Convincing consumers to download the plugin will be an uphill battle for a traditionally backend brand.
It’s testing whether its brand will be a reliable enough selling point in a sea of senior-focused insurance options.
Three of the least likely scenarios in social media would also be the most disruptive: a regulatory ban on addictive feed design, a Facebook revival, and an AI chatbot building a $100 billion ad business. None of them is likely. Each one exposes a tension already at work, from how regulators treat engagement mechanics to how much advertising a chatbot can actually carry. "If the EU were to ban infinite scrolling, it seems pretty clear that that would significantly curtail the amount of time people spend watching these kinds of videos," said our analyst Max Willens on a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers." Willens and two other analysts walked through three "what if" predictions on the episode.
Gift-giving travelers are an increasingly captive audience for brands this upcoming holiday season. Watch and accessories brand Fossil tapped into this group successfully last year, and more brands will likely follow as travel media networks mature. US travel media ad spending is expected to reach $2.39 billion in 2026, up 22.9% YoY, according to EMARKETER's June forecast. While travel media’s share of commerce media is declining due to a concentration of endemic travel brands, according to EMARKETER analysis, Fossil’s positive results indicate that travelers are open to shopping, especially around the holidays and other high-volume travel periods. Reaching holiday travelers at major hubs In Q4 of last year, Fossil executed a travel media campaign in six major airport hubs, including New York (LaGuardia Airport), Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Chicago. The mix included in-flight Wi-Fi on JetBlue and American Airlines, in-stream video at airports, and a “virtual holiday pop-up store.” Fossil also amplified the campaign on Instagram and TikTok. Digital Culture Group (DCG) managed multiple arms of the campaign, in collaboration with media agency Assembly and ReachTV.
As satisfaction falls, retailers that keep prices and experiences aligned can win shoppers back.
A playful campaign highlights the tradeoffs of bargain shopping, but stronger differentiation is needed to win back customers.
Faster checkout experiences and better inventory information can lift loyalty without making shoppers feel watched.
Wider consideration gives lesser-known brands an opening, but more product options can make final decisions take longer.
Its Ulta launch comes as Chinese brands look beyond a weaker home market and seek broader global appeal.
Protein-focused RXBAR and Quest top their category in EMARKETER’s inaugural US Food and Beverage AI Visibility Index, giving them an edge over general nutrition brands in a high-demand category.
PayPal’s fusion with Stripe could reorder the landscape of crypto, BNPL, agentic commerce and digital wallets.
Retailer-native AI assistants will drive 54.1% of US AI-driven retail ecommerce sales in 2026, keeping retailers ahead of general-purpose AI platforms through 2030, according to a July report from EMARKETER.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three biggest questions surrounding Amazon right now: Are Amazon’s AI tools gaining traction with consumers, advertisers, and enterprise clients? Is Prime Video becoming a true premium advertising opportunity, or is it still an added benefit of Amazon’s core shopping ecosystem? And will cloud overtake retail as Amazon’s biggest business by 2030? And more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Analysts Marisa Jones and Rachel Wolff, as they explore these questions and more. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
A sharp monthly decline reflects Prime Day timing and lower gas prices more than weakening demand.
Earlier investing and tighter budgets make all-in-one finance apps more compelling than stand-alone banks.
Gen Z shoppers make room for beauty, coffee, and travel despite low savings
Unwell joins other celebrity-backed brands that won attention but could not sustain sales.
Rising media costs put attribution at the center as marketers spend more on seasonal ads and start campaigns earlier.
Pushing deeper into local commerce could help EWS fend off rivals like Venmo.
Issuer FMNs have an opportunity to turn data insights into more personalized rewards.