Marketing

Marketing

In almost unprecedented fashion, Publicis blew away its rival holding companies by a gigantic margin, landing $9.5 billion in wins and only $1.6 billion in losses. And, well, WPP ended the year very much in the negative, having lost more than $2 billion relative to what it won or retained, according to Comvergence's provisional tally for the year. (The numbers reflect only media wins, not creative.)

That urgency comes after several challenging years for the company. Target has faced declining sales, shrinking traffic, and a loss of market share to competitors, compounded by backlash tied to several controversial business decisions. Among them were changes to its DEI initiatives, which sparked consumer boycotts and ultimately led to a class-action lawsuit filed by its own shareholders in 2025.

Mark Ritson, a leading figure in the world of marketing With a BSc and PhD in marketing, Mark has spent the past 25 years teaching his unique method to MBA students at some of the world's top business schools, including award-winning courses at London Business School, MIT and Melbourne Business School. Not only has he taught on these prestigious programs but his teaching has been widely acclaimed with Mark winning the teaching prize

The CMO role is under intense scrutiny and there has never been more pressure for senior marketers to claim their seat at the C-Suite table and do so in ways that ensure that marketing is directly aligned to business growth. It is no longer acceptable to do marketing for marketing's sake. Alongside this sea change comes a push from the C-suite for CMOs to be executive swiss army knives capable of doing everything from ensuring the ethical adoption of AI,

Beyond their spending, high-value clients typically engage regularly, remain loyal over time, and align with the company's core offerings. For example, a high-value client that engages regularly could be a regular shopper who purchases often but also always likes and comments on the business's social media posts. These comments and likes on social media can have a positive impact on the business, showing other potential consumers that the business is reputable and valued by others.

Brands love to insert themselves into cultural conversations or piggyback on buzzy current events, a strategy sometimes called newsjacking. But it can happen without seeking, or even wanting, the attention. The borderline absurd virality of a Nike tracksuit evidently worn by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as he was taken into the custody of American captors is the most high-profile recent example-but it definitely won't be the last.

Social media can offer advisors opportunities to connect with prospective clients while nurturing relationships with existing clients. Approximately 40% of advisors use social media as a marketing tool, according to a 2024 Kitces report titled "How Financial Planners Actually Market Their Services." A social media marketing plan template offers a starting point for developing, implementing and monitoring outreach campaigns. Add new clients and AUM at your desired pace with SmartAsset's Advisor Marketing Platform.

Brand builds long-term awareness, perception, and emotional connection. Performance marketing focuses on immediate, measurable actions and specific behaviors like clicks, sign-ups, purchases, or downloads which drives conversions and business goals. The most successful companies know that true growth happens when these two objectives work in harmony, not in opposition. The evidence is now clear: Brand and performance are not opposing forces; they are multipliers.

There was a Marathon gas station at the end of the street I lived on as a kid. Its big, glowing sign was a landmark for me-when I could see it from the window of my mom's car, I knew we were about to be home. Its iconic 'M'-on the rare occasion I encounter one these days-still brings up that old feeling, the familiarity of homecoming, and a twinge of nostalgia.

O'Leary's modern money-making idea is to "sell customer acquisition with social media." In essence, he said he would create video content for a business and ask for $100 for every paying customer he earned them. "You'd be amazed at how many business owners have no idea how to use social media, and if you've grown up with a phone in your hand, you do," he said. "It's the best side hustle there is: understanding how to make content for social media."

To paraphrase a quote credited to poet and author Maya Angelou, people forget what you say and do, but they never forget how you make them feel. That understanding is becoming increasingly relevant in modern marketing, where differentiation is driven as much by emotional experience as by execution. For agencies, this means thinking beyond deliverables to the full experience clients and audiences have at every touchpoint.

I confirm, big drop Today. Yesterday I still had an increase in impressions after EXACTLY ON MY BIRTHDAY, December 13th, Google reduced me to only 30% of traffic on several sites. Yeah, traffic is completely done today, literally down 90% from normal. So tiring, Up one day, down the next, up again, way down the next. Big drop today. Spam update?

The city has a unique opportunity to showcase its dynamic history and culture, draw new fans to a range of entertainment and attractions and capture the economic impact of all this activity. City officials, our local hospitality industry, regional sports teams and venues and the folks at the San Jose Mineta International Airport have been working together for many months to position San Jose as a home base for visitors and provide local residents opportunities to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere.

A new study published in Marketing Science has found that some of the most widely considered online advertising safety and fairness policies may actually boost ad platform revenues while improving fairness outcomes. The policies at the center of the study are around ads that are designed to help ensure that women, minorities and other protected classes are not disproportionately excluded from job, education and financial opportunities. The study, "Is Fair Advertising Good for Platforms?" by Di Yuan of Auburn University, Manmohan Aseri of the University of Maryland and Tridas Mukhopadhyay of Carnegie Mellon University, investigated whether policies intended to equalize exposure to economic-opportunity advertisements help or hurt ad platforms financially.

If Kevin O'Leary woke up broke tomorrow, he wouldn't panic, pout, or panic-buy a lottery ticket. He'd do what millions of people are already trying to do every day-turn their phone into a paycheck. Because in a world where everyone's trying to become a content creator, monetize their Facebook page, or figure out what exactly "engagement" means, O'Leary says there's a better, faster way to make real money.

Answer engine optimization matters because search behavior is fundamentally changing: AI Overviews reduce organic clicks but increase the value of citations, and conversational assistants are becoming preferred search options for consumers. HubSpot's Consumer Trends Report reveals that the most significant emotions consumers feel while shopping using generative AI are positive - appreciation, satisfaction, optimism, and joy. The brands that will win in the future of search are those whose content can be cited, summarized, and reused by AI engines.

After getting laid off in 2023, marketing veteran Julie Levin worked part time as a bartender for about six months as she considered her next steps. Levin is now the head of brand partnerships at Two Things, a New York City consultancy specializing in business transformations. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity. I moved across the country from LA to the New York area in 2022 for a really exciting job that I thought would mark the next phase of my career.

1. Outdated media mix models offered by major consulting houses weight older media forms like broadcast and cable more than new forms of media or ignore them completely. 2. Media fragmentation has muddied the marketplace with hundreds of new channels. 3. New media forms don't have or haven't built platforms allowing advertising at scale. 4. Bureaucracy. Large marketing organizations are slow movers, despite audiences moving elsewhere. 5. Change is hard. Lazy marketers stick to what has worked in the past, ignoring audience shifts.