Here are the recommended reads for this week and why they matter:
Google’s rollout of AI Overviews is transforming searches just in time for the holidays, cutting site traffic but boosting visibility and forcing marketers to rethink how they appear in an intent-driven search world. At the same time, Ad Age’s Insider podcast looks ahead to 2030, exploring how AI could reshape creativity, agencies, influencers, and shopping itself. Together, these stories highlight the shifting ground marketers are standing on and why it is worth paying attention to now.
Google’s new AI Overviews, which place direct answers at the top of the results page instead of just showing links, transform how people shop online this holiday season. Research from Pew and BrightEdge shows the impact: when AI summaries appear, only 8% of users click through to websites, compared with 15% when they do not. At the same time, impressions are up nearly 50%, meaning more shoppers are seeing brands in search, even if they are not clicking through. The change is tied to more natural, open-ended search questions, and it is stretching the holiday shopping season into a longer, more deliberate buying period.
For marketers, the shift marks the end of purely keyword-driven strategies. Google urges brands to embrace AI-powered creative tools, demand generation, and storytelling to align with intent-based search behavior. The opportunity now is to reach consumers earlier, answer their broader questions, and build engagement long before the final purchase.
AI’s rapid rise is forcing the ad industry to rethink how creativity, media buying, and influencer marketing will look by 2030. Experts on Ad Age’s Insider podcast agreed that AI excels at execution, from animation to illustration, but its ability to generate original ideas remains uncertain. Many believe human-level ideation will remain out of reach for years, if not permanently. Still, agencies are already automating creative production lines, experimenting with low-cost offshore hubs, and preparing for a future where execution is largely handled by machines. That shift could push agencies to double down on strategy, consulting, and building internal systems for brands.
Other changes are already emerging. Marketers are auditing how their content appears in AI-driven search results, while brands and influencers are experimenting with AI-generated “clones” and avatars. These digital stand-ins promise efficiency but raise questions about authenticity and usage rights. Looking ahead, AI-powered agents could become central to shopping, with consumers asking assistants to order “Charmin” or book “Delta” flights by name. The consensus: marketers need to start experimenting now, build frameworks for human-AI collaboration, and lock in loyalty early if they want to be ready for the next wave of disruption.
In Summary
AI is changing the rules of marketing faster than most brands can keep up. From today’s search results to tomorrow’s creative workflows and influencer strategies, the winners will be those who adapt early, embrace experimentation, and find the right balance between automation and human judgment.
Check back next week for another roundup of Media That Matters.
Rob Wyse is Senior Director of Communications at Optimove.
As a communications consultant, he has been influential in changing public opinion and policy to drive market opportunity. Example issues he has worked on include climate change, healthcare reform, homeland security, cloud transformation, AI, and other timely issues.
