Reddit's ad upgrade: Community-powered formats blend peer proof with targeting, making Reddit a key conversion checkpoint.
Local teams and focused store growth aim to avoid rivals’ missteps.
More in-person seminars tie fraud protection to loyalty, trust, and growth.
More young adults struggle with financial strain, creating an opening for banking products.
Amazon Fire TV courts creator fans: A new Creator Hub boosts discovery, keeps viewing in Amazon’s ecosystem, and expands CTV ad opportunities.
TikTok puts AI in charge: Symphony Agent turns trend spotting, creator sourcing, and ad creation into a faster, AI-led workflow.
As advertising executives prepare to descend on the French Riviera for Cannes Lions 2026, several sessions highlight the industry's most pressing challenges, from AI-powered creativity to the tension between brand values and customer demands. "We are right in the middle of a pretty weird era of mismatch between the creative needs that brands have and what they are able to produce either on their own or via their agency partners," EMARKETER analyst Max Willens said on a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers." The festival runs June 22-25 in Cannes, France. These four sessions reveal where the industry is headed.
Heritage luxury jewelry brand Tacori faces a unique marketing challenge: Its core bridal customer base constantly cycles in and out of relevance. Engagement ring shoppers typically research for just one to four months before purchasing, and once they buy, they're no longer in-market.
Santander credits AI with $40 million in Q1 value, turning fraud prevention, service, and operations tools into measurable returns.
WBD’s agentic rebuild: WBD is replacing siloed ad systems with AI agents on AWS, creating a unified engine for TV and streaming sales.
WPP’s agentic vision: WPP sees AI agents taking over media decisions, turning DSPs and SSPs into backend infrastructure for automation.
Agentic CDPs close the gap: AI turns unified customer data into actions, but value depends on clean data and measurable business outcomes.
Brands see college shopping as a gateway to long-term loyalty.
Yahoo’s agent hub: Yahoo links third-party AI agents in one DSP, reducing integration friction across existing tech stacks.
Marketers have a clear idea of what channels deserve their energy, like AI ad spending, retail media, and influencer marketing. So instead of heading into Cannes Lions with concerns on where to invest, they're more focused on how to make those investments work. Some 38.7% of US marketers say that while creative is important, measurement gaps prevent it from meaningfully influencing investment decisions, according to a February EMARKETER and Perion survey.
Buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) has quietly become the workhorse of omnichannel retail. Pickup now outpaces same-day delivery among grocery shoppers, according to FMI and NielsenIQ. The benefits are clear: Retailers save on last-mile costs while gaining foot traffic and the fee-free economics fit a value-conscious consumer. This FAQ covers how click-and-collect works, why it is winning, and where retailers should invest in 2026.
Younger members and digital tools are reshaping the brand.
New funding supports its effort to become a regulated bank and compete more directly for customers.
AI navigation helps customers get things done faster while laying groundwork for agentic banking.
Insurers gain trust when pricing and underwriting insights reach agents and customers in real time.