How Dr. Squatch reaches Gen Z men with offbeat humor on TikTok

Putting $3.6 million toward TikTok ads in the first eight months of 2021, the digitally native brand has worked to create a distinct identity on apps where young men spend time.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 4, 2021

Pinterest debuts livestream shopping through Pinterest TV

The social media platform will air weekly episodes from the likes of Christian Siriano and Olympian Tom Daley, and run exclusive product drops.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Nov. 2, 2021

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Retail Marketing

Top stories that underscore the leading influences on retail marketing, including the creator economy, '90s nostalgia and Gen Z. 

By Marketing Dive staff

Walmart to use AR, shoppable content to connect brands with consumers

For the first time this holiday, the retailer is offering new omnichannel touchpoints, tools and partnerships.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Nov. 2, 2021

Facebook readies bigger VR future with Meta rebrand

The decision to rebrand reflects the company's current weaknesses, including in its ad business, and signals broader changes across the tech world.

By Natalie Black (Koltun) , Asa Hiken • Oct. 29, 2021

Can Facebook align with the values of the metaverse?

The social behemoth's history of buying up other apps like Instagram and WhatsApp suggests motives of monopolizing the market — the antithesis of the metaverse's community pillar.

By Adam Jeffries • Oct. 29, 2021

Twitter mostly avoids impact from Apple's tracking changes

Citing a relatively effective experience with Apple's SKAN alternative, the platform was able to show ads to 30% more iOS users.

By Asa Hiken • Oct. 28, 2021

McDonald's cooks up first NFT play by flipping rare McRib into digital art

Celebrating the cult favorite's 40th anniversary, the chain enshrined the sandwich as a permanent asset that fans can own via a Twitter sweepstakes.

By Peter Adams • Oct. 28, 2021

Facebook outlines multiyear plan to rebuild targeting systems as growth slows

Building out an e-commerce platform and retooling focus to win back young users are tall orders as the company contends with a laundry list of challenges.

By Peter Adams • Oct. 26, 2021

Snapchat's Q3 earnings may reveal the future of the internet

While investors ran to drop the stock, it wasn't so much the company's results as it was the commentary outlining the "why," writes The Mars Agency's John Willkom.

By John Willkom • Oct. 26, 2021

Snap's revenue miss highlights outsized impact of Apple's tracking changes

Discussing the results with analysts, CEO Evan Spiegel said that the iPhone maker's proprietary measurement solutions "did not scale as we had expected."

By Peter Adams • Oct. 22, 2021

Facebook boosts IP protection on Instagram to combat sales of counterfeit goods

Fresh updates ahead of the holiday shopping season aim to instill trust from brands as the social media giant grapples with a slew of controversies.

By Asa Hiken • Oct. 22, 2021

How Sephora 'hacked' Google search results to surface Black beauty

Agency R/GA took steps to make the "Black Beauty Is Beauty" campaign more visible in search results, hoping to spur longer-term impact on algorithms.

By Robert Williams • Oct. 21, 2021

Triller parent rolls out SMS platform to connect creators with fans

Cliqz will offer monetization opportunities through brand partnerships and is being tested by top creators including the D'Amelio family.

By Chris Kelly • Oct. 21, 2021

Pinterest adds AR try-on, shopping recommendations to Idea Pins

Tech companies, brands and retailers have been flocking to augmented reality to improve the online shopping experience for remote consumers.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris and Cara Salpini • Updated Oct. 20, 2021

Is PayPal pining for Pinterest?

The reported $45 billion purchase could give PayPal access to shopping data that would enable more targeted marketing.

By Lynne Marek • Oct. 21, 2021

NIL offers fertile ground for brands, but it needs 'turnkey' solutions to grow

Sports marketers at Advertising Week detailed how platforms, such as group licensing programs, could streamline how brands partner with college athletes.

By Asa Hiken • Oct. 21, 2021

'Berries and Cream' creators on what's driving TikTok comeback of 14-year-old ad

The team behind the original Starburst campaign emphasized that deliberately trying to go viral is a recipe for failure before the Little Lad crashed its Advertising Week panel.

By Peter Adams • Oct. 20, 2021

Snap opens creative studio for branded AR with clients P&G, Verizon and WWE

Platform-agnostic shop Arcadia will work with brands and agencies to blend creative design with technology and advance the augmented reality ecosystem.

By Chantal Tode • Oct. 19, 2021

Why Snapchat and TikTok still trail the duopoly for digital ads

While Google and Facebook dominate as top personalized ad options for sound reasons, newer platforms may possess unique selling points, writes Constellation Agency's Matt Woodruff.

By Matt Woodruff • Oct. 18, 2021

NBCU's 'Chucky' brings scare tactics to social media, NY Comic Con

Fans can engage the killer doll through a staring contest on TikTok and Instagram Reels, as well as a custom AR effect called "Where's Chucky?"

By Asa Hiken • Oct. 14, 2021

Clif Bar exchanges movement for snippets of new Mike Posner song

Powered by smartphones' accelerometers, Remix in Motion lets users unlock the track by walking, dancing or doing other physical activity.

By Natalie Black (Koltun) • Oct. 14, 2021

What copyrighting TikTok choreography means for brand and influencer deals

Creators often don't receive money or credit for their viral TikTok dances, but brands that empower creators can show that it isn't just about money — it's about equity and partnership.

Oct. 11, 2021

TikTok adds roster of Sound Partners to emphasize audio's role in marketing success

In one example, Asos tapped music production firm Karm for a custom track on a campaign that generated 1.2 billion views in just six days. 

By Peter Adams • Oct. 8, 2021

Snap incentivizes Spotlight creators with cash-backed Challenges feature

As competition heats up among short-form video platforms, cash incentives have become a popular method to attract creators at all levels.

By Asa Hiken • Oct. 7, 2021

Facebook feels one-two punch of whistleblower, tech outages. Don't expect a big brand response

IPG recently encouraged clients to consider shifting more of their media dollars toward trusted publishers while criticizing sites like Facebook and YouTube.

By Peter Adams • Oct. 5, 2021