As advertising executives prepare to descend on the French Riviera for Cannes Lions 2026, several sessions highlight the industry's most pressing challenges, from AI-powered creativity to the tension between brand values and customer demands. "We are right in the middle of a pretty weird era of mismatch between the creative needs that brands have and what they are able to produce either on their own or via their agency partners," EMARKETER analyst Max Willens said on a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers." The festival runs June 22-25 in Cannes, France. These four sessions reveal where the industry is headed.
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Become a Client57% of US digital audio listeners spend the most time with music playlists, far ahead of podcasts (35%) and every other format, according to a March 2026 survey from Harris Poll and EMARKETER.
Heritage luxury jewelry brand Tacori faces a unique marketing challenge: Its core bridal customer base constantly cycles in and out of relevance. Engagement ring shoppers typically research for just one to four months before purchasing, and once they buy, they're no longer in-market.
Financial media networks’ transaction data across tens of millions of merchants and retailers gives advertisers a fresh angle when planning and measuring campaigns. This is a crucial value proposition made by PayPal Ads to advertisers looking to convert customers and compare allocations between various retail media networks.
In today’s podcast episode, we discuss the main reasons Apple might be about to take over the AI race, the challenges Siri is going to face, and whether Siri AI just “Sherlocked” the free version of ChatGPT. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Analyst Grace Harmon and Senior Analyst Gadjo Sevilla. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube or Spotify.
Brands see college shopping as a gateway to long-term loyalty.
Yahoo’s agent hub: Yahoo links third-party AI agents in one DSP, reducing integration friction across existing tech stacks.
In today’s podcast episode, we discuss what summer travel will look like for Americans this year, where people go online to book their vacations, and how AI is helping travelers plan and manage their trips. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Vice President of Research Jennifer Pearson and Principal Analyst Zak Stambor. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube or Spotify. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice President of Content Suzy Davidkhanian, Analyst Paola Flores-Marquez, and Senior Analyst Gadjo Sevilla. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube or Spotify.
YouTube/YouTube Music is the most-used digital audio platform, reaching 51% of US digital audio listeners and standing alone as the only option to clear the halfway mark, according to a March 2026 Harris Poll and EMARKETER survey.