Social commerce has moved beyond a trend or an experiment and become a real part of how people are shopping today. “What started as discovery and inspiration has now become shoppable, immediate, and increasingly transactional, often in a single sitting,” said our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian on a recent episode of “Behind the Numbers.”
Data interoperability is becoming leverage; brands may need neutral infrastructure to activate signals consistently across emerging AI endpoints.
On Jan. 25, Netflix livestreamed climber Alex Honnold scaling Taipei 101, one of the world's tallest buildings, without ropes or safety gear. The event brought in over 6 million viewers, and continued the streaming giant's investment into live, tentpole events that could change how marketers approach streaming campaigns.
New banking and investing services deepen relationships as emerging-affluent consumers become private banking prospects.
The commercial incentives are clear even as government pressure fades.
The data it collects should remind banks of their own insights into customers.
Falling abandonment rates before the holidays reflect resilient consumer spending.
Discord is joining YouTube and TikTok in implementing stricter age verification processes, squeezing marketer access to young users.
Revenue gains from personalization are clear, but siloed data and slow AI rollout keep scale out of reach for brands and agencies.
Dentsu is entering repair mode; a record impairment and leadership shift mark a pivot toward cost control and disciplined capital allocation.
Marketers fear AI flooding search and inboxes, eroding differentiation just as SEO, email, and traffic performance slide.
Restaurant industry sales will inch up 1.3%, but only chains with clear value and identity will win.
CPG firms are raising prices where they have to while cutting prices with promos elsewhere to address shopper revolt.
Hollywood shifts from AI talk to takedowns as a viral deepfake spotlights consent, rights, and ad risk.
Podcasts turn attention into action as opt-in listening drives searches, site visits, and a 22% purchase rate.
Secondhand sales accounted for over 10% of fashion spending in January as interest continues to rise.
Agency roles are shifting upward; execution is becoming software, while oversight, integration, and governance gain importance.
Lawmaker and user backlash kills Flock partnership, exposing limits of opt-in AI surveillance plays.
AI tools are becoming some travelers’ first stop, reshaping discovery and pressuring search-driven players.
77.5% of US CEOs anticipate inflation will negatively affect their business forecasts, making it the leading concern ahead of tariffs (70.6%) and US-China relations (68.6%), according to a November survey from Stagwell, The Wall Street Journal, and the National Research Group.