What’s new in Paid Media: June 2026 industry updates

Welcome to the latest blog from the  Impression Paid Media Team, where we uncover the latest news and trends to help you stay ahead of the curve.

Keep reading to discover:

Google Delays the move from Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max

Google surprised advertisers in June by delaying the automatic migration of Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs) to AI Max for Search campaigns until February 2027. The platform has also restored the ability to create new DSA campaigns, giving advertisers additional time to test and manage the transition on their own terms. While Google’s long-term direction remains firmly AI-first, this move suggests the company recognises that many advertisers still rely on DSAs as a proven and effective search tactic.

What does this mean for you?

For marketers, this is a welcome pause button. Rather than being forced into AI Max before they’re ready, teams now have extra time to evaluate whether newer AI-driven campaign types genuinely outperform existing setups. The update reinforces an important message for 2026: AI may be the future of paid search, but proven campaign structures still have a role to play. The opportunity is to use this additional testing window wisely rather than waiting for the next migration deadline to arrive. (See more about what to do here).

TikTok expands Symphony AI creative tools

TikTok continued its investment in AI-powered creative production this month with new additions to its Symphony AI suite. The platform has expanded its generative AI capabilities, allowing advertisers to create, localise and adapt video content more efficiently using AI-generated avatars, voiceovers and creative variations. As competition for attention on TikTok continues to grow, Symphony is designed to help brands produce more content at scale while maintaining platform native creative formats.

What does this mean for you?

One of the biggest barriers to success on TikTok has always been creative volume. Unlike other channels, advertisers often need a constant flow of fresh content to avoid audience fatigue. Symphony aims to solve this by dramatically reducing the time and cost required to create new assets. The opportunity is clear: more testing, more iterations and faster optimisation. However, as AI-generated content becomes more accessible, brands will need to ensure they don’t lose the authenticity and personality that make TikTok users stop scrolling in the first place.

Meta expands personalisation beyond its own platforms

Meta announced plans to use activity from third-party websites and apps to further personalise content and advertising experiences across Facebook and Instagram. While this data has historically been used for ad targeting, Meta is now expanding its use to influence feed recommendations and AI-generated experiences. For example, a recent purchase made on an external website could influence the content and products shown within Meta’s platforms.

What does this mean for you?

Meta states that the update signals that audience targeting is becoming increasingly interconnected across the wider digital ecosystem. Rather than relying solely on in-platform engagement, Meta is building a richer understanding of user interests based on actions taken elsewhere online. For advertisers, this could improve targeting accuracy and campaign efficiency. However, it also means platform algorithms are playing an even greater role in deciding who sees your ads, placing greater importance on strong measurement frameworks and high-quality first-party data.

Google Ads’ Smart Bidding changes: Standalone target CPA and Target ROAS

Google is changing the labels for its smart bidding strategies starting in June 2026 to make a clearer distinction between goals that prioritise conversion volume and goals that prioritise specific efficiency targets. 

This update separates Target CPA and Target ROAS from the Maximise Conversions and Maximise Conversion Value bundles, returning them to standalone options in both the user interface and the API. 

For developers using the Google Ads API, campaigns that focus on a target will now prioritise these standalone target settings over the bundled maximise strategies to ensure bids are managed correctly when budgets are tight. It is important to know that this is entirely an organisational change, meaning the underlying bidding behaviour, algorithms, and campaign performance remain the same, and advertisers do not need to take any immediate action for their current campaigns to keep running.

What does this mean for you?

For everyday account management, your campaigns will continue running exactly as expected without any performance drops or sudden changes to how bids are calculated. 

You will simply see the classic Target CPA and Target ROAS names back in your dashboard instead of the longer maximise phrasing. If you manage your accounts programmatically or use custom reporting dashboards, you should review your integrations and campaign creation logic to ensure your systems properly read the updated strategy names, API enums, and messages. 

This adjustment is helpful because it clarifies whether your campaign strategy is trying to generate the highest possible volume of leads within a budget or if it is strictly focused on hitting a specific return on investment.

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Ads Manager beta for UK advertisers

OpenAI is expanding its digital marketing footprint by launching its self-serve Ads Manager Beta for businesses in the United Kingdom. 

This new platform provides a simplified setup process with no upfront billing requirements, allowing companies to easily create accounts and navigate a dashboard split into campaigns, tools, billing, and settings. A key operational rule for this rollout is that marketing agencies are advised not to build accounts on behalf of their clients. Instead, individual clients must create their own accounts and then invite their agency partners via the user settings panel. 

Although the current infrastructure lacks a centralised multi-account viewer similar to Google Ads Manager Accounts, which requires users to log in to each client profile individually, it signals a major shift toward a fully scalable conversational advertising channel.

What does this mean for you?

For digital marketers and brands operating in the UK, this release provides a valuable window to test the interface and establish backend workflows before the platform experiences broader adoption. 

The friction-free signup process allows your team to gain hands-on experience with the system layout without making an immediate financial commitment. Agencies will need to update their onboarding documentation immediately so clients understand how to properly create accounts and issue external user invitations. 

While exact details about targeting precision, measurement tools, and the visual placement of ads within live AI conversations are still developing, mastering the platform mechanics now ensures you will be completely prepared when active ad inventory goes live.

Meta expands Live Video Ads to Instagram with global Facebook rollout

Meta is expanding its social commerce capabilities by introducing Live Video Ads to Instagram for the first time while scaling the format globally across Facebook. This update allows e-commerce brands to put paid ad spend behind active live streams to attract real-time shoppers beyond their existing follower base, effectively resolving the audience cold-start problem for digital storefronts. 

To support this launch, Meta has integrated with major live commerce providers including CommentSold, Firework, LiveMeUp, Sprii, and TalkShopLive to let eligible merchants convert live broadcasts directly into active ad units. On Facebook, these ads connect with native Live Shopping Tools so that viewers can explore item lists, check price tags, and complete transactions immediately without closing the live video feed.

What does this mean for you?

For midsize and large retail brands, this release offers a powerful way to maximise the return on investment of live shopping events without being limited by organic reach. Paid distribution can now do the heavy lifting to instantly fill your virtual broadcast room with highly targeted new buyers right as your event begins. 

This initiative arrives alongside a broader commerce push from Meta that introduces secure, single-use virtual checkout cards via Mastercard and Visa, as well as AI automation that automatically assembles personalised shopping ads using your raw product catalogue data. Advertisers should start coordinating with eligible streaming partners to test how these real-time shopping ads convert, establishing clear performance benchmarks ahead of the upcoming holiday sales season.

Look out for our July edition of “What’s New in Paid Media” for your next monthly round-up of industry updates to keep your PPC and Paid Social strategies ahead of the curve.

If you want to talk about how these massive AI shifts will impact your business’s acquisition strategy, get in touch with the team at Impression today.