As retail media networks expand, one of the biggest challenges facing marketers is measurement. In fact, 42% of US retail media buyers believe that more effective and accurate campaign measurement is the most important issue in retail media advertising today, according to March 2025 data from Koddi. To help advertisers better assess the effectiveness of their campaigns, Sam’s Club Member Access Platform (MAP) has introduced Omni-Impact—a new AI-powered measurement solution.
The news: In a bid to push deeper into creative ad tools, Meta is in talks to acquire Play AI, a voice cloning startup, per Bloomberg. According to sources, Meta is interested in the startup’s tech and key staff and is looking to integrate its voice features into customer service and content creation applications. Key takeaway: Creators and brands should treat AI voice tools as a way to enhance, not replace, creative work. They should use voice tools judiciously for fast testing or global reach. The goal isn’t to mimic people—it’s to scale content responsibly.
The trend: Global visits to the top 100 web domains fell nearly 7% from March 2022 to March 2025, per Semrush, with Google’s own traffic down 6.4%, according to Similarweb as cited by DataReportal. Our take: Search is no longer a neutral traffic driver. Marketers need to plan for a world where clicks don’t come easy and genAI responses, not blue links, dictate traffic and visibility. GEO strategies must ensure brands are surfaced in genAI outputs. Marketers should focus on first-party data, brand-owned channels, and social, especially since platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube are increasingly becoming primary search paths for younger users.
The situation: Several recent macroeconomic indicators point to a tough and increasingly uncertain economic environment. Our take: Uncertainty has cast a long shadow over the retail industry all year—and clearer skies aren’t on the horizon. Retailers trying to weather the economic storm must focus on delivering compelling value to cost-conscious consumers. That means leaning into what makes their brand stand out, whether it’s quality, service, loyalty perks, or meaningful innovation. With nearly a quarter of shoppers adjusting their budgets as they tighten their purse strings—and retail sales expected to rise just 1.5% YoY this year—differentiation is more important than ever.
The news: A Sprout Social report found that 41% of Gen Z turns to social platforms first for finding information, ahead of search engines (32%), AI chatbots (11%), and friends and family (9%). In an exclusive conversation with EMARKETER, Thomas Markland, founder of creator company HYDP, discussed the shift and the need for brands to adopt a social-first strategy. Our take: As social media users, especially younger generations, increasingly turn to social for product discovery, brands that are willing to adapt and are strategic with their creator partnerships stand to gain most.
The tests: In an effort to regain momentum, Target is piloting several initiatives aimed at boosting sales and protecting its margins. Our take: Target isn’t standing still amid its challenges—but it isn’t clear if its latest moves will resonate with consumers. It’s encouraging to see Target establish an “acceleration office” to push innovation forward. But with consumer budgets under strain, finding the right formula won’t be easy—especially given the stiff competition it faces from Amazon, Walmart, and others.
The news: As the 2025 economy tightens under the pressure of tariffs, AI disruption, and shifting global trade policy, brands are embracing adaptability. Retail growth forecasts have been slashed, inflation-wary consumers are scaling back, and even luxury sentiment is weakening. Our take: Resilient brands are leaning into agile planning, reallocating media spend to ROI-focused channels like search and digital out-of-home, and anchoring value in trust and quality—not just price. As emotional volatility shapes consumer decisions, marketers who show relevance and reassurance will lead. The brands that win won’t wait for stability—they’ll build strategies that succeed amid constant change.
41% of CMOs in North America and Europe say they leveraged data, analytics, and measurement to optimize marketing performance—the most common tactic followed by AI, according to March 2025 data from Gartner.
The news: A recent study found 89% of consumers prefer affordable life insurance with shorter guarantees (to age 90) over “guaranteed-for-life” policies—once visuals and real-world comparisons clarified premium trade-offs. Flexibility and control in coverage and payments also ranked high. Insurers must stop defaulting to lifetime guarantees. Our take: Life insurers should reframe product education using visuals, dollar examples, and jargon-free language to communicate the cost-benefit of “lighter” options. Designing flexible, customizable life insurance policies will attract cost-conscious buyers and boost retention in a market shifting toward personalization and transparency.
The news: Higgsfield’s Soul is the latest AI-powered image- and video-generation service that’s fine-tuned for “fashion-grade realism,” making the output resemble professional photos and videos without the plasticky, overprocessed feel of typical AI visuals. Our take: For less than $10 a month, freelancers and marketing teams can now fast-track campaign proposals and client pitches with high-quality visuals. As AI tools become more accessible, the advantage goes to creatives who learn to shape them strategically—those are the ones who’ll win the big contracts. Marketers should treat tools like Soul it as an accelerant, not a replacement. Use it to prototype fast, align on visual direction, and cut production waste.
The news: The P&C insurance industry posted a 96.6 combined ratio in 2024—its best in 10+ years—despite natural disaster losses. Major reserve boosts, surging premium growth, and smart underwriting (especially in personal auto and homeowners) drove this performance. GenAI adoption further enhanced claims processing and fraud detection. Strategic exits from high-risk areas also curbed losses. Our take: P&C insurers must double down on AI, automation, and risk analytics to sustain profitability amid growing climate volatility and economic headwinds. Innovation in underwriting and pricing, paired with disciplined risk management, will be key to staying resilient in an increasingly unpredictable risk environment.
The trend: Value-seeking behavior is on the rise, though not without some volatility, per Deloitte. Our take: Consumers’ growing focus on value doesn’t necessarily mean they want the cheapest option. In fact, up to 40% of how consumers evaluate value comes from nonprice factors, per a separate Deloitte study. That’s a critical distinction for brands. While it can be tempting to lean into discounts, a narrow focus on price cuts can hurt long-term brand equity. Brands that offer added value—through better quality, service, loyalty programs, or other innovations—are seeing stronger purchase intent and increasing consumer share.
The news: A proposed merger between Bank of New York Mellon and Northern Trust could create a "monster deal," significantly consolidating the custodial banking space. This large-scale move would pressure smaller competitors, potentially creating a powerhouse in institutional investing and setting new digital efficiency standards. The recent Capital One-Discover acquisition suggests a regulatory environment emboldening such rapid growth. Our take: While large mergers are gaining traction, they're not guaranteed solutions for competitiveness. Banks considering similar strategies must plan meticulously and engage stakeholders. Without careful execution, such integrations can lead to dissatisfied customers and attrition, despite the perceived benefits of scale and market dominance in a hyper-competitive environment.
The news: The banking sector is evolving towards embedded finance and enhanced data-sharing, allowing customers to access financial products and services from any provider, on any platform. This unbundling trend, driven by fintechs, could marginalize traditional banks. The article draws a parallel to the music industry's digital disruption, where unbundling (like iTunes) and streaming (like Spotify) fundamentally reshaped its value chain. This transformation, catalyzed by companies like Napster, created diverse new models. The opportunity: Similar to how streaming music providers anticipate continued growth, banking customers increasingly seek unbundled services, with fintechs outpacing traditional financial institutions in new checking account openings as consumers hold multiple accounts for specific needs.
The news: Influencer marketing spending is increasing steadily in the US and worldwide, representing a key area of growth as audiences turn to the creators they trust for purchase decisions. In a conversation with EMARKTER, Arthur Leopold, head of the creator content ad platform Agentio, discussed why audiences are turning to influencers, how technology is changing the game, and where influencer marketing is heading. Our take: Influencer marketing continues to be a core focus for advertisers in a consumer landscape dominated by social media—but as more brands invest in influencers, advertisers need to keep key considerations in mind.
The news: Despite lower COVID-19 mortality rates, it remains the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. Lingering health impacts—like long COVID, delayed diagnoses, and worsening chronic conditions—continue to threaten life insurers’ claims experience and profitability. Pre-pandemic underwriting likely underestimated these risks. Our take: Life insurers must recalibrate actuarial and pricing models to account for persistent COVID-19 health risks. Incorporating new medical and mortality data into term life and other products will ensure premiums align with post-pandemic realities, protect margins, and improve risk modeling accuracy in an evolving health landscape.
On today's podcast episode, we discuss our unofficial list of the most unexpected retailer campaigns this year. This month, our analysts Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Sara Lebow (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial themed list of the top eight retailers based on the most surprising marketing campaigns we've seen in the last six months. In this month's episode, Committee members Analysts Arielle Feger and Sara Lebow will defend their list against Senior Analyst Zak Stambor and Analyst Rachel Wolff, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.
The rest of the year is top-of-mind for leaders in marketing and retail, which they expect to be challenging but riddled with opportunities to stand out from competition.
The news: AI-fueled résumés have pushed LinkedIn job applications up 45% YoY, overwhelming recruiters and upending hiring norms. Recruiters now face an avalanche of lookalike résumés and fake identities—some even auto-submitted by AI bots. Many are turning to AI-powered hiring platforms to fight fire with fire, per The New York Times. Our take:By relying on AI tools to chase efficiency, both sides could drive up skepticism and erode the core goal: finding the right person for the right role. Businesses with open roles should prioritize clarity, human relevance, and judicious restraint in their own use of AI.
The scene: When Cooper Flagg—the odds-on favorite to be the NBA Rookie of the Year next season—steps onto the court for the first time, he’ll be wearing New Balance basketball shoes. Our take: New Balance’s push to sign Flagg, along with its other star-powered ambassadors, underscores its clear ambition to break into the top tier of global sportswear brands. While Nike and Adidas still lead by a wide margin, New Balance has its sights set on Puma, which reported $9.5 billion in sales last year—well ahead of New Balance’s $7.8 billion. To close the gap, New Balance needs to turn its growing visibility into demand, which is far from a sure thing. From there, it must maintain that momentum with consistent sales across both its performance and lifestyle lines. If Flagg lives up to the hype and the brand finds ways to ride that momentum, New Balance could take a meaningful step up the sneaker hier