There are two types of ecommerce: empty and connected. Empty ecommerce gets you to checkout fast but gives no reason to return. Connected ecommerce adds value emotionally, materially or both while delivering the same seamless purchase journey. Why is connection important? Because Gen Z are social shoppers. They use social and websites for inspiration, think…
The recent tragic passing of Antoinette Candia-Bailey, the vice president of Student Affairs at Lincoln University, strikes a deeply personal chord. It has taken time to fully process the tragedy, the depth of loss and the raw truth her experience exposes. Especially now, on the first day of Black History Month, because Dr. Candia-Bailey’s story…
Kyte Baby, an upscale clothing line for babies and toddlers, found itself in a full-blown crisis last week when its CEO denied an employee’s request to work remotely. The employee’s adopted baby, who was born prematurely, was in the NICU hundreds of miles away from her home and office. And yet she was told to…
Over the past few Super Bowl games, there have been some brand stunts that have cut through the other 50 Big Game ads and have made the industry insanely jealous (damn you, floating QR code). However, traditional storytelling continues to make a powerful impact as well. So, as this year’s Super Bowl creative starts to…
The past year was one of contrasts for the gaming industry. It was both one of the most significant years for gamers, given an unusually large number of well-received titles, and one of the most challenging for game creators due to a swath of restructurings aligned with cutbacks in the broader technology industry. In both…
Bobbie, a mom-founded baby formula brand, signed four-time Grand Slam tennis champion and new mom, Naomi Osaka, to star in its first major TV campaign “Parents Push Harder.” This marks Osaka’s return to the court after giving birth to her daughter, Shai, who is now six months old. Bobbie working with Osaka is a partnership…
Noted advertising futurist Rishad Tobaccowala recently published an article in which he claims, in response to Bill Gates, that “AI will have far greater impact than the microprocessor, the PC, the internet and the mobile phone.” And he’s not wrong. AI will fundamentally change our lives. But there’s one problem: Brand managers are significantly misinterpreting…
Influencer marketing shows no signs of slowing down in 2024 as it continues to prove its worth to brands around the globe. It’s engaging, it works and is cost-effective compared to other channels. It’s no surprise, then, that 82% of marketers report having a dedicated budget for influencer marketing, which has blossomed into a $21…
One common misconception in business-to-business markets is that a great product guarantees success. While it’s true that an exceptional product, technology or customer experience can rapidly build your brand in the market’s consciousness, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee it. The real game-changer? The brand behind your product. Recent studies, including the Liquid x Avasta Challenger Index,…
As we collectively wade into 2024–crafting budgets, plans and strategies for the year ahead–there are two events for which we must prepare: cookie deprecation and the U.S. elections. If they don’t get their plans in place now, political campaigns and brand advertisers will be left scrambling for impressions in the middle of the $10 billion…
In the endless U.S. debate over work-life balance for the new year and beyond, a hot topic has emerged: the four-day workweek. From tech early adopters like Buffer and Basecamp to the United Auto Workers in September, a shorter week has been touted by many as not only a solution to burnout but the natural…
As always, CES can be an overwhelming display of technology and potential for the future. Focusing on the dynamic landscape of CES, Eureka Park is one of my favorite areas to explore, always emerging as a pivotal platform for innovation while showcasing new products and startups that are set to influence consumer technology in 2024…
Less than two months ago, Solo Stove embarked on what was widely heralded as a genius marketing campaign. The brand partnered with legendary rapper Snoop Dogg to use his not-so-secret affinity with cannabis to trick the world into thinking he’d given up “smoke,” only to reveal that he was partnering with Solo Stove to promote…
This fall, led by younger consumers, we saw Black Friday online spending reach an all-time high of $9.8 billion in the U.S. While the saying “as the U.S. Consumer goes, so goes the economy” conflates spending with a healthy financial system, when we step back and take a closer look at the lives of young…
It was my first “real” vacation since the pandemic. On the morning of day three, I got a text from the CMO of a client of mine for the past thirteen years. My only client, in fact. I managed a team of 120 people who were the brand’s digital AOR. “Can u talk tomorrow morning?”…
Last year, I decided to start an ad agency called Bandits & Friends along with Courtney Berry and my longtime creative partner, Danny Gonzalez. I knew starting a business would have its challenges, but if anyone was ready to do it, it was us. Courtney was coming off her previous role as a managing director,…
Peanut butter and jelly. Mac and cheese. Taylor and Travis. Some things just go well together. Like Tiger Woods and Nike. One of the most iconic partnerships in sports has come to an end after 27 years. Nike was one of the few brands that stood beside Woods during his career’s highest highs and lowest…
Gen Z consumers are notoriously ad-averse, with 99% hitting “skip” on ads and 63% using ad blockers to avoid advertising. So how can brands grab their attention in 2024? As a Gen Zer who works in advertising, I want to share insights into how we view ads. It’s not as simple as Gen Z being…
If the pressure-tested marketer is honest–no matter how great the diversified, integrated plan looks–the nearly relentless focus on digital media, and the accountability and measurement that come with it, is exhausting. Digital fatigue is real. And these days, due to the seemingly endless quest for greater intel and activation at scale, so is AI fatigue….
College football bowl games are steeped in history and tradition, a staple of the sporting calendar for more than a century. But some fans are beginning to voice their displeasure from the sidelines, with the sheer number of games becoming a particular sticking point. The 2023-24 season boasts a whopping 43 bowl games, with many…
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