Ad tech roundup: Charity Action Network, the ‘maxxing’ consumer trend, and Discord’s gamified ads

# What happened

Charity Action Network: programmatic tools for nonprofits

CAN is also building a bigger technical offering called the Giving Exchange. That service is described as a programmatic-style marketplace that would match donation dollars, volunteer hours, and PSA inventory in real time rather than matching ad supply and demand. RFPs went to more than 20 tech firms and the launch target is Q1 2027. CAN plans a separate Charity Co-Op next year so nonprofits with overlapping missions can pool resources.

Why now: the briefing cites shrinking federal grants and declining private donations as driving nonprofits to seek more efficient outreach and media strategies.

The 'maxxing' consumer trend and where it's selling

A new wave of influencers promoting "maxxing" concepts — typically focused on personal appearance or experience upgrades — is moving brand deals into new channels. Influencers such as Clavicular and others who built audiences on live-stream platforms like Twitch and Kick are pivoting to commerce, especially on TikTok.

Brands are adopting the language: grooming brand Harry's used "jawmaxxing" in an ad, and Marriott has promoted "weekend maxxing" deals. The trend is translating into sales for conventional and unexpected items. Cologne has become a surprising TikTok commerce winner because influencers can sell it without the buyer sampling a scent first. The Journal also linked the trend to increased sales of products with questionable efficacy — drinkable self-tanner is cited as an example.

The pattern matters for media planners: the influencers who drove growth in streaming communities are increasingly activating on short-form commerce platforms, shifting attention and spend toward TikTok and similar channels.

Discord's Play Quest+: ads tied to in-game rewards

Discord plans to introduce Play Quest+ in early September. The format allows brands to offer in-game rewards for completing accomplishments. Players opt into a Quest and link their Discord and game accounts so Discord can track progress. Brands can then deliver rewards at specific game moments using Discord's Social SDK and Events API.

Community fit will matter. Nicole van Zanten, co-president and chief growth officer at ICUC, told Digiday that Discord "runs on trust" and that users will react if branded quests feel like ads. She advised aligning rewards with what has value in a given game community — badges or cosmetics that matter inside a server will land better than generic rewards.

Short items to watch

• Brands are elevating creator ambassadors into corporate roles.

• LinkedIn's new tool for reporting low-quality AI content has been used more than 1 million times and LinkedIn reports a 40% reduction in such content in users' feeds.
• Apple Messages on Mac integrated a conversational assistant per The Information.