This week’s update is shaped by a familiar tension, platforms are growing their ad businesses and product depth at pace, but they are also being pushed harder on measurement, competition and real commercial outcomes. A new ad platform has arrived, the video budget is shifting and The World Cup is starting to move the dial on brand performance. All the while the consumer environment remains under pressure in ways that are reshaping where and how people spend.
We’re seeing More inventory, more surfaces to buy across, and more pressure to prove what it all actually does.
Social video overtakes CTV in growth for the first time
According to the IAB’s 2026 Digital Video Ad Spend and Strategy Report, US digital video ad spend is projected to surpass $80 billion this year, growing 11% year on year and accounting for more than 60% of total TV and video ad spend for the first time. Within that, social video is forecast to grow at 13%, overtaking CTV’s 11% for the first time. The shift is being driven by increased time spent on platforms, falling production costs through generative AI tools, and strong performance signals from short-form vertical video on Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
What this means: This is a significant structural shift in where video budgets are going, and it has direct implications for how plans are built. Social video is no longer competing with CTV for a slice of budgets. It is winning the growth race. For performance-focused teams, social video increasingly combines the reach of broadcast with the targeting and measurement of performance media. Plans that are still underweighting social video relative to CTV should be revisited, particularly with the World Cup approaching and short-form content driving incremental reach at scale.
Pinterest reports its strongest quarter in over a year
Pinterest posted Q1 2026 revenue of $1.01 billion, up 18% year on year, beating analyst forecasts and sending its shares up nearly 20% in extended trading. Monthly active users grew to 631 million, the tenth consecutive quarter of double-digit user growth. Ad impressions rose 24%, driven by its AI-powered Taste Graph and Performance+ advertising tools, which are showing improved ROAS and CPA metrics compared to standard campaigns. Pinterest also poached Greg Owens from X as its new sales chief, signalling continued commercial ambition.
What this means: Pinterest is quietly becoming one of the most commercially interesting platforms in the mix. It sits at the intersection of discovery and purchase intent in a way few other platforms can replicate, and the performance improvements from its AI ad tools are moving it closer to being a credible lower-funnel channel alongside its traditional brand role. For brands in retail, fashion, home and lifestyle, the combination of growing reach, improving performance tools and relatively lower CPCs than Meta or Google makes it worth serious consideration, particularly as competition intensifies on the larger platforms.
World Cup sponsors are outperforming the market
New research from IG shows that major FIFA World Cup sponsors have historically delivered an average return of 7.1% during tournament cycles, outperforming the S&P 500 by a factor of three and the FTSE 100 by five. Apparel brands have seen the strongest uplift, with Nike averaging a 17.7% surge across previous tournaments. AB InBev, Coca-Cola and Kia have all consistently outperformed the average. With the 2026 tournament kicking off in the US, Canada and Mexico on June 11th, brands are already moving. Diageo has posted a surprise sales boost as buyers load up on drinks ahead of the tournament, while Heineken is investing £44 million into British pubs in preparation.
What this means: The commercial case for World Cup investment is well established, but the window for activation is now. The brands getting the most from tournament cycles are not just buying inventory around matches. They are building campaigns that extend from 30 days before the first game through to three months after the final. For brands not in formal sponsorship, the opportunity is in cultural proximity, creator-led content, and channels where real-time engagement during matches is possible. The data points to this being one of the most commercially significant sporting moments in years.
OpenAI opens ChatGPT ads to the UK and launches self-serve buying
OpenAI has launched a beta self-serve Ads Manager for ChatGPT, opening CPC bidding alongside its existing CPM model and giving advertisers direct access to manage, pace and measure campaigns without going through agency intermediaries. Major holding companies including WPP, Publicis, Omnicom and Dentsu are now working with OpenAI as agency partners, alongside ad tech platforms such as Criteo, Adobe and StackAdapt. The UK expansion was announced just two days after the US self-serve launch, with OpenAI citing strong demand from businesses wanting to reach users in a more conversational, intent-driven environment. The company is targeting $2.5 billion in ad revenue this year and $100 billion by 2030.
What this means: ChatGPT is moving from a branding experiment to a performance channel, and it is doing so fast. The shift to CPC is the critical change. It gives performance marketers a familiar testing framework and positions ChatGPT in direct competition with Google for intent-driven budgets. The real question is conversion quality. ChatGPT users are often in research and comparison mode, which creates genuine intent signals, but until third-party measurement matures, cautious testing rather than serious allocation is the right stance. The UK rollout means this is now a live consideration for 26PMX clients, not a distant one.
Amazon opens its logistics network and drones land in the UK
Amazon has opened its global delivery network to outside businesses for the first time, allowing third-party retailers to use its fulfilment and shipping infrastructure regardless of whether they sell on Amazon. Separately, Amazon has launched the UK’s first retail drone delivery service in Darlington, capable of delivering packages in under an hour. These moves sit alongside continued growth in its ad business and a reported fresh attempt to enter the UK grocery market, taking on the established supermarket players through its existing Amazon Fresh operation.
What this means: Amazon is expanding well beyond its retail platform into logistics infrastructure, last-mile delivery and grocery in ways that will affect every ecommerce brand operating in the UK. Opening the delivery network to outside businesses is significant because it gives Amazon a recurring revenue stream that is not dependent on whether brands sell through its marketplace. For brands, it raises a genuine strategic question about where Amazon sits in their supply chain, not just their media mix.
Brands are becoming invisible on TikTok search
New research from Performance Marketing World shows that 4 in 10 brands are completely invisible on TikTok search, as creators dominate the organic rankings. TikTok’s search function is increasingly being used as a discovery tool, particularly by younger audiences, and creator-led content is outranking brand-owned content in virtually every category. Alongside this, own-label innovation has overtaken branded for the first time according to new Grocer data, reflecting continued pressure on brands to justify their premium in a value-conscious market.
What this means: TikTok search is a growing blind spot for most brand teams. If your products are being researched on TikTok and your brand does not appear in those results, you are ceding the consideration phase entirely to creators and competitors who do. Building an organic TikTok presence is no longer just a content play. It is becoming a search and discovery strategy in its own right. For brands feeling the pressure from own-label competition, the answer is not just price positioning. It is making sure the brand story is visible at the exact moment consumers are deciding.
Consumer pressure is building, but spending on experience is holding
Retail footfall has hit a five-year low according to the BRC, with shoppers making fewer trips as financial pressure intensifies. JD Sports has warned of muted growth, WH Smith stores are at risk of closure and food prices are set to rise further. But the picture is not uniform. Diageo has posted surprise sales growth on the back of World Cup-related loading. Uber has reported strong bookings despite Middle East conflict headwinds. And new Mastercard research points to nostalgia and escapism as active drivers of spending, with experiences and cultural moments holding up where everyday discretionary is not.
What this means: Consumers are not stopping spending. They are being more deliberate about where. Routine and convenience spending is softening, but spending tied to moments, experiences and emotional connection is proving more resilient. For brands, the commercial opportunity is in understanding which side of that line their product sits on and positioning accordingly, both in media and in messaging.
That’s a wrap for this week. Potential Unpacked drops weekly, helping you keep up with what’s changing and what to do about it.
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