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

Explore the Trendline➔

Retail Marketing

Top stories that underscore the leading influences on retail marketing, including Gen Z, pop culture and generative AI.

By Marketing Dive staff

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

'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

Campbell's brand modernization continues with musical QR codes on cans

Along with a partnership with Universal Music Group, the CPG brand will let customers submit cooking-inspired songs for a chance to win $20,000.

By Chris Kelly • Oct. 18, 2021

Walmart tests text-to-shop tool

The pilot comes about two years after the mass merchant discontinued Jet Black, a shop-by-text service geared toward higher-income New Yorkers.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris and Caroline Jansen • Oct. 18, 2021

How store closures pushed Jane Iredale to test AR lipstick sampling on YouTube

Supporting its goal of meeting new consumers, the beauty brand's immersive ad drove 11% of viewers to virtually try on a shade.

By Robert Williams • Oct. 14, 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

DoorDash beefs up ad capabilities for restaurants, CPG brands

The delivery platform is working to generate additional revenue as its growth slows from the highs reached during the pandemic's peak.

By Chris Kelly • Oct. 12, 2021

Macy's updates app, launches live shopping

The redesigned app features new design and navigation features, while Macy's Live allows customers to interact with stylists and hosts. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 8, 2021

Verizon showcases 5G with metaverse treasure hunt

A virtual experience in geofenced parts of five major cities used art, music and interactions to keep people engaged in person and at home.

By Robert Williams • Oct. 7, 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

Twitter prioritizes owned media in $1.05B MoPub sale to AppLovin

The deal accelerates consolidation in the mobile ad landscape while enabling Twitter to focus on driving advertising through its own website and apps.

By Natalie Black (Koltun) • Oct. 7, 2021

Gatorade showcases 'dunk' celebrations with season-long NFL push featuring gaming

"Road to the Dunk" includes a custom Snapchat runner game and integrations with EA's Madden franchise to connect with young athletes.

By Peter Adams • Oct. 7, 2021

The great customer experience reset

Thriving beyond The Great CX Reset means having the right data strategy and the right expertise to execute in place - the best personalized customer experiences count on it.

Oct. 4, 2021

Taco Bell celebrates National Taco Day with Discord, messaging push

In the U.S., the chain will leave Easter eggs on Reddit and "raid" Discord channels to give away free tacos while a global push focuses on the taco emoji.

By Chris Kelly • Oct. 4, 2021

Starburst doubles down on viral Little Lad ad with TikTok contest

The Mars Wrigley candy brand is tapping into interest in a 2007 ad, with the related #berriesandcream hashtag generating more than 1.2 billion views.

By Chris Kelly • Oct. 1, 2021

How Apple's Epic legal battle will reverberate with marketers for years

The iPhone maker shows signs of potential compromise with app developers amid antitrust scrutiny that culminated in Fortnite's removal from the App Store.

By Robert Williams • Sept. 30, 2021

WPP, Snap establish AR Lab focused on linking augmented reality with commerce

As part of the initiative, the Snapchat owner will run quarterly client competitions that provide funding to scale innovative campaigns on the app.

By Peter Adams • Sept. 30, 2021

Etsy debuts shoppable virtual house

Using augmented reality to generate virtual products, the experience lets viewers tour a curated home and make purchases.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Sept. 30, 2021

DirecTV's digital comic morphs Serena Williams into Wonder Woman

A Snapchat AR portal and custom Twitter emoji also debut this week, followed by the remaining three chapters of "Serving Up Justice" later this fall.

By Natalie Black (Koltun) • Sept. 23, 2021

Apple's privacy changes drive up ad prices for e-commerce marketers

The rising costs of mobile ads will push online retailers again to find ways to improve campaign performance, a report by ad-tech startup Moloco suggests.

By Robert Williams • Sept. 23, 2021