Over recent weeks a clear trend has emerged. Digital platforms are investing heavily in video monetisation and in tools for creators. Video is no longer just a format for brands. It is becoming a direct tool, and creators are its commercial infrastructure. This confirms that development has shifted from distributing attention to systematically monetising it.
Google: quality, locality and the end of clickbait
Google announced a major change: it launched the February 2026 Discover Core Update for Google Discover. The algorithm now strongly favours locally relevant content, suppresses clickbait and rewards deep expertise.
For publishers this means one thing: content production without a clear specialisation is losing ground. Google openly says that topical authority takes precedence over general popularity.
Advertising enters conversational AI
A major step was also taken by OpenAI. It officially launched ads in ChatGPT for the first time. The ad model is currently available only to users in the USA on the Free and Go plans. Premium versions remain ad-free. The price? Roughly $60 per thousand impressions, about three times the usual CPM on Meta platforms. Among the first advertisers are brands such as Target, Adobe and Audible.
A key question, however, remains measurement. Advertisers have only basic metrics (impressions and clicks), without deeper attribution. But if conversational AI becomes the main interface for search and shopping, it could become one of the most significant advertising environments of the decade.
Threads monetises globally
Meta has completed the global rollout of ads on Threads, clearly signalling that the platform is moving from a growth phase into a monetisation phase. According to SimilarWeb data, Threads reached 141 million daily active users and for the first time overtook X in mobile use.
For advertisers the key point is that Threads runs on the Meta Business Manager infrastructure. This means a low barrier to entry and fast campaign scaling. From the market perspective, it is a more stable alternative to X, whose advertising environment has been volatile in recent years.
TikTok: regulation resolved, commerce can continue
Regulatory uncertainty around TikTok in the USA eased considerably at the beginning of 2026. The new ownership structure under the name TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC includes, among others, Oracle and Silver Lake.
Stabilising the situation is crucial above all for video commerce. TikTok has long been among the fastest-growing sales platforms built on creators, live streaming and integrated shopping. Clarifying the regulatory framework removes one of the main brakes on larger brand investments.
Video commerce and the creator economy as the main engine
The common thread across all these updates is a single theme: monetising attention through video and creators. Video is becoming a fully fledged commercial medium, not just a brand tool, and creators are ceasing to be “influencers” and are functioning as distribution partners. Platforms are building infrastructure to connect content directly to purchases without the user leaving the app. Digital marketing is thus shifting from optimising reach to optimising the transaction within the platform itself.
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