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.
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.
Reddit's ad upgrade: Community-powered formats blend peer proof with targeting, making Reddit a key conversion checkpoint.
Local teams and focused store growth aim to avoid rivals’ missteps.
More in-person seminars tie fraud protection to loyalty, trust, and growth.
More young adults struggle with financial strain, creating an opening for banking products.
Amazon Fire TV courts creator fans: A new Creator Hub boosts discovery, keeps viewing in Amazon’s ecosystem, and expands CTV ad opportunities.
TikTok puts AI in charge: Symphony Agent turns trend spotting, creator sourcing, and ad creation into a faster, AI-led workflow.
As advertising executives prepare to descend on the French Riviera for Cannes Lions 2026, several sessions highlight the industry's most pressing challenges, from AI-powered creativity to the tension between brand values and customer demands. "We are right in the middle of a pretty weird era of mismatch between the creative needs that brands have and what they are able to produce either on their own or via their agency partners," EMARKETER analyst Max Willens said on a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers." The festival runs June 22-25 in Cannes, France. These four sessions reveal where the industry is headed.
Heritage luxury jewelry brand Tacori faces a unique marketing challenge: Its core bridal customer base constantly cycles in and out of relevance. Engagement ring shoppers typically research for just one to four months before purchasing, and once they buy, they're no longer in-market.
Santander credits AI with $40 million in Q1 value, turning fraud prevention, service, and operations tools into measurable returns.
WBD’s agentic rebuild: WBD is replacing siloed ad systems with AI agents on AWS, creating a unified engine for TV and streaming sales.
WPP’s agentic vision: WPP sees AI agents taking over media decisions, turning DSPs and SSPs into backend infrastructure for automation.
Agentic CDPs close the gap: AI turns unified customer data into actions, but value depends on clean data and measurable business outcomes.
Brands see college shopping as a gateway to long-term loyalty.