EMARKETER Principal Analyst Max Willens unveils new forecasts that reveal where creator spending is accelerating, including new category breakouts for 2026. He’ll dig into what’s powering the surge, from shoppable content to CTV’s growing pull, and how brands are moving toward fuller-funnel partnerships that deliver real lift. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
78% of SMBs worldwide say faster content creation is the leading benefit of using LLMs for digital marketing, according to an October 2025 survey from GoodFirms.
Social media added 108.0 billion hours of mobile app time globally in 2025, more than three times the gain of the next-closest category, genAI/AI assistants (30.3 billion hours), according to a January report from Sensor Tower.
A companywide embrace of crypto is increasingly table stakes.
Strong results come amid increasing caution.
New credit scoring models, which lenders are not accustomed to using, may make their credit scoring costs higher in the near term.
Buying moments are surfacing everywhere; in search results, social media, streaming platforms, and the AI tools guiding consumer choices. For retailers, that means rethinking how conversion happens and reshaping commerce operations for a world where any touchpoint can become a point of sale.
While ChatGPT still leads, Anthropic slashed churn by 20 points, proving retention—not downloads—is the real battleground.
Agency M&A is now prioritizing data infrastructure; digital and tech firms dominated acquisitions as holding companies shifted from scale to capability.
A WPP court filing reveals $9 billion in spend and rebate income, pushing brands to revisit principal media terms.
Its platform tackles AI workflow chaos with context graphs, custom agents, and tighter IT controls.
A Santander-Mastercard pilot shows AI can transact—forcing brands to rethink the funnel.
High-margin ads, more third-party sellers, and investments in fulfillment and loyalty are set to drive growth in 2026.
Walmart and others offer cautious outlooks amid rising tariffs and fuel costs.
Hims & Hers’ former partner plans to continue copycat GLP-1 sales even as FDA investigations and patent lawsuits raise the risks.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss why Gap is introducing a Chief Entertainment Officer, whether this is a bold, transformational move or a distraction from retail fundamentals, and how success should be measured 12 months from now. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch.
Versant's ad revenues fell 8.9% as pay TV shrinks and streaming nears half of viewing time, pressuring cable’s ad model.
A restrained Big Arch taste test sparks authenticity backlash and opens the opportunity for competitors to pile on.
All three expect robust growth this year as increased relevance translates into higher sales.
It’s looking at powering ads in third-party chatbots, extending its ad business beyond retail media.