What’s New in Paid Media: March 2026 

March was another busy month in paid media. From rising costs in Europe to AI-generated creative and new Shopping formats, the direction of travel is becoming clearer.

Platforms are doubling down on automation, while also reshaping how brands show up across search and social.

Here are four updates that stood out to us.

1. Meta passes EU digital taxes onto advertisers

Meta has confirmed it will begin passing the cost of certain European digital service taxes directly onto advertisers.

While this might sound like a backend change, it has real implications for budgets and performance tracking.

In practice, this means:

• Costs may increase across affected EU markets
• Year-on-year comparisons may be harder to benchmark accurately

This is another example of platforms gradually increasing the true cost of media, even if performance stays the same. For advertisers, staying close to spend and efficiency metrics will be key.

2. Sponsored Shops appear in Google Shopping

Google is testing a new “Sponsored Shops” format within Shopping results, shifting the focus from individual products to retailers.

It is a move that feels similar to Shopping Showcase ads, but with more emphasis on brand visibility within the Shopping experience.

The potential impact is clear:

• Greater visibility for retailers rather than just products
• More opportunity to influence users higher up the funnel
• Increased importance of brand identity within Shopping

If this rolls out more widely, it could change how we think about Shopping as a purely product-led channel.

3. Veo video generation comes to Google Ads

Google is rolling out its Veo video generation technology directly within Google Ads, enabling advertisers to create video assets using AI.

This is part of a wider shift towards automated creative production, where generating assets becomes faster and more scalable.

What this means in practice:

• Faster creation of video assets
• Lower barriers to testing multiple creative variations
• Greater expectation to include video in campaign mixes

The opportunity here is not just speed, but smarter testing. The brands that benefit most will be the ones combining automation with strong creative direction.

4. “First order” labels appear in Shopping ads

Google has also introduced “first order” labels within Shopping ads, highlighting incentives aimed at new customers.

This brings promotional messaging directly into the ad unit, rather than relying on users to discover it after clicking through.

The implications are straightforward:

• New customer offers become more visible
• Competition for first-time buyers may increase
• Promotions could play a bigger role in driving clicks

It is a small change, but one that could have a noticeable impact on performance if used well.

What this tells us about the direction of paid media

Looking across these updates, a few themes stand out:

• Platforms are continuing to push automation, particularly in creative production
• Shopping experiences are evolving to include more brand-led formats
• Costs are becoming less transparent, with additional fees entering the mix

For advertisers, the opportunity lies in how we respond. Staying curious, testing early and keeping a close eye on performance will help us make the most of these changes.

If you’d like to chat about how these updates could impact your paid media strategy, get in touch with our team or explore more Insights below.