Discord adds lower funnel with outcomes push

August 21, 2026 Discord’s new format lets brands offer players rewards for completing in-game actions, such as finishing a match, completing a tutorial or playing with a friend. It marks a shift for Discord from simply putting brands in front of its highly engaged gaming communities to giving advertisers a way to drive — and measure — what those users do next. TOP STORY Marketing on Platforms Discord adds lower funnel with outcomes push Discord is pushing its ad business further down the funnel, betting that its gaming communities can deliver more than impressions. Advertisement Agentic AI is projected to account for 15%–25% of total U.S. e-commerce by 2030, according to Bain & Company — an indication that businesses won’t truly be omnichannel unless they have incorporated agentic shopping experiences. Partner insights from Talon.One. Don’t miss your last chance to save on passes to the Digiday Media Buying Summit. Join us Oct. 26–28 in Newport Beach for three days of actionable insights, valuable connections and candid conversations about what’s next in media buying. Connect one-on-one with leaders from Digitas, Assembly, Omnicom and more. Your last chance to save on your pass is Sept. 14. The publisher playbook is shifting as AI changes media. The imperative for measurable, high-quality inventory and audiences will only accelerate as AI-driven automation reshapes the media buying landscape. Partner insights from Google. MARKETING The Creator Economy For brands, the creator ambassador is becoming a creator executive The new creator partnership brings them into the C-Suite and seeks input and strategy, like Blenders and Jordan “The Stallion” Howlett. Navigating Economic Instability Walmart gets close to $3 billion in tariff refunds Tariff refunds continue to bolster big retailers while consumers remain constrained by higher fuel prices and other macroeconomic factors. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM OPTABLE How agent-ready publishers set themselves up for long-term success To adopt agentic AI at scale, organizations need to prioritize critical areas of agentic readiness. Publishers who have invested in identity infrastructure for privacy compliance are already ahead, as agent readiness and identity readiness are the same project. A MESSAGE FROM GOOGLE How publishers can strengthen connections with advertisers in the AI era Today’s audiences are highly decentralized — searching, streaming, scrolling and shopping across a spectrum of platforms. To maximize yield across this complex landscape, publishers must clearly demonstrate the unique contextual value of their properties and audiences. Learn more Retail Media Rewritten Inside toy brand Sticki Rolls' YouTube strategy to win over Gen Alpha Toy brand Sticki Rolls is hoping to turn its YouTube creator-generated buzz into a Gen Alpha collectible brand through pop-ups and retail expansion. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM PAYPAL ADS Why the most important influencer has no followers The most valuable influencer in a given category probably has no followers, no media kit and no idea they’re influencing anyone. They’re the leader of a friend group. When they pay, their friends do too. Advertisement DIGIDAY+ Member exclusive Future of Marketing: For the source of Nike's decline, ignore the easy answers The markets have the vaunted apparel brand in last place. But to understand why it’s lagging, and the hurdles in the way of recovery, marketers should ignore hobby horse explanations. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM MOLOCO How brands like Fetch are measuring true incrementality on CTV Last-touch attribution was built for a click-based world, and CTV operates differently. When the measurement doesn’t fit the channel, campaigns that are working get defunded and campaigns that aren’t get scaled. Budgets stay capped — not out of skepticism, but out of an inability to operate CTV with the same confidence as digital. ICYMI Gaming & Esports Discord's advertising push continues: A Q&A with new Discord CBO Jules Shumaker Most recently, she served as CRO of Unity between 2021 and 2024; prior to Unity, she worked as a vp of advertising for the game publisher Zynga. The Creator Economy Discord puts proof behind its ad pitch with first measurement push The measurement test comes a year and six months after Discord rolled out Quests, and is the latest signal that it is going all-in on measurement in 2025 as it moves from experimental campaigns to something advertisers can trust at scale. Written by Jim Cooper and Sara Jerde Were you forwarded this email? Sign up to get it daily. Advertise | Digiday+ | Events | Awards Update your email | Unsubscribe | Privacy policy