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Welcome back to The Brief by Kuro House, your daily dose of sharp marketing insights and the stories shaping our industry. Today, we’re diving into a mix of regulatory shake-ups, bold bets on AI, a classic brand’s emotional World Cup play, and a milestone for a niche publisher. Let’s get right into the stories making waves in the marketing world.

First up, a major development out of the U.K. that could ripple across the entire digital publishing landscape. According to Adweek, the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority, or CMA, has handed down a critical ruling against Google, demanding that the tech giant give publishers more control over how their content is used in Google’s AI tools. This comes in response to Google’s AI Overviews feature, which pulls content from publisher websites to answer user questions directly on the search page—often eliminating the need for users to click through to the original site. That’s a big deal for publishers, whose ad revenues depend on search-driven traffic. The CMA’s ruling calls for Google to let publishers opt out of AI Overviews without sacrificing their visibility in traditional search results. The current system doesn’t allow this, since Google uses the same crawler for both search and AI products—so blocking the crawler to protect your content from AI also means vanishing from search. While the CMA stopped short of explicitly requiring Google to split its crawler in two, it’s pushing for more choice, transparency, and attribution for publishers. Importantly, this ruling applies only in the U.K., but Google has often extended U.K. standards globally. Even so, it’s not a legal requirement elsewhere, so the impact outside Britain remains to be seen. Still, this marks the first major regulatory move targeting Google’s AI business, and whatever solution Google implements will have far-reaching effects for every website on the internet.

Shifting gears, let’s talk about Meta’s latest earnings and their massive bet on AI-powered shopping. In a detailed breakdown from Adweek, Meta reported fourth-quarter ad revenue of $58.1 billion, up 24% year-over-year, with overall revenue hitting $59.89 billion. Ad impressions across Meta’s apps rose 18%, and the average price per ad went up by 6%. Daily active users across Meta’s family of apps—think Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp—hit an eye-popping 3.5 billion. But the real story is Meta’s capital expenditure plans: the company is projecting investments of $115 to $135 billion by 2026, with a huge chunk going toward AI and data centers. Mark Zuckerberg is pushing “agentic shopping,” where AI agents guide users through more immersive, interactive shopping experiences across Meta’s platforms, including WhatsApp. Meta is also expanding its AI business assistant to more advertisers and rolling out ads on Threads globally. On the hardware side, the company is investing heavily in smart glasses and wearables, even as Reality Labs continues to post significant losses. Behind the scenes, Meta has ramped up its AI infrastructure, including a major data center build-out and the acquisition of Singapore-based AI agent developer Manus. They’ve also brought on heavy hitters like Alexandr Wang from Scale AI and named Dina Powell McCormick as president and vice chair. Zuckerberg envisions a future with even more interactive media formats—think videos you can tap and jump into, or worlds you can create with a prompt. The bottom line: Meta is all-in on AI, but ads remain the company’s revenue engine for now.

Now, let’s check out a campaign that’s all about emotion and global connection. Coca-Cola is kicking off its “All the Feels” campaign as the official beverage partner for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as reported by Adweek. This marks Coke’s 12th World Cup as an official partner, and the campaign is laser-focused on the emotional roller coaster that is World Cup fandom. The first TV spot, “Bubbling Up,” captures the pre-tournament excitement as a soccer fan’s nerves bubble over in a crowded elevator. The ad also teases a new World Cup anthem—a reimagined version of Van Halen’s “Jump”—performed by J Balvin, Amber Mark, Steve Vai, and Travis Barker. Two more ads, “Uncanned Emotions” and “No Better Feeling,” will follow as the tournament approaches. Islam ElDessouky, Coke’s global VP of creative strategy and content, says the campaign’s insight is simple: watching soccer is all about the feels, not the rational. The campaign will span digital, social, and on-the-ground activations, including a custom Panini sticker collection and the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. Expect appearances from soccer stars like Lamine Yamal and Roger Milla, plus plenty of creator collaborations. It’s a classic Coke play—tapping into the emotional highs and lows that unite fans worldwide.

Next, let’s spotlight a publisher that’s quietly achieved a major milestone after more than a decade of persistence. Atlas Obscura, the travel publisher known for celebrating the world’s hidden wonders, just turned its first annual profit in its 16-year history, according to Adweek. Last year, Atlas Obscura brought in $18.3 million in revenue, up from $15.6 million the previous year, and posted a profit of $2.6 million. That’s despite a drop from 2023, when the company was on pace for $24 million in earnings. CEO Louise Story credits the turnaround to a tight focus on their niche audience of “serial travelers,” and smart cost management. For a publisher in today’s tough media environment, turning a profit—especially for the first time in 16 years—is no small feat. It’s a testament to the power of serving a passionate, engaged audience and finding the right revenue mix.

And finally, while the details are a bit light, it’s worth noting that the AA/Warc adspend forecast is making headlines for predicting record-breaking numbers in the U.K. ad market. According to Campaign, adspend is expected to smash through the £50 billion ceiling by 2026. While the article doesn’t provide much beyond the headline, it’s a strong signal of confidence in the resilience and continued growth of the advertising industry, even as marketers navigate shifting consumer behaviors and digital disruption.

That wraps up today’s edition of The Brief. From regulatory rulings shaking up search and AI, to bold investments in immersive shopping, to the emotional power of sports marketing and the resilience of niche publishers, it’s clear that the marketing landscape is evolving faster than ever. Stay curious, stay sharp, and we’ll catch you tomorrow with more stories to keep you ahead of the curve.