it now. Businesses say the ROI isnât there. Consumers arenât buying add-ons. And Bain argues the budgets required for AI data centers simply donât exist. Nvidia and OpenAI may be scheming on solutions, but most investors are already overexposed. The bubble risk is real, and if it pops...
Brainstorming with AI has always had a catch. ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney⌠the ideas all live in separate chats, leaving marketers to manually stitch outputs into decks and concept boards. Enter Googleâs new Mixboard. Itâs an open canvas where text, images, and edits stay in one place, so creative teams can actually build and refine campaign concepts together. Think of it as Figma for AI-generated ideas. A workspace, not just a prompt box.
đď¸ My top 3 podcast picks this week:
NO BRAINER
Navigating Answer Engine Optimization Approaches
Chasing shiny AEO and GEO tactics can distract from what really matters. Katherine Watier Ong argues the fundamentals of SEO still drive results. She explains how to approach AI Overviews, why AI-driven traffic remains tiny, and where brands should focus to avoid wasting resources.
GARTNER THINKCAST
AI Strategy, Marketing Growth: What Every CMO Must Do Now
CMOs face pressure from every direction. Gartner experts Alex De Fursac Gash and Kristina LaRocca-Cerrone outline how to avoid strategic dysfunction, use AI as an actor not just a tool, and build resilience with scenario planning. A playbook for turning volatility into long-term growth.
THE VERGECAST
YouTube Wants You to Go Live
If your video strategy still treats YouTube like a library, you may be falling behind. Mia Sato explains why YouTube is betting big on livestreaming, turning into a digital shopping mall, and layering on new AI tools designed to change how creators engage audiences.
Have a favorite podcast to recommend? Shoot me the details.
đ¨ AI-forward companies are looking for AI-forward marketers:
Creative Technologist, AI Marketing
Google
Translate earlyâstage AI into demos and experiences by conceptualizing and building media and code generation showcases, collaborating across design and engineering, and requiring handsâon coding and generative model expertise.
Growth Marketer
Rumi.ai
Drive productâled growth for Rumiâs AI-driven meeting memory platform by designing experiments, A/B testing, defining metrics, managing budgets, and leveraging AI-powered tools to optimize campaigns and scale adoption.
Head of Product Marketing
TaxCloud
Own product positioning and launches for TaxCloudâs AI-enabled tax automation, partnering with product and sales, creating content and market insights, and using AI tools like ChatGPT to accelerate research and messaging.
Staff Brand and Content Marketing Manager
Together AI
Build and execute brand and content marketing strategy for a frontier AI cloud, crafting narratives, leading multiâchannel campaigns, managing social channels and budgets, and measuring brand awareness and growth.
VP Marketing
Leapsome
Build an AI-first marketing organization for Leapsomeâs AI-powered people platform, architecting AI-driven strategies and automation, designing go-to-market campaigns, uniting product and sales, and amplifying brand leadership.
đ Join AI marketers at these upcoming events:
GAI World
Boston, MA, September 29â30
See first-hand how industry leaders are leveraging GenAI to supercharge their businesses and dive deep into the latest AI trends and ground-breaking insights from Harvard Business School and MITâs leading experts.
DataConnect
Columbus, OH, October 2â3
Bringing together industry leaders, technical experts and entrepreneurs to discuss the latest trends, advancements, technologies, and innovations in data, analytics, machine learning, and AI.
LavaCon
Atlanta, GA, October 5â8
LavaCon is to help content strategists, documentation managers, user experience designers, and other content professionals increase revenue and decrease costs by solving content-related business problems.
WTSFest (Women in Tech)
Philadelphia, PA, October 7
Join some of the most innovative SEOs and marketers in the industry for a full-day WTSFest designed to keep you ahead of the SEO and marketing curve while also ensuring you feel welcome, included, and comfortable.
VidSummit
Dallas, TX, October 7â9
VidSummit is for Video Creators and Influencers, Marketers, Agencies and Brands involved in the Content Creation Process. Get access to the worldâs leading experts on audience growth all in one place.
1682: The Business of Innovation Conference
Philadelphia, PA, October 8
1682 explores the innovation landscape, with a focus on how AI is influencing profit + process, through behind-the-scenes demos and details. 1682 focuses on the real-world use of AI. What works, what doesnât, and why.
Conductor
New York City, NY, October 9
Join the brightest minds and most innovative leaders in AI and digital marketing at New Yorkâs premier AEO Conference. Learn what it takes to amplify your brand and drive growth through new AI search experiences.
Have an event to add? Send me the details.
