Digiday Daily

February 12, 2026

If this year’s Super Bowl commercials made one thing clear, it’s that companies are still trying to sell Americans on AI. As public sentiment wanes, however, brands are recalibrating how they position themselves in the era of AI.

TOP STORY

Generative AI

With AI backlash building, marketers reconsider their approach

With AI hype giving way to skepticism, advertisers are reassessing how the technology fits into their workflows and brand positioning.

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

Podcasts provide a distraction-free, lean-in experience, ideal for complex messaging where trust and attention are paramount. A new tool provides the empirical evidence teams need to move budget into the podcast space more confidently. Partner insights from NPR.
Discounts are like empty calories — revenue without positive contribution. A unified incentives marketing strategy aligns internal teams around a shared strategy to build customer lifetime value and increase profits. Partner Insights from Talon.One.
Every manual task, campaign setup, pacing, tagging and trafficking leaks margin. Agencies that lean into AI media agents as the first line of financial defense will find that their revenue isn’t squandered to inefficiency. Partner insights from fullthrottle.ai.

MEDIA & PLATFORMS

Brands in Culture

Despite flight to fame, celeb talent isn’t as sure a bet as CMOs think

Brands are leaning more heavily on celebrity talent in advertising. Marketers see guaranteed wins in working with big names, but there are hidden risks.

AI Revenue Generation

Overheard at the Digiday AI Marketing Strategies event

Marketers, brands, and tech companies chat in-person at Digiday’s AI Marketing Strategies event about internal friction, how best to use AI tools, and more.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM THE WEATHER COMPANY

Video: How weather universally drives consumer behavior

Weather impacts what people try, buy and how they feel. This powers targeting to predict the moments when weather shifts a consumer’s mindset toward purchase, driving sales and long-term growth. Learn more in this video.

AI Revenue Generation

Thrive Market's Amina Pasha believes brands that focus on trust will win in an AI-first world

Amina Pasha, CMO at Thrive Market, believes building trust can help brands differentiate themselves.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM EXPERIAN

Why context is key to making AI successful in marketing

As AI takes center stage in marketing strategy, context is emerging as the differentiator that turns reactive automation into predictive intelligence.

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