Advertising & Marketing

CES 2025 emphasized a shift to platform-agnostic ecosystems as cloud gaming, e-sports, and cross-platform play redefine the industry

Authenticity and purpose are key. Bold campaigns succeed when they align with brand values and feel genuine rather than opportunistic

Open-source AI models democratize access to powerful robotics tools, while autonomous vehicle tech could standardize the industry and speed up development.

The UK joins the global crackdown on data: Regulators are set to designate platforms under a new law that imposes significant restrictions.

On today’s podcast, we discuss the EMARKETER report, 9 Pivotal Shifts in AI, Regulation, and Advertising That Will Change the Business Landscape. Our analysts will compete in the Great Behind The Numbers Take Off – Top Trends edition, borrowing from the television show, The Great British Bake Off. In the Take Off, we will talk in-depth about how retail media, social and AI will undercut traditional search and will governments protect children from digital ad giants. Listen to the conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, and Analyst Bill Fisher. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

41% of US consumers want brands to participate in meme culture and social media trends, according to M Booth. But just 25% want to see brands using popular phrases, expressions, and slang in their content, meaning brands need to be careful their voice doesn’t seem forced or corporate when posting online.

Halfway through the current decade, retail media has bled into the wider concept of commerce media, which will be a $68.69 billion industry in the US this year, per our December 2024 forecast.

Consumer-facing features like Samsung’s Vision AI are enhancing consumer AI accessibility—reshaping content discovery and opening new advertising strategies.

Easing AI regulations could unleash unprecedented investments. But it also raises ethical concerns that policymakers must balance with growth.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss where the content production dollars will be going, what the Omnicom and IPG deal will mean for the agency client relationship, and how the antitrust and other legal cases against Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and TikTok will play out in 2025. Tune in to the discussion with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice President of Research Jennifer Pearson, and Vice President Paul Verna.

As cookies face an uncertain future, marketing leaders have shifted away from creating data-gathering strategies and are exploring how to better utilize the data they have. In February 2022, 58.3% of CMOs said their company had created a stronger data strategy to capture better information, compared with 41.9% who said the same in September 2024. In addition, fewer CMOs are offering customers incentives to provide access to their data (down more than 8 percentage points).

3 2024 retail misconceptions: Retail media, QR codes, and microcommunities Brands and retailers got a lot right in 2024. Commerce media expanded further into non-retail channels like payments and travel. Brands found their own voices on TikTok. And in-person events helped drive traffic to stores. But the year also came with a number of lessons for retail. Here are three misconceptions retail experts noticed in 2024, and how brands can get them right in the 12 months ahead.

The net neutrality reversal makes deep pockets more important than relevance, threatening SMBs and reshaping the battle for online visibility.

The former Bush aide’s elevation could reshape content moderation policies as Meta navigates polarized users and criticism of its content moderation policies.

Accused of recording private chats for targeted ads, Apple denies wrongdoing but risks tarnishing its privacy-first image.

Vehicles rented via the app were used in New Year’s attacks, exposing flaws in its risk-scoring algorithm and challenging tech’s reliance on automated safety measures.

Later acquires Mavely for $250 million: The deal integrates influencer monetization tools, enhancing measurable ROI and full-funnel marketing capabilities.