PMG vs Rise

AI Disrupts Job Applications, Skills-Based Hiring Rises

The traditional resume is becoming obsolete as AI allows candidates to generate endless applications, forcing companies to rethink hiring. A 2025 study shows UK graduate employers received a record 140 applications per vacancy. Experts like Barb Hyman (Sapia.ai) advocate for skills-based hiring, which assesses candidates on demonstrated abilities rather than employment history. Around two-thirds of UK organizations have adopted this approach, per Michael Page research. Companies like Taktile and PMG now assess candidates through practical exercises and interpersonal skills, moving away from paper-based evaluation. AI is also seen as reducing human bias in screening, though final decisions remain with human teams. The shift emphasizes continuous learning and adaptability over static credentials.

• AI enables candidates to generate unlimited resumes, pressuring employers to adopt new hiring methods.
• UK graduate employers received an average of 140 applications per vacancy in 2025, a 30-year high.
• Two-thirds of UK organizations have adopted skills-based hiring, per Michael Page research.

Creator Marketing Matures as PMG Acquires Digital Voices

In this AdExchanger Talks podcast episode, Jennifer Quigley-Jones, VP of Strategy & Partnerships at PMG, discusses the evolution of creator marketing. She highlights that a decade ago, influencer marketing agencies primarily focused on Instagram, missing opportunities on YouTube. This gap led her to leave YouTube in 2017 and found Digital Voices, an agency that was acquired by PMG earlier in 2026. Quigley-Jones emphasizes that creator marketing is now a strategic imperative, with brands investing across multiple platforms. She discusses how technology, including AI models and performance data analysis tools, can improve creator-brand relationships and scale campaigns from 25 to 1000 creators, democratizing media spend. The episode also covers why influencer marketing should be viewed as a strategy rather than a tactic, and the importance of aligning goals between advertisers and creators.

• Digital Voices was acquired by PMG earlier in 2026.
• Jennifer Quigley-Jones founded Digital Voices in 2017 after leaving YouTube.
• Quigley-Jones is VP of Strategy & Partnerships at PMG.

Agencies Audit AI Agent Costs; Micro1 Outbids Google for Spirit Data

This AdExchanger daily news roundup covers several stories. A Gartner survey of 1,300 marketers finds 60% of AI users incur unexpected costs due to lack of oversight, prompting agencies like PMG and Rise to build auditing tools to control AI token spending. AI startup micro1 has bid $12.5 million for Spirit Airlines' data, outbidding Google's $10 million, though Google's deal is already approved. Separately, the FBI is investigating a dark web service selling 153 million driver's license scans from IDScan.net. The roundup also includes opinion pieces on the Google ad tech remedies, The Trade Desk layoffs, PepsiCo moving its media account to Publicis, and Instagram's AI detection issues.

• Gartner survey: 60% of companies using AI incur unexpected charges or exceed budgets.
• PMG built a tool to limit AI token usage and provide recommendations.
• Rise, a Quad agency, uses PubMatic's audit log feature to track AI agent behavior.

Rise named AdExchanger Awards finalist for AI-powered search measures

Rise Interactive has been named a finalist in the 2026 AdExchanger Awards for its AI-powered search measures. The announcement was made on September 1, 2026.

Agencies Build Audit Tools to Monitor AI Agents, Prevent Overcharging

Media agencies are deploying AI agents for planning and buying, but are discovering the need for monitoring to prevent cost overruns and hallucination. Agencies like Rise, Brainlabs, Dept, and PMG are building or adopting audit tools that log agent actions, track token usage, and enforce model selection policies. PubMatic offers an audit log feature for its AI media buying tests. Gartner reports that 60% of organizations using AI may face cost overruns due to lack of usage tracking. Agencies are implementing tiered token access, AI gateways, and daily caps to control costs and ensure accountability. The article highlights the importance of human oversight and model selection to manage AI-related expenses.

• Gartner survey of 1,300 senior marketers found 56% of companies lack clear AI usage policies.
• Gartner estimates 60% of organizations using AI will face cost overruns due to lack of usage tracking.
• Rise, a Quad agency, has been testing AI media buying agents with a supermarket client since June.