Executive Briefing: Thursday 24 September

New Jersey imposes strict data broker obligations New Jersey has enacted A5328 into law, creating a new "data collector" category that impacts marketers operating within the state. Companies that sell or license personal data to a data broker may now be required to register as a data collector, incurring annual fees ranging from $5,000 to $1.5 million depending on user data volume. Critically, the law also bans the sale of sensitive data entirely, without a consent exception, affecting data sharing agreements, monetization, and co-ops involving attributes like precise geolocation or health conditions. The public launch of New Jersey's data broker registry is targeted for April 1, 2027. Social media ad spend inefficient in low-attention formats Australian advertisers are reportedly losing 63 cents in every social media dollar on ads not actively watched, according to research from Amplified. The study found 70% of the average social media budget is concentrated in formats where about two-thirds of viewers disengage within three seconds of an ad appearing. Across social feeds, active attention averaged 2.4 to 2.8 seconds per impression, representing 21% to 24% of ad duration. The research indicates that placement has more impact on active attention than creative, with Snapchat delivering the highest levels at 7.8 seconds per impression. Agency models evolve with AI and consolidation The agency landscape is undergoing significant transformation, marked by both major infrastructure investments and a shift towards consolidated media solutions. WPP has opened Devon’s Point, a flagship 34,000 sq ft production hub in East London, integrating AI-powered virtual production and post-production to accelerate content delivery for global clients. Concurrently, Publicis Media led global new business rankings in H1 2026, generating $US3.24 billion, reflecting a broader trend where holding groups increasingly assign media business to bespoke, centralised solutions outside their global agency brands. Nine in ten US marketing agencies now use Generative AI, primarily for internal productivity and cost-cutting, though human accountability remains crucial for strategy, brand voice, and media spend. Google Ads expands AI-driven campaign capabilities Google Ads is enhancing its AI capabilities, with AI Briefs expanding globally to support audience targeting in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. This feature, powered by Gemini, allows marketers to guide AI in their native language before campaigns launch. Additionally, Google is introducing new AI Max reporting for the Search Ads journey, offering a unified view to evaluate the strategic value of AI Max campaigns. Advertisers are also now guided on how to test AI Max against Dynamic Search Ads using experiments, signalling the latter's retirement in favour of AI Max.