AI expands the shortlist: AI is steering product discovery by introducing shoppers to unfamiliar brands, yet loyalty still decides most purchase decisions.
The brand could join Reformation in making its public debut as investor appetite returns.
Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart roll out new ads that blend into the shopping experience
But they face a competitive landscape.
Lower delinquencies reflect tighter budgets, and retailers looking to capture discretionary spending feel the pinch
Gen Zers and millennials are moving assets from bank deposits into stocks, ETFs, and crypto on fintech platforms.
Sunscreen myths go viral on TikTok, where Gen Z spends time. Yet they know the least about sun safety, making it critical for brands to highlight the sun protection benefits that resonate with them today.
Resale has moved from niche to mainstream, with over half (59%) of consumers shopping secondhand apparel last year, according to thredUP. But as platforms scale to millions of items, the real challenge shifts from inventory to discovery, helping shoppers navigate an endless aisle of one-of-a-kind pieces without feeling overwhelmed.
Agentic ad buying has made strides through the first half of this year to fulfill its promise of saving marketers time and money when planning campaigns. Though the technology still has plenty to prove, large agencies and publishers are forging shared standards to make those workflows reliable, meeting advertiser demand without sacrificing trust.
Amazon turns Alexa ads into checkout lanes: Alexa+ Agentic Ads lets users buy inside AI conversations, collapsing the journey from promotion to purchase.
Meta’s spotlights AI at Cannes: The company is leveraging its scale to advance automated ads, but marketers still need strong creative and clear guardrails.
AI answers become a brand battleground: Contentful’s AEO tool reveals how AI forms brand perceptions and suggests fixes to improve visibility.
Agentic AI ads arrive: Cannes moves AI agents from demos to deals; buyers orchestrate systems as autonomous media buying nears scale.
Google expands YouTube tools: New creator, trend, and AI insights tie planning, content, and ads into one fuller-funnel workflow.
Peacock TV was the only major streaming service to grow its average daily household viewing time, climbing from 2.0 to 3.0 hours between December 2025 and February 2026 to tie Netflix and Hulu, according to a February survey from Comscore.
Duolingo has spent the past year proving it can sell ads without breaking what makes its app work. Now it's pushing further into rewarded video with a new format that gives free users something they'd otherwise have to pay for. The company announced Pre-Lesson Energy Sponsorship ahead of Cannes Lions, a format that places a 30-second opt-in video ad at the start of a free user's first daily lesson. Complete the view, and the app unlocks 30 minutes of unlimited Energy, the resource that powers lessons and normally depletes unless you subscribe.
For years, retail media potential seemed limitless as growth skyrocketed while retail media networks launched one after the other. Today, retail media is entering a fundamentally different growth phase. During an afternoon eventat Cannes produced by EMARKETER and Sensor Tower, our analyst Sarah Marzano described an industry transitioning from expansion at all costs to a greater focus on efficiency, differentiation, and measurable outcomes.
Bass Pro, RH, and Ralph Lauren are turning to hospitality to build deeper customer connections.
Gen Alpha favors in-person buying over digital convenience.
Walmart broadens TV access: A proposed Vibe.co deal would bring self-serve CTV tools to smaller brands and marketplace sellers.