The debit card gave Affirm a boost in active users and strong numbers, but to continue this pace of growth, Affirm may need to get creative

Digital wallets are fast becoming consumers’ preferred way to pay, both in and out of the store.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss how Amazon turned its ecommerce business around, how much its new AI shopping assistant moves the needle, and what's really driving its ad business. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Zak Stambor and vice president of content Paul Verna.

Ulta Beauty is using in-store vending machines to bring more joy to the shopping experience, and AI enables it to analyze more customer data for personalization. The retailer is also training its store associates to engage younger beauty consumers.

Super Bowl ads revealed DEI challenges: major brands lack depth in diversity representation.

In just five years, retail media went from a $1 billion segment to a $30 billion segment. With US omnichannel retail media ad spend poised to reach $59.98 billion this year, per our October 2023 forecast, non-retail industries from health and fitness to restaurants and financial institutions are looking to build out their own media networks.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss whether Meta has officially turned things around, just how big Instagram has gotten, and whether Threads can turn itself into a viable X (formerly Twitter) alternative. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jasmine Enberg and Max Willens.

41.2% of virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD) viewers watch on YouTube TV, making it the most popular service of its kind.

Shoppers are relying on their smartphones more, as enhancements in mobile payments, social media checkout, and retailer apps make purchases easier than ever. This year, US shoppers will spend $558.29 billion on their mobile devices, accounting for 44.6% of overall ecommerce sales, according to our November 2023 forecast. We delve into the consumer embrace of mcommerce, unpacking three key drivers.

Strategic partnerships boost Pinterest: Amazon and Google deals fuel revenue and international expansion—while MAUs nearly hit 500 million for the first time.

Return fraud cost retailers $101 billion last year, per NRF estimates: That poses a challenge as merchants need to balance mitigation measures with customer satisfaction.

To out-influence Gen Zers’ favorite financial social media creators, banks should mimic certain finfluencer strategies.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss how much Amazon's new shopping chatbot can move the needle, what Planet Fitness' out-of-home ad network looks like, becoming a digital mannequin to see what clothes look like on you, whether minutelong soap operas will catch on, who the smartest people in the world are, and more. Tune into the discussion with vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian, analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, and vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti.

Digital realty company Opendoor plans to sell a house live during its Super Bowl ad slots on Sunday. It’s an ambitious campaign that required the help of Mischief, the creative agency behind last year’s viral Tubi Super Bowl ad. Sunday’s ads consist of two 30-second spots, one teasing a house listing on Opendoor’s site and the other showing the results of the sale—live.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss Facebook turning 20 years old. We look back at how Facebook got started, its most significant highs and lows over the years, and predict what the social media giant will look like at age 30. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jasmine Enberg and Minda Smiley.

An extended returns policy is the No. 1 experience-based reward that US adults would be most interested in receiving from brands, per Ebbo’s October 2023 survey.

While influencers bring authenticity and engaged audiences to partnerships,to create the best campaigns, brands need to uphold their side of influencer marketing relationships. “Affiliate creators want and desire deeper or more lasting, sustainable partnerships with brands,” Mike Balducci, general manager of affiliate, ecommerce, and payment solutions at CreatorIQ, said during a CreatorIQ and Ipsos webinar last week. “That’s actually really great news for brands because long-term partnerships, as we know, deliver a much better result over time.”

WBD, Fox, Disney team up to shake up sports streaming: The companies will launch a Hulu-like streaming venture with access to each network’s linear sports content.

36% of marketers worldwide will increase investment in brand marketing this year, a 13 percentage point increase over 2022, according to a December 2023 report from WARC.

Target looks to a paid membership program to fuel growth: The Amazon Prime-like program could incorporate Shipt, the company’s $99 annual delivery service.