Research
Homeownership slips further out of reach for all California ethnic groups amid rising mortgage costs
Buying a home in California became less affordable for all ethnic groups last year, as interest rates remained elevated and the typical monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced detached home rose 6 percent compared to the previous year, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.).
Inequities in HCP Training and Practices [REPORT]
Havas Health Network, the largest global health and wellness network, and Republica Havas Health, the award-winning cross-cultural healthcare and pharma marketing agency of Havas, have launched "The Hidden Divide: Examining Inequities in Healthcare Provider Training and Practices."
Are CMOs Now Entering the Gig Economy? [PODCAST]
On Scope host Mike Berberich and show producer Ryan Dinger react to a story in ANA Magazine on the rise of fractional CMOs. The duo outlined the pros and cons of this new development and speculate on if CMOs will now be entering the gig economy.
What’s behind March’s retail sales spike? [REPORT]
Last week, the Census Bureau released a strong set of retail sales figures. Total retail sales were up 1.4% over February and 4.6% higher than March last year. Of course, this came as no surprise to NRF, as our Retail Monitor data predicted this positive result.
Asian American Audiences Are Reshaping Sports, Digital Media and Beauty Trends [REPORT]
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) consumers are driving major shifts in digital commerce, sports engagement, and beauty trends, according to Nielsen’s latest 2025 report – Breakthrough ROI: Investing in Asian American audiences and media.
U.S. Metro Areas Experienced Population Growth Between 2023 and 2024
The population of U.S. metro areas collectively continued to increase in 2024, growing slightly faster than the nation, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.
How Does the ‘Fractional CMO’ Measure Up?
What do a plumbing company in Texas, a construction firm in Colorado, and HVAC and roofing companies in South Carolina have in common? All four have the same CMO or, more accurately, "fractional CMO," who reports to each firm's CEO and manages the marketing team on a part-time basis while working remotely. "I work 10 to 15 hours per client at the beginning, but once we set the strategy and things are moving, my time drops back to four or five hours a week," says Ben Finklea, founder and CEO of Volacci, which places fractional CMOs at organizations in need and who has worked with companies such as e-MDs, Fast Company, and Yeti Coolers. "I'm just there to make sure that the marketing teams are getting done what they're supposed to get done."
Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2024 [REPORT]
Just released: IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2024. The digital advertising industry reached a record $259 billion in revenue in 2024—a 15% year-over-year increase, highlighting its ability to adapt to changing technologies and consumer behaviors.
2025 Top 50 Global Retailers
The National Retail Federation today announced the 2025 Top 50 Global Retailers. Conducted by Kantar, the list ranks the leading international retailers based on their revenue throughout 2024.
TV or Digital: What’s winning global audiences?
The rise of digital platforms and streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, and TikTok has revolutionized content consumption by offering on-demand entertainment that fits our mobile lifestyles. While this digital surge has significantly impacted viewing habits, traditional media has proven resilient—especially broadcast television, which continues to draw substantial audiences for live sports, popular series, and local news.
The Power of Household Identity in the New TV Era [REPORT]
Blockgraph, the privacy-first data collaboration platform designed to fuel the future of connected TV advertising, and the American Association of Advertising Agencies (“the 4As”) released new research report titled, “Reconvening in the Home: The Power of Household Identity in the New TV Era”. Ahead of this year’s upfronts, the research offers a strategic roadmap, revealing how household identity will increasingly play a central role in shaping upfront negotiations, outcome-based guarantees, multi-screen media planning, and performance-based measurement.
Latinas in advertising: The untapped powerhouse agencies can’t afford to ignore [REPORT]
As a Latina who has worked in the Hispanic marketing industry for over 20 years, I have spent my career uncovering the potential of our market. And let me be clear—the opportunity is massive. The U.S. Hispanic market represents a $2.7 trillion economic force. Latinos account for 51% of the country’s population growth, and we are one of the most influential and affluent consumer groups. Even more striking? We are young—58% of U.S. Hispanics are under the age of 34.
2025 Digital Media Trends: Social platforms are becoming a dominant force in media and entertainment
People still want the TV and movie experience offered by traditional studios, but social platforms are becoming competitive for their entertainment time—and even more competitive for the business models that studios have relied on. Social video platforms offer a seemingly endless variety of free content, algorithmically optimized for engagement and advertising. They wield advanced ad tech and AI to match advertisers with global audiences, now drawing over half of US ad spending.1 As the largest among them move into the living room, will they be held to higher standards of quality?
Blue-collar workers are less satisfied at work, less attached to their jobs than other U.S. workers
Blue-collar workers have been at or near the center of much public discussion in recent years, from their political leanings to their wages and cultural impact.
In the Interest of Good Science: A Closer Look at the World Happiness Report
How happy the citizens of a country are is a better measure of how well that country is doing, more so than the gross national product (or GDP). To promote and draw attention to this concept, the United Nations has observed the International Day of Happiness on March 20th annually, since 2012. On that date, the World Happiness Report (WHR), which ranks countries by their populations' happiness levels, is published by the joint efforts of the UN, Gallup, and Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Center. This year, according to the 2025 World Happiness Report, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Norway remain at the top of the list of happiest countries, as in previous years.
84% of CMOs Report High Levels of Strategic Dysfunction
A survey of 403 CMOs conducted in October through November 2024 revealed organizations with high levels of strategic dysfunction are 36% less likely to report strong business and marketing performance. CMOs report multiple forms in which strategic dysfunction appears
Radio Creative Wear-Out Study Validates Mark Ritson’s Conclusion That Consumers Don’t Get Tired Of Ads, Only Marketers Do
One of the most frequently asked questions the Radio Advertising Bureau receives on audio creative involves wear-out. Wear-out is defined as the point where creative testing declines from its peak due to message frequency fatigue. By Pierre Bouvard
Why First-Party Data Is Critical for Personalization (and Why Syndicated Data Alone Won’t Cut It Anymore)
In the age of hyper-connected customers and rising expectations, personalization is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a baseline requirement. Brands are expected to understand who their customers are, anticipate their needs, and deliver the right message at the right time, through the right channel. And to do that, the kind of data you use matters—a lot. By Monique De La Rosa - Translating complex data into actionable, experience-led solutions -- architecting Personalized Interactions with Storytelling ... where Data Talks & Strategy Speaks
Positive Perceptions emerges as key attribute for Driving Brand Performance on Social Platforms [REPORT]
MAGNA and Pinterest release illuminating new research that explores the links between ad environment attributes and brand outcomes on social platforms. This study centers users’ emotions as core data to inform media planning and drive brand alignment. The robust research project measures brand impact, unconscious neuro-metric response, and sales impact through marketing mix modeling (MMM) to provide comprehensive insights for advertisers, who are relentlessly focused on KPIs and adapting to the changing media landscape.
Reaching LGBTQIA+ Consumers with Interactive and Targeted Advertising Strategies
LGBTQIA+ audiences are bullish on interacting with brands through digital advertising and social media, according to Horowitz’s recent report, State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: FOCUS LGBTQIA+. This annual study found that LGBTQIA+ consumers are more likely to engage with interactive and targeted advertising.
