Marketing

For years, the role of a marketer was to tell the brand’s story, build awareness and drive demand. While campaign reporting was part of the job, deeper questions around profitability lived mainly with finance or analytics teams. Today, marketers are still storytellers, but they’re also expected to understand how their decisions affect revenue, retention and…

Retail media is having its gold-rush moment. Nearly every retailer now claims to operate a “retail media network.” The enthusiasm is understandable. Margins are high, the data is valuable, and the investor story practically writes itself. There’s only one issue: most of these so-called networks aren’t networks at all. They’re ad products. Good ones, but…

2025 was the stress test. 2026 will expose who actually learned from it. Retailers now face higher landed costs, compressed contribution margins, and rising pressure on customer acquisition. For example, the removal of the de minimis exemption didn’t just hit retail logistics. It’s rewired the P&L by forcing retailers to face a broader issue that’s…

We’re living in the era of “do not disturb.” Consumers mute notifications, skip ads, and unfollow brands without hesitation. Marketing channels are saturated and attention is strained. Trust is harder to earn because audiences are more selective about what they let in. Success in breaking through hinges on understanding the signals audiences are sending and…

I once had a boss I thought was kind of ridiculous. A larger-than-life persona topped off with a pair of ludicrous luxury sneakers. You can imagine my surprise when, six months later, I bought the same pair. Those shoes, which I whimsically tried on following a small windfall at work, were comfortable and looked amazing.…

Retailers are rethinking their performance marketing mix as customer acquisition costs climb and consumer behavior becomes more value-driven. Search has become prohibitively expensive. Paid social status is increasingly volatile. Loyalty programs require ongoing investment and still struggle to re-engage dormant shoppers. And yet one of the highest intent, most cost-efficient performance channels in the retail…

During periods of economic uncertainty, Gen Z is the most inflation-sensitive — and the most digitally savvy — generation. While they may be buying less today, when they do spend it’s most likely through social channels, making brand-building now essential. However, reaching Gen Z in 2026 requires more than showing up on social. This audience…

Shoppers today encounter ads almost everywhere — from social media feeds and TV commercials to grocery store displays. This creates tremendous opportunities for retail marketers, but also presents a growing challenge. Managing touchpoints across channels such as video, audio, display, and sponsored ads while keeping creatives timely and on-brand has become incredibly complex. Each new…

Retailers spent the past few years modernizing e-commerce and loyalty programs. 2026 is the year in-store experiences get the same treatment. Two shifts will reshape in-store media: artificial intelligence-powered dynamic content informed by real-time signals, and talent driving innovation with curiosity instead of convention. Together, these forces will close operational gaps between marketing and merchandising,…

OpenAI, maker of artificial intelligence large language model ChatGPT, announced on Friday it would begin testing ads in the U.S. to users on the free and low-cost tier ($8 a month) of ChatGPT. In a note on openai.com detailing its "ads principles," CEO of Applications Fidji Simo said the ads would appear at the bottom…