Marketing
fromDigiday
6 hours agoCreator content has become critical for retail media networks
Retail media and the creator economy are increasingly interconnected, enhancing advertising effectiveness through data-driven creator partnerships.
The technology underpinning retail operations is under scrutiny in 2026 as fashion executives look to streamline systems with the aim to unlock efficiency, cut costs and meet consumer expectations for speed and personalisation in the shopping journey. At the retail event Lightspeed Edge on 12 January, Lightspeed - the unified point-of-sale (POS) and payments platform for SMEs such as Apricot Lane Boutique and Neal's Yard Remedies - convened industry leaders to explore the strategic imperative for integrated technology ecosystems over siloed systems.
As the market grows increasingly saturated with traditional digital content, brands are exploring new ways to stand out by engaging more than just sight and sound. Advances in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), spatial audio and other immersive technologies are opening the door to richer, more memorable brand experiences that feel interactive rather than interruptive. The challenge is knowing how to experiment thoughtfully and how to use these tools to deepen connection without novelty overshadowing their purpose.
But the facts are here: Wall Street darlings Netflix and Snap saw their valuations drop by about 80% in a few weeks, Meta has seen a 34% decline in its overall reputation since its inception (sorry Mark, the Hawaiian honeymoon is over) and Sundar Pichay seems to be spending most of his time talking about his spoiled Googlers needing to come back down to Earth.