Yelp’s newest Most Loved Brands list identifies which national chains consumers returned to most in a year defined by cautious, value-sensitive spending. Unlike perception-based rankings, Yelp’s loyalty score draws from behavioral signals—repeat visits to brand pages, review volume, sentiment, and photo activity—revealing what people actually do, not just what they say. Dave’s Hot Chicken leads the list on the strength of customizable experiences and overwhelmingly positive ratings, while legacy chains, nostalgia-driven brands, and Zillennial favorites succeed for distinct reasons. For marketers, the findings echo broader path-to-purchase trends: consumers increasingly depend on reviews, consistency, and social proof to validate where they spend.

Casper’s subway ads give commuters fun puzzles to solve while increasing its brand awareness. Albertsons Companies leverages a game to entice consumers to play for discounts and rewards. And Nike’s mobile app earns the brand a spot in consumers’ everyday lives. Here are five ways brands are embracing gamification across different stages.

Most consumers use online marketplaces to find products, but the number who are browsing in-store or on social media is growing. Retailer websites are where customers go for product research. And when it comes to purchasing, price and delivery options are the most important factors.

Bud Light is no longer the US’ top-selling beer brand: While cost-conscious consumers turn to macro beers, AB InBev’s Dylan Mulvaney-related missteps are pushing them to other brands.

Marketers have a wealth of opportunities throughout the buyer’s journey to leverage generative AI. Here's how to use it effectively at each stage of the customer life cycle.

First-party data is growing in importance as marketers move forward without cookies. With more reliable and accurate data that’s shared between life cycle marketing and paid channels, brands can lower acquisition costs, create efficient campaigns, and build lasting, one-on-one relationships with target consumers.

This report will guide marketers through a customer journey mapping exercise and explore why and how different content can be implemented throughout the life cycle.

This report examines how B2B marketers and other customer-facing teams should approach their customer growth efforts.