Chris Warren

After first gaining popularity in China, livestream shopping is growing fast in the U.S., with the market expected to reach $32 billion this year, nearly double compared to 2022. Conversion rates are also on the upswing. As they ramp up their investments in livestreaming, it's key for brand managers to develop programming that will both entertain viewers and mesh with other marketing channels.

Spending on influencer marketing is expected to grow to $6.1 billion in 2023 and $7.1 billion in 2024, per Insider Intelligence. But as the market expands, brand managers are starting to ask tougher questions about the advantages — and drawbacks — of using influencers to help boost engagement efforts and land new customers.

As companies began to double down on their online marketing efforts due to the pandemic, newly hired CMOs were able to command higher salaries. But the calculus for CMO pay may be changing, as companies face a possible recession.

With Black History Month around the corner, a growing number of brands are moving beyond a four-week window tied to the celebration to forge deeper relationships with Black-owned businesses and Black communities. The efforts range from hands-on training to help companies go to market faster to making people aware of rapidly changing demographics in the U.S.

The pandemic jolted many brands into beefing up their digital marketing and some into switching their ad agencies. But while the tumult caused by COVID-19 has subsided, the pace of account reviews has only accelerated.

Fraud in digital advertising remains an issue, and while the exact scale of the problem is a matter of dispute, there's widespread agreement that as the market grows, so will the need for brands to take an active role in protecting their investments.

The acceleration in scent marketing is being fueled by consumers' post-pandemic thirst for real-world experiences. A powerful driver for human emotion, scent provides food brands with unique ways to stir engagement and fuel sales. As with other brand extensions, context is critical.

The retail world looks a lot different following two years of tumult due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Brick-and-mortar sales are expected to grow up to 3.4 percent through 2025, per eMarketer. As consumers head back to stores, brands will need to sharpen the ways they weave their messaging between the physical and digital worlds.

A recent survey paints an ominous picture of the level of confidence chief executives have in their CMOs, with most thinking that CMOs put their own interest above that of the organization. At the same time, about a third of CEOs have great confidence in their CMOs. That presents an opportunity for chief marketers to change the dynamic and demonstrate their business acumen.

When consumers shame and/or boycott companies and organizations due to actions or statements they deem offensive or harmful, marketers at the center of the cancel-culture storm may want to wait until things blow over, a recent study says. At the same time, a brand could risk irrelevancy if it goes too long before responding to public concerns. How best, then, to respond?

Even before the surge in the COVID-19 Omicron variant, there was ample data chronicling the huge toll the pandemic has taken on people's mental health. Brands in the health care sector are responding proactively, offering new counseling services at or near their retail outlets. The efforts have led marketers to reevaluate how they talk about the highly sensitive subject of mental health and reduce the stigma people have about asking for help.