Digiday Daily

April 06, 2026

The Trade Desk has been testing new automated buying modes with select clients that streamline campaign management but roll media, data and tech fees into a single price.

The new “Trading Modes” – currently in closed beta for select clients, as confirmed to Digiday by four ad execs – offers advertisers two ways to run campaigns.

TOP STORY

Marketing on Platforms

The Trade Desk is changing how advertisers buy -- and what they can see

The Trade Desk’s new buying modes bundle costs and automate decisions. Here’s what that means for advertisers.

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

In a virtual event on April 14, retailers can learn from the multichannel growth playbook. Register to hear a conversation about how brands expand to TikTok Shop and Walmart without breaking operations. Sponsored by Helium10.
Rather than add another interface for sellers and agencies to work with, Hector Ai brought Amazon advertising intelligence to where customers were already working for a more natural agent-driven workflow. Partner insights from Amazon Ads.
Connect with leaders from Allbirds, Yeti, Bloomingdale’s and many others at the Modern Retail Marketing Summit from April 20-22 in Huntington Beach. Learn more and secure your pass soon.

MEDIA & PLATFORMS

The Programmatic Publisher

CNN builds in-house agent infrastructure as it prepares for AI-driven media trading

In Q3, it plans to test one or two properties to see how they’re interpreted by LLMs, before turning in Q4 to buyer behavior and whether budgets are being allocated toward agent-to-agent trading experiments.

Member exclusive

Media Buying Briefing: Instrument's CEO on how agencies need to lead clients on AI

Part of Stagwell’s Code and Theory Network, Instrument has been able to help clients imagine projects not doable just a handful of years ago.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM HELIUM 10

The multichannel growth playbook — a virtual event

In a virtual event on April 14, Helium 10’s Bradley Sutton, vp of education and strategy, and Shivali Patel, senior brand evangelist, unpack how brands expand into TikTok Shop and Walmart without breaking operations.

MODERN RETAIL

Retail Revolution

AI talk at retail events shifts to proving real results, defining a true strategy

AI is moving further and further away from the experimentation phase. That was clear at this year’s Shoptalk Spring.

Member exclusive

Digiday+ Research: Retailers take a more complex approach to loyalty

Loyalty programs have changed over the last year: The number of retailers who offer them has increased, and the programs are now more complex.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM PATHLABS

Human-led service is an AI differentiator for agencies

As AI increases the bar for speed and responsiveness, the best people spend more time coordinating than doing the work only humans can do. Tools meant to simplify can end up costing agencies time, confidence and eventually, accounts.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM VIAFOURA