Emma Phipps

Brands are accelerating their buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) financing options to appeal to younger consumers looking for more flexible ways to pay for their stuff. At the same time, retailers are trying to increase the appeal of BNPL to older generations used to traditional credit cards.

When lockdowns began in March 2020, they accelerated a change in consumer behavior that gyms and other fitness studios had seen coming at a gradual pace for years. Wearables, health tracking apps, and digital media fitness experiences moved to the forefront, and brands had to adapt digital technology like apps and livestreams quickly to meet customers in a new setting — their living rooms.

Theaters and other live performance venues are following changes in consumer behavior closely and creating new media plans that try to anticipate what people will want once they start returning to live theater. While the streaming of Broadway shows has helped keep theater in the public eye amid the pandemic, virtual shows pale in comparison to the real thing.

Across the country, small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are suffering from closures, restrictions, and changes brought about by the novel coronavirus, and many are scrambling to do what they can to stay in business. To help, a number of B2B brands, including Deluxe, Vistaprint, American Express, and The UPS Store, are developing tools, grants, and resources for SMBs.

The recent crackdown on hate speech among various social media platforms provide an opportunity for brands to reset their social media strategy (not to mention their budgeting).

What marketers need to know this week: Popeyes and Burger King parody the Art Basel banana, IHOP gets in the fast causal business, and more.

What marketers need to know this week: the 2019 ANA Marketing Word of the Year, Shutterstock’s color trends for 2020, and more.

What marketers need to know this week: the real cost of fake news, Google limits political advertising, and more.

What marketers need to know this week: how smells boost sales, Disney+ rakes in 10 million subscribers, and more.

What marketers need to know this week: A turducken-flavored chip, the first brand to test products in space, and more.

What marketers need to know this week: Facebook settles with U.K. data privacy watchdog, Bud Light rewards a beer hero, and more.