"Star Wars," "Dungeons & Dragons," and Pokémon all began as niche obsessions before their fans carried them into pop culture. That path still works, but fans are doing more of the carrying. They adapt the story, remix it, argue about it in comment sections and bring it to audiences its owners never targeted. "When people see their identity reflected back at them, when they feel connected to a community, when they feel like they have a sense of belonging, their fandom gets deeper, it gets stronger, and it becomes something that they want to share with others," said Fotoulla Damaskos, executive vice president of brand strategy and innovation at National Research Group (NRG).
In today’s podcast episode, we present our (somewhat Halloween-themed) Unofficial Monthly Retailer Awards (UMRAs) for October. The awards include “Most Impactful Campaign,” “Best IRL Initiative,” and “Greatest Under-the-Radar Move.” Join Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analysts Sky Canaves and Zak Stambor, and Senior Director of Content Becky Schilling for the discussion.
Catalina Snacks’ products are gaining traction with shoppers who are conscious of ingredients and interested in healthy alternatives in categories like cereals and snacks.
28% of US buy-side decision-makers plan to run 11 or more incrementality tests a year with AI-driven improvements, more than triple the 8% who do so today, according to a February report from IAB and BWG Strategy.
A 625% jump in video sponsorship revenues shows the value of repeat engagement as search referrals decline.
More precise placements help advertisers drive results without relying on large impression volumes.
Travel brands' YouTube Shorts held viewers for 76.3% of the video on average in Q2 2026, up from just 17.0% a year earlier, according to a recent report from Dash Social.
Marketers and retailers face an ongoing challenge: showing stretched shoppers that they understand customer budgets without making their brands feel like a bargain bin.
Its wide range of price points and occasions lets shoppers trade down or up without leaving the portfolio.
Richer perks can attract younger professionals priced out of premium cards and build loyalty for future upgrades.
The agency alleges widespread overcharging, showing how price inaccuracies can quickly become a trust and regulatory problem.
Shop the Look improves a familiar recommendation tool rather than reinventing how consumers shop
Venmo and BNPL can broaden its reach, but neither fixes weakness in its core payments business.
Weak retailer adoption ends a costly smart-cart experiment and removes the linchpin of its in-store ad strategy.
New buying access helps advertisers connect early-stage inspiration with lower-funnel channels.
Despite strong earnings, weaker revenue per product shows why banks must turn cross-selling into engagement.
Some 11% of working-age adults are uninsured, and nearly half lack adequate coverage, adding urgency to a key midterm issue for voters.
Marketers have more opportunities to educate female patients on how menstrual and menopausal changes are linked with heart health.
The ruling allows disputed efficacy claims to stay on air while their accuracy remains unresolved.
In Q4 2026, we analyzed 3,210 ChatGPT and 3,210 Google Gemini recommendations across eight media and entertainment categories to compile the AI Visibility Index.