Humor and celebrity now dominate Super Bowl ads; brands now favor memeable, star-driven comedy as safer attention drivers and a chance at social-media virality.

Retail media strategies are diverging; Macy’s and Iceland show how retailers are choosing between faster scale through partners and deeper control through bespoke in-store systems.

TikTok Shop's low prices came with shaky trust, but the budget retailer is maturing into a serious marketplace and attracting partnerships.

Our analysts (or “bakers”) compete in a Great British Bake Off–style episode, discussing how, as Gen Alpha turns 13, the war between time spent on YouTube and TikTok will heat up—and how gaming will become an alternative social media space for this young generation. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Analyst Paola Flores-Marquez and Vice President of Research Jennifer Pearson. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Our analysts (or “bakers”) compete in a Great British Bake Off–style episode, discussing how retailers will be restructuring their commerce media teams and focusing on hard launching their in-store retail media capabilities. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, along with Analyst Arielle Feger and Principal Analyst Sarah Marzano.

Our analysts (or “bakers”) compete in a Great British Bake Off–style episode, discussing why Dr. Google will give way to Dr. ChatGPT in 2026 and how Americans will increasingly use AI for mental health therapy and support this year. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analysts Rajiv Leventhal and Beth Snyder Bulik. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Newsletters are becoming creator power centers; onfluencers owning their audiences is reshaping how they monetize—and how brands leverage those audiences.

Super Bowl campaigns aren’t one-size-fits-all; brands are now splitting between full-scale TV buys and multi-channel activations that extend beyond the broadcast.

Digital keeps growing, but differently; slower growth rates signal market maturity, forcing marketers to prioritize mix, performance, and flexibility.

Digital grocery has evolved from a pandemic-era convenience to a core retail channel. More than 90% of US consumers now shop for groceries both online and in-store, according to FMI and NielsenIQ. As the channel matures, the competitive battleground shifts from basic fulfillment to AI-powered personalization, retail media monetization, and seamless omnichannel experiences. This FAQ addresses the trends, players, and strategies shaping digital grocery in 2026.

Retail media is entering an execution era; advertisers are now judging networks on speed, flexibility, and clarity, not just closed-loop performance or topline growth.

This FAQ discusses how the holiday marketing season is evolving into a longer, leaner, and more competitive period, driven by economic headwinds, earlier shopping behavior, and the growing importance of retail media. It outlines why marketers must plan earlier, prioritize measurable and omnichannel strategies, and avoid overconcentrating spend around the Cyber Five to capture demand across an extended season.

Our analysts (or “bakers”) compete in a Great British Bake Off–style episode, discussing why Google may overtake OpenAI in 2026 and how the AI boom could get a reality check this year. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Principal Analyst Nate Elliot and Analyst Jacob Bourne. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Europe, Middle East, Africa rise in consumer tech: Brands must pivot as regional trade-up demand and connected living drive growth beyond North America.

Discord is preparing for its IPO; its youthful, highly engaged communities signal rising advertiser interest in participatory platforms as alternatives to feed-driven social media.

Our analysts (or “bakers”) will compete in a Great British Bake Off–style episode, discussing how the digital shelf for ecommerce will adapt to speak to AI audiences and how retailers will counter AI’s rise by connecting with customers IRL. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch.

PayPal rolled out Transaction Graph Insights & Measurement at CES to gives advertisers and merchants a clearer, cross-merchant view of how people actually shop and purchase—and early results suggest meaningful impact.

The ad industry kept busy during the holiday season, so we rounded up the biggest stories from the last two weeks you need to know about.

Marketers across categories are calling for simpler, more intuitive advertising systems after years of growing fragmentation and technical overload. In interviews with EMARKETER, leaders from Criteo, LiveRamp, Reddit, Vistar Media, StackAdapt, and DoorDash all described a shift toward platforms that reduce effort, unify workflows, and provide clearer decision making. Buyers want fewer interfaces, standardized KPIs, easier activation, and more transparent insight into where ads run. The message is consistent: performance pressure amplifies the value of operational clarity. As the industry moves into 2026, platforms that eliminate friction—rather than add features—will gain share, while marketers who choose simplicity will gain speed and efficiency.

In a year marked by platform volatility, AI acceleration, tariff shocks, and shifting consumer behavior, marketers searched for clarity across EMARKETER’s most-read topics. The top 10 themes reflect where advertiser attention truly moved in 2025. These trends captured the forces reshaping performance, discovery, and measurement: AI-driven optimization, creator-centric social ecosystems, commerce-led advertising, and CTV’s rise as the new premium video default. Together, they tell the story of a market recalibrating around efficiency, accountability, and cultural relevance as marketers prepared their 2026 strategies.