5 Marketing Trends: Week of May 25, 2026
The top marketing trends for the week of May 25, 2026 center on five structural changes: Google has completely reimagined its search interface with AI Mode now reaching one billion monthly users; Publicis is acquiring data collaboration platform LiveRamp for $2.5 billion to build smarter marketing agents; social commerce on TikTok is on track to hit $23 billion in US sales this year; agentic AI is moving from a concept to an active part of marketing workflows; and LinkedIn's new 360Brew algorithm is rewarding topic authority and content saves over raw follower counts. Brands that understand what these shifts mean for visibility, data strategy, and content distribution will be in a much stronger position heading into the second half of 2026.
Quick Answer
What are the top marketing trends for the week of May 25, 2026?
The biggest marketing trends this week include Google's AI Mode hitting one billion users and redesigning search for the first time in 25 years, Publicis acquiring LiveRamp for $2.5 billion to power data-driven AI marketing, TikTok Shop heading toward $23 billion in US e-commerce sales, agentic AI moving into real marketing workflows, and LinkedIn's 360Brew algorithm shift rewarding topic authority and saved content over connection-based reach.
What you will learn this week
- How Google's AI Mode redesign changes the rules for search visibility
- What the Publicis and LiveRamp deal means for first-party data and AI-driven marketing
- Why TikTok Shop's growth is forcing brands to rethink social commerce strategy
- How agentic AI is moving from a buzzword to an active part of marketing operations
- What LinkedIn's 360Brew algorithm shift means for content reach and distribution
This week's trends
Time / Google Blog
Google Rebuilds Search Around AI Mode -- the Biggest Redesign in 25 Years
Google announced at I/O 2026 that its search box is being "completely reimagined with AI," marking the most significant redesign of the interface since the company launched. Instead of returning a list of blue links, Google Search now generates a custom summary page for each query, then opens a conversation with AI Mode so users can ask follow-up questions -- much like interacting with ChatGPT. The redesigned search bar now accepts text, images, files, videos, and Chrome browser tabs as search inputs. AI Mode has crossed one billion monthly users, with queries doubling every quarter. Google also introduced Search Agents that monitor the web in the background and alert users when specific conditions are met -- think price drops, apartment listings, or market movements. The default AI model powering AI Mode is now Gemini 3.5 Flash, rolled out globally across 200 countries.
For marketers, this is not a future-state problem. Brands cited inside AI Overviews are earning 35% more organic clicks than competitors who are not cited. Ranking still matters, but being named inside an AI-generated response is quickly becoming the more important outcome. Content that is structured, direct, and authoritative is far more likely to surface in these answers than content built primarily around keyword density.
Read more: Google Blog -- Search at I/O 2026 | Time -- Google Shifts to AI Search
Key takeaways
- AI Mode has one billion monthly users -- this is already where much of your audience is searching
- Brands cited in AI Overviews earn 35% more organic clicks than those who are not referenced
- The goal is shifting from ranking to being named -- GEO and AEO are not optional anymore
- Search agents will surface brand information proactively -- structured, accurate, and consistent data matters more than ever
- Content must be clear, factual, and authoritative to earn placement inside AI-generated answers
AdAge / SEC Filing
Publicis Acquires LiveRamp for $2.5 Billion to Power AI-Driven Data Collaboration
Publicis Groupe announced it is acquiring LiveRamp, a global data collaboration platform, in an all-cash deal worth $2.546 billion. The acquisition price represents a 30% premium over LiveRamp's closing stock price on May 15, 2026. LiveRamp posted Q4 revenue of $206 million, up 9% year over year, with subscription revenue up 9% and marketplace revenue up 11%. Publicis CEO Arthur Sadoun described the deal as a move to "become a leader in data co-creation" and position the group for the agentic era of marketing.
What makes this significant for marketers beyond the holding company space is what it signals about where the industry is heading. LiveRamp's core business is identity resolution -- connecting data across platforms, channels, and systems without relying on third-party cookies. Publicis is betting that the ability to build and use first-party data at scale is going to separate winners from everyone else as AI agents take on more of the targeting, personalization, and campaign execution work. For brands not yet investing in data infrastructure, this deal should be a clear signal about where the competitive advantage in marketing is being built.
Read more: Publicis/LiveRamp Acquisition Filing -- SEC
Key takeaways
- First-party data infrastructure is the most strategic marketing investment right now -- this deal confirms it
- Identity resolution is the foundation of effective AI-driven personalization and targeting
- The post-cookie world is accelerating consolidation around brands that own clean, usable data
- Holding companies and enterprise marketers are building data moats -- smaller brands need a version of this plan too
- AI agents need quality data to perform -- poor data infrastructure will limit what AI can actually do for you
EMARKETER / Retail Dive
TikTok Shop Is on Pace to Top $23 Billion in US Sales -- and It's Changing How Brands Sell
TikTok Shop is projected to hit $23.41 billion in US e-commerce sales in 2026, a 48% increase year over year, according to EMARKETER. That would put TikTok Shop ahead of Target, Costco, Best Buy, and Kroger in US e-commerce volume. More than half of US social buyers -- 51% -- are expected to make at least one purchase on TikTok this year. Globally, TikTok Shop's GMV topped $66 billion in 2025 and is projected to exceed $87 billion in 2026. Live-commerce GMV in the US alone is forecast to grow 42% year over year.
Social commerce has crossed a threshold where it is no longer an experimental channel. The platform blends entertainment, creator content, livestream shopping, and direct purchase into one experience -- and brands that treat it like a traditional ad placement are missing the point. The highest-converting format on TikTok Shop right now is live shopping. Affiliate commissions, creator partnerships with native content, and fulfillment speed are the three biggest levers for performance. Major CPG brands including Mars, Coca-Cola, and Clorox are expanding on the platform. Brands not building a TikTok commerce presence are ceding ground that is becoming increasingly difficult to recover.
Read more: EMARKETER -- Social Commerce FAQ 2026 | Retail Dive -- TikTok Shop Growth
Key takeaways
- TikTok Shop is becoming larger than major US retailers in e-commerce -- this is not a niche channel
- Live shopping is the highest-converting format and growing 42% year over year in the US
- Creator-led content, not traditional ads, is what drives discovery and conversion on the platform
- Affiliate commission rates and content quality determine whether creators promote your products or a competitor's
- Over half of US social buyers are now making purchases on TikTok -- your audience is already there
Gartner / LayerFive
Agentic AI Is Moving Into Active Marketing Workflows -- Not Just Strategy Decks
Gartner predicts that 60% of brands will use agentic AI to deliver one-to-one interactions by 2028. But the more relevant news right now is that it is already moving into real workflows in 2026. Agentic AI systems do not just execute instructions -- they learn, adapt, and make decisions autonomously across reviews, listings, social posting, email sequencing, and campaign optimization. Platforms like HubSpot Breeze, Salesforce Marketing Cloud Next, and Adobe Experience Platform are all building agentic capabilities into tools marketers already use. Only 31% of marketers say they are fully satisfied with their ability to unify customer data, which is the biggest limiting factor in getting agentic AI to perform at its ceiling.
The shift this represents is meaningful. Traditional marketing automation runs on fixed rules -- if X then Y. Agentic AI rewrites that model. It identifies patterns, builds its own logic, and takes approved actions continuously without waiting for a human to update a workflow. For multi-location brands or teams managing high content volume, this is where the efficiency gains show up first. The teams not yet thinking about how to feed these systems better data and cleaner inputs will feel the gap more as 2026 continues.
Read more: Gartner -- Agentic AI Prediction | LayerFive -- Agentic AI in Marketing
Key takeaways
- 60% of brands will use agentic AI for one-to-one interactions by 2028 -- the adoption curve is steep
- Agentic systems act with intent, not just instructions -- they are fundamentally different from automation rules
- Data quality and first-party data infrastructure determine how well agentic AI actually performs
- The biggest near-term use cases are email sequences, campaign optimization, and multi-location content management
- Teams that treat AI as a data problem, not just a tool problem, will see better results faster
Social Media Today / HyperClapper
LinkedIn's New 360Brew Algorithm Rewards Topic Authority -- Not Follower Count
LinkedIn has replaced its entire content ranking infrastructure with a single AI system called 360Brew, trained specifically on LinkedIn data. The shift moves the platform from a relationship graph -- where posts were distributed to your connections -- to an interest graph, where content is distributed based on what users engage with, regardless of who posted it. Organic reach has reset to a lower baseline compared to 2024 levels, but average engagement across the platform is up 18%. Document posts (PDF carousels) are now the highest-performing format with a 6.6% average engagement rate. Native video follows at 5.6%. Text-only posts average around 2%. Posts with external links see roughly 60% less reach than posts without them.
The practical implication is a significant strategy shift. A SaaS founder posting consistently about pipeline optimization can now reach sales leaders and revenue strategists outside their network if the algorithm detects semantic alignment. LinkedIn added Saves and Sends to post analytics in late 2025 -- that tells you what it is measuring. Content that people keep and share privately is being rewarded over content that generates surface-level likes. For B2B brands and thought leaders, this is an opportunity. For brands still chasing follower counts and broad reach with generic content, the reset is going to feel like a wall.
Read more: HyperClapper -- LinkedIn Algorithm 2026 | Melanie Goodman -- 360Brew Deep Dive
Key takeaways
- 360Brew distributes content by topic interest, not network proximity -- smaller accounts can now reach bigger audiences
- Document posts (PDF carousels) have a 6.6% average engagement rate -- the highest of any format
- Saves and Sends are the signals LinkedIn is weighting most heavily -- design content worth bookmarking
- External links reduce reach by roughly 60% -- put your CTA in the comments or rethink your link strategy
- Consistent topic authority over time outperforms high-volume, scattered posting under this algorithm
Frequently asked questions
How does Google's AI Mode change SEO and content strategy?
AI Mode is now the primary interface for over one billion monthly users, and it generates answers rather than returning a list of links. The goal for marketers is no longer just to rank -- it is to be cited inside AI-generated responses. That requires structured content, direct answers, topic authority, and strong E-E-A-T signals. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is becoming as important as traditional SEO.
Why does the Publicis and LiveRamp deal matter for brands outside the holding company world?
The deal signals that identity resolution and first-party data are becoming the most valuable infrastructure in marketing. As third-party cookies disappear and AI agents handle more of the targeting and personalization work, the brands with clean, connected data will outperform those without it. This applies at every scale -- not just to enterprise marketers with massive budgets.
Is TikTok Shop worth it for smaller brands?
Yes, but strategy matters. The platform rewards creator-led content, live shopping events, and strong affiliate programs -- not traditional paid ad formats. Smaller brands that build genuine creator relationships and commit to consistent live shopping can compete. The barriers to entry are lower than on platforms like Amazon, but the content investment is real.
What is agentic AI and how is it different from marketing automation?
Traditional marketing automation follows fixed rules you set in advance. Agentic AI learns from data, makes decisions autonomously, and takes approved actions across channels without requiring a human to update the workflow. It adapts in real time. The practical difference is that agentic systems improve continuously rather than running the same logic until someone changes it.
How should LinkedIn content strategy change under the 360Brew algorithm?
Focus on consistent topics rather than broad subject matter. Build content people will save and share privately -- frameworks, breakdowns, and lessons rather than announcements. Use PDF carousels and native video over text posts with external links. Posting from a personal profile rather than a company page continues to generate significantly more reach under the new system.
What these five trends mean together
These trends are not happening in separate silos. Google's AI Mode overhaul changes what visibility means. The Publicis and LiveRamp deal accelerates the race toward data-driven marketing infrastructure. TikTok Shop proves that social commerce is now a primary revenue channel. Agentic AI is taking on real workflow responsibilities. And LinkedIn's algorithm reset is reshuffling who gets heard in B2B.
The connecting thread across all five is the same: the brands doing the foundational work -- structured content, clean data, authentic creator relationships, consistent topic authority -- are going to be the ones that hold their position as the platforms and tools keep evolving. Reacting to each change as it happens puts you permanently behind. Building the right infrastructure keeps you ahead of it.
If you want help thinking through what any of these shifts mean for your brand, that conversation starts below.
