
A LITTLE UPDATE
	The ad industry feels like it’s reorganising itself in real time right now. This week alone, Dentsu ANZ shut down the Merkle brand locally and sold off its Salesforce business, OpenAI officially launched a self-serve ad platform, Amazon used its upfront pitch to push ad tech just as heavily as content, and US networks doubled down on creators, AI and live sport as the centrepiece of 2026 upfront conversations. Underneath all of it sits the same broader move, advertising is moving even further upstream into infrastructure, systems, data and automation. The industry still talks heavily about media, creative and optimisation, but increasingly the competitive edge is being shaped somewhere else, in signal quality, measurement architecture, governance and the systems controlling decision-making behind campaign execution. In this month’s newsletter, we unpack all of these shifts. From privacy governance becoming operational, to AI exposing weak measurement foundations, to paid media teams evolving from optimisers into system operators, the common thread is clear: modern marketing is becoming significantly more technical, interconnected and infrastructure-led than many organisations are prepared for. And increasingly, the organisations adapting best are the ones treating ad tech, privacy and measurement as core business capability, not just campaign support functions.

SPOTLIGHT
	Google removes the grey zone: Why consent infrastructure now controls advertising performance Google removes consent ambiguity, increasing pressure on privacy infrastructure and measurement.

FROM OUR BLOG
	The OAIC warns ‘set and forget’ privacy is over for marketers Exclusive OAIC responses reveal privacy governance is becoming increasingly operational for marketers.
	What Artificial Intelligence still can’t fix in paid media AI is driving performance, but weak signals and poor measurement are quietly costing marketers.
	From optimiser to operator Paid media is shifting upstream, where structure, signals, and measurement now drive performance.

INDUSTRY NEWS
	Dentsu ANZ shuts down Merkle and sells Salesforce business Dentsu will retire the Merkle brand in Australia and New Zealand and fold in around 50 staff in its experience, commerce, data and analytics teams.
	OpenAI launches self-serve ad platform OpenAI has launched a self-serve advertising platform, executives said, marking a significant step in its goal of generating $2.5 billion in ad revenue this year and $100 billion by 2030.
	TV? what TV? The 2026 Upfronts will be heavy on creators, football and AI ad tech Chats with US CMOs, media buyers and network ad sales chiefs underscore the rapidly-changing media environment
	Amazon is turning the upfront into a pitch for its ad tech, not just primetime The upfront is no longer just a shop window for content Amazon owns, it’s now one for its ad tech too.
	DoubleVerify earnings on deck as Q1 results test ad tech momentum DoubleVerify Holdings Inc. will report its first-quarter earnings on Wednesday after market close, with investors watching closely to see whether the digital ad verification company can maintain the strong momentum from its standout fourth quarter amid seasonal slowdowns and ongoing pressure across the ad tech market.
	Apple reaches $250m settlement over delayed ‘AI Siri’ Apple is reportedly preparing to pay US$250 million to settle a false advertising lawsuit tied to the rollout of its AI features in 2024, after promoting a more personalised Siri experience that has still not launched.
	Microsoft deepens commitment to Australia Microsoft has announced a A$25 billion investment into Australia AI infrastructure, cyber security and workforce skilling, marking the company’s largest-ever commitment in the local market as it expands Azure AI capacity and strengthens partnerships with government and industry.

PLATFORM NEWS
	Expansion of lookalike segments to YouTube and partners Lookalike audiences are becoming the new standard for reaching users modeled after your first-party data. Currently exclusive to Demand Gen, Lookalike targeting will soon expand to YouTube Auction and Non-Guaranteed Instant Deal line items.
	New brand suitability enhancements and streamlined controls Google is introducing significant updates to brand suitability management in DV360. Visit the advertiser-level settings in DV360 to review your deals and current suitability strategy to ensure that you are prepared for these milestones.
	Placement-level reach and overlap reporting Placement-level reporting is now available for Overlap, Exclusive, and Duplicate Reach reports in CM360. This update provides the tactical detail needed to de-duplicate your media at the most granular level.
	New data retention policy for Google Ads From 1 June 2026 Google Ads, SA360 and Analytics are cutting granular field retention (date, day-of-week, day) to 37 months, a change that hits the Data API, Ads API, Ads Scripts and the BigQuery Data Transfer service. Archive anything you’ll need beyond that window now.
	Conversion support in the Data API Cross-channel conversion data is now available from the Google Analytics Data API, meaning Looker Studio, Tableau and Power BI users can finally bypass the GA UI for automated and bulk reporting. Currently in Alpha, rollout across properties will be staggered.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
	Google’s AI creative tools explained: what to use, what’s changing, what’s being deprecated Google’s AI creative tools are evolving fast, but clarity comes from systems, not features.