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The NRF forecasts 2026 holiday sales up 4.2% to roughly $1 trillion, but with only about half that growth real, electronics pressured and seasonal hiring muted.

New WARC data shows the combined ad-to-sales ratio of 25 global giants has fallen from 6.1% in 2019 to 5.5% in 2025, meaning they spend proportionally less to sell more.

Influencer marketing is a $30bn-plus industry — but results vary wildly. Here's what actually drives ROI in 2026: fit over follower count, trust over reach, and measurement over vanity metrics.

Most marketers now use AI regularly — but the gap between dabbling and real advantage is widening. Here's where AI genuinely delivers for marketing teams in 2026, and where it doesn't.

2026 reshaped the agency world: Omnicom absorbed IPG, WPP restructured, and mid-size groups went shopping. Here's who's consolidating, why, and what it means for clients.

America's shoppers in 2026 are value-driven, omnichannel and increasingly shopping through social and AI. Here are the consumer trends US marketers need to plan around.

UK advertisers are on track to spend a record ~£12bn this festive season. Here's how the big brands are approaching Christmas 2026 — and what smaller businesses can borrow.

More than 210 brands are now active on Roblox, and the platform is expanding its ad formats. Here's why gaming has become a serious marketing channel — and how to enter it without being cringe.

Retail media is the fastest-growing slice of advertising. US retail media spend is nearing $70bn in 2026 and the global market is heading past $300bn by 2030. Here's what every marketer needs to know.

The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) is creating new structures for esports and gaming ahead of the first Olympic Esports Games in 2027, in a bid to reach a generation that lives online.

Travel giant TUI Deutschland is promoting Christian Bärwind, its marketing and sales lead, into expanded responsibilities, in a leadership change that signals how the operator is steering its brand.

WARC's latest forecast lifts 2026 global advertising to a record $1.34trn, up 11.9%, driven by corporate AI investment, retail media and a packed events calendar — even as consumers stay cautious.

Five things every business should do before the new year, from the team at Merx Marketing — a practical end-of-year marketing checklist to start 2027 strong.

Five honest reasons your marketing probably isn't working, from the team at Merx Marketing — and the straightforward fix for each one.

AI search revenue up 321%, 88% of UK B2B marketers chasing younger buyers, and British women on Reddit nearly doubling — five fresh data points every marketer should know this week.

Car-rental brand Sixt and Jung von Matt produced a same-day reactive ad mocking a running German political scandal — a textbook newsjacking play.

Advertising Week New York named creator Dhar Mann 'Chief Creator Officer' and launched an initiative to broker $100M in creator-brand deals during the event.

Six marketing trends the team at Merx Marketing is watching for 2027 — from AI-assisted search to the rise of owned audiences — and what they mean for your business.

Gartner says 18% of marketing leaders have already cut roles to AI, and predicts most top teams will eliminate traditional entry-level jobs by 2030.

Accor has rolled out ALL Concierge at scale — a conversational AI travel companion, available in 11 languages, that assists guests across the whole journey.