|
|
|
FEBRUARY 17, 2026 |
|
In this edition: |
| |
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here. | | | |
|
TOP STORY |
|
|
|
"Creators have really graduated from being a bright, shiny object in the eyes of many CMOs several years ago to really becoming a critical plank in most marketing strategies today," said our analyst Max Willens during EMARKETER’s virtual summit last week. |
|
US social media creator revenue will reach $21.04 billion this year, more than doubling since 2022, according to a January 2026 EMARKETER forecast. But the size of the market only tells part of the story. |
|
|
|
| | | |
|
IN THE NEWS |
|
Social platforms double-down on age verification, fracturing marketer access to young audiences. Discord is joining the list of platforms implementing age verification processes in response to widespread scrutiny over children’s and teens’ digital habits. |
|
| |
What agencies can learn from Dentsu’s major strategy reset. Dentsu is in bad shape. |
|
| |
Personalization is a top priority for marketers, but implementation lags. Personalization is a key priority for marketers, but implementation across channels is severely lacking, per a StackAdapt and Ascend2 report. |
|
| |
Podcasts are winning attention and driving sales for advertisers. Podcasts are emerging as a high-attention channel that converts listeners into buyers. |
|
| | | |
|
ANALYSIS |
|
|
|
As product catalogs grow, content multiplies, and shopping journeys splinter across platforms, AI recommendation engines are becoming the connective tissue between desire and decision. In 2026, retail leaders expect the technology to move from responding to queries to proactively anticipating what consumers want and guiding them through increasingly complex choice environments. |
|
|
|
| | | |
|
QUIZ |
|
After feeling bombarded by marketing messages, 55% of consumers have taken which of the following actions? |
|
A) Unsubscribed B) Switched brands C) Returned products D) Consulted a chatbot |
|
| | | |
|
