The news: OpenAI has hired its first-ever CMO, Kate Rouch, signaling an effort to step up its brand messaging and bring advertising to its products. Rouch has deep ties in the digital advertising ...

Key stat: High delivery costs are the No. 1 aspect of online shopping that frustrates adults worldwide, according to H1 2024 data from DHL. Beyond the chart: Across all generations, free shipping is ...

The pandemic was disastrous for many retailers; we estimate that total retail sales worldwide plunged 2.8% in 2020. Though, while many physical stores were shuttered, digital retail sales soared by ...

Creators are diversifying their revenue streams beyond influencer marketing. That’s a net positive for the creator economy, but it also puts some creators in direct competition with brands for ...

Advertising will join an elite group of industries that have reached such heights Worldwide ad spending has nearly doubled since 2016, and the outlook remains bright. Accelerating growth in 2023 and ...

The news: The US advertising industry is shedding jobs rapidly. Between August 2025 and August 2026, employees in advertising, public relations, and related services fell from 482.9 thousand to 476 ...

Gen Z is the first mobile payments-native generation. By 2028, 67.8% of US adults will be mobile wallet users, per our forecast. Gen Zers are already way ahead: 85.1% made an in-store or online ...

Gen Z’s digital ecosystem blends entertainment, commerce, and AI. As discovery fragments across channels, trust—not technology—becomes the deciding factor for brands seeking lasting consumer ...

Livestream shopping gains steam in the US: Twenty-four percent of US consumers have participated in a livestream shopping event, up from 16% last year, which is why Shein and Zara are investing in the ...

Connected TV (CTV) and streaming are now integral to how audiences consume content and how marketers build media strategies. A decade ago, streaming was a small, subscription-based slice of TV viewing ...

Short-form video is where social platforms are concentrating their ad innovation in 2026. Instagram is monetizing the moment after a Reel ends, YouTube Shorts earned the industry's first short-form ...

The news: Instagram added new limitations to its livestream feature, now requiring creators to have a public account with over 1,000 followers to go live, per TechCrunch. Our take: While it could ...