TikTok audiences watch just 21% of the average branded video, meaning 4 out of 5 viewers drop off before the end, according to a March report from Dash Social.
Responsive brands turn social into sales: Consumers favor brands that reply on social, making customer service a key driver of purchases and loyalty.
Consumer spending holds up even as inflationary pressures continue to build.
On this episode of the EMARKETER Cannes Podcast Miniseries, we explore brand partnerships, retail data, and what it takes for retailers and brands to build more accountable, sustainable long-term growth together. Sarah Marzano, Vice President and Principal Analyst at EMARKETER, sits down with Christine Foster, Group Vice President, Commercial Strategy and Operations at Kroger Precision Marketing, for a conversation recorded at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Meta simplifies ad creation: Meta’s AI mixes existing images and videos into top-performing ad variants, cutting setup time and manual testing.
Uber Eats won at Cannes: Fans edited celebrity-filled Super Bowl ads for rewards, blending entertainment with measurable business results.
New tools turn barista content into scalable advertising.
On today’s podcast episode, we present our “Unofficial Monthly Retailer Awards” (UMRAs) for June, including awards for “Most Impactful Campaign,” “Best IRL Initiative,” and “Greatest Under-the-Radar Move.” Listen to the discussion featuring guest host Arielle Feger and Analysts Paola Flores-Marquez, Emmy Liederman, and Rachel Wolff.
AI expands the shortlist: AI is steering product discovery by introducing shoppers to unfamiliar brands, yet loyalty still decides most purchase decisions.
But they face a competitive landscape.
Gen Zers and millennials are moving assets from bank deposits into stocks, ETFs, and crypto on fintech platforms.
Resale has moved from niche to mainstream, with over half (59%) of consumers shopping secondhand apparel last year, according to thredUP. But as platforms scale to millions of items, the real challenge shifts from inventory to discovery, helping shoppers navigate an endless aisle of one-of-a-kind pieces without feeling overwhelmed.
Meta’s spotlights AI at Cannes: The company is leveraging its scale to advance automated ads, but marketers still need strong creative and clear guardrails.
AI answers become a brand battleground: Contentful’s AEO tool reveals how AI forms brand perceptions and suggests fixes to improve visibility.
Agentic AI ads arrive: Cannes moves AI agents from demos to deals; buyers orchestrate systems as autonomous media buying nears scale.
Google expands YouTube tools: New creator, trend, and AI insights tie planning, content, and ads into one fuller-funnel workflow.
Duolingo has spent the past year proving it can sell ads without breaking what makes its app work. Now it's pushing further into rewarded video with a new format that gives free users something they'd otherwise have to pay for. The company announced Pre-Lesson Energy Sponsorship ahead of Cannes Lions, a format that places a 30-second opt-in video ad at the start of a free user's first daily lesson. Complete the view, and the app unlocks 30 minutes of unlimited Energy, the resource that powers lessons and normally depletes unless you subscribe.
For years, retail media potential seemed limitless as growth skyrocketed while retail media networks launched one after the other. Today, retail media is entering a fundamentally different growth phase. During an afternoon eventat Cannes produced by EMARKETER and Sensor Tower, our analyst Sarah Marzano described an industry transitioning from expansion at all costs to a greater focus on efficiency, differentiation, and measurable outcomes.
Bass Pro, RH, and Ralph Lauren are turning to hospitality to build deeper customer connections.
Gen Alpha favors in-person buying over digital convenience.