Trends
We’ve commercialized connection.
We say influencer marketing has evolved from Sponsorship 1.0 to Influence 2.0 to what we now call the Community 3.0 era. But tbh, most brands have just rebranded their audience as a "community" while maintaining the same extractive consumer relationship. By Lizzy Bilasano - Head of Creative Strategy // Creative Brand Marketer. Social Culture + Creator Economy Nerd. People-First Servant Leader.
From eyeballs to eardrums.
By Gonzalo López Martí - Creative Director
- I never thought I’d say this: super productions are losing steam.
- I love explosions, car chases, and CGI as much as the next guy.
- Problem is, blockbusting, thrill-seeking, pulsating acrobatics &/or sophisticated special effects have become a tired trope.
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.
How To Be A Creative’s Favorite Strategist
This was inspired by a conversation with Dominique Monet and others in the 4As Jr. Strategy Collective about what it really takes to be a strategist creatives trust—and want in the room. It’s a distillation of what I’ve seen work—and not work—when trying to build real partnerships.
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.
Retail Sales Grew in March But Consumers Are ‘Not Feeling Great’ as Tariffs Rise
Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau showed retail sales grew in March even though consumers continued to worry about the impact of rising tariffs.
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.
Marketers Vastly Understate The Sales Effect Of Creative And Significantly Overestimate The Impact Of Targeting
Over the last six years, the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group has commissioned Advertiser Perceptions annually to survey brands and media agencies on the sales contribution of five advertising effectiveness factors:
- Brand
- Creative
- Reach
- Recency
- Targeting
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.
The 2025 U.S. Latino GDP Report [REPORT]
The 2025 U.S. Latino GDP Report represents the 8th vintage of an annual series of reports which document the large and rapidly growing economic contribution of Latinos living in the United States. It is also the 29th full-length report that the Latino GDP team has produced as part of an ambitious research initiative which analyzes the contributions of Hispanic males and females across various geographies, including targeted states and major metropolitan areas.
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.
Advertising Is Being Rebuilt. Independent Agencies Have a Window. Talent Does Too.
Over the past year or so, the advertising and marketing industry has gone through a shift many had seen coming from a mile away. What started as budget tightening quickly turned into something deeper. By now, we all know the headlines - thousands of job cuts, months of steady decline, and an industry-wide pivot that's no longer just reactive. By John Santiago - Chief Executive OfficerChief Executive Officer at Sangre
The soundtrack of summer is bilingual: Why music is your shortcut to the Hispanic heart
It’s not a stretch to say that the sound of summer in the U.S. has a distinct beat, and more often than not, it’s bilingual. From Bad Bunny and Karol G dominating the charts to backyard parties thumping with cumbias and reggaetón, music isn’t just background noise for U.S. Hispanics—it’s the cultural glue of summer. By Aldo Quevedo - CEO, BeautifulBeast
How to Use AI to Improve Your Campaigns Now
There's so much justifiable teeth-gnashing in our industry these days. Whether it's programmatic campaigns landing on fraudulent or MFA (made for advertising) sites, similar campaigns delivering impressions on wildly objectional sites, as the Adalytics study just revealed, or verification companies somehow being unable to police these campaigns, despite sucking so much revenue from the ecosystem, buyers have a big problem. The really bad news is that publishers have an even worse problem.
Peacetime CEO/Wartime CEO
Recently, Eric Schmidt stepped down as CEO of Google and founder Larry Page took over. Much of the news coverage focused on Page’s ability to be the “face of Google” as Page is far more shy and introverted than the gregarious and articulate Schmidt. While an interesting issue, this analysis misses the main point. Eric Schmidt was much more than Google’s front man; as Google’s peacetime Chief Executive, he led the greatest technology business expansion in the last ten years. Larry Page, in contrast, seems to have determined that Google is moving into war and he clearly intends to be a wartime CEO. This will be a profound change for Google and the entire high-tech industry. By Ben Horowitz
Mastering the Art of Marketing Measurement
Measuring ad effectiveness is both more critical and more complicated than ever. Advertisers are expected to prove the value of their media spend across multiple channels while navigating a complex ecosystem that is increasingly privacy-conscious and fragmented. Gone are the days when simple tracking through cookies or last-click attribution could provide basic insights. Instead, brands now rely on three major measurement approaches: media mix modeling (MMM), multi-touch attribution (MTA), and lift studies.
