To quote ourselves from a prior article, Retail Media is blowing up. Over the last couple of years ecommerce has become bigger than ever, and retailers are getting their hands on more and more valuable first-party data. While the loss of third-party cookies is causing significant teething problems for brands trying to reach their audiences, retailers are grabbing the opportunity to become media publishers – capitalizing on the increase in traffic and first-party shopper data that it offers.

In today’s ever changing landscape, harnessing the power of data-driven creative has become a cornerstone for brands aiming to stand out, especially during key calendar events – such as Christmas. 

As societies’ vocalisation of diversity increases fourfold, with 62% of consumers stating diversity impacts brand perception, a substantial number of consumers are responding to inclusive marketing – becoming more intersectional and rewarding brands and businesses that choose to mirror real-world demographics within their campaigns. In particular, those that share their values, encourage diversity and promote equality.

The first half of the year has, undoubtedly, been overshadowed by the economic situation and threat of recession rippling across the globe. If we were to analyze the past 6 months based purely on news headlines, it would be a sobering affair with geopolitical uncertainty, rising inflation, climate instability and the dark side of AI commandeering our peripheral.

Some of you might have heard the phrase “Shiny object syndrome”, it’s used to describe when people focus too much on something that is new and trendy but then forget about it when the next sexy thing comes along.

Taking the entertainment industry by storm even before its official release on the 21st July, Barbie has won the crown as the biggest blockbuster of the year – surpassing the $1 billion mark at the global box office in August. A substantial part of this success can be attributed to the impressive marketing strategy orchestrated by the Barbie team in the lead-up to the film’s launch (not to mention the budget of over £150 million  – it’s no wonder our social feeds have been extra pink recently).