On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the interesting ways folks watch the Olympics, the best (and not so best) ads from the Games, the impact of X suing advertisers, how much in-store chatbots can move the needle, how to view Disney’s streaming profitability milestone, which national park most of America could drive to in a day, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Sara Marzano and Carina Perkins.

This is the first installment of our quarterly “Ad Spending Benchmarks” series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.

Nike’s Olympics efforts kicked off in April, with the brand launching new products, hosting in-person events with athletes like Jordan Chiles and Sha’Carri Richardson, and debuting a controversial ad campaign.

This year’s Olympics were a major opportunity for marketers, both on TV and connected TV (CTV) and on social media. The Games only come around every two years, but the marketing lessons are applicable long after Paris’s crowds have cleared. From a push for generative AI (genAI) to athletes becoming creators in their own rights, here are five takeaways from the Summer Olympics.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the likelihood of people using OpenAI's new SearchGPT, how much of a minefield dynamic pricing is, if its better for shoppers to have fewer choices, Harley Davidson waiting for customers to age in to the brand, how Olympic athletes are changing, and more. Tune in to the discussion with host Marcus Johnson, vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian, and analysts Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, and Max Willens.

Google faces criticism for AI ad: The Gemini commercial during the Olympics raises concerns over AI replacing meaningful human interactions and creativity.

This year, we’re in a Brat girl summer. The lime green trend used by Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign joins a handful of other trends going viral this summer. Marketers may be too late to capitalize with their own content, but there are still important takeaways from these TikTok trends that advertisers can apply long after the trends become outdated.

21% of marketers worldwide will revolve US sponsorship efforts around the Olympics this year, putting it ahead of the NFL (20%) and NBA (18%), per January 2024 data from Genius Sports.

The past two Summer Olympic games, taking place in Rio (2016) and Tokyo (2020), each attracted over 3 billion viewers worldwide, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s official reporting.

Retail marketers should focus on brand marketing to combat consumers’ desire for value. That was the main theme from General Mills, Nike, Levi’s, and more brands’ recent earning calls. Oh, and if you can get Beyonce to name a song after your brand, even better.

Summer is just getting started, but it’s already back-to-school season for parents. As of mid-June, nearly a quarter (24%) of US adults have already begun back-to-school shopping and another 45% will start sometime before the end of July, according to a March 2024 survey from LTK. As retailers roll out their back-to-school campaigns, here are three tips to keep consumers engaged and spending.

Streaming has been a home run for sports-based advertising Through sports rights, new and niche content, and creative ad formats, every major streamer is attempting to grab a share of sports connected TV (CTV) ad spend.

Politics will buoy linear TV ad spending this year, but allocations will continue to shift toward streaming options that keep gaining ad-supported viewers.

In 2024, a perfect storm of technology, business, and consumer behavior trends will conspire to intensify the challenges of protecting brands on digital media.

Sports streaming momentum keeps building: Roku and NBA team up on FAST channel as Peacock and Prime Video win more exclusive streaming deals.

This year has the makings for a major year in advertising, with big events like the Olympics and the presidential election on the calendar. But don’t expect 2024 to follow the same patterns as 2020 or 2016. Following duel strikes and in the midst of streamer consolidation, this year media planners need to be agile aware of changes in consumer sentiment and content. Here are five trends media experts think you should watch.

The grand final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Liverpool, UK, on May 13. Attracting a Super Bowl-sized audience, tourists, and viewing parties, the competition’s global reach will provide marketers and retailers with a notable opportunity to drive brand awareness and sales.

NBCU is softening the Olympics’ ratings blow by touting iSpot partnership: Predicting a low turnout, the broadcaster went all-in on flexing new tools to advertisers.

Super Bowl LVI was a testing ground for post-pandemic norms: New measurements, brand partners, and languages made this year’s event crucial for advertisers.

Long-time Olympics advertisers face controversy, waning viewership: Brands sponsoring the event are staying hushed to avoid upsetting domestic and international consumers.