In today’s podcast episode, we discuss how insufficient measurement is preventing advertisers from investing more in digital, the role mobile-grade measurement plays in shaping digital transformation strategies across channels, why AI isn’t fixing your measurement problems, and how organizations are responding to the growing pressure to prove ROI. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Analyst Chris Wood and AppsFlyer Chief Marketing Officer Ran Avrahamy. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube or Spotify.
As the economy continues to put a strain on many household budgets, a number of consumers are planning to use annual holiday sales to stock up on everyday essentials, as well as buying gifts.
Marketers, creators, and brands descended on midtown Manhattan this week for Advertising Week New York (AWNY), and the conversations kept circling back to three themes: fandom, trust, and street activations. Brands came to make news: TikTok announced new tools to expand the reach of TikTok Shop, Meta launched an upgrade for its Ads Manager business assistant, and Olyzon rolled out an agentic orchestration platform. But beyond the reveals, trends emerged from session topics, panel discussions, word-of-mouth, and private conversations. They revealed the growing importance of fandom's audiences, looking for trust, and IRL activations.
Proactive cash-flow insights could help banks retain customer loyalty.
Delta can pass along higher fuel costs for now, but weaker carriers may respond with fewer flights and higher fares.
Social content can turn interest into purchases, even as stores and shopping sites remain key discovery channels.
Strong reviews outweigh repeated ads, making trust and post-purchase satisfaction critical.
Proactive cash-flow insights could help banks retain customer loyalty.
Checkout flexibility can attract lower earners, while bigger-ticket financing can capture affluent shoppers.
Fall sales events drove consumers to spend even if holiday gifting wasn’t their goal.
Uniqlo’s mix of function, quality, and style is helping it gain ground without chasing fast-fashion trends.
Creator promotions and AI beauty advice can drive conversions without disrupting organic discovery.
Clothing, coffee, and beauty remain priorities despite tighter budgets, especially among Gen Zers seeking frequent treats.
Merchants can pair AI visibility with installments and card-linked offers to capture limited spending.
A tie-up could spread some costs, but the deal’s size and operational mismatch make it difficult.
Brands need to align marketing with consumer tastes and adjust quickly when messaging misses the mark.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how not to over-engineer your marketing with too much data, what retail media brings to social and creator marketing (and vice versa), and where retail media data can genuinely make marketing better—and where we may be asking too much of it. Tune in for a conversation featuring Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sarah Marzano, and Vice President of Commerce & Retail Media at the IAB, Collin Colburn.
Some 41% of US ad buyers expect to increase spending on in-person and experiential marketing this year, according to IAB data cited by EMARKETER. As those budgets grow, however, so does the pressure for experiences to accomplish more than drawing a crowd.
Higher monthly expenses are making even affluent consumers scrutinize big-ticket purchases.
Companies put more support behind ad tactics and product platforms that show sales and share-gain promise.