Digiday Daily

April 30, 2026

Google is widening the scope of its AI Max ad product, extending it beyond search into shopping and travel, while introducing new controls designed to make automation more steerable for advertisers.

The updates, unveiled this week — and just a day after its parent company Alphabet posted Q1 revenues of $110 billion, up 22% annually — point to a familiar trajectory: more AI-led execution, with marketers now operating by feeding inputs into a platform, rather than manually operating it.

TOP STORY

AI Revenue Generation

The Rundown: Google expands AI Max as automation shifts upstream

Google issues AI Max updates come as parent company Alphabet boasts Q1 revenues of $110 billion.

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

From Digiday’s sister brand Glossy: With tariff uncertainty, growing AI usage, new marketing channels and more, the Glossy E-Commerce Summit, taking place rom June 1-3 in Miami, will dive into what’s really working for leading brands.
Combining CTV with purchase data allows marketers to optimize for business outcomes instead of viewership, particularly as streaming platforms introduce more shoppable formats. Partner insights from Circana.
According to research from Keen Decision Systems, only 10% of marketers incorporate prior knowledge into their forecasts, an indication that most start from scratch every time. Partner insights from Keen Decision Systems.

MEDIA & PLATFORMS

Marketing on Platforms

Meta opens its ad ecosystem to third-party AI tools

The platform is introducing Meta ads AI connectors, as part of its broader AI push to make campaign management easier.

Member exclusive

Media Briefing: Publishers rewire sales teams for the outcomes era

Publishers are overhauling traditional ad sales teams in favor of outcome-driven teams focused on performance and client success.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM GOOGLE AD MANAGER

Live streaming is a borderless $4 billion global opportunity

As publishers are on the hook to deliver a smooth, reliable ad experience to massive, simultaneous global audiences, the only way to hit this kind of scale is with programmatic advertising.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM PATHLABS

The new risk emerging for independent agencies

As retail media and programmatic spend surge, independent agencies are juggling more platforms, more data and more expectations. As a result, execution is becoming the biggest risk to performance and retention.

MARKETING

Navigating Economic Instability

Uncertainty is the real cost of the Middle East war for advertisers

The war nobody can price in.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM OPTABLE

Publishers that embrace agentic AI move faster and win more