Trends
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Trendwatch
Consumer Resilience Defies Retailer Expectations
In a landscape marked by economic uncertainties, consumer behavior continues to defy expectations, reshaping the marketing strategies of companies across industries. Despite concerns over the economy, Americans are displaying resilience in their spending habits, fueling what economists and finance chiefs have termed “revenge” and “doom” spending. As discretionary spending persists amidst inflation and decreasing consumer […]
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Trendwatch
Convenience Over Price: Retail’s New Paradigm
In the ever-evolving landscape of retail, Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner has highlighted a significant shift in consumer behavior: the growing willingness to pay a premium for convenience. Furner’s remarks, made during the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2024 State of Retail & the Consumer discussion, underscore a fundamental trend shaping the industry. As projected retail […]
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Trendwatch
IKEA’s Bold Bet on Reinventing Retail Spaces
While many malls face challenges, IKEA is embarking on a groundbreaking mission to rejuvenate the traditional mall format. The Ingka Group, mastermind behind most of the world’s IKEA stores, is expanding its reach into the realm of malls, envisioning them as bustling centers of community activity rather than just retail destinations. By integrating innovative concepts […]
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Trendwatch
Retail Partnerships: Key Areas to Evaluate for 2025 Success
As the hustle and bustle of everyday partnership program management beckons once again, now is the opportune moment to assess the efficacy of your partnership channels during the 2024 big-spending season. While aggregate ecommerce sales surged ahead, it’s imperative for brands and agencies alike to delve deeper into the contribution of each channel to overall […]
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Trendwatch
Navigating Retail Programmatic Ad Buys in an Election Year
In the digital age, the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation presents a significant challenge for retail brands, especially in the midst of a U.S. election year. With programmatic ad buying amplifying this risk, marketers face the daunting task of ensuring their advertising messages don’t accidentally appear alongside harmful or misleading content. In a recent piece […]
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Trendwatch
Unleashing the Podcast Potential in Retail Marketing
In an era dominated by digital media consumption, podcasts have emerged as a potent and increasingly valuable messaging tool for retailers aiming to connect with target audiences, amplify key speakers, and reinforce brand values. As highlighted by PRNEWS’ exploration into the realm of marketing and communications, professionals across industries are harnessing the power of podcasts […]
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Marketers
The UK’s CMA Wants Ad Tech To Spill All The Tea On Their Privacy Sandbox Concerns
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s antitrust regulator, might as well be called Uncle CMA, because they have a message for the ad tech industry: “I want you!” (to submit your opinion on the Chrome Privacy Sandbox proposals). The CMA is tasked with assessing whether the Privacy Sandbox – and Google’s planned deprecation […]
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Agency Life
Agency HR Update: Hiring and Retention Trends
In our 2024 Agency Business Outlook report, agency leaders report that hiring continues to be one of the top three investments they are making, with special focus on creative, account services and production roles. But across the country, hiring and retention trends amid an ever-evolving workplace continue to have trickle-down influence on the way event […]
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Agency Life
Agency Leader Chats: Changes, Investments and the Economy
From acquisitions to strategic hiring to acting as consultant to the new faces in client organizations, event agency leaders and their employees continue to ride the waves of economic and cultural evolutions. What we’re learning: Partnerships between clients and agencies are viewed as even more valuable than ever on the corporate side due to changes […]
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Agency Life
March: Event Industry People, Deals, and Moves
Welcome to this month’s event marketing industry news digest, featuring updates on new hires, promotions, acquisitions, and launches. Submit your news here. Acquisitions OBE Worldwide (parent of On Board Experiential) has acquired a majority stake in London-based agency Playmaker Experiential, led by managing partners Ian Hayne and James Hogben. With the deal, OBE expands the […]