This week’s edition breaks down how AI is reshaping paid media at the point of distribution — not just creation. From Google Ads’ generative creative refresh inside Performance Max to the rise of ads inside AI chat interfaces, we’re entering a phase where iteration speed, visibility inside AI answers, and workflow control determine performance.
Inside this edition:
🚨 AI Top Story: Google Ads expands generative AI creative refresh inside Performance Max — why iteration speed now matters more than audience hacks
🌐 AI News for Marketers: Ads inside chat, workflow-first AI adoption, and why agentic tools aren’t replacing teams
🛠 AI Tool of the Week: Performance Max (AI creative refresh) — verdict for paid media teams
🎯 Killer Marketing Prompt: Turn one winning campaign into 20 psychologically distinct variants
🎥 AI YouTube Resource: The six AI trends that will shape advertising and marketing in 2026
🤣 AI Meme of the Week: Automation is great until you automate yourself out of the loop
Stop using AI like a search box.
Next Tuesday’s Lunch & Learn shows how to turn Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini into real workflow engines—persistent systems that capture your expertise and automate repeatable work. Hosted by Mark Hinkle, this session breaks down how to build menu-driven AI projects that actually scale across your day-to-day tasks.
If you use AI at work, this will change how you use it.
Join us on January 27, 12:00 PM EST and leave with practical frameworks you can use immediately.
Google Ads Quietly Upgrades Performance Max With Generative AI Creative Refresh
Google has expanded generative AI inside Performance Max, allowing advertisers to generate new headlines, descriptions, and images directly inside asset groups — without rebuilding campaigns from scratch.
This matters because Performance Max optimizes at the asset level, not just the campaign level. Teams can now refresh creative more frequently while preserving learning, instead of waiting weeks between major updates.
Why this matters for marketers:
If you’re still refreshing PMax creative quarterly, you’re leaving performance on the table.
Sponsored answers, recommendations, and citations inside AI tools are starting to look like the next ad surface. Discovery is no longer just SERPs and feeds — it’s conversational.
OpenAI has started rolling out advertising in ChatGPT for free and Go-tier users, placing clearly labeled ads below responses — a model designed to sustain broad access without compromising conversation quality.
As promises of “one-stop AI solutions” proliferate, brands are being advised to separate hype from reality and assert control over AI tools — especially around emerging agentic AI workflows.
Adobe’s new Creators’ Toolkit Report finds that 97% of Indian content creators say generative AI is helping them grow, highlighting how adoption is accelerating within digital creative workflows.
AI isn’t future tech — it’s already fundamentally transforming digital marketing, from automated personalization and customer insights to predictive analytics.
🎯 The Artificially Intelligent Enterprise - The Right Way to Automate Work With AI Agents
🔮 AI Lesson - Take Your Google Workspace to the Next Level with Gemini
☕ AI Tangle - Ads, Agents, Healthcare Models & $100B Lawsuits — AI’s Real World Hits the Mainstream
💡 AI CIO - Fresh Minds Outsmart the Experts
📻 AI Confidential Podcast - Are LLMs Dead?
Google Ads Performance Max (AI Creative Refresh)
Performance Max now supports AI-assisted creative generation directly inside asset groups — headlines, descriptions, and images — enabling faster iteration and testing.
Why marketers are using it:
Refresh creative without resetting learning
Test more angles with less ops overhead
Let AI handle variation while humans focus on strategy
Best for:
Ecommerce brands, lead gen teams, paid media managers running PMax at scale
Verdict: BUY
If you already run PMax, AI creative refresh is now table stakes.
Campaign Variant Engine
Use this to turn one winning idea into multiple testable angles — fast.
You are my senior performance marketing strategist.
I will give you:
• Campaign goal
• Target audience
• One winning core message
Generate:
• 10 paid ad variants
• 5 email subject lines
• 5 organic social hooks
Rules:
• Each variant must test a different psychological angle
• Label each angle (risk, authority, curiosity, outcome)
• Recommend the best channel for each
Output a clear testing plan with KPIs.Run this weekly to keep creative fresh without burning your team.
Google Ads 2026 Explained: AI Is Choosing Your Customers Now
Google Ads in 2026 no longer runs on keywords and clicks alone. Google’s AI now prioritizes intent, behavior, and conversion value to decide who sees ads.
The video explains how AI Mode, conversational search, and Performance Max have reshaped Google Ads—and why outdated setups lead to higher CPCs and unstable ROAS. It shares the modern framework e-commerce brands need to stay profitable in an AI-first ad ecosystem.
Automation is great until you automate yourself out of the loop.
I appreciate your support.
