Epsilon vs Zeta Global

UK Marketers Face Golden Quarter Advertising Waste

Epsilon research warns that despite high marketer confidence, the 2026 Golden Quarter will see intensified competition and significant advertising waste. 93% of UK marketers expect peak sales to exceed last year, and 89% anticipate budget increases, but consumers are cutting back on non-essentials. Marketers consolidate spending on a few platforms, increasing duplication and inefficiency. The article advises setting clear campaign goals, leveraging cross-channel identity to control frequency, and exploring less competitive periods like Boxing Day.

• 93% of UK marketers expect Q4 peak sales to outperform last year.
• 89% of UK marketers expect marketing budgets to increase in H2 2026.
• 82% of marketers concentrate investment across just three major platforms.

Companies Misalign AI Measurement with Customer Value

An opinion piece argues that most companies are measuring AI against internal productivity goals rather than customer value. Epsilon's 2026 benchmark study of 257 marketing decision-makers found 71% use AI for productivity, yet 46% measure its impact by revenue. The article highlights a perception gap between C-level and senior managers regarding AI maturity and value. It also cites data on AI's growing influence in search and retail traffic. The author suggests focusing on customer-centric outcomes and warns against treating AI as a strategy substitute. The piece includes insights from Gartner, Adobe, and Forrester on AI's effects.

• Epsilon's 2026 benchmark study of 257 marketing decision-makers found 71% primarily use AI for productivity, but 46% measure AI performance by revenue.
• Epsilon found 67% of C-level marketers rate their organization as extremely mature in AI, versus 33% of senior managers.
• Adobe found AI referral traffic to U.S. retail sites grew 693% year-over-year during the 2025 holiday season, converting 31% better than non-AI traffic.

Palantir’s Quiet Takeover of Media’s Data Stack

Palantir is expanding from government work into media and marketing, striking deals with Fox News Digital, Zeta Global, Stagwell, and USA Today Co. These partnerships involve building internal platforms, analyzing audience data, and integrating AI. Despite employee concerns at USA Today, executives praise Palantir's speed and ontology-based approach. The company embeds forward-deployed engineers and offers interoperability with various AI models. For Zeta and Stagwell, Palantir also serves as a sales channel, taking a revenue share. The push reflects a broader industry shift toward leveraging data for monetization and efficiency.

• Fox News Digital struck a deal with Palantir in December 2025 to build its article production platform, which now handles 95% of its articles.
• Zeta Global signed a seven-year partnership with Palantir in June, rebuilding its data cloud on Foundry after skipping a competitive review.
• Stagwell built two marketing products on Palantir's platform, including an agentic marketing system developed within 16 weeks.

10-Q Financial Filing Analysis for Zeta Global (2026-08-05)

Zeta Global reported strong financial performance for Q2 2026, with revenue expanding 43.5% year-over-year to $442.8 million, driven by existing customer expansion, new enterprise client acquisitions, and contribution from the Marigold Enterprise Business acquisition ($48.1 million in Q2). The company achieved positive GAAP operating income of $16.9 million and net income of $8.2 million for the quarter, compared to a net loss of $12.8 million in Q2 2025. Adjusted EBITDA rose 56.0% to $91.7 million, expanding adjusted EBITDA margin to 20.7%. Operating cash flow generation remained robust at $118.9 million for the first six months of 2026. Subsequent to quarter-end on July 24, 2026, Zeta expanded its credit facilities to $1.0 billion, significantly strengthening liquidity.

• Q2 2026 revenue increased 43.5% YoY to $442.8 million ($839.1 million for H1 2026, up 46.5%), while super-scaled customers reached 197 with an ARPU of $1.8 million.
• GAAP net income for Q2 2026 turned positive at $8.17 million ($0.03 diluted EPS), while Adjusted EBITDA grew 56.0% YoY to $91.70 million (20.7% margin).
• Subsequent to quarter-end on July 24, 2026, Zeta entered into a new 5-year $1.0 billion Senior Secured Credit Facility ($250 million term loan and $750 million undrawn revolver).

Zeta Global Invests in U.K. Growth with New London Hub and Leadership

Zeta Global announced the appointment of Lalitha Stables as President, U.K., the opening of a new London hub, and the consolidation of more than 120 U.K. employees in a single location to accelerate expansion across the U.K.