LinkedIn is becoming a top source for AI chatbots
LinkedIn has become one of the top sources for AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, according to new data from marketing platform Profound.
Why it matters: AI search is rewriting the rules of executive and brand visibility, raising the stakes for how leaders show up online.
Zoom in: Since November, LinkedIn’s citation frequency has doubled and it is now the No. 1 domain cited in professional search queries.
- LinkedIn posts, long-form articles and newsletters account for 35% of all LinkedIn citations within ChatGPT, while profiles are cited 14.5% of the time, according to Profound.
Zoom out: Community and creator-driven platforms like Reddit, Wikipedia and YouTube have all emerged as some of the most cited sources in AI responses precisely because they host real, conversational human insights that models latch onto when answering nuanced queries.
Snapchat launches ‘Cricket in a Snap’– an advertising offering for cricket season
The initiative introduces new ad formats and integrations aimed at helping brands engage with cricket audiences during the season
Snapchat has introduced ‘Cricket in a Snap’, an advertising offering designed for the cricket season in India. The initiative includes a set of ad formats and integrations aimed at enabling brands to engage with audiences during major cricket events.
According to the company, the offering is built around evolving viewing habits during live sports. Snapchat said 85% of Gen Z users in India follow the IPL, and the platform is increasingly being used as a second screen during matches. The company noted that 55% of Snapchat users watch cricket events on television while 54% stream them online, with more than 90% using a second screen during live games. According to the company, the offering is built around evolving viewing habits during live sports. Snapchat said 85% of Gen Z users in India follow the IPL, and the platform is increasingly being used as a second screen during matches. The company noted that 55% of Snapchat users watch cricket events on television while 54% stream them online, with more than 90% using a second screen during live games.
Facebook expands affiliate program to include brand links
Meta announced an expansion of its affiliate program, which will enable creators to add affiliate links to their content from a range of brands, as well as earn commissions from sales stemming from their content.
Meta improved the appearance of affiliate links in Reels in December 2024, and now, it’s looking to make it easier for creators to find relevant product matches to pair with their content.
Using the new self-serve affiliate program, Meta will enable creators to select from a range of products that they can promote within their Reels clips.
YouTube introduces 30-second non-skippable ads on connected TVs
As viewing habits continue shifting to the living room screen, Google has introduced a new 30-second non-skippable ad format on YouTube aimed at audiences watching through connected televisions.
The format, called VRC non-skippable ads, began rolling out on March 2 and enables advertisers to run full 30-second ads that viewers cannot skip when accessing YouTube via smart TVs or other connected TV devices. For marketers, the move represents another step in YouTube’s broader push to replicate the impact of traditional television advertising within a digital environment.
A larger storytelling canvas for brands
Non-skippable in-stream ads have long been a preferred option for advertisers looking to ensure their entire message is delivered. These ads can appear before, during or after a video and must be watched in full.
With the introduction of the 30-second connected TV format, brands now have a wider creative window to deliver more complete narratives in an environment where audiences are typically consuming longer-form content.
Growing Brand Shift to Programmatic DOOH
Outdoor advertising in India is entering a more intelligent phase. What was once a largely static medium is increasingly becoming data-led, measurable, and context-driven, with brands now turning to programmatic Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) to bring greater precision to outdoor campaigns.
Programmatic DOOH platform, DGTOOHL says brands across sectors from automotive and smartphones to quick service restaurants are beginning to use digital outdoor screens not just for visibility, but for smarter targeting, contextual messaging and measurable campaign delivery.
Leading brands like Jaguar Land Rover, Vivo, and Tanishq are among the early adopters of the programmatic DOOH ecosystem, using the medium to bring greater transparency and measurability to outdoor advertising.
From immersive 3D anamorphic executions to time-capped messaging and the strategic use of high-impact screens, these brands are leveraging data signals and audience planning tools to deliver smarter, more targeted campaigns across India.
India’s spam cop tightens the screws on Truecaller, telcos and phone makers
India’s telecom regulator has drawn up its most muscular assault yet on the country’s spam epidemic, dragging call-management apps, smartphone makers and telecom operators into a tightened web of obligations that could redraw how the country’s 1.4 billion mobile users are pestered or protected.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on March 13th released draft amendments to its Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018, inviting stakeholder comments by April 12th and counter-comments by April 27th. The scale of what is proposed is striking.
For the first time, TRAI is explicitly targeting third-party spam-filtering apps such as Truecaller, phone-dialler applications and the built-in spam-blocking features baked into handsets by Google, Samsung and others. Under the proposals, spam reports submitted through these apps or directly to phone makers must be routed to telecom operators’ distributed ledger technology (DLT) platforms so they can be treated as formal complaints and trigger action against spammers.
The numbers make clear why the regulator is moving: in 2025 alone, Truecaller identified over 4,168 crore spam calls and 12,903 crore spam messages in India, with the community blocking 1,189 crore spam calls for Indians.
Google pitches AI-led Search as next growth lever for advertisers
New Delhi: Google is positioning artificial intelligence as the next driver of Search growth, arguing that AI-led changes in user behaviour are creating fresh opportunities for advertisers to capture consumer intent.
Speaking at a roundtable, Dan Taylor, Vice President, Global Ads at Google, said AI was not displacing traditional search but expanding how people use it. He said overall queries, including commercial ones, continue to grow as users interact with Search in more detailed and conversational ways.
Google said its platform now handles more than 5 trillion searches annually. It added that newer AI-led features, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode, are prompting users to ask longer and more specific questions, moving beyond short keyword-led searches.
Google Maps is getting an AI ‘Ask Maps’ feature and upgraded ‘immersive’ navigation
Google announced on Thursday that Google Maps is introducing a Gemini-powered conversational “Ask Maps” feature along with an updated “Immersive Navigation” experience that brings a 3D view, road details, natural voice guidance, and more to the app.
The new “Ask Maps” feature lets users ask complex, real-world questions using natural language, such as “My phone is dying, where can I charge it without having to wait in a long line for coffee?” or “Is there a public tennis court with lights on that I can play at tonight?”
The tech giant says the feature can also be used to quickly plan trips. For example, you could ask: “I’m headed to the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Coral Dunes, any recommended stops along the way?” Maps will then give you directions, ETAs, and tips from real people, like how to find a hidden trail or get a free entry ticket.
Google brings Gemini AI assistant in Chrome to India
Chrome users in India can now access Google’s AI-powered Gemini assistant right in the browser. The search giant on Wednesday, March 11, announced that it is rolling out Gemini in Chrome in India nearly a year after the native integration was rolled out to users in the United States.
New Zealand and Canada are also part of the expanded rollout of Gemini in Chrome. The browser’s built-in AI assistant can be used to summarise lengthy articles or posts on the web. It can also perform tasks such as creating a pop quiz and pull up web pages from Chrome browser history.
In addition, Google said Gemini in Chrome now supports 50 more languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Telugu, and Tamil. The AI browser assistant is powered by Google’s Gemini 3.1 LLM (large language model) and is currently only available for Mac, Windows, and Chromebook Plus users as well as the iOS version of Chrome.
Users can access Gemini in Chrome by clicking on the icon in the top right corner of the current tab. This opens up a chat panel on the right side for users to ask questions and chat with the personalised browsing assistant.
Young Lions Shortlists From BC Web Wise
We are thrilled to announce that our young stars, Vidushi Gupta and Lokesh Uchil, have been shortlisted for the prestigious Young Lions competition for the second consecutive year! We are incredibly proud of their hard work, creativity, and dedication to excellence, which have earned them this recognition once again.
