We're used to spam calls and emails. How about spam texts?

Aug 1, 2023
Cutting off advertising conversations in your text messages "is a little bit of a game of whack-a-mole," Vox reporter Emily Stewart says.
A positive of SMS marketing? Companies "probably aren't going to inundate you the same way that they will with emails because there's a cost factor to it," says Vox reporter Emily Stewart.
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

For brands facing transphobic backlash, walking back inclusive campaigns may be "shortsighted"

Jun 16, 2023
Target and Bud Light bowed to pressure for supporting LGBTQ people, but now many of those shoppers may take their money elsewhere.
A customer browses Pride Month accessories at a Target store on June 6. Following a backlash, the company pulled some products catering to LGBTQ shoppers.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

U.S. Army brings back "Be All You Can Be" amid lagging recruitment

Apr 12, 2023
Maj. Gen. Alex Fink says the Army is dealing with a tight civilian labor market as well as a problem of "knowledge and relatability."
Army trainees at a South Carolina base. The service is dealing with a "knowledge and relatability" challenge, Maj. Gen. Alex Fink says. The relatively small veteran population is part of that.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

What's in store with this year's Super Bowl commercials?

Feb 10, 2023
Expect brands to team up for ads, and a special surprise from Blockbuster.
Super Bowl LVII signage in Phoenix, Arizona. This year's commercials will likely make little to light reference to stressful economic conditions face by many Americans, says Ad Age editor Jeanine Poggi.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images

While the wellness industry booms, the FTC is cracking down on its marketing tactics

Feb 9, 2023
The FTC says health-related claims need to be backed by relevant, peer-reviewed scientific research. "It's long overdue," said one marketer.
iStock/Getty Images Plus

Liquid Death is an “entertainment machine” with a water brand attached

Jan 25, 2023
“We think about our marketing team more like 'Saturday Night Live,'” says Mike Cessario, the beverage startup’s co-founder and CEO.
“Anybody can put water in a can,” said Mike Cessario, CEO of beverage startup Liquid Death. “But that's not why we're successful.” Above, Cessario at Liquid Death’s headquarters.
Maria Hollenhorst/Marketplace

Why Kia's confusing new logo might actually be good for business

Jan 9, 2023
A logo expert weighs in on “KN car” confusion and the wider design trend Kia’s logo exemplifies.
The logo of Kia on its new all-electric vehicle, EV6, during its showcase event in Seoul in June 2021.
Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

This year, holiday ads speak to economic uncertainty

Nov 2, 2022
Messages focus on offering savings and a good deal, says Ad Age's Jeanine Poggi. Even if the economy slows, ad budgets may not shrink.
In the lead-up to the holidays, brands are focusing their messaging on savings and good deals for consumers.
Scott Heins via Getty Images

How companies create and take advantage of viral TikTok trends

Sep 1, 2022
Companies pay influencers to use their products on TikTok, hoping that the videos will go viral and drive purchases.
Companies pay influencers on TikTok to promote their products in videos.
Philippe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images

How advertisers approached inflation in the 1970s, and how they approach it today

Jul 27, 2022
When inflation raged decades ago, some marketers saw it as an opportunity. Now, the money-saving pitch is more subtle.
"Stagflation" plagued the economy of the late 1970s and early '80s. Some marketers saw it as an opportunity to pitch brands as pocketbook friendly. Above, New York's Times Square in 1979.
Frances M. Ginter/Getty Images