ADWEEK

Despite falling consumer confidence and mounting affordability pressures, Adobe forecasts U.S. online holiday sales will reach a record $275.1 billion, up 6.7% year over year, with AI-driven shopping and buy-now, pay-later use also rising. Still, Circana expects consumers to be cautious, prioritizing affordable treats, toys, beauty, and nostalgic products that bring joy and comfort.

Converse former CMO Rodney Rambo and his family began receiving threats last week when an ad for the brand that many perceived as Klan imagery went viral on social media. But he hadn't worked there in months had and nothing to do with the campaign. Part of the issue was that AI platforms like Google Overviews and X's Grok continued to surface his name as the current CMO, perpetuating the spread of misinformation days after the ad went viral. Great reporting by Christopher Cicchiello. Read it in ADWEEK 👇 https://lnkd.in/gq9VRVrs

The National Hockey League (NHL) has partnered with Adobe as its Official Creative, Marketing, and AI Partner, giving the league and its 32 teams tools to personalize fan experiences across digital channels. Fans will also be able to create NHL-themed content using Adobe Express and Firefly. The collaboration focuses on using AI to deepen fans’ connection with hockey, rather than influence gameplay.

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Rochelle Wainer, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Global Insights and Analytics at Kids2, about how consumer insights are evolving as technology changes how people research, shop, and make decisions. Rochelle shares how Kids2 combines research, behavioral data, and emerging technology to better understand parents and translate those insights into action across product development, marketing, and retail. She also discusses the importance of studying the shopper journey across digital and physical retail and what brands can learn now as Gen Z becomes a larger part of the parent population. Listen Now: Apple: https://adweek.it/4hTClzl Spotify: https://adweek.it/4z36HoX

What does a heritage brand need to change in order to stay relevant? And what should it refuse to change? On this week's The Speed of Culture Podcast, Allison Varone, Head of Marketing at Campari America, joins Matt Britton to examine how iconic spirits brands are evolving alongside consumer culture. From the rise of mindful drinking and the continued growth of the spritz to Campari's presence at festivals, local activations and bars, Allison explains why the strongest brand experiences remain rooted in the same thing: human connection. She also discusses bartender education, AI, cultural partnerships, and why curiosity needs to be paired with a deep understanding of the business. 🎧Listen to the full episode: Apple: https://adweek.it/3TbEL35 Spotify: https://adweek.it/4rG8kGE

AI is squeezing fees, marketing budgets are unpredictable, and clients’ expectations are shifting. But agencies have been here before, and they’re adapting fast. At Brandweek Atlanta, ADWEEK brought together four agency executives to compare notes on exactly how they’re doing so at an Agencies Vanguard roundtable hosted by ADWEEK’s vice president of community programs and development Liz Kneebone. Melissa Berger, chief solutions officer at Digitas North America; Sharon Napier, founder, Partners + Napier, and strategic partnerships at Project Worldwide; Pereira O'Dell’s co-founder and CEO, Andrew O'Dell; and Frances Lumpkin Webster, CEO at Walrus, sat down to compare notes on how they’re evolving operations, staffing, and workflows to keep pace.

Although 68% of consumers associate McAfee with antivirus, the company offers much more, including scam detection and dark web monitoring. Its new “Safer Than Safe” rebrand aims to broaden that perception with a refreshed product experience and a humorous ad that pokes fun at the overwhelming advice people get about online safety before reassuring viewers that McAfee handles it for them. Elle McCarthy , McAfee’s vp global advertising and product marketing, said the company embraced the theme because it’s amusing and, for all its exaggeration, rings true.“We’re not necessarily a category that has been funny,” she said. The spot is an “expression of universal insight,” as McCarthy put it. Read more 👉 https://adweek.it/3TuSBh2

EVP and Chief Brand Officer of Crocs, Inc., Terence Reilly, knows that the best way to get you to understand something is to show it to you. In a presentation at Brandweek, Reilly walked through the brand's TikTok Live Streaming playbook, and decided to actually go live at the end of the session! After the live concluded, he shared the stats on stage: An approximately 12 minute long live stream on TikTok Shop drove 3,000 views and 200 products sold.

Meta has launched Muse for Small Business, a free-with-limits AI tool that connects with platforms like Asana, Intuit, Slack, and Meta’s own ad and social accounts to help roughly 200 million businesses analyze performance and plan campaigns. The move extends Muse into the business market as Meta seeks new revenue and competes with OpenAI and Anthropic, leveraging its broad business relationships and access to historical data.

Paradium.AI, formerly The Arena Group, has signed a 10-year platform deal with Roundtable, which plans to buy a 49.5% stake for about $89 million, pending financing. Roundtable would take over ad sales, engineering, and monetization for brands including Parade, TheStreet, Men’s Journal, and Athlon Sports, while Paradium retains the brands and licenses technology to Roundtable. Although Roundtable projects $100 million in annual gross revenue, it reported $2.3 million in revenue last quarter, had $492,000 in cash as of June 30, and lost $9.6 million in Q2.