Digiday Daily

August 21, 2026

Discord’s new format lets brands offer players rewards for completing in-game actions, such as finishing a match, completing a tutorial or playing with a friend. It marks a shift for Discord from simply putting brands in front of its highly engaged gaming communities to giving advertisers a way to drive — and measure — what those users do next.

TOP STORY

Marketing on Platforms

Discord adds lower funnel with outcomes push

Discord is pushing its ad business further down the funnel, betting that its gaming communities can deliver more than impressions.

Agentic AI is projected to account for 15%–25% of total U.S. e-commerce by 2030, according to Bain & Company — an indication that businesses won’t truly be omnichannel unless they have incorporated agentic shopping experiences. Partner insights from Talon.One.
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The publisher playbook is shifting as AI changes media. The imperative for measurable, high-quality inventory and audiences will only accelerate as AI-driven automation reshapes the media buying landscape. Partner insights from Google.

MARKETING

The Creator Economy

For brands, the creator ambassador is becoming a creator executive

The new creator partnership brings them into the C-Suite and seeks input and strategy, like Blenders and Jordan “The Stallion” Howlett.

Navigating Economic Instability

Walmart gets close to $3 billion in tariff refunds

Tariff refunds continue to bolster big retailers while consumers remain constrained by higher fuel prices and other macroeconomic factors.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM OPTABLE

How agent-ready publishers set themselves up for long-term success

To adopt agentic AI at scale, organizations need to prioritize critical areas of agentic readiness. Publishers who have invested in identity infrastructure for privacy compliance are already ahead, as agent readiness and identity readiness are the same project.

A MESSAGE FROM GOOGLE

How publishers can strengthen connections with advertisers in the AI era

Today’s audiences are highly decentralized — searching, streaming, scrolling and shopping across a spectrum of platforms. To maximize yield across this complex landscape, publishers must clearly demonstrate the unique contextual value of their properties and audiences.

Learn more

Retail Media Rewritten

Inside toy brand Sticki Rolls' YouTube strategy to win over Gen Alpha

Toy brand Sticki Rolls is hoping to turn its YouTube creator-generated buzz into a Gen Alpha collectible brand through pop-ups and retail expansion.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM PAYPAL ADS

Why the most important influencer has no followers

The most valuable influencer in a given category probably has no followers, no media kit and no idea they’re influencing anyone. They’re the leader of a friend group. When they pay, their friends do too.