Affiliate marketing keeps gaining ground as cost-conscious shoppers, creator growth, and AI reshape the channel. But shifting consumer journeys and publisher pressures are changing where brands see value.

Retail media networks (RMNs) have built out social and creator offerings, but advertisers have not widely adopted them. To attract spend, RMNs must prove that their offer of better targeting and measurement outweighs the added cost and complexity.

Stronger creator influence helps drive affiliate sales, pushing marketers to rethink how they measure performance.

As consumers start using chatbots for discovery, FIs need to optimize their content for AI.

Opening its creator program to workers could build trust with shoppers while expanding brands' social reach.

Restricting affiliates’ use of AI may protect credibility but limit exposure.

For brands selling products with long purchase cycles, like mattresses, cars, or appliances, the marketing challenge isn't just winning the sale. It's staying in consumers' minds for years before they're ready to buy.

At $184, the mattress industry's cost per action towers roughly 9x above the next-priciest category, home & garden at $20, according to a March report from impact.com.

As social networks lean into the roles they play in the ecommerce journey, they are flooding their pipes with commerce content they hope will help them in the emerging agentic era.

Retail brands are discovering that securing visibility in AI-generated responses is just the first step in a far more complex challenge. According to new research from Bluefish tracking nearly 200 brands across nine verticals, the brands appearing most frequently in AI answers are often not the ones being described most favorably, a fundamental shift from traditional search marketing.

Pinterest taps Amazon to woo creators, boost shopper confidence: Storefront links streamline affiliate pay, while Amazon ties aim to increase trust and buying.

The marketplace is now the fourth-largest health and beauty ecommerce retailer in the US, forcing brands and retailers to adapt.

After years of uncertainty, TikTok is regaining momentum with efforts in commerce, creators, and entertainment. But rising competition, regulatory pressure, and changing user behavior threaten its next phase of growth.

Amazon squeezes affiliates: Commission cuts up to 50% and thinner data access rattle publishers already hit by AI search declines.

It’s a cost-effective way to resonate with customers at the beginning of their banking journeys.

Vertical UHNW wealth management is a growing theme.

Creator content is shaping how AI answers questions. But content that’s good at engaging audiences isn’t always what AI surfaces. That’s forcing brands to rethink their creator strategies and content formats so they can show up in AI tools.

As brands incorporate creators and influencers into more of their marketing and advertising strategies, they are fueling the growth of the creator economy, while making it more competitive and complex.

Creator marketing has evolved from a nice-to-have resource for generating buzz to an essential part of a retailer’s commerce strategy. Gap Inc. serves as a prime example.