Digiday Daily

September 16, 2025

S4 Capital has dropped the pretense. The company’s top brass are now openly framing AI agents not as enhancement to agency work, but as the replacement. In their view, the traditional agency model isn’t evolving – it’s being automated out. They’re not alone in that view.

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TOP STORY

AI Revenue Generation

When CMOs pay for agents not agencies: S4 Capital’s AI gambit

S4 Capital execs say the quiet part out loud: AI is eating the ad industry.

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

Join us for the Digiday Media Buying Summit, taking place October 15-17, in Phoenix to connect with media buyers as we explore the latest trends and strategies shaping the industry. Secure your passes now — seats are limited.
When done right — in a brand-safe, contextually relevant environment — gaming is more than an add-on to an omnichannel marketing strategy. Partner insights from Activision Blizzard Media.
Pause ad success comes from matching the right ad with the right moment. Brands whose pause ads focus on food delivery services and discounts move beyond simply advertising to provide solutions to consumers’ needs. Partner insights from DIRECTV.

MARKETING

Member exclusive

Ad Tech Briefing: Ad fraud hasn’t gone away – it’s getting more widespread with AI

Also, don’t forget to make your voice heard in Digiday’s poll ahead of the final furlong of Google ad tech antitrust trial.

Audio Anywhere

Amazon is dialing up its DSP in pact with SiriusXM

The deal comes a week after Amazon announced a similar deal with Netflix, causing the stock price of rival DSP The Trade Desk to falter.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM CELTRA

Virtual event: Behind Unilever’s AI-powered creative transformation

Join this virtual event on Sept. 24, or watch on demand, to learn best practices for scaling digital advertising without sacrificing quality.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM MARIGOLD

Live session: Strategies for subscriber engagement — from revenue to retention and loyalty

Subscriber engagement is top of mind for every media brand, but siloed data, rising acquisition costs and ongoing churn make sustainable growth more challenging than ever. Join this webinar on Sept. 30, or watch on demand, to learn how publishers are rethinking subscriber engagement to build loyalty and long-term revenue.

Retail Revolution

Ferrero's Danielle Sporkin breaks down the reality behind retail media’s full-funnel promise

The brand exec shared how Ferrero is rethinking retail media as a full-funnel tool — but challenges remain — at the Retail Media Advertising Strategies event in New York City.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM FLUENT

How retailers are opening new channels for brand advertising

Retailers have what most advertisers want: untapped high-intent traffic and first-party data, waiting to be monetized. Read this WTF guide to learn how non-endemic commerce media benefits retailers and brands.