44% of retail executives worldwide expect gen AI to weaken brand loyalty by shifting consumer choice toward value and fit over brand recognition by 2026, according to a January report from Deloitte.
Retailers that broke through the noise in February didn't necessarily spend the most, they just understood the moment better than their competitors. Here are the three winners from this month’s Unofficial Monthly Retailer Awards, according to a recent episode of “Reimagining Retail.”
Retail media has reached a point where measurement is table stakes. But what table stakes actually look like is changing fast. With the launch of its latest measurement tool, Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM) is signaling its priorities for retail media measurement: Speed, incrementality, and clearer decision-making.
While Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, and Google Assistant dominated the 2010s, AI-native voice interfaces like ChatGPT's Voice Mode now set the standard for conversational fluency.
Meta is targeting retail media budgets with product set optimization and insights to bring SKU precision and challenge onsite networks.
Higher gas and delivery costs add fresh volatility to an already fragile retail outlook.
While categories like payments, back-end infrastructure, and in-store systems remain relevant, AI has emerged as a defining force in retail tech for 2026.
Only 6% of marketers have fully deployed AI into workflows. Data silos and weak ROI proof stall progress.
Restaurant reservations become measurable media, as OpenTable’s pay-per-seated-guest model links ad spend directly to confirmed dining occasions.
Claude hits No. 1 on iOS as some users ditch ChatGPT, turning AI policy into market leverage.
Its automation pitch at MWC targets telecom cost pressure, not layoffs, tying AI to reliability and revenue protection.
Customer data platforms (CDPs) promised marketers a unified view of customer data and an escape from fragmented martech stacks. The reality has been more complicated.
Insurtech companies are transforming how insurance products reach consumers, blending AI-driven underwriting with digital-first marketing strategies.
Research shows it builds demand first, then converts—rewarding longer flights and post-campaign tracking.
Dye-free cereals and other better-for-you brands aim to capture rising healthy spend.
Legal pressure on Prime and pricing could nudge sellers to diversify.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss advertising around the 2026 Winter Olympics: how marketers tackled fragmentation across media channels, how creators were used by Olympic broadcaster NBCUniversal, and which campaign was the best — and why. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analyst and Editor Peter Allen Clark and Senior Director of Content Jeremy Goldman. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Streaming consolidation takes a surprise turn: Netflix’s deal exit hands WBD to Paramount, preserving a more diversified studio and ad model.
Excludes early voters in real time as $10.8B midterms loom and 60% vote early