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If you've been following the headlines, you might think AI shopping has already arrived. OpenAI, Google, Amazon, Shopify, PayPal, and nearly every major retailer are racing to build AI-powered shopping experiences. At Cannes Lions earlier this summer, commerce and AI dominated conversations, with companies showcasing everything from agentic shopping assistants to AI-powered product discovery. Yet new research tells a more nuanced story. According to a recent EMARKETER and Biz

For years, retail media has been the fastest-growing channel in advertising. The promise was simple: reach shoppers closer to the point of purchase using first-party transaction data. Now the conversation is changing. At eMarketer's Cannes Lions session on the future of retail media, one message came through loud and clear: retail media no longer needs to prove it works. It needs to prove it can operate at the same level of accountability as every other major media channel. T

In June, I had the privilege of celebrating The People’s Theatre at its annual gala, an evening filled with artists, patrons, community leaders, cultural advocates, and people who believe deeply in the power of stories. It was also a moment to honor the leadership of Mino Lora, Bob Braswell, and the entire team, whose work over nearly two decades has helped build one of the most important arts and culture organizations in Upper Manhattan. What they have created is more than a

Some projects remind us why we do this work. Last weekend, the Centro Cívico Cultural Dominicano and the West Harlem community came together to celebrate the official street naming of Dr. Marilú Galván Way, honoring a woman whose lifelong commitment to education, civic engagement, and Dominican culture transformed countless lives across New York City. The day was far more than the unveiling of a street sign. It was a celebration of legacy. Family, elected officials, community

Yes, AI was everywhere. But unlike previous years, the conversation wasn't about experimenting with generative AI or chasing the latest tools. It was about applying AI to solve real business problems, improve customer experiences, and create measurable value. Across the Croisette, from the Shelly Palmer Innovation Series Breakfast and Amazon Port to Inkwell Beach, ADWEEK House, and countless conversations with creatives, marketers, technologists, and creators a common theme e

Byline: Co-Authors Jean Marc Papin, Blue Wind Advisory & Pedro L. Rodriguez, PLR Group Inc. If there was one theme that emerged from conversations at Cannes Lions this year, it was this: organizations have moved beyond asking whether they should invest in AI. They're now asking where AI actually creates value. At the Shelly Palmer Innovation Series breakfast, leaders from Taco Bell, Uber, U.S. Bank, Adobe, OpenAI, and others approached the topic from different perspectives, b

For years, brands treated gaming like a reach play. Another place to buy impressions, a screen to interrupt or audience segment to check off the media plan. Gaming in 2026 is mainstream culture. It is entertainment, social connection, commerce, fandom, live events, creator media and community all operating inside interactive worlds. The video game industry enters 2026 at peak cultural power, with a global audience projected at 3.6 billion and sales set to reach $188.8 billion

The Levi’s Stadium situation at the FIFA World Cup is a perfect reminder that brand visibility is not always about how much space you own. Sometimes, it is about how creatively you respond when that space gets taken away. Under FIFA’s “clean stadium” rules, venues hosting World Cup matches must remove or cover non-FIFA sponsor branding. That means Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, is being referred to during the tournament as “San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.” O

BodyArmor's Super Bowl ad used AI surrealism against artificial ingredients. New York’s new law requiring disclosure when advertisements use AI-generated synthetic performers is the kind of regulation marketers should pay attention to, not just because it is first-in-the-nation, but because it signals where the industry is headed. Some states have proposed going further into general AI‑content disclosure, but these are not yet equivalent to New York’s in‑effect ad law: Georgi

This past weekend, we hosted God’s Love We Deliver for a gathering of friends, neighbors, supporters, and community partners at Padrona in Hudson, NY for a beautiful evening rooted in care, compassion, joy, and community. The event marked an important step forward for God’s Love in the Hudson Valley. For years, there has been a desire to deepen the organization’s presence in the region, and this gathering helped bring that vision to life. It was an opportunity to share more a

Pedro L. Rodriguez & Pattie Gonia at Golden Heart Awards 2025, celebrting God's Love We Deliver. Full disclosure, I have followed Pattie Gonia since the pandemic and have had the pleasure of meeting them during a charity event in 2025. From a legal standpoint, Patagonia may be able to argue that it is simply doing what strong brands are expected to do: protect the trademark, prevent consumer confusion, and draw a line between parody, persona, merchandise, and commercial use.

"Shakira returns to official World Cup song duty, this time with Burna Boy". Over the past 20 years, the FIFA World Cup has evolved into more than a sporting event. It is one of the largest cultural stages in the world, where music, identity, and global audiences converge. The numbers back that up. Viewership has steadily climbed across tournaments. Tournament Host Country Estimated Total Tournament Viewership Estimated Final Match Viewership 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany ~26.3

Surely you've seen them....Air Transat's AD GO(A)L(D) OOH Ads: What makes this campaign from Air Transat so effective is that it understands a basic truth about modern marketing: the best campaigns don’t interrupt culture, they participate in it. Instead of forcing itself into FIFA World Cup hype through sponsorship logos or generic soccer imagery, the airline found a real tension fans were already talking about, which is that ticket prices had become absurdly expensive. Worl

This past weekend, Naming the Wound & Breaking the Spell (Nombrando la Herida, Rompiendo el Embrujo) at the Children's Art Carnival became more than an exhibition and symposium, it became a lived expression of community in action. Presented in partnership with the Centro Cívico Cultural Dominicano, a longtime institution dedicated to uplifting Dominican and American culture through arts, education, and civic engagement and the weekend reflected exactly what happens when miss

U.S. advertising is picking up pace again. The Interactive Advertising Bureau projects 9.5% growth in 2026 ad spend. After a slower 2025, that is a meaningful shift. It signals renewed confidence, but also a reset in how budgets are being deployed. Total World Cup ad spend is expected to reach $10.5 billion, with heavy investments from Hyundai, Visa, and Nike, and significantly increased spending on US Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo FIFA World Cup 26 will be the large

Honored to be working alongside the Centro Cívico Cultural Dominicano (CCCD) at such a meaningful moment in its journey. Founded in 1962 as one of the first Dominican civic organizations in New York, CCCD has always been more than an institution. It is a living expression of identity, resilience, and belonging. For generations, it has created space for Dominican culture to be preserved, shared, and reimagined across the diaspora. What makes CCCD truly special starts with its

As of the 2026 class, 3 Latino/Hispanic solo artists or acts have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Santana, Ritchie Valens, and Linda Ronstadt. The induction of Celia Cruz into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is more than a long overdue honor. It is a cultural correction. Cruz becomes the first artist who primarily performed in Spanish to be inducted, a milestone that exposes both her immense influence and the industry’s historical blind spots. In a year of L

When Luis Vasquez from ArcVoice Media first reached out about speaker representation, I paused. I’ve spent years building and delivering thought leadership across spaces like SXSW, Cannes, and CES. However, this felt different because the roster ArcVoice is building is intentional. In who’s included, in the range of perspectives, and in its ability to meet the moment and connect with modern audiences. And that’s what pulled me in. ArcVoice launched a few weeks back, and foc

There’s a reason “authentic storytelling” keeps coming up in marketing conversations. In 2025 , 28.78% focused on content aligned with brand values and 77% of marketers say branding is crucial for long-term success but too often, it gets flattened into a buzzword. We sat down with Kareem Tabsch, documentary filmmaker and co-founder of Trojan Horse Media, to talk about what it actually means—and why the partnership with PLR Group Inc. is built for this moment to help brands a

The data is no longer subtle. Video dominates performance marketing. According to the HubSpot State of Marketing Report (2026) , the top three ROI-driving formats are all video-based: short-form video (49%), long-form video (29%), and live-streaming (25%). At the same time, brand-led marketing is resurging. In 2025, 37.52% of marketers prioritized customer experience, while 28.78% focused on values-aligned content. Brand is reasserting itself. In 2025, 37.52% of markete