When ChatGPT rolled out ads on February 9, retailers moved quickly to test the format. The retail and grocery category accounted for 44% of ad impressions on ChatGPT during the two-week period from February 12 to 26, compared with 37% on Google Search, according to data from Sensor Tower.
As genAI absorbs executional tasks, human judgment and creativity become the real competitive edge.
Adobe pushed an AI-powered update to Firefly that signals a turning point for the tech in video production.
Consumers are neutral-to-comfortable with AI outputs, but visible AI in marketing isn’t boosting credibility.
As AI builds presentations from prompts, marketers must guard against polished but generic output.
Canva’s Magic Layers makes AI images tweakable, the onus is on brands to refine outputs and set copyright guardrails.
79% of Gen Zers miss pre-ad days on TikTok as distrust, algorithm gripes, and ad overload dent the app’s credibility.
Though Big Data + Panel is still accredited, the MRC raised concerns about “unusual results.”
In this special edition episode recorded at the EMARKETER Creator Trends 2026 Virtual Summit, you will learn how shoppable video, retail media integrations, storefronts, and affiliate programs are reshaping the journey, and the metrics and org models needed to make always-on creator commerce truly work. Minda Smiley, Senior Analyst at EMARKETER hosts a panel with Cory Weaver, Head of Influence at Gap, Inc. and Alexis Call, Director of Digital Merchandising and Site Experience at Stanley 1913. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Email marketing remains a valuable channel for retailers, and incoming AI tools could improve it even more. A new survey by Optimove Insights points to opportunities and challenges for retailers using one of digital marketing’s oldest channels.
The department store’s sales slide and holiday stumbles persist as it leans into value messaging.
Effective IP expansion and local manufacturing drive outsize gains.
GenAI fuels campaigns and live offers, syncing content creation with fan moments.
Ottawa ditches a shutdown for EU-style audits and data gates, keeping 613,000 SMBs active.
Gap Inc. is betting big on entertainment as a path to cultural relevance, creating a new chief entertainment officer role dedicated to what it calls "fashiontainment,” a strategy that blurs the lines between content creation and commerce through partnerships across music, film, sports, and gaming.
Uneven engagement and time spent on social platforms forces marketers to rethink scale-first social campaigns.
Asics bets on race tech: Buying registration platforms aims to lock in runners, the strategy hasn’t paid off in the past.