NRF digs into Gen Z consumer spending patterns, plus forecasts 4.4% retail growth in 2026, in annual State of Retail & the Consumer event. With Gen Z consumers gaining more spending power, marketers are adapting their practices to reach this audience. The National Retail Federation dug into some of the consumer trends for this cohort […]
They say variety is the spice of life. And now, Dr Pepper is the spice of sausage. Seriously. In March, sausage company Johnsonville launched a new product: a Dr Pepper-inspired sausage, available in both fresh and smoked, pre-cooked varieties. “Disagreeing is important,” said Jamie Schmelzer, Vice President of Marketing at Johnsonville, “and it can be […]
Baby products brand Munchkin launches its first-ever baby formula exclusively at Target and its own website. GM Kristin Pagano shares why its target market is a challenge to acquire. Baby formula needed a shakeup. And not just one bottle, the whole market. In short, more supply is needed in North America, said Kristin Pagano, General […]
As Co-founder of the Podcast App platform, Martin Siniawski found that many users listened to podcasts in bed as a sleep aid. So to meet the needs of this sizable audience, he subsequently co-founded Rest, a subscription app that draws on cognitive behavior therapy to serve as an AI-powered sleep coach. Now Siniawski and team […]
Camera brand Nikon aims to inspire the creatives who flock to the annual South by Southwest convention and festival in Austin in mid-March with an experiential pop-up. From March 12-19, Nikon is operating a store adjacent to the festival with free events including photo walks, portrait studio sessions, light programming and panel discussions. Each of […]
Alfac’s call center is 450 employees deep, and artificial intelligence is a prime tool to help agents give detailed information to the 15,000 calls the supplemental insurance brand receives daily, said Keith Farley, Senior Vice President, Individual Voluntary Benefits. Aflac started a company-wide pilot with a major generative AI chat platform in November 2025, which […]
Scammers are now using generative AI to commit return fraud, and luxury bedding brand Boll & Branch was almost a victim. In February, a scammer using generative AI submitted a fabricated photo of a ripped Boll & Branch sheet to customer service, claiming it arrived damaged. Fortunately, the luxury bedding retailer quickly identified the picture […]
AMC Networks’ new Silicon Valley drama “The Audacity” will have its world premiere this weekend at SXSW. It follows a sneak peek of the series in January at CES. And if that feels a little techie, that’s on purpose. AMC Networks CMO Kim Granito “For ‘The Audacity’ specifically, this is a prestige, character-driven story set […]
Buy Now Pay Later platform Sunbit, which partners with merchants to offer consumer loans for everyday expenses like auto repair and dental care, has hired marketing veteran Shachar Scott as its first CMO. Having led marketing teams at Snap, Bumble and most recently Meta Reality Labs, Scott has joined the 10-year-old company to scale the […]
Consumers want to feel seen. For marketers, that means the ad’s message has to be more than just about the product, said Mary Beech, Chief Growth Officer at Thorne. “The consumer was saying to us very clearly, ‘We want to feel seen; we are individual,’” Beech said. Thorne launched in 1984 and sold its supplements […]