Online prices on back-to-school staples are up while discounts from brands are down this year, putting consumers in a difficult position. That’s according to the latest same-site sales data data from e-commerce platform Klaviyo, which revealed that year over year, the typical price paid for back-to-school items in July was up nearly 10%. Apparel and accessories saw the sharpest increase at 9% as tariff uncertainty led to increased costs. After a dip in the first quarter of the year, average selling prices (ASPs) on back-to-school items have risen every month since April.

Quad/Graphics, Inc., a marketing experience company that solves complex marketing challenges for its clients, today announced it has been selected as agency of record (AOR) by Scandinavian Designs, a nationwide retailer of modern home furnishings. This strategic collaboration reflects Scandinavian Designs’ decision to consolidate its creative and media strategy, planning and execution under one agency, choosing Quad for its integrated marketing solutions, commitment to data transparency and proven success among retail brands. Quad will work with Scandinavian Designs to help the brand grow its e-commerce footprint, bring the furniture shopping experience to the home through a revival of its catalog and help build its brand equity across the United States. With store locations in more than 50 U.S. markets, Scandinavian Designs is tapping Quad to streamline its brand experience through an integrated purchasing journey that makes direct connections with consumers at home, online or in a physical store.

Penske Media Corp. reportedly has warned offsite workers that they must return to the office for at least four days per week or risk termination. A memo sent last week by owner Jay Penske gave employees until October 4 to decide whether they will comply. But those who do not will be eligible for severance benefits, Status reports. Penske owns such publications as Billboard, Rolling Stone, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline. “At a time we need to be solving problems faster, we find ourselves foregoing quick ad hoc brainstorming meetings, taking longer to find workable meeting times, and seeing uneven engagement from remote participants,” Penske said, according to Status.

Migration to the Lone Star State is driving a retail construction boom. That’s according to new data from commercial real estate services firm Colliers, which found that between January 2021 and January 2025, Texas recorded a positive net domestic migration of 0.9%. Although construction slowed in 2020 amid pandemic-driven uncertainty, by early 2025, more than 17 million sq. ft. was under construction, with growth fueled by the state’s largest cities of Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Colliers notes that the Texas retail boom contrasts with the national landscape, where construction activity remains historically low. Just 6 million sq. ft. of retail space was delivered nationwide in the second quarter of 2025, bringing total space under construction to 47.9 million sq. ft.

Beyond Inc., which owns Overstock, Buy Buy Baby and Bed Bath & Beyond, is changing its formal company name, rebranding to Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. The move comes two years after Overstock.com Inc. paid $21.5 million for some of the previous iteration of Bed Bath & Beyond’s assets and intellectual property. Shortly after the acquisition, Overstock.com Inc. rebranded to Beyond Inc. With the new rebranding decision, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. will begin trading under the ticker symbol BBBY on the New York Stock Exchange, effective Aug. 29, according to the company. Beyond Inc. reported in July that it had grown revenue in its fiscal Q2 compared to Q1 in 2025. However, its Q2 revenue still decreased year over year. President and chief financial officer Adrianne Lee attributed Beyond’s improvement over Q1 to seasonal average order value (AOV) improvement and the number of orders it delivered. AOV increased $25, while delivered orders grew 8%.

Confidence among U.S. chief executives shot up during the third quarter as trade fears eased. The Conference Board's Measure of CEO Confidence in collaboration with The Business Council rose to 49 in the third quarter, up 15 points from 34 In the second quarter. (A reading below 50 reflects more negative than positive responses.) The survey, which also gauges CEOs' expectations about future actions their companies plan on taking in capital spending, employment, recruiting and wages, was fielded from July 14-28. All three components of the index improved from deep pessimism to near neutral, with CEOs' views on current economic conditions making the sharpest recovery. Their six-month expectations for the economy as a whole and in their own industries also improved. Fear of recession within the next 12 to 18 months fell to 36% in the third quarter from 83% in the previous one. CEOs ranked geopolitical instability and cyber threats as top concerns for their industry, while concerns about trade and tariffs eased somewhat.

The Premier Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Agency Whether you’re launching a new brand, exploring direct mail for the first time as a digitally native company, or managing a complex marketing ecosystem as an established brand, we’re here to help. Unlike most data-driven direct marketing agencies, we’re fueled by bold ideas and strategic creativity. Reach out to Cohere One for a free consultation.

The state of returns in retail Returns are a critical and increasingly costly aspect of modern retail, with the volume of returns reaching nearly the $1 trillion mark in 2024. Retailers are rethinking return policies to strike a balance between protecting margins and evolving customer expectations. Returns — and their challenges — are rising. Here’s how retailers are responding. Nearly 40% of consumers return an online purchase ‘at least’ once a month How return policies fit into retail customer experience

Quad/Graphics, Inc., a marketing experience company that solves complex marketing challenges for its clients, has appointed Kristin “KJ” Jones and Evan Hughes as Senior Vice Presidents at Rise, a Quad agency. Building on a long-standing rapport and deep industry experience, Jones and Hughes now lead integrated teams together at Rise, focused on transforming the go-to-market approach for clients. Their work will combine their extensive agency experience with the power of Quad’s proprietary household-based data stack and omnichannel media solutions to help brands connect with target audiences through intelligent segmentation, modeling, testing and measurement. This unique data capability gives Rise and Quad a differentiated position in the market and unlocks greater value for clients. Both executives report to Joshua Lowcock, Quad President of Media. “KJ and Evan are exactly the kind of leaders Rise was built for: agile, transparent, and results-focused,” Lowcock said. “In an industry that is often opaque and unnecessarily complex, Rise delivers measurable value to clients with speed, smarts, and scruples.

Female shoppers are spending less than their male counterparts. During the first half of 2025, year-over-year demand for discretionary products among women fell flat, while unit sales from men were up 3%, according to Circana. Female discretionary spending grew 1% during the same period, while male spending rose 2%.   The firm noted that discretionary spending has been challenged by elevated prices across retail food and beverage, non-edible consumer packaged goods and general merchandise “Female consumers are critical to retail performance, representing more than half of annual spending, and those purchase decisions,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry analyst for Circana. “Shifts in spending behavior among female consumers reveal signs of broader consumer changes brewing.” Women seem to be opting for purchases that allow them to spruce things up, rather than a bigger ticket spend. Between January and June 2025, the majority of the pullback in spending among female shoppers impacted furniture, apparel, juvenile products and housewares.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. announced the formation of Konica Minolta Paper Solutions, a dedicated business unit delivering a comprehensive portfolio of paper products to customers across industries and around the world. The launch follows a strategic decision by parent company Konica Minolta, Inc. (KMI) to divest its shares in Konica Minolta Marketing Services Holding Limited (KMMS). As part of the transition, the paper division was excluded from the sale and is now fully integrated within Konica Minolta’s North American operations. Harris Atkins, a respected industry leader with more than 30 years of experience, has been appointed President of Konica Minolta Paper Solutions and will join the company’s executive leadership team. Most recently, Atkins served as President and CEO for KMMS in North America.

The July container volumes for the Port of Los Angeles tell the tale of the Trump tariff impacts. The front-loading of Chinese goods ahead of the tariff deadline pushed container volumes at the Port of Los Angeles to levels it has never seen in its 117-year history. The port processed 1,019,837 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, in July. Imports came in at 543,728,000 TEUs, also a record. "Shippers have been frontloading their cargo for months to get ahead of tariffs and recent activity at America's top port really tells that story," said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. "Port terminals in July were jam-packed with ships loaded with cargo — processed without any delay, much to the credit of our dedicated longshore workers, terminal and rail operators, truckers and supply chain partners."

Jimmy Zollo, the co-founder of Joe & Bella, thought India could be a viable alternative for the online retailer’s China-made socks. The company explored moving production there, drawn by lower costs and a perception that the country was politically “safe” from steep taxes enacted by the Trump administration. “Pricing seemed great,” Zollo said. “We actually were probably, in the next few weeks, planning on getting a few prototypes made to see if the quality hit our standard levels.” Then came the tariff news. With little warning, the Trump administration doubled duties on Indian imports to 50%, up from 25%, as part of a push to curtail the country’s purchase of Russian oil. The new rate is scheduled to go into effect on Aug. 27. The higher rate, combined with manufacturing timelines in India that were five times longer than those offered by Joe & Bella’s existing partners in China, quickly erased any potential savings.  The company scrapped its India tests. Although Joe & Bella previously manufactured some goods in Vietnam, the company has now consolidated all manufacturing back to China — for simplicity’s sake, according to Zollo. “Anyone could get hit at any time for any reason,” he said. “Sometimes the safest move is just to stay put.”

Amazon.com, Inc. announced customers in more than 1,000 cities and towns can now order fresh groceries with their Same-Day Delivery orders, with plans to expand to over 2,300 across the U.S. by year-end. This marks one of the most significant grocery expansions for Amazon as the company introduces thousands of perishable food items into its existing logistics network that is already optimized for speed and efficiency. Customers will have the option to order produce, dairy, meat, seafood, baked goods, and frozen foods, alongside the millions of items such as everyday household essentials, electronics, fashion, home and garden, and more already available for Same-Day Delivery on Amazon.com. Customers are looking to make their budgets stretch further, and that’s why Amazon is focused on offering a wide selection of national and local brands, including organic and natural options, at an incredible value through this new offering. For Prime members, Same-Day Delivery is free for orders over $25 in most cities. If an order doesn’t meet the minimum, members can still choose Same-Day Delivery for a $2.99 fee. For customers without a Prime membership, the service is available with a $12.99 fee, regardless of order size.

Eastman Kodak, the 133-year-old photography company, is warning investors thats it might not survive much longer. In its earnings report Monday, the company warned that it doesn’t have “committed financing or available liquidity” to pay its roughly $500 million in upcoming debt obligations. “These conditions raise substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern,” Kodak said in a filing. Kodak aims to conjure up cash by ceasing payments for its retirement pension plan. It also said that it doesn’t expect tariffs to have “material impacts” on its business because it manufactures its many of its products, including cameras, inks and film in the United States. Kodak had a century of success producing cameras and film. At one point in the 1970s, it was was responsible for 90% of film and 85% of camera sales in the United States, according to The Economist. Paul Simon’s hit song “Kodachrome” topped the charts in 1973.

Transcontinental Inc. announces the acquisition of two Canva Group businesses, Mirazed Inc., located in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, and Intergraphics Decal Limited, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This strategic transaction follows the acquisition of Middleton Group in June and strengthens TC Transcontinental’s position as a leader in in‑store marketing. Mirazed is recognized for its cutting-edge expertise in screen printing as well as large format digital printing, the production of promotional displays and point-of-purchase (POP) signage. Intergraphics specializes in industrial screen and digital printing. Together, these entities employ more than 200 skilled people and operate state-of-the-art production facilities that will significantly enhance TC Transcontinental's capabilities in Quebec and Western Canada.

The July 2025 USPS Marketing Mail rate increase is here, and it’s reshaping the economics of direct mail. While many marketers are focused on rising postage costs, fewer realize that how and where you enter mail into the USPS system now matters more than ever. Enter SCF dropship: a critical cost-saving tactic that can make or break your direct mail ROI moving forward. On July 13, 2025, USPS implemented an average 7.4% increase in Marketing Mail rates, up to 15% for some formats. And while that’s a challenge on its own, there’s a second, equally important change flying under the radar: the elimination of Network Distribution Center (NDC) entry discounts. That means marketers who used to benefit from NDC dropship rates are now facing higher costs for those same mail pieces, unless they shift strategy. The solution? SCF (Sectional Center Facility) dropship, which is now the deepest discount level available for most campaigns.

Visual storytelling isn’t just a branding tactic anymore – it’s a growth strategy. In today’s attention-starved digital world, the most successful brands aren’t just seen, they’re remembered. And increasingly, they’re winning by putting design at the heart of everything they do. In our latest webinar with Marketing Dive, we explored how forward-thinking marketing teams are transforming their creative approach to stand out and scale up. The panel brought together leaders from Ricoh, Exos, and Canva to unpack what it really takes to build a visual-first brand, and why that shift matters now more than ever.

A U.K.-based company ranks as the fastest-growing retailer in the U.S. following its acquisition of Alabama-based Hibbett in 2024. J.D Sports tops the National Retail Federation’s “2025 Hot 25 Retailers” list compiled by Kantar. The annual study ranks the fastest-growing retailers in the U.S. based on increases in domestic sales between 2023 and 2024.   JD Sports achieved 41.5% domestic sales growth after adding nearly 1,200 Hibbett, City Gear and Sports Addition stores across 36 states in a deal valued at approximately $1.1 billion. (List of all 25 retailers at end of article.) Rounding out the top five are Primark at No. 2 with 30% sales growth, followed by Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing (27.7%), Shell (26.8%) and Abercrombie & Fitch (15.2%). Primark and Abercrombie & Fitch both jumped two spots on this year’s list, while Fast Retailing remained at No. 3 for the second year in a row.

Regarding the Postal Service, I have several key points I would like to articulate today. First and foremost, the Postal Service needs to operate in a financially sustainable manner. This is not just a good idea, but it’s also required by law. We have faced significant challenges in the dynamically changing business environment that have put significant stress on our business model and have had a negative impact on the organization. But those obstacles from the past should not deter us from achieving financial sustainability. We will strive to align our costs to revenue on a consistent, long-term basis. To do so, prioritizing strategies to drive operational efficiencies and generate sustained revenue growth will be key. We will also focus on being your provider of choice any time you ship a package. Second, service is foundational to our success. Improved service for our customers—which in our case includes the entire American public—will lead to more volume and revenue, so service improvement will be a top priority for me and the management team, and we will remain committed to continuous improvement in our operational performance. Third, our recent transformation and modernization efforts have brought the Postal Service closer to private sector logistics practices. Both the pricing and product strategies have improved our competitiveness. We will continue to aggressively pursue those strategies.

New York Post Media Group, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., will launch a new daily Los Angeles-based newspaper called The California Post in early 2026, the New York Post's editor-in-chief Keith Poole told Axios. Why it matters: It's a ripe market, and one in which NYPMG — home to the New York Post, Page Six and Decider — already has a leg up. Los Angeles is home to the second-largest concentration of Post readers, per News Corp. The vast majority (90%) of the Post's digital readership lives outside of New York. Zoom in: The California Post will look and feel similar to its New York counterpart — delivering journalism, entertainment and celebrity gossip, sports news, local news, and opinion — with an edgy voice. The outlet will also feature national coverage from the New York Post that's relevant to a West Coast audience.

Consumers are savvy—and saturated. Between traditional holidays and standard sale seasons, they’ve seen it all… until they haven’t. Why Retailers Should Rethink the Calendar Predictability is the enemy of excitement. By staging shopping events outside the typical cadence, brands can: That’s where creative retail events come in. Unconventional promotions like Macy’s “Black Friday in July” flip expectations and generate buzz by offering shoppers a reason to engage when they least expect it. Why Retailers Should Rethink the Calendar Predictability is the enemy of excitement. By staging shopping events outside the typical cadence, brands can: Revive Off-Season Traffic: July doesn’t naturally scream “doorbuster,” but a well-timed promotion can turn summer lulls into retail highs. Create Curiosity: Unexpected sales pique interest—especially when branded cleverly. Customers are more likely to stop, scroll, or swing by when something feels fresh. Strengthen Brand Personality: A cheeky campaign like “New Year’s Clearance in August” or “Fall Preview Fest” reflects a retailer’s willingness to break molds and embrace fun.

USDA held a continuance referendum between July 14 and July 25 among companies contributing to the campaign. A majority of the voting companies voted to discontinue the national marketing campaign.  The program will be shut down over the next few months.  No assessments will be collected.  During that time, P+PB’s Papertarian campaign, featuring celebrity and actress Retta, will run on streaming TV through the end of September.  In addition, new infographics are available to P+PB companies through October 31, 2025 when the consumer and industry websites will go dark.

Today, most marketers don’t have print quality problems with vendors. The ink-on-paper product looks fine. But more of your prospects DO have visibility problems. They DO have cut-through-the-noise problems. They DO have a get-noticed-and-remembered problem. And guess what? Print just happens to be an excellent solution. Even so, the odds are pretty good that your competitors are still walking into meetings talking about color matching and on-time delivery. At this point, these are table stakes, not reasons to change vendors. To make the sale, you need focus on what marketers truly need now: A partner who understands how to make them stand out. The Real Problem Hiding Behind "We Don't Do Print" When a marketing director says, “We don’t really do print anymore,” what they’re often really saying is they don’t realize how strategic, creative, and measurable print can be today

Times are tough in the tween bling business. Claire’s — long a mall-based beacon of ear piercing and bedazzled barrettes — has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. It’s the second time the brand has sought bankruptcy protection, having last done so in 2018. The company operates more than 2,700 stores in 17 countries, including nearly 200 Icing stores — a more mature concept it has been working to expand. In recent years, Claire’s has tried to evolve, launching marketing efforts aimed at a new generation of shoppers. But declining sales, a burdensome debt load, and rising tariff-driven costs in its supply chain have proven too difficult to overcome. The move doesn’t come as a surprise. Claire’s had reportedly been in discussions about restructuring options for weeks. Still, the bankruptcy signals just how difficult the current retail environment has become — especially for mall-dependent retailers already struggling to stay relevant with younger consumers.

“Integrating Print and Digital Marketing” isn't a new topic, but the fact is that it really is very powerful. While some of the tactics are the same, we now see a big change in the behavior of the consumer, leading print service providers to think more creatively about print and digital integration. A funny thing happened on the way to the all-digital future, especially in the wake of the post-pandemic era: Everyone was wrong about that so-called “all digital future.” The constant barrage of digital-only promotion led to a collective screen fatigue, and audiences began to crave something they could touch, feel, and experience. This shift has created a golden opportunity. The most forward-thinking brands today aren’t choosing between digital and print; they are masterfully integrating them. They understand that a physical object, be it a direct mail piece, a product package, or a promotional item, can be a powerful gateway to a rich digital experience. But true integration goes far beyond just slapping a QR code on a flyer. It’s about creating a seamless, multi-sensory brand journey that surprises, delights, and engages customers on a deeper level. Let’s explore how to move beyond the basics and forge a truly effective, creative, and profitable link between your print and digital worlds

As the retail job market contracts, the analysis found companies in the sector also have not released hiring plans this year to date — a noteworthy development given that the holiday season is around the corner. Tariffs, inflation and economic uncertainty have prompted retailers to close stores and lay off employees, the report said. Many of those same challenges are impacting industries more broadly as well. “Closings of stores, units, or plants have led to 120,226 layoffs so far this year, while restructuring efforts have resulted in 66,879 job cuts. Bankruptcies accounted for another 35,641 layoffs,” according to the report. Indeed, multiple major retailers have shuttered locations amid broader corporate restructurings. Between 2024 and February 2025, retailers closed more than 9,900 stores, but they only opened 7,700 locations during that period, a JLL analysis found. While some retailers have issued pink slips to a fraction of their staff, others are shutting down most or all of their storefronts.

A lot can happen in less than three seconds. In the crowded craft beer aisle, that’s all the time a packaged beer has to catch a shopper’s eye. A study from Accelerated Marketing Insights by Quad used Tobii 3 eye-tracking technology to explore exactly what drives purchase behavior — and how design plays a starring role. Conducted last fall at Ray’s Wine & Spirits in Wauwatosa, WI, the study tracked 61 participants as they browsed 474 beers across 124 brands. The choice of location was intentional — just outside Milwaukee, a city steeped in brewing history and still deeply tied to beer culture. The study found that packaging design was the third most important consideration for choosing a beer, after flavor and price. In fact, 72% of participants said the packaging made them more likely to buy a beer. That’s not surprising to Shannon Anderson, director of research, Accelerated Marketing Insights by Quad. “Craft beer buyers come in to browse. They’re curious and open to trying something new. That makes visibility and shelf presence critical. If your can doesn’t get noticed, it doesn’t get purchased.”

Amazon’s retail enterprise, while immense and growing, is increasingly in the shadow of adjacent businesses like advertising, subscriptions and marketplace seller services. In Q2 those operations grew as fast or faster than its online and physical stores and together netted more revenue. The company’s stalwart cloud business also continues to be yet another boon to its e-commerce. Online plus brick-and-mortar net sales topped $67 billion, while advertising plus subscription fees plus seller services, where growth was mostly higher, topped $68 billion. Sales at the AWS unit rose 17.5% year over year to nearly $31 billion. “The solid growth and profitability of AWS and advertising should continue to outperform and support Retail,” Telsey Advisory Group analysts led by Joseph Feldman said in a note on the company’s Q2 report. This is a unique situation in retail, though Amazon is encountering many of the same challenges. Currently that includes uncertainty around tariffs. “There continues to be a lot of noise about the impact that tariffs will have on retail prices and consumption,” Jassy said. “Much of it thus far has been wrong and misreported. As we said before, it’s impossible to know what will happen.”

HarperCollins Children’s Books celebrates the 75th anniversary of one of the most beloved epic fantasy classics of all time—The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The literary world was changed forever when four children stepped through a wardrobe and into the magical land of Narnia in C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which originally published in the UK on October 16, 1950, and in the US on November 6, 1950. The Chronicles of Narnia has become a cultural phenomenon, with worldwide sales of the series reaching over 115 million copies, editions available in sixty languages around the world, and adaptations to film, TV, and stage. Most recently, Narnia has been optioned for a new upcoming adaptation to be developed by Netflix. 

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) released its StatShot report for May 2025 reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Religious Presses, Higher Education Course Materials, and Professional Publishing. Total revenues across all categories for May 2025 were down 7.5% as compared to May 2024, coming in at $1.1 billion. Year-to-date revenues were down 1.8%, at $5.2 billion for the first five months of the year.

The market for knockoff products is at an all-time high, as social media trends and “dupe finder” accounts have led consumers to actively search for duplicate versions, or “dupes” of fashion, makeup and furniture products over the real thing.  These products differ from purely counterfeit products, as dupes do not claim to be the authentic item, but instead are openly marketed as convincing lookalikes of the original. Dupes are often seen as cost-effective alternatives to expensive name-brand products, which influencers and users share online to flaunt their affordable alternatives. The craze has not gone unnoticed by designers and brand owners, as popular brands can often spawn hundreds of duplicate listings on online marketplaces, drawing valuable customers away from their brands.

The United Parcel Service (UPS) revenue slipped in Q2, with its international segment mitigating the decrease. Part of that decrease came from reducing the volume of parcels UPS processes from Amazon. Director and CEO Carol Tome told investors on the carrier’s Q2 earnings call that its financial results “reflect the impact of a complex macro environment, driven by ever-evolving trade policies, as well as the significant actions we are taking to strengthen UPS’ competitive and financial positioning.” She cited data from consultancy firm McKinsey & Company that indicated consumer spending on discretionary categories, including restaurants and automobiles, outpaced growth in essential items for the first time in three years. Additionally, she said, manufacturing activity in the U.S. “remains soft.” In turn, those macroeconomic factors impacted market demand. “The overall U.S. economy demonstrated continued resilience, but our sector, specifically the U.S. small package market, was unfavorably impacted by U.S. consumer sentiment that was near historic lows,” Tome told investors.

Consumer confidence rebounded slightly in July as Americans felt more optimistic about the future even as they continued to worry that tariffs would lead to higher prices. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index rose by 2.0 points in July to 97.2 from 95.2 in June. The Present Situation Index — based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions — fell 1.5 points to 131.5.  The Expectations Index — based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions — rose 4.5 points to 74.4.  “Consumer confidence has stabilized since May, rebounding from April’s plunge, but remains below last year’s heady levels,” said Stephanie Guichard, senior economist, global indicators at The Conference Board. “In July, pessimism about the future receded somewhat, leading to a slight improvement in overall confidence.”

Direct mail delivers proven results, but are you getting the best possible performance from your campaigns? Many marketers skip testing because they assume it’s too complex or too expensive. But here’s the truth: You don’t need a massive budget or sophisticated tools to run smart, insightful direct mail tests. In fact, small, strategic tweaks can lead to big boosts in response rates, ROI, and campaign learnings. Here’s how to make direct mail testing simple, practical, and worth your time.

Mattel’s goal is to keep prices as low as possible, according to executives.  “We’re committed to the uninterrupted supply for a wide range of high-quality products and providing the right balance of price and value for our customers,” said Ruh, who joined the company roughly two months ago.  With nearly 80% of toys imported to the U.S. coming from China, the category could prove to be especially vulnerable to the impact of tariffs. That is on top of a consumer base that is already stating prices will impact their purchasing behaviors during the back-to-school season, per an ICSC report.  However, CEO Ynon Kreiz doesn’t see consumers as any more price sensitive compared to a year ago, as the company has been working “very closely with our retail partners when we consider pricing” headed into the second half of the year and the holiday season.  The company expects the total tariff exposure for this year before any mitigating actions to be under $100 million. Mattel last quarter forecast a $270 million impact from tariffs.

There's no better place to invest in your team's growth than Paper Meets LIVE! Whether you're developing rising stars or deepening relationships with key partners, maximize your visibility and impact by bringing multiple members of your organization. Paper Meets LIVE! 2025, co-hosted by AF&PA and NPTA, will take place Sept. 16-18 at the Opal Sands Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Representatives from virtually every segment of the paper industry supply chain attend this annual event. Attending can spark collaboration and connection, accelerate leadership development, and align your team around industry trends and opportunities.

Founded in 1775 — before the founding of our country, in fact — the United States Postal Service is celebrating 250 years of continuous service. In a statement on its website about the impressive achievement, the agency notes, “On July 26, 1775, a year before declaring independence from Great Britain, members of the Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin the first American Postmaster General at a meeting in Philadelphia. Our founding fathers knew that a robust, reliable, and secure means of exchanging information was critical to unify the distant parts of our nation — and to maintain unity once we achieved independence.” So not only is Ben Franklin a pillar of the print community, he is also the father of the mail space as well. An impressive legacy to say the least.

The White House on Wednesday released its AI Action Plan, a set of proposals developed by the Trump administration to meet the United States' goal for dominance in artificial intelligence (AI). Here is what we know so far.  The 90 federal actions focus on three areas: increasing private-sector innovation, expanding AI-related infrastructure and exporting American AI. The goal is set on "winning the AI race" against global competitors like China. “The United States must also drive adoption of American AI systems, computing hardware, and standards throughout the world,” according to the document. “America currently is the global leader on data center construction, computing hardware performance, and models.”

While many consumers are attempting to curb spending amid stressful financial times, retail therapy is the answer for some — with the habit fueled by buy now, pay later options. Nearly half (47%) of consumers engage in retail therapy to improve their mood, with the most common purchases being food (63%), clothing and accessories (54%), and personal care or beauty products (42%), according to a new survey from LendingTree, Overall, 54% of Americans consider retail therapy a form of "self care." More than six-in-10 (63%) Americans admit that their emotions influence their purchases, with the percentage particularly high among six-figure earners (72%), those with children younger than 18 (70%) and Gen Z respondents ages 18 to 28 (69%).

SAPPI PRESENTS: Direct Mail and the Power of Sensory Marketing--Webinar TODAY sign up in the link below. Direct mail’s greatest strength is its physical presence. In today’s digital world, the tactile engagement of physical mail makes a powerful impact and leaves a lasting impression. It’s more than just a message—it’s an opportunity to strategically engage the senses and connect with consumers on multiple levels. Want to see how you can leverage the power of touch for your brand’s direct mail marketing plan?

Finally—a synthetic paper that checks all the boxes for performance and sustainability. Digital Edge Environmental Polyester is made from 100% post consumer recycled content and is 100% recyclable, thanks to a patented closed-loop process that delivers the same quality and durability as virgin material. Simply put, MIDLAND’s Digital Edge Environmental Polyester is the logical choice for printers and end-users alike who wish to excel in their approach to sustainability while minimizing their environmental impact.

Shoppers started back-to-school shopping early this year in search of deals to help offset higher costs. Nearly half (48%) of U.S. adults will make back-to-school purchases this year, according to ICSC's 2025 Back-to-School Consumer Survey. The majority (59%) expect to purchase most of their items in physical stores, up from 54% who said the same in 2024. Only 17% plan to shop fully online. Discount stores remain the most popular type of retailer for 62% of back-to-school shoppers, followed by Amazon (57%) and dollar/variety stores (42%).

From C-suite shakeups and bankruptcies to sticky inflation, tariff threats and anxious consumers, it’s been a challenging year so far for the retail industry. Uncertainty seems to be the dominant theme, among consumers and retailers alike. There’s no denying that the pace of store closures picked up considerably  these past six months, as former retail giants Party City, Joann, Forever 21 and, most recently, Rite Aid, all go dark. (On a brighter note, Big Lots got a last-minute reprieve and has been re-opening stores under its new owner.) But it’s not all doom and gloom, not by a longshot. Many retailers continue to expand. Burlington, Five Below, Nordstrom Rack, TJX Cos., Tractor Supply Co., Ollie’s, Boot Barn and Aldi are among the companies with robust expansion plans. And there are plenty more (including, of course, those perennial expanders Dollar General and Dollar Tree). Barnes & Noble has also returned to brick-and-mortar growth mode, with a smaller, more curated footprint.

Carriers pivot to chasing profitable customers rather than protecting market share Legacy parcel carriers FedEx and UPS have begun to discontinue commercial discounts, previously offered in response to increased market competition, prioritizing instead high-yield shipments and profitability to better meet Wall Street expectations, according to the TD Cowen/AFS Freight Index published this week. Businesses are paying more per package shipped with FedEx (NYSE: FDX) and UPS (NYSE: UPS) as the couriers’ ground networks lose volume at the bottom end and replace some of that with express volume as customers trade down in service levels. The shift of cost-conscious shippers to alternative providers with slower, cheaper services is reflected in the ground parcel cost per package reaching a record high of 32% above the index’s 2018 baseline during the second quarter.

Shoppers won’t let economic and political turbulence deter them from holiday shopping— but many will skip the old playbook.  Three-quarters (75%) of consumers say they’ll spend the same or more on gifts this year, with Gen Z (29%) and millennials (25%) leading the charge in spending more, according to Salsify's inaugural 2025 Consumer Holiday Shopping Report.  But from AI-curated gift guides and the digital takeover of Black Friday to the decline of social media’s shopping influence, consumers will rewrite the rules of the holiday season, noted the report.

Random House, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, will publish THE THIRD EYE, a book of personal photographs by renowned musician and Beatles guitarist George Harrison. Spanning the years 1963 – 1969, THE THIRD EYE will feature more than 250 intimate color and black and white photographs — the majority of which are previously unpublished — of the Beatles at work and at play, from Liverpool to Shea Stadium to Adelaide to India, all taken by Harrison. The book is being compiled and curated by Olivia Harrison, George’s widow. Included will be an essay by Olivia as well as George’s own words alongside the photographs.

Axel Springer, owner of Politico, Politico, Business Insider, Bild and Welt, is going all in on AI.  “Nobody in the company has to explain in the company why she or he is using AI to do something — whether to prepare a presentation or analyze a document,” said CEO Mathias Döpfner during an hour-long all-employee meeting last week, Status reports.. “You only have to explain if you didn’t use AI. That’s really something you have to explain because that shouldn’t happen.” Döpfner also lauded the development of AI.   “I tell you, what is happening at the moment with regard to technology is the biggest change in modern civilization,” The first wave of internet is nothing against these developments.”

The case wasn't as clear when factoring in offline sales. Although total sales decreased to their second-lowest monthly figure of the year, core retail sales followed ecommerce's trend of inching up. Online retail sales inched up in June compared to May, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. That comes as total retail sales dropped steeply in the same time frame. However, both online and total retail sales increased year over year. The National Retail Federation said consumers continue to worry about the impact of government policies on the economy — specifically tariffs. “The economy is gradually slowing,” according to Matthew Shay, NRF president and CEO. He said the macroeconomic environment has not yet disrupted economic fundamentals and that shoppers still have the ability to spend on priorities. However, he also said it has impacted the psyche of American consumers.

Both Digital Commerce 360 and the National Retail Federation use 2024 sales as a starting point in their criteria for determining the top 10 U.S. retailers in 2025. Determining who the top 10 U.S. retailers are in 2025 depends on the criteria being used to compare them. After all, retailers sell in different ways through different channels. However, looking at retailers who rank based on annual global ecommerce sales, as well as by total domestic retail sales, shows just how vital online sales are to some of the industry’s most recognizable brands.

Despite elevated economic volatility, retail store managers are reporting healthy sales and in-store traffic — and they expect the positive momentum to continue in the coming months. That’s according to Levin Management Corp.’s 2025 Mid-Year Retail Sentiment Survey, which polled store managers in the firm’s 125-property leasing and management portfolio (focused on the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions). The survey also reveals how retailers are responding to disruptive technologies and evolving digital marketing tools to improve business processes and customer engagement.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) released the June 2025 Printing-Writing Monthly report. According to the report, total printing-writing (P-W) paper shipments decreased 6% in June compared to June 2024. With a projected decline of exports, U.S. purchases of P-W papers decreased 4% in June compared to the same month last year. P-W paper inventory levels increased when compared to May 2025 – the second consecutive increase. U.S. purchases of uncoated free sheet (UFS) papers for the first six months of 2025 compared to the first half of 2024 decreased 1%. While the UFS inventory level increased 4% compared to May 2025, the current level is 16% lower than June 2024. Coated free sheet (CFS) paper shipments increased 3% compared to June 2024 while the inventory level decreased 1% compared to May 2025. CFS imports decreased 24% while exports increased 17% in May 2025. U.S. shipments of mechanical (MECH) papers increased 2% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. MECH inventory levels increased 25% compared to last month. MECH imports decreased 13% while exports increased 31% in May 2025.

Google just introduced a new feature in Gmail called “Manage Subscriptions.” That sounds innocent enough until you realize it’s basically an unsubscribe control panel that makes it ridiculously easy for users to cut ties with email marketers. One click, and your customer or prospect is gone from your email list forever. For consumers, this is a dream. For email marketers, it’s a gut punch. For direct mail marketers, this is a tremendous opportunity. People trust direct mail more — 82% say they view print marketing as more credible than digital Mail sticks around — it has a household shelf life of over two weeks When was the last time an email sat on someone’s kitchen table?

Municipal, the activewear brand co-founded by Mark Wahlberg, is evolving into a broader lifestyle company as it looks to deepen customer engagement and boost revenue beyond apparel. The company is laying the groundwork for what it calls “the Muniverse”: a retail strategy that includes properties like flagship clothing stores, coffee shops and gyms, all tailored to the surrounding community, co-founder Harry Arnett told Modern Retail. Municipal aims to have 20 flagship stores in the next seven years, and dozens of gyms in the next five to 10 years. Next week, Municipal will also launch a $100-a-year membership program for its most devoted customers. Perks include 10% off all purchases, free shipping and returns, and access to exclusive events.

With more than 300 tenants, it’s the largest mall in the state of Florida. This week it can make the claim that it’s the best mall in America. Aventura Mall, located halfway between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, has landed in the No. 1 spot of USA Today’s 10 Best Malls list. The paper lauded Aventura for its museum-worthy art collections, its chrome slide tower created by artist Carsten Holler and its claim to being the first site in Florida to host an Eataly.

At Canva, our mission has always been to empower the world to design, and that means helping people turn their ideas into reality, faster and more confidently than ever before.…

July might be peak summer, but for marketers, it’s the perfect time to start planning your fall direct mail campaigns. Fall brings a shift in mood, attention, and buying behavior.…

More than a decade after McGraw Hill was sold to the private equity firm Apollo Global Management LLC for $2.5 billion, Platinum Equity, which bought the company in 2021 for $4.5 billion, has filed…

See the latest news from USPS by following Midland's Matt Jensen on LinkedIn. An awesome one sheet outlines all 2026 core and add-on promotions, including some thoughts (bottom-right quadrant) on…

Customers saved billions while shopping Amazon’s millions of deals during Amazon’s biggest Prime Day shopping event yet. Prime members purchased millions of Alexa-enabled devices, and the Ring Battery Doorbell and…

Barnes & Noble and University Book Store are proud to announce a unique partnership and the opening of the Barnes & Noble University District Bookstore in Seattle, WA, on Wednesday,…

As retailers and brands seek to fight the uncertainty that comes alongside the always-shifting threat of tariffs, major retailers are telling customers they’re not raising prices on some items as part…

Dick’s Sporting Goods and Foot Locker may have taken industry observers by surprise with their acquisition deal last month, but one of their largest partners likely wasn’t. “Nike clearly bought…

Men’s Journal announced today that it’s returning to print after a more than two year hiatus with a Summer Edition launching this month. It will also be a substantial relaunch, coming in…

The first 24 hours of Amazon’s summer Prime Day sales event — which runs for four days this year — drove U.S. consumers to spend $7.9 billion online, according to…

Rising costs driven by tariffs are causing consumers across the globe to scale back spending, switch brands, and rethink long-standing habits — including summer travel. Forty-two percent of consumers are buying fewer…

Revenue growth for U.S. parcel shipping lagged volumes last year as an influx of new last-mile delivery companies put downward pressure on prices in a market that is expected to…

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday urged Amazon and Walmart to police their marketplaces for false "made in America" claims by outside companies. "Bureau staff have received information that third-party…

The publishing group has been included in the TIME100 list of Most Influential Companies, in the “Leaders” category. It’s a significant recognition – since the launch of the list in…

Back-to-School isn’t just for notebooks and backpacks anymore. This growing “marketing holiday”, driven by national retailer promotions, digital ad spikes, and consumer urgency, has become a goldmine for all retail…

Back-to-school spending among U.S. consumers is expected to rise 3.3% year over year to $33.3 billion, a new Coresight Research report estimates. More than two-thirds (68.8%) of respondents to Coresight’s survey…

More softness in adult nonfiction in the second quarter and slowing sales in adult fiction combined to drop unit sales of print books just over 1% in the first six…

Amazon Prime Day is shaping up to be a performance monster—not just for Amazon, but for the entire ecommerce ecosystem, according to a new Adobe forecast. Adobe expects online shopping…

When consumers feel uncertain—about the economy, the world, or their own budgets—they naturally become more cautious. But caution doesn’t mean connection is impossible. In fact, it’s in these moments of…

The U.S. ad market improved slightly in May, which expanded 4.4% over the same month a year earlier, according to just refreshed monthly data from Guideline's U.S. Ad Market Tracker.…

Amazon is fast approaching the United States Postal Service (USPS) as the nation’s top parcel carrier, signaling a seismic shift in the U.S. shipping landscape, according to new data from Pitney…

At Sam's Club Member Access Platform (MAP), we know that retail media is steadily growing more complex, and that’s compelling brands to look beyond impressions and clicks. That's why we’ve launched Omni‑Impact™, a breakthrough in retail media measurement that redefines how brands understand and optimize campaign performance. Omni‑Impact is not just another attribution tool. It’s a smarter, more strategic way to measure media effectiveness powered by AI, built on Sam’s Club’s proprietary membership data and designed to elevate the impact of every dollar spent with MAP. Unlike traditional multi-touch attribution models that rely on fragmented data and probabilistic assumptions, Omni‑Impact uses deterministic data from our closed-loop ecosystem to track performance with unmatched precision. Advertisers can finally see exactly what’s driving incremental sales across MAP channels and over time, with the clarity, consistency and confidence they need to make every dollar count.

LocaliQ, the Digital Marketing Solutions (DMS) business of Gannett Co., Inc. unveiled its next-generation conversational AI Voice Agent—a powerful new feature within Dash™ by LocaliQ. Dash is an AI-powered prospect and lead management software solution that helps businesses attract, engage, and convert potential customers through automated, intelligent conversations. This AI Voice Agent builds on the success of Dash’s AI-powered SMS agent—adding voice capabilities to create an innovative and seamless, omnichannel customer engagement experience. “AI-driven customer engagement is one of the fastest-growing frontiers in marketing,” said Bill Scanlon, General Manager of LocaliQ. “Every unanswered phone call represents not just lost revenue, but a missed relationship. By extending Dash from SMS to voice, we're giving businesses—from single-location shops to national brands— a straightforward way to turn every call into a live conversation that becomes a qualified lead, leading to scalable revenue growth.”

TC Transcontinental announced the acquisition of Middleton Group, a provider of retail services and point-of-purchase display solutions to leading North American retailers and brands. This strategic acquisition supports TC Transcontinental’s growth of its in-store marketing (ISM) activities, a market with attractive growth potential where the company already holds a leadership position in Canada. Founded in 1952 and based in Markham, Ontario, Middleton Group employs 65 people and provides creative, end-to-end retail marketing solutions. Its offering includes large-format printing, custom retail fixtures, and innovative display systems. Organically and through acquisitions, TC Transcontinental’s ISM business has grown significantly over the last several years. It now comprises nearly 1,000 employees and generated over $200 million in revenues in the fiscal year ended October 27, 2024.

It’s time to add a new scent to your direct mail to increase your response rates. Our sense of smell is extremely powerful. A scent can elicit vivid memories that take you to your mom’s kitchen growing up, to the beach, or just about anywhere you’ve been before. In fact, research shows that people recall smells with 65% accuracy after a year, while visual recall is around 50% after just three months. Our sense of smell is the most emotionally powerful sense, even above sight and sound. That’s because scent is processed in the limbic system; the part of the brain responsible for memory, emotions, and behavior. This neurological connection is why we react so strongly to fragrance and why it can make such a compelling impact in direct mail. Marketers are leaning into sensory experiences now more than ever. In a study by the USPS and Temple University’s Center for Neural Decision Making, tactile and scented direct mail outperformed digital ads in terms of brand recall, engagement time, and emotional response. Scented mail pieces were especially effective at sparking memory retention and increasing time spent with the piece.

Hearst Magazines announced an expansion of AURA that, for the first time ever, brings together Hearst’s proprietary targeting signals with Amazon Ads trillions of browsing, shopping and streaming insights for programmatic campaigns exclusively available in Amazon DSP. Debuting at Cannes, this new offering unlocks a powerful, privacy-safe connection between content engagement across Hearst Magazines’ 30+ U.S. brands paired with in-market shopping insights from Amazon Ads. Enabled through Amazon Publisher Cloud, advertisers can easily reach audiences at the intersection of inspiration and purchase intent. “AURA is already delivering incredible results for our advertisers — driving higher click-through rates, deeper attention and measurable brand lift,” said Lisa Ryan Howard, global chief revenue officer at Hearst Magazines. “As we see increased programmatic interest in our inventory — especially from DSPs like Amazon — it’s the right time to bring the power of AURA targeting and meet buyers where they’re already transacting.”

We’ve heard it a million times by now: “Print is dead.” It’s a mistaken impression (see what I did there?) because the evidence around us every day proves the opposite. While some roles for print may be in decline, as a communications channel, it has enormous power to reach audiences that digital alone just can’t match. A few months ago, I saw a headline for an article in The Drum — a London-based marketing and media website — that asked: “As agencies sniff out scent specialisms, is poly-sensory branding here to stay?” Having recently written about the use of scent in direct mail campaigns, I’m pretty familiar with how marketers in the print world regard sensory marketing: an opportunity to reach their audience.

This week, Nordstrom announced that in the fall it will open its 25th Rack store in Texas and its seventh in Georgia, the latest in the steady build-out of its off-price business in recent…

Quad/Graphics, Inc. a marketing experience company that solves complex marketing challenges for its clients, has been ranked 26 among the top healthcare marketing firms in North America according to the Medical…

Tariffs and trade disputes in recent months have challenged assumptions about what ecommerce growth will look like in 2025. Digital Commerce 360 is preparing to publish the 2025 edition of its…

Sun Day Red by Tiger Woods in print. Our first print catalog arriving to mailboxes now. Tiger Woods' apparel brand, Sun Day Red, is named with three words because of…

Ricoh announced the launch of its newest color light-production sheet-fed digital printers, the RICOH Pro C5400S and RICOH Pro C5410S (RICOH Pro C5400S Series). With professional color consistency and precise…

Following a competitive RFP process that began last fall, snack food and candy giant Mars Inc. has appointed Publicis to lead its media, production, paid social and influencer and connected commerce capabilities. …

We're proud to share that Canva has been named the #5 company on CNBC’s 2025 Disruptor 50 list – a recognition of private companies transforming industries and reshaping the future…

Consumers are taking an omnichannel approach when it comes to Father’s Day (June 15) shopping this year. A new survey from NieslenIQ reveals that 69% of shoppers are expecting to…

As global trade landscapes shift, understanding tariffs isn’t just for economists—it’s essential knowledge for any business operating across borders. From protecting domestic industries to influencing global supply chains, tariffs play…

There’s a reason people can’t stop touching Vuori’s joggers in the store. It’s not just the aesthetics or the fit (although those help). It’s something far more fundamental, and most…

Today, the Postal Regulatory Commission filed Order No. 8893-Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Statutory Review of the System for Regulating Rates and Classes for Market Dominant Products (Phase 2A…

Four retailers cracked the top 10 in a survey of the 50 for-profit brands that consumers feel best meet today’s “patriotism challenge.” Levi Strauss & Co., took the fourth spot in Brand…

Meta was hit this week with a new privacy lawsuit for allegedly secretly tracking users' browsing activity on mobile websites that embed Meta's analytics pixel, and linking that activity to…

Amazon.com  today revealed the Amazon Books Editors’ Best Books of the Year So Far list, with Charlotte McConaghy’s taut, psychological novel Wild Dark Shore earning the coveted No. 1 position. The Amazon…

Fold & tuck style cases - 15 cases per minute - No glue, no fuss—just a clean L-Clip seal Small shift. Huge impact. That’s what performance looks like. Ready to…

In a surprise move following a series of consecutive downgrades, Brian Wieser has boosted the outlook for U.S. ad-spending growth this year to 6.0%. That's nearly double the percent change he…

American consumers are increasingly anxious that tariffs on imported goods could dampen their holiday celebrations. More than half (61%) of respondents are concerned that tariffs will have an effect on…

When we launched Canva Print, we wanted every order to make a positive impact. Through our One Print, One Tree initiative, we've now planted over 10 million trees – restoring…

Direct mail continues to be one of the most effective marketing tools when done right. But even seasoned marketers fall into traps that can waste time, money, and impact. After…

Looking to build on its success with “Barbie” two summers ago for its other major toy brands, Mattel has announced the formation of Mattel Studios. Mattel will be combining its…

Target Corp. is ramping up investment in its third-party online marketplace, Target Plus, as it searches for growth in a turbulent retail environment marked by cooling consumer demand and persistent economic…

Despite doomsayer predictions, brick-and-mortar bookstores’ demise hasn’t come. In fact, local bookstores—and revived big-brand chains—are luring customers in with new incentives, merch, and cultivated communities. The Rising Popularity of Brick-and-Mortar…

Following a surprising high single-digit uptick in March, the U.S. ad market expanded just 1.7% in April, marking the weakest growth since September 2023, according to a MediaPost analysis of…

The New York Times Company and Amazon have announced a multi-year licensing agreement that will bring Times editorial content to a variety of Amazon customer experiences. This broadens the companies'…

As the $2 trillion global wellness market evolves, Gen Z and millennials are turning up the heat on food and beauty brands, blurring category lines, demanding personalization, and prioritizing function…

Every drop matters—and your paper choice makes a difference. MIDLAND'S new study breaks down real ink consumption rates so you can print smarter and boost profitability. Run High Speed Inkjet?…

For over 40 years, kids nationwide have competed to win a personal pan pizza for reading a certain number of books for the Pizza Hut Book It Summer Reading Program.…

In preliminary readings for May, The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index increased by 12.3 to 98.0, up from 85.7 in April. The Present Situation Index — based on consumers’ assessment of current business and…

April’s data reflects a cautious consumer mindset. Although browsing activity has increased, signaling continued interest in products and services, consumers are carefully evaluating their options. Sessions were up 9.64% year-over-year, indicating heightened consumer interest or browsing activity across retail websites. However, despite the traffic growth, orders were down -0.68%, suggesting that while more consumers are browsing, many are hesitant to follow through with purchases. A significant influence was the ongoing impact of tariffs introduced earlier this year, which led to higher prices on select categories, particularly electronics, home goods, and apparel. Price-sensitive consumers may have deferred purchases or shifted to lower-cost alternatives, contributing to the flat demand growth of just 0.27% year-over-year.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has updated the industry's 25-year-old digital ad agreement terms through a collaboration with brands, agencies, publishers, ad tech, and legal experts. The updates should improve performance. Brands, agencies, publishers, ad tech, and legal experts collaborated with the IAB on the updated terms. In fact, 276 IAB member companies participated in redefining the terms. The goal is to bring the document and processes into the 21st century and prepare for a future of high tech and innovation, while helping to prepare the ad industry for what’s to come. Some of the changes will include faster and direct media purchases done programmatically or through a series of agentic agents.

As tariffs once again dominate political headlines, they’re also driving consumer anxiety—even as spending hasn’t yet dropped. Gartner’s latest research shows that Americans are uneasy about the economy and trade policy but still feel reasonably confident about their ability to afford essentials and indulgences. That disconnect presents a unique challenge for marketers. Kate Muhl, vice president and analyst in Gartner’s marketing practice, tells Marketing Daily why CMOs need to prepare now for a potentially volatile fourth quarter—and why simply cutting prices or promoting “Buy American” may not be the answer.

Google confirmed Thursday to MediaPost that it ran a limited experiment with a handful of publishers serving ads in chatbots before making AdSense for Search (AFS) broadly available to sites that host conversational AI interfaces earlier this year. AFS has been a long-standing product that allows publishers to show ads on relevant queries within the search results on a publisher’s page. The AdSense network was traditionally used to place ads in search results and across websites. Now it is running ads in chatbot interactions.

March came in like a lamb and went out like a roller coaster ride in the U.S. ad marketplace, according to just-refreshed data from Guideline's U.S. Ad Tracker. The index, which decelerated to 2.4% in February -- the worst expansion since the last ad recession ended -- bounced back to a 7.8% gain in March, implying a relatively healthy signal for the U.S. ad marketplace despite continuing concerns about the nation's economy, the macroeconomy, and geopolitical instability that have some economists predicting another looming recession.

New Street Research in a note published Tuesday, revised revenue and advertising models downward. The analyst firm expects forecasts for U.S. and global ecommerce -- as well as for digital advertising, excluding China -- to fall. U.S. ecommerce growth for 2025 is now projected at 4.5% -- down from 7.5% -- and globally, excluding China, dropping to 6.5% from 9%. The firm also lowered its estimate for digital advertising growth. U.S. growth is expected to fall to 5.9%, down from 11.3%. Globally, excluding China, is expected to drop to 6.8%, New Street analysts wrote in the report.

Google has reversed a decision on its more than five-year plan to phase out third-party cookies. The company announced Tuesday that it will keep third-party cookies in their current form and will not roll out a stand-alone "user-choice" button in Privacy Sandbox that would have allowed users to opt out of being tracked by advertisers. After careful consideration and testing, Google will keep its current approach to offer users third-party cookie choice in Chrome, and will not roll out a new stand-alone prompt for third-party cookies, Anthony Chavez, vice president of Privacy Sandbox at Google, wrote in a blog post. "Users can continue to choose the best option for themselves in Chrome’s Privacy and Security Settings," Chavez wrote.

Amcor has released the third edition of its European consumer claims research report. The report reveals that recyclability claims are the most influential on consumer purchase decisions. This coincides with a growing preference for paper-based packaging. The report shares Amcor’s 2025 findings, which builds on the company’s previous 2020 and 2022 research. Based on the responses of 3,351 consumers surveyed in the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, and Poland – the report provides brands with valuable insight into ‘The Sustainability Influence’ and how consumer preferences are accelerating the move to more responsible packaging. Key findings include: *Awareness and interest in recyclability is strong with 84% of consumers reporting that they check on-pack instructions to inform how they dispose of products. *71% of consumers understand claims that state ‘made with recycled materials’. This has risen by 4% since 2022. *Paper-based packaging is a growing trend, with 72% of consumers reporting that they understand paper-based packaging claims and use them to inform purchasing decisions.

"Forward bookings" -- or advanced U.S.ad sales -- for April/May expanded just 1.8% vs. the same two-month period a year ago, indicating that the second quarter is pacing to be the weakest growth since the last ad recession, according to just-released estimates from Guideline. The disclosure is an early indicator of continuing deceleration for the U.S. ad economy, and affirms the trend line revealed in Guideline's recent February update for the U.S. Ad Market Tracker, which showed one of the weakest months of ad spending growth since the last ad recession ended in April 2023.

RRD introduces Iridio, a unified marketing solutions partner formed to streamline marketing execution and drive meaningful outcomes. Designed for today’s increasingly complex marketing environment, Iridio offers a flexible, composable service stack that scales from single-channel support to fully integrated campaigns. With 96% of CMOs often managing up to 20 fragmented vendors, Iridio solves complexity as a single solution for strategy, creative services, technology, data and analytics and media execution. “The modern CMO wears many hats — marketer, brand builder, technologist and data expert," said Andy Johnson, Senior Vice President and Head of Iridio. "They also juggle siloed agencies and vendors. Iridio cuts through the complexity and chaos, bringing together all the core elements under one unified team."

A gym in South Carolina has sued Meta Platforms for allegedly overcharging Facebook advertisers a collective $4 billion, starting in 2013 and continuing for at least four years. In a class-action complaint filed late last week, Iron Tribe Fitness alleges that Facebook failed to honor representations that its auction system “would inherently protect bidders from overbidding.” The allegations center on Facebook's system for charging advertisers that submit winning bids in auctions. Iron Tribe, headquartered in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, alleges that Facebook purported to use a version of a “second price” auction system but instead, inadvertently, used a “blended price” system. The move to a “blended price” system was due to an error in a 2013 software update, according to the complaint.

In today’s competitive marketing landscape, getting noticed isn’t enough—your brand needs to connect on a deeper level. Enter identity marketing: a strategy that moves beyond features and benefits and instead taps into who your customers are—and who they want to become. After exploring Veronica Romney’s work on identity marketing, I saw incredible opportunity for applying these insights to direct mail, one of the most personal and tangible marketing channels we have. At its core, identity marketing is not about your brand—it’s about your consumer. It’s about understanding how your audience sees themselves and aligning your brand with their identity and aspirations. Done right, this approach can turn ordinary marketing into something truly transformational. Rather than saying “buy this,” identity marketing invites customers to “be this.” It positions your brand as a guide helping customers become the best version of themselves.

In a time when misinformation is everywhere and consumer skepticism is at an all-time high, trust has become marketing’s most valuable currency. And for all the new tools and platforms marketers have adopted in the digital age, one channel consistently earns that trust more than any other: direct mail. Despite years of predictions about its decline, direct mail has not only survived — it’s thriving. In fact, it’s become the quiet powerhouse in omnichannel marketing strategies. As digital fatigue, privacy concerns, and ad fraud undermine confidence in online media, marketers and consumers alike are rediscovering the value of physical mail. The stats tell the story. Americans are seeing more ads than ever, but believing fewer of them. Social media feeds are crowded with questionable claims, sponsored content is often indistinguishable from organic posts, and AI-generated misinformation is rampant. Inboxes are overrun with scams, phishing attempts, and generic automated messaging.

The Association of National Advertisers is urging House Republicans to endorse a nationwide opt-out privacy standard that would override state laws, arguing that a federal law would lower costs for businesses. A national standard “would help alleviate the substantial compliance burden imposed on businesses, eliminate confusion that may arise due to potentially conflicting state standards, retain well-functioning sectoral safeguards, and help small and startup businesses continue to offer innovative services in a competitive online marketplace,” the Association of National Advertisers writes in comments sent Monday to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Privacy Working Group.

Unlock a dual advantage for your business: demonstrate a deep commitment to environmental responsibility while driving real operational and financial growth. SGP certification is more than a badge—it’s a catalyst for transformation, turning your sustainability goals into a competitive advantage. SGP certification is the leading sustainability certification for the print and packaging industry. It equips companies with a robust framework to implement and track sustainable printing practices, reduce waste, and improve compliance with environmental regulations. Whether you’re a commercial printer, wide-format facility, or packaging provider, certification with SGP signals to your clients, employees, and industry peers that you’re serious about sustainability—and serious about results. Starting your SGP certification journey is a transformative experience. It begins with a detailed self-assessment: evaluating your current practices, identifying inefficiencies, and aligning your operations with best-in-class environmental standards. While the process is rigorous, the rewards are substantial. It fosters greater awareness of your facility’s resource use and emissions, and helps you build a culture of continuous improvement.

As consumers grapple with inflation, tariff uncertainty and a difficult macro-economic environment, they are prioritizing cost over brand loyalty. The overwhelming majority (77%) of consumers are actively changing their purchase behavior in response to price increases, according to EY’s “Future Consumer Index,” which surveyed more than 20,000 consumers across 26 countries. Slightly more than a third (34%) no longer consider brands when making purchasing decisions, with 54% of respondents only buying branded products when they are on sale. The increasing adoption of private label products is reshaping consumer perception, making store brands the preferred alternative to traditional branded options — 67% say private label satisfies their needs just as well as branded products. Thirty percent of respondents say they no longer consider brands at all when making purchasing decisions.

Despite a plethora of challenges that artificial intelligence (AI) brings to the advertising industry, advancements in the technology will change even the fundamentals of how brands, agencies and publishers reach and interact with consumers. Not all in the industry are ready for the change, according to findings released today by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). The IAB’s State of Data 2025: The Now, The Near, and The Next Evolution of AI for Media Campaigns provides the first industry benchmarks on AI use, adoption, and perceptions, as well as challenges, opportunities, and future needs within the media campaign lifecycle.

After a soft start in January, headwinds persisted for many brands in February. Retailers faced a challenging environment as consumer confidence continued to decline amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding tariffs and the U.S. economy. Overall, sessions rose by 2.32%, but conversion challenges remained, with orders down -9.05% and demand falling -7.6% compared to February 2024. Apparel, outdoor, and specialty brands struggled, while home retailers saw gains in orders and sales. Brands of all sizes are feeling the impact of slowing consumer demand. Consumer confidence is at its lowest level since June 2024, and economic uncertainty is likely to continue. Brands that adjust pricing strategies, strengthen customer engagement, and highlight value will be better equipped to navigate uncertainty and capture opportunities in the coming months.

Sustainability is no longer a one-size-fits-all message. As more consumers become aware of environmental issues, their attitudes and actions toward sustainability vary widely. A recent international report by GlobeScan, backed by a mix of global brands and environment-focused initiatives, sheds light on these differences—identifying four distinct consumer mindsets regarding sustainability. These insights can help brands, including those in the print and paper industries, tailor their messaging and products to better engage customers. Based on a survey of over 30,000 consumers across 31 markets, GlobeScan’s Road to 2025 report categorizes consumers into four groups: Anxious Inactives, Indifferents, Enthusiasts, and Minimalists. Each group requires a unique approach to encourage more sustainable behaviors. Let’s explore each mindset and how companies can effectively reach them. Anxious Inactives (28%) - The largest segment of the population, Anxious Inactives, are environmentally conscious but feel overwhelmed by the scale of the climate crisis. Many of them—especially Gen Z consumers—experience guilt and anxiety about their personal impact, which often leads to inaction.

One of the main reasons direct mail campaigns fail is the lack of clear goals. Before launching your next campaign, take the time to define your objectives. Many businesses skip this step because they find it challenging, don’t know where to start, or aren’t sure what’s expected of them. But setting the right goals is crucial — without them, your campaign is just a shot in the dark. To help you get started, here’s a practical guide to setting effective direct mail goals that drive results. Key Components of Direct Mail Goal Setting: 1) Make Your Goals Meaningful 2) Be Specific 3) Stay Flexible 4) Make It Challenging but Achievable 5) Ensure Your Goals Are Supported 6) Write Down and Share Your Goals

Bipartisan lawmakers on Tuesday again introduced a bill that would further restrict companies' ability to collect and harness data from users under the age of 17. The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, introduced by Senators Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) and Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), would expand the current children's privacy law by prohibiting website and app operators from knowingly collecting personal data from users between the ages of 13 and 15 without their consent. Currently, federal law prohibits online companies from knowingly collecting personal data from users under 13 without their parents' consent.

Consumer behavior is predictably unpredictable, says Vidhya Srinivasan, vice president and general manager of Google Ads, but AI advancements have found new ways for businesses to reach people with engaging experiences on Google and YouTube. "Capturing people’s attention today is a big challenge," Srinivasan wrote. She added that helping businesses solve it is a top priority. Srinivasan on Monday published her 2025 letter to the industry, sharing insights on how consumer behavior is changing and ways that Google can help. She also announced this year's Google Marketing Live event, scheduled for May 21.

The 2025 ad market got off to a strong start in January, expanding 7.4% over the same month a year ago, and marking the best January recorded since Guideline began indexing it with the U.S. Ad Market Tracker in 2013. January's growth follows a healthy 8.5% year-over-year expansion in 2024, which ended with a 14.8% jump in December ad spending.

While January typically sees a post-holiday dip in consumer activity, the fall this year was more pronounced than anticipated. National events and weather patterns competed for consumer attention, while persistent price sensitivity and a marked decline in consumer confidence further dampened demand. Overall website sessions dipped -2.73%, with greater declines in orders (-9.88%) and demand (-12.57%) compared to January 2024. Converting customers was more challenging than last year for many brands. Despite easing inflation, consumers remain price sensitive. Increasing units sold, and refining product assortments will be important levers to drive growth in the current DTC/retail environment.

Meta is offering advertisers more control over their ad placements through comment and publisher controls as well as “blocklists” supported by additional third-party brand-safety and measurement companies, including DoubleVerify and Zefr, in addition to Integral Ad Science (IAS). The tech giant first announced its support of blocklists -- automated lists that brands can use to make sure their ads are not displayed alongside potentially disagreeable content -- last October when it partnered with IAS. Now, brands can work directly with IAS, DoubleVerify and Zefr to create blocklists for any category across Facebook and Instagram Feed and Reels, “so long as they adhere to the Meta's Discriminatory Practices policy,” the company says, adding that “businesses should ultimately decide what their suitability preferences are.”

Every interaction shapes your brand experience—so we’ve built our agency to ensure those interactions are seamless, intuitive, and aligned with your customers’ needs. As a brand experience agency, we take a holistic approach to creating impactful, memorable connections that drive lasting loyalty. Through insights, strategy, and execution, we help brands move people and inspire action. We exist to make brands more human. So are you searching for new ideas and fresh thinking? Do you want a brand experience agency that helps solve problems? Let’s build something unforgettable.

Marketing is evolving at breakneck speed, and 2025 is set to redefine the game. AI, hyper-personalization, and shifting consumer behavior are transforming how brands connect with audiences. From AI-driven search engines reshaping discovery to new privacy regulations forcing a first-party data revolution, brands must adapt or risk falling behind. In our recent webinar, Amsive experts Michael Coppola, CEO, and Lily Ray, VP, SEO Strategy & Research broke down the five biggest digital marketing shifts for 2025 with Ruben Quinones, SVP, Client Strategy.

Businesses increasingly recognize the importance of environmentally friendly practices, especially when it comes to packaging, proper disposal and recycling, and using truly sustainable materials like paper. However, a new trend has emerged: companies are becoming more cautious about how they communicate these initiatives. Amid a rise in greenwashing lawsuits, where businesses are accused of overstating or misrepresenting their environmental efforts, many companies are shifting to a more subdued approach. This change reflects not only legal caution but also a growing demand for transparency and adherence to credible standards, such as the FTC’s Green Guides in the U.S. or the Competition Act in Canada. In an era when consumers actively seek eco-friendly options, companies have made efforts to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. Terms like “biodegradable,” “recyclable,” and “carbon neutral” have appeared more frequently on packaging and in marketing.

Direct mail has been having a moment (or two) in the past year or so, as major media outlets and providers rediscover its worth to brands, companies, and organizations. In an election cycle of record political ad spending, a GroupM study estimated that $1.2 billion would be spent on mail to drive voter turnout. And CBS News, NBC’s Today Show, and The Wall Street Journal all took note of the return of the J. Crew catalog to customers’ mailboxes this fall after a seven-year absence. Like a lot of mail, though, get-out-the-vote mailers and catalogs are using updated tactics and technologies to appeal to today’s consumers, who have become more dissociated from standalone digital messages.

Why Marketing with Sustainability is a Must: Consumers today demand more than great products—they want brands that reflect their values. A Nielsen report found that 73% of global consumers are willing to change their consumption habits to reduce environmental impact. By integrating sustainability into your marketing strategy, you can build trust, foster loyalty, and drive growth while making a meaningful impact. This quick guide explores how to align your marketing efforts with sustainability practices to gain a competitive edge and connect with the modern conscious consumer.

Amazon is looking to expand its lucrative ad business by selling the technology that powers it to other retailers. In an email to Chain Store Age, the online giant announced a new program called Amazon Ad Retail Service that lets other retailers use its own tools to showcase ads on their own websites. Built on the hosted Amazon Web Services platform, it enables retailers to show product ads on their search, browse, and product pages to help customers with product discovery and purchase decisions. The ads can incorporate availability and price, in addition to contextual information such as shopper search query, category or product being viewed to help ensure customers see ads for desired and available products.

AI agents can analyze huge amounts of consumer data such as browsing history, purchase behavior, and social-media activity. The potential, especially for privacy concerns, could solve many of the challenges of online advertising. Google and Microsoft are working on their own individual AI agents, but there is no word on how the technology might support advertisers, brands and agencies. It is mostly speculation at this time. The technology would provide the ability to support real-time ad bidding, personalize messages and budget allocations while monitoring in real-time privacy settings based on state or country in which the ad targets the consumer.

Marketers are really starting to look at how millennials respond to marketing. In a recent study conducted by DigitasLBi, Razorfish, Tumblr, and Yahoo, millennials will have a cumulative $1.4 trillion in spending power by 2020. Therefore marketers need to be paying attention to this group of people. Since they are known as digital natives many people have felt that direct mail was not a good way to reach them. However, this has shown itself to be untrue, millennials like getting mail. How can direct mail appeal to millennials? Authenticity: All the messaging and imagery on your direct mail pieces need to be authentic and in sync with your brand. Accessibility: How easy is it for someone to reach you? How many ways to respond to your direct mail are there? Human Appeal: Create a sense of connection with each individual with not only personalization but through emotion. Social Awareness: Show case all the good things your company is doing for social causes. Technology: Since this group is very digital savvy, make sure that you are including technology in your direct mail.

Crafting direct mail that captures attention and inspires action is both an art and a science. With digital noise at an all-time high, direct mail stands out for its ability to connect in a personal, tangible way. The USPS’s Irresistible Mail website remains a fantastic resource for fresh ideas, and it’s worth exploring at irresistiblemail.com to stay inspired by the latest trends. Here are several strategies to make your direct mail truly irresistible: 1. Interactive Technology: Enhanced QR Codes: Augmented Reality (AR): Near Field Communication (NFC). 2. Sensory Engagement: Tactile Elements: Scented Inks: Temperature-Changing Inks. 3. Personalization and Data-Driven Content: Variable Data Printing (VDP): Predictive Offers: Geotargeted Messaging:

At unBoxed 2024, Amazon Ads introduced AI creative studio and Audio generator, two new generative AI tools designed to lower creative barriers and expand opportunities for advertisers to scale their reach. By building a suite of self-service, AI-powered tools, Amazon Ads is enabling brands of all sizes to create engaging content across media types and eliminating boundaries across ad formats. With Audio generator, Amazon Ads expands its suite of AI-powered creative tools – including Image generator and Video generator – empowering brands to connect with customers across the shopping journey. These tools make it simple to build and activate new campaign creatives, helping brands experiment more freely and optimize based on performance – with little more than the information on their Amazon product page. According to Amazon Ads findings, on average, brands who used Image generator between October 2023 and June 2024 saw almost 5% more sales per advertiser.

Adobe brought together the global creative community for the kickoff of Adobe MAX 2024 – the world’s largest creativity conference – where it introduced over one hundred new Creative Cloud features, including groundbreaking capabilities powered by Adobe Firefly that offer creators unprecedented power to create, collaborate and conceptualize ideas while empowering them to work more productively. Major updates to Adobe Express and an all-new Frame.io deliver new workflows to streamline collaboration for creative teams and their stakeholders. Adobe announced a new Firefly Video Model (beta) and breakthroughs in its Firefly Image, Vector and Design models, delivering significant enhancements to its family of generative AI models that are designed to be commercially safe. For enterprises, Adobe announced the general availability of GenStudio for Performance Marketing, the latest application within Adobe GenStudio, an end-to-end content supply chain solution that optimizes the process of planning, creating, managing, activating and measuring content for marketing campaigns and personalized customer experiences.

Google Ads will implement a data-retention policy on November 13 that limits historical data access to 11 years. Data-retention policies have become a major point of contention between advertisers and the platforms they do business with. The industry trend toward shorter data cycles certainly played a role in Google’s decision as privacy concerns have mounted and global industry trials have increased.

The advertising industry is being reshaped by a convergence of necessity, curiosity and opportunity, driven by consumer expectations for more privacy and advancements in technology. A new generation of performance advertising is emerging. Currently, 86% of users state that privacy is a high priority, and this number continues to grow. Mozilla and Apple have already responded to this demand by blocking third-party cookies completely, and now Chrome—the browser with the highest market share—is poised to dramatically increase the fraction of users who won’t allow third-party cookies to be set. This growing demand for privacy, combined with customer expectations for personalized interactions presents a challenge and opportunity for brands, requiring innovative solutions and a shift in thinking.

Pomegranate Inc., a brand known for its vibrant hand-block print home textiles, wanted to bring a cohesive and unified brand message to all its marketing channels. They needed a way to integrate their storytelling and aesthetic seamlessly across print, email, social media, and web platforms, making sure they resonated with their audience no matter the season. The forks are set at left, the knives at right. The tablecloth blooms with vibrant splendor, and the matching napkins are folded just so. It’s a feast for the eyes, even before the food comes out. But the most picture-perfect moments, the most memorable and colorful moments, are when the chairs are untucked.

For the first time, a joint study spearheaded by Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) measured the entire digital advertising ad spend to estimate the fraud rate for invalid traffic (IVT). The joint study -- brought together by TAG with American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As), Association of National Advertisers (ANA), and Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) -- determined that by working together the digital advertising industry collectively saved an estimated $10.8 billion in 2023, dramatically reducing fraud related to IVT in U.S. display and video ad channels by 92%.

For Advertising Week New York, Meta has introduced generative AI ad tools designed to help advertisers capitalize on changing user behavior across Facebook and Instagram; according to the tech giant, 60% of users' time on both platforms are now spent watching videos. Due to “advertiser demand” and promising adoption of the company’s recent Image Expansion tool, Meta is unveiling a Video Expansion feature, which will automatically let advertisers adjust video creative assets by “generating unseen pixels in each video frame to expand the aspect ratio.”

AI advancements have expanded the ability to get visual. Google claims people who use AI Overviews also use Search more, with better results. Products like Lens, which launched in 2017, help people search for what they see with their camera. Google’s rollout of AI-powered updates for search results and links was announced Thursday, along with AI Overviews ads on mobile in the U.S. and redesigned Shopping Ads to run along with Google Lens visual search results. The company said Lens also will now work with video and voice. Ads that serve within AI Overviews are search and shopping ads from existing campaigns.

Quad/Graphics, Inc. announced a collaboration with Google Cloud to leverage its cloud services in the development of a data, creative and personalization powerhouse. Quad’s leading-edge solutions are designed to give advertisers and marketers exceptional accuracy, transparency and cost-efficiency in making direct connections – on-line and off-line – with their customers. By empowering Quad’s proprietary data stack with Google Cloud’s artificial-intelligence (AI) optimization capabilities and large language models (LLMs), Quad’s new AI-driven solutions will enable brands to create highly personalized content at scale across multiple marketing channels. In addition to providing image generation, processing, content creation, layout design, translation and more, the innovative, data-driven offering from Quad will address the complex challenges of managing large product catalogs and diverse audience segments.

Black Friday is one of the most competitive times of the year for retailers, with every brand vying for a share of the consumer’s attention and wallet. For CMOs, the pressure to make this Black Friday the best one yet is always top-of-mind. While it’s easy to get swept up in the frenzy of discounts and promotions, the key to a successful Black Friday lies in strategic differentiation and understanding what truly matters to your customers. Here are some expert insights on how to navigate the season effectively and set your brand apart. 1. Focus on Your Value Proposition, Not Just Discounts - In the lead-up to Black Friday, many brands fall into the trap of thinking that bigger discounts automatically lead to better results. But in reality, it’s the value proposition that sets your brand apart, not just the lowest price tag. 2. Timing Is Everything: Be Strategic About Your Promotions - One often overlooked aspect of Black Friday planning is the timing of your promotions. This year, timing could be even more critical with events like elections or other significant happenings that can distract consumers from shopping.

Adobe announced innovations across Adobe Experience Cloud that will empower brands to unlock greater value with AI-generated content and demonstrate business impact. As organizations embrace image and copy generation tools—from Adobe Firefly to Adobe Experience Manager—to assist in the ideation and refinement of marketing assets, the need to show return-on-investment has also heightened. Brands can address this by matching AI-generated content with customer preferences, while creating a feedback loop through actionable insights. These AI innovations address key pain points in brands’ content supply chains by ensuring that campaigns can be adjusted and optimized in real time. Adobe’s latest solutions enable brands to drive greater performance and meet business goals for customer engagement. New offerings across Adobe Experience Cloud will enable teams to personalize, test and measure AI-generated content. With Adobe Content Analytics, actionable insights will pinpoint specific content attributes that resonate most with target audiences, informing what teams create in the future. In Adobe Experience Manager, real-time experimentation capabilities on the web—a digital front door for many brands—will direct visitors towards AI-generated variants that are driving the best conversion.

Google added encryption to a core advertising product intended to secure an advertiser's customer information during a time when more data is being used to serve personalized ads. The technology, turned on by default, also ensures transparency into a product’s code and the ability to receive proof -- known as “attestation” -- that data is processed as intended. It is the first time the technology -- which Google calls confidential computing -- has been used in Google's advertising products, but the company plans to bring it to more products over time.

Media buyers expect to spend 11.8% more on ads in 2024 -- up 2.3 percentage points from the 9.5% they projected last November. Paid search is forecast to rank third in terms of percentage of growth behind connected television (CTV) and social media.

At a time when some industry insiders have begun ruminating about the possibility of another downturn, the U.S. ad market got its third quarter off on a very high note, posting a nearly 14% year-over-year expansion in July. Significantly, that compares with a nearly 7% expansion for the same month a year ago, indicating the double-digit gains aren't about easy comps, but signal material growth. Whether the data from Guideline's just-refreshed U.S. Ad Market Tracker proves to be more of a lagging indicator, is not clear, but July 2024 also represents the 15th consecutive month of marketplace expansion, and is the best one since the U.S. ad market pulled out of a mini recession.

Siding against Google, a federal appellate court on Tuesday revived a privacy lawsuit brought by Chrome users who said the company wrongly gathered information about their web-browsing activity. In a unanimous 23-page decision, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers's determination that the plaintiffs consented to Google's alleged practices, which she said were disclosed in various privacy policies. The appellate panel ruled that questions regarding Chrome users' consent to data collection require further analysis, and sent the case back to Rogers for additional proceedings.

Consumers exhibited caution with their spending in July. Although there was an increase in sessions for many retailers, this did not translate into higher sales, with order volumes remaining flat. Overall, U.S. retail sales grew modestly by 0.74% month-over-month, indicating that while consumers continue to spend, they are doing so carefully. The July jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics also painted a mixed picture of the U.S. labor market, further highlighting consumer restraint in discretionary spending. Apparel and Outdoor brands outperformed many Home and Specialty retailers, buoyed by the back-to-school season and the Olympics, respectively. Nevertheless, demand appears constrained across verticals. In this challenging environment, refining strategies to enhance customer conversion rates and focus on improving customer lifetime value (LTV) will be crucial.

In a defeat for Meta Platforms, a federal appellate court late last week left in place a recent decision allowing Facebook and Instagram advertisers to proceed with a class-action fraud lawsuit over inflated metrics. Unless the Supreme Court intervenes, Meta must now face a class-action on behalf of all U.S. advertisers who used Facebook's Ad Manager or Power Editor to purchase ads on Facebook or Instagram after August 15, 2014. Meta hasn't yet said whether it will ask the Supreme Court to hear an appeal. The battle between Meta and the advertisers dates to 2018, when business owner Danielle Singer alleged in a class-action complaint that Facebook induced advertisers to purchase more ads, and pay more for them, by overstating the number of users who might see the ads.

Rising postal rates pose a significant challenge for industries that rely heavily on direct mail. However, increased costs don’t have to spell the end of your direct mail strategy. With a few strategic adjustments and considerations, brands can offset these higher rates while continuing to achieve their marketing goals. Here are some strategies to consider: 1. Optimize Mail Specifications - Postal rates often vary based on the size, weight, and format of your mail. By designing your mail pieces to fit cost-effective dimensions, you can reduce postage expenses. 2. Purchase Paper Directly from Midland - Paper costs can make up a significant portion of your direct mail budget. One effective way to manage these costs is by purchasing paper directly from Midland. 3. Utilize Postal Discounts and Programs - Take advantage of postal discounts and incentive programs offered by postal services. For example, USPS often has promotions that can help reduce costs. 4. Test and Analyze Campaigns - Regularly test various aspects of your direct mail campaigns—such as design, copy, offers, and targeting criteria. Use the results from these tests to refine and optimize future campaigns. 5. Invest in High-Quality Creative - Eye-catching, high-quality designs can significantly boost response rates. Unlike website or email designs, direct mail benefits from professional, compelling visuals and copy.

The controversial Kids Online Safety Act, which was passed by the Senate earlier this week, reportedly will not move forward in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill aimed to address potential harms associated with social media use by teens, including depression, eating disorders, and online bullying. The measure would have required tech platforms to guard against those harms when implementing design features such as personalized recommendations, notifications and appearance-altering filters.

The Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a bill that would impose sweeping restrictions on tech companies' ability to serve content to minors and handle their data. But the measure's fate is uncertain, given that it's expected to face opposition in the House of Representatives. The Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, approved 91-3, combines two previously separate bills -- the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), introduced by Senators Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) and Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana).

As a creative agency, we often get asked “Where do your ideas come from?” The truth is that sitting behind a desk makes creative ideas harder to come by. For real creative inspiration, it’s important to change your view. Get up, get out of the office, take in a sunset, or simply take a walk. The ideas will start to flow. See video at: https://jschmid.com/get-out-to-get-creative-inspiration/

Advertisers tapping into retail media networks (RMNs) continue to struggle with performance, data and metrics, mainly because methods are inconsistent, making comparisons across RMNs and other media platforms challenging. The insights were published by the ANA on Wednesday in its second report. This year, the organization titled it Retail Media Network: Optimism Tempered with Caution. Some 55% of marketers emphasize the need for RMNs to meet advertiser measurement standards, with it ranking as the No. 1 challenge for them, followed by 48% citing attribution to sales, and 40% said timeliness of data and analytics.

As we prepare for the Holiday season and consider last-minute changes to our media spend, it’s essential to ask: Can print media be a digital champion? Overwhelmingly, the data tells us YES. Print campaigns are often perceived as more credible and trustworthy than digital ads. This trust translates into a stronger brand presence and higher engagement when audiences encounter the brand online. Print media also has a lasting presence; customers and prospects may keep the printed piece for weeks, providing ongoing brand exposure and serving as a reminder that drives people to engage with the brand digitally. Moreover, shoppers tend to spend more time with print media compared to digital ads, which are often skimmed or skipped. This higher engagement can lead to better recall and a stronger inclination to explore the brand online. Just think of our own shopping experiences around digital ad fatigue. Digital and Meta channels are saturated with ads, leading to ad fatigue. Print campaigns faces less competition, allowing your message to stand out and capture attention more effectively.

Google said on Monday that it will scrap its years-long efforts to eliminate third-party cookies on Chrome. The search company plans to keep third-party cookies for those who don’t want to disable them, but will roll out a new solution that gives people a choice of how and when to protect their privacy in Chrome. They can adjust that choice at any time. "We're discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out," Anthony Chavez, vice president of Privacy Sandbox, wrote in a blog post published Monday. Developers will continue to have access to Privacy Sandbox APIs, so they can invest in them to further improve privacy and utility.

The apparel sector shows strong demand compared to other industries experiencing subdued or stable demand. Despite this, all sectors saw increased consumer engagement in June. The rise in website sessions, alongside flat demand, indicates heightened consumer interest. However, fewer orders may reflect economic uncertainties despite a 3.38% increase in average order values from the previous year, suggesting cautious consumer spending. Businesses should adopt strategies to capitalize on consumer engagement while navigating economic challenges for sustained growth. Economists anticipate a slowdown and speculate on potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts by September. The upcoming 2024 presidential election introduces financial and investment uncertainties, with J.P. Morgan Wealth Management discussing these implications and emphasizing sector-specific impacts like finance and healthcare. Despite short-term market volatility, the long-term effects of elections on markets and the economy remain unpredictable, urging investors to maintain a stable, long-term financial strategy.

Google researchers warn in a report that "mass production of low quality, spam-like and nefarious synthetic content" created by AI may promote distrust of all digital information. The paper presents tactics in generative AI (GAI) misuse. The researchers observed and analyzed approximately 200 incidents of misuse reported between January 2023 and March 2024. The group identifies patterns such as potential motivations, strategies, and how attackers leverage and abuse system capabilities across images, text, audio, and video.

Adobe announced the general availability of Adobe Content Hub with Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Assets. AEM Assets is the leading digital asset management system (DAM) used by brands to manage their entire library of images, videos and other content that drives the creation of marketing campaigns and digital experiences. AEM Assets is used by the majority of the Fortune 50, including 8 of the 10 largest media companies, 9 of the 10 largest financial services companies and 8 of the 10 largest retailers. Customers worldwide include ASICS, Cisco, The Coca-Cola Company, Henkel, Prudential Financial, T-Mobile and Volkswagen. Content Hub enables brands to reimagine how creative assets are used across their organization and with external partners, driving major efficiency gains. With a new easy-to-use interface, teams have every brand-approved asset at their fingertips while being able to access an all-in-one design tool through Adobe Express and Firefly generative AI — directly in the existing flow of work. Content Hub also removes inefficiencies by ensuring proper asset reuse and resolving any inconsistencies, while providing usage analytics and governance controls for sensitive launches. With Content Hub, brands can optimize a key component of their content supply chain, the end-to-end business process every company needs to deliver content required for marketing campaigns and personalized customer experiences.

Direct mail is considered by consumers to be the most trustworthy of all marketing channels. It is extremely important to create copy, calls to action and offers with honesty. This is not the time for a bait and switch or a poorly worded offer that is interpreted wrong. Direct mail is about respect. Respecting the recipient’s intelligence, as well as their time is very important. That is why we strive to help client’s create targeted offers consumers want to receive. I like the quote by James E. Faust “Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living and truth loving.” Can your customers count on you to help them create direct mail pieces that are honest?

Despite economic challenges like inflation, consumer engagement remains strong, supporting our positive outlook for 2024. While we expect a temporary slowdown in the economy, there are still consistent growth opportunities across various sectors. While apparel demand remains vigorous, demand in other sectors appears relatively stagnant compared to the previous year. Nonetheless, all sectors witnessed a notable uptick in consumer engagement throughout May. The surge in sessions underscores heightened consumer interest, yet the decline in demand and orders suggests possible financial constraints or economic uncertainties tempering purchasing intentions.

The festive atmosphere at Cannes may have been cooled a bit during a panel, titled “Trust and the Future of Media,” presented during Day 3 of Bloomberg Media’s Cannes Lions programming. “Winter is coming from a data privacy standpoint,” said Tracy-Ann Lim, chief media officer at JPMorgan Chase. Lim urged listeners to bring the right people to the table when trying to comply with regulatory bodies, saying the parties should realize “that you don’t know what you don’t know.” GroupM’s CEO North America Sharb Farjami added that “consumers now see data as a case of ownership,” and that there are now more questions about what brands are doing with that “property.”

Bloomberg Media provided robust sessions during Day 2 of its “Good Business” programming at BOBO Bistro in Cannes. In one session, titled, “Balancing Speed and Responsibility: AI and Marketing in 2024," speakers said marketers must understand the technology, according to a summary of the event provided by Bloomberg. Doug Martin, chief brand and disruptive growth officer at General Mills, stated that it’s no longer “possible to be a successful CMO … without having a close relationship with your CTO.” But Martin and others cautioned against rushing things.

The self-regulatory privacy organization Digital Advertising Alliance on Wednesday plans to unveil a downloadable browser extension that will enable people to opt out of receiving behaviorally targeted ads -- meaning ads selected for web users based on their activity across sites or apps. The tool, which is still undergoing testing, initially will be compatible with the four largest browsers -- Google's Chrome, Mozilla's Firefox, Microsoft's Edge and Apple's Safari. The new mechanism eventually will also give users the choice between rejecting all behavioral targeting, or accepting targeted ads in certain categories -- such as automotive, travel or pets.

A federal appellate court has revived a lawsuit by two Meta Platforms users who say they lost money after responding to fraudulent ads on Facebook. The ruling, issued last week by a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, allows Oregon resident Christopher Calise and Nebraska resident Anastasia Groschen to attempt to prove that the company violated its terms of service by allegedly failing to police Facebook ads placed by third parties. The decision stems from a lawsuit brought by Calise and Groschen in 2021, when they accused the company of soliciting fraudulent ads from advertisers based in China.

The tech industry group TechNet, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other organizations are urging lawmakers to revise a proposed federal privacy law by more sweepingly overriding state privacy statutes. The proposed American Privacy Rights Act “falls short of creating a uniform national standard due to its inadequate federal preemption of the ever-growing patchwork of state privacy laws,” the groups say in a letter sent this week to leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. As currently written, the proposed law appears to require businesses to allow consumers to opt out of online behavioral advertising -- meaning ads served based on cross-site and cross-app data. The current iteration also would require data brokers to let consumers opt out of data collection, and request deletion of their data. The measure additionally would allow consumers to sue over violations.

The latest quarterly results from JICMAIL reveal that 6% of mail (including Direct Mail, Business Mail, Partially Addressed Mail and Door Drops) prompted a purchase in Q1 2024, while the average amount of time spent with a piece of Direct Mail across 28 days climbed to 134 seconds. JICMAIL – The Joint Industry Currency for Mail – has revealed that while the UK economy grappled with the recovery from a technical recession, those advertisers who maintained their confidence in the mail channel were rewarded with 43% year on year growth in purchases driven by mail.

Hearst Magazines, the world’s largest lifestyle publisher, announced the launch of AURA, a revolutionary, first-party ad targeting tool that utilizes proprietary AI-enabled technology and multi-dimensional contextual, behavioral and commerce signals to connect advertisers to their most valuable and engaged customers at scale. The announcement was made by Hearst Magazines President Debi Chirichella and Global Chief Revenue Officer Lisa Ryan Howard. AURA analyzes and activates Hearst’s broad and deep portfolio of first-party data and hundreds of millions of purchase actions from Hearst’s 145 million monthly visitors across its portfolio of more than 25 U.S. brands. The next-gen tool — which leverages a new, proprietary content taxonomy and sophisticated AI — provides a more comprehensive picture of a user than ever before and makes predictive and informed decisions about which ads to serve. The tool will expand globally across Hearst’s 50 brands and 300 million users in late 2024.

If you thought the punchline was going to be a Wanamaker paraphrase, "the trouble is I don't know which two-thirds," you might be right. But the point of this column is that AI-enabled media-buying now has a benchmark -- 69.5% -- according to GroupM, which devoted a chunk of its mid-year update to calculating that figure. It also updated its own internal estimate for when AI-enabled media buys will top 90%. "Two years ago, we said we would pass 90% by 2032. We are now going to hit more than 90% in 2029, three years earlier than we had previously predicted based off of just how quickly this space is growing and how quickly tools are being incorporated," GroupM Global President of Business Intelligence Kate Scott-Dawkins late last week said during a press briefing ahead of today's update release.

The postal price increases in the near term have proven to be a failure. The USPS modeling predicted that revenue would increase and demand wouldn't fall. However, the data tells a different story. In 2023, revenue of “marketing mail” decreased by $920 million and volume decreased by 7.7 billion pieces. The USPS produced and relied on an economic model that proved to be wrong. Mail volume fell for “marketing mail” and the result was a loss in top-line revenue and a bottom-line loss of $1.6 billion. These losses prove that the postage increases were counterproductive and need to be rolled back. The USPS is a classic fixed cost business where incremental volume is highly profitable because the increased volume has little incremental cost. The postage increases for marketing mail clearly resulted in the huge volume declines between 2022 and 2023. The losses from volume declines were not made up by the postage increases.

The U.S. ad market expanded for its 13th consecutive month in April, rising 9.1% over the same month in 2023, according to the latest installment of data from Guideline's U.S. Ad Market Tracker. April also in the first month in quite some time to post an increase on top of a prior year increase, albeit a modest one: April 2023 was up 0.7% over April 2022. That said, the data indicates the U.S. ad market is well past its recessionary period and fully into an expansionary mode, with recent months rising at high single-digit increases or approach of surpassing double-digit ones.

Lawmakers on a House subcommittee on Thursday advanced a draft privacy bill that would impose sweeping nationwide restrictions on companies' ability to collect and use data. The American Privacy Rights Act -- introduced in both chambers last month by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington), and revised earlier this week -- now moves to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which could make additional changes. The current version of the bill appears to require businesses to allow consumers to opt out of online behavioral advertising -- meaning ads served based on cross-site and cross-app data. The original version had language that would have either required companies to obtain opt-in consent for behavioral advertising, or banned online behavioral advertising altogether.

Federal lawmakers have made some advertiser-friendly revisions to a bipartisan privacy bill that would regulate the collection and use of consumers' data. Among other changes, the new draft of the bipartisan proposed American Privacy Rights Act, unveiled late Tuesday, appears to require businesses to allow consumers to opt out of online behavioral advertising -- meaning ads served based on cross-site and cross-app data. The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce is scheduled to mark up the bill on Thursday. The new language relating to online behavioral advertising is less restrictive than language in the original version, which was introduced last month by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington). That version, widely considered ambiguous, would have either required companies to obtain opt-in consent for online behavioral advertising, or banned such advertising altogether, depending on interpretation.

There are many times when customers reach out to us to help them increase their response rates. When that happens, the first question is “What was the response rate on your last mailing?” Now you would think after 32 years in the business that the standard response to this question would no longer shock me, however that is not the case. When I hear “I am not sure”, I cringe. In 2024, how can they not know what the response rate was? They need to know this information. So, let’s take a look at what the 2024 Lob State of Direct Mail found: > 84% of marketers agree direct mail provides the highest ROI of any channel they use. > 82% of respondents are increasing direct mail spend in 2024. > Personalized URLs are the most popular way to measure conversions from direct mail campaigns. > Letters and postcards are the most popular direct mail format sent by respondents followed closely by brochures, catalogs, and self-mailers. One key takeaway is that direct mail response rates are higher than all digital media in the study. Direct mail can benefit the marketing mix, but you need to know their numbers so that you can keep doing what works and fix what is not working.

Following a sluggish trend, shopper activity remained subdued in April. Although demand for apparel remained robust, other sectors experienced declines compared to the previous year. Despite economic challenges such as inflation, consumer engagement persists, contributing to our optimistic outlook for 2024. While the economy is expected to slow in the upcoming months, steady growth is still anticipated throughout the year. The National Retail Federation predicts retail sales will increase 2.5% to 3.5% in 2024, signaling a return to pre-pandemic growth levels. Monitoring this trend closely, especially as we transition into Q2, will be crucial.

Siding with Amazon, a federal appellate court refused to revive a class-action complaint alleging that the company wrongly targets ads to consumers based on their interactions with Alexa-enabled devices. In an unsigned opinion issued Thursday, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Rothstein's ruling that Amazon notified users about its practices in a privacy policy. “The district court correctly found that Amazon disclosed the relevant conduct in its privacy notice,” Circuit Judges Danielle Forrest, Patrick Joseph Bumatay and District Court Judge James Donato wrote.

The Institute for Advertising Ethics (IAE), which in February announced it was expanding its curriculum and certification program to include so-called "greenwashing" prevention, this morning unveiled a new "Greenwash Prevention Toolkit" to help individuals and companies in the ad industry avoid the practice. The toolkit includes a new "Environmental Advertising Integrity Checklist," a guide on "Prevention Mechanisms," and a template for planning strategies over windows ranging from 30-days to one year.

Vermont lawmakers early Saturday morning passed a comprehensive privacy bill that would limit the amount of data that companies can collect, impose restrictions on online ad targeting, and allow consumers to bring private lawsuits in some circumstances. If enacted, the bill would require companies to enable consumers to opt out of targeted advertising -- meaning ads served based on non-sensitive data collected across distinctly branded sites or apps. The measure also would explicitly obligate companies to honor opt-outs made through mechanisms like the Global Privacy Control, which transmits opt-out requests to every site consumers visit.

The very first thing that direct mail needs to do in the mailbox is catch people’s attention. Many times, customers need help to create the most effective direct mail. We can help them by making suggestions on ways to create an eye-catching mail piece. There are many options out there for you to choose from. Five Eye-Catching Ideas: 1. Foil Stamping: In a study by the Foil and Specialty Effect Association they wanted to determine what would make products stand out on a shelf with similar products. 2. Embossing: When you bring lift to your mailer with embossing you are able to add dimension and pop. 3. Texture: There are many options for adding texture to paper. You can purchase paper that comes textured such as laid, linen, vellum and mottled. 4. Smell: Adding scent can be really fun. Scent can easily trigger good as well as bad memories. 5. Ink: There is a wide variety of reactive inks now that can really catch the eye.

Over the last several years, we’ve seen catalogs come and go. And we’ve seen many retailers jump into the game, spend a LOT of money (we’re talking tens of millions of dollars) and then abandon the model after a couple of seasons. This literally breaks my heart and makes me want to scream! Why does this happen? Here is my very quick opinion. These brands have a combination of the following: 1. A flawed merchandise concept that is not unique, delivered with out-of-date benefits or sent to an audience the brand knows nothing about. 2. Bad math that doesn’t take into account mail efficiencies, an understanding of their own database, mailing to bad names at the wrong time or how the catalog model fits into a cross-channel world. 3. A lack of understanding of how to create a landscape of words and imagery that truly sell off the page and drive activity to either a website or store.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore on Thursday signed a privacy law that imposes tough new restrictions on online data collection and ad targeting. Major ad industry groups had urged Moore to veto the measure, which the groups said includes “the most onerous and restrictive approach to data privacy in the United States to date.” “The bill’s limitations on data collection are likely to result in significant degradation of beneficial products and services for Maryland consumers and harm local businesses,” the Association of National Advertisers, American Association of Advertising Agencies, Interactive Advertising Bureau, American Advertising Federation and Digital Advertising Alliance wrote in a letter sent to Moore last month.

If one clear trend is dominating marketing, it’s personalization. In fact, personalization is now considered essential for any brand that wants to stand out with consumers and successfully nurture customer relationships. A recent study by Salesforce found that 73% of shoppers expect brands to understand their unique needs and expectations.1 The best way to demonstrate this understanding of individuality among consumers is by creating marketing messages that apply to the recipient and are engaging in their presentation. Personalized print took a big stride forward with the advent of variable data printing capabilities. At one time, simply adding the customer’s name to printed materials was impressive. Today, marketers are using much more sophisticated approaches than simple text substitution.

Redesigning a logo is a monumental task not meant for the faint-hearted. From the font choices to the use of graphics to choices of color and style, this critical piece of a brand identity conveys much about your brand at a glance. So, it’s important to spend time and attention consideration for each choice. Recently, a UK brand made history with a logo update. What made it noteworthy? In 2006, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized Lyle’s Golden Syrup as the world’s oldest unchanged brand packaging, making their redesign the end of a 140-year-old reign. Feedback on the redesigned packaging was not kind, with commenters comparing the new logo to a poorly designed Starbucks knockoff.

The U.S. ad market expanded for its 11th consecutive month in March -- rising 4.3% over March 2023 -- according to the latest monthly installment of Guideline's U.S. Ad Market Tracker. Smaller ad categories outpaced the growth of the top categories by a margin of nearly four-to-one. While the top 10 increased spending only 1.9% over March 2023, all other categories expanded 7.9%. March's growth was also due to a massive increase in digital vs. traditional media ad spending.

The U.S. ad market expanded for its 11th consecutive month in March -- rising 4.3% over March 2023 -- according to the latest monthly installment of Guideline's U.S. Ad Market Tracker. Smaller ad categories outpaced the growth of the top categories by a margin of nearly four-to-one. While the top 10 increased spending only 1.9% over March 2023, all other categories expanded 7.9%. March's growth was also due to a massive increase in digital vs. traditional media ad spending.

Google has once again delayed the death of the third-party tracking cookie in its Chrome browser. This is the third reprieve Google has given cookies since it first promised to phase them out in 2020. The next year, it pushed the date back to 2023 and then delayed it again to 2024. In its latest postponement, Google said in a blog, “we envision proceeding with third-party cookie deprecation starting early next year.” The search giant seemed on its way to phasing out cookies earlier this year after it cut off access to 1 percent of cookies in January. However, how and when Google would phase out a greater percentage of cookies was never clear, multiple ad industry insiders said. Total Retail's Take: This is interesting news for retailers, and particularly their marketing teams, which rely on third-party cookies to identify and track customer behavior on their websites.

A study released today by R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD) reveals that 91% of marketers with print marketing programs are embracing strategic integration of print and digital channels in 2024. Of those, 51% describe their print and digital marketing channels as “closely integrated and tightly coordinated.” The Print Impact Report, the company’s latest annual printing industry report, compares how 300+ marketing decision makers are planning, executing, and adjusting their strategies as well as integrating technologies into print marketing campaigns. The Print Impact Report found marketers are embracing technology to support their print campaigns, with 31% of marketers planning to use AI to support their print marketing efforts and 32% already using the technology. The study also found that 39% of marketers have adopted web-to-print technology, citing the following main advantages: reduced costs through on-demand printing (50%), personalization and customization of the message (37%), improved efficiencies and streamlined workflow (36%) and enhanced brand consistency (31%).