Press Release
44% of Americans Admit Hiding Online Purchases as Budget Pressure Reshapes Shopping Habits
CHARLESTON, S.C., Feb. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans are changing what they buy, how they buy, and how they feel about it. New Omnisend survey data from 1,072 Americans shows 44% admit hiding an online purchase from someone, 66% have switched to cheaper products in the past year, and 60% abandon carts expecting a discount. Together, the findings point to a shift in behavior under financial pressure: as more Americans trade down to cheaper brands and wait for better deals, purchases are carrying greater emotional weight – and in many cases, becoming harder to explain at home. How They Feel: Secrecy, Justification, and Deal-Driven Decisions Forty-four percent of Americans say they've hidden an online purchase from someone. The most common person they hide purchases from is a spouse or partner (21%), followed by kids in the household (14%), parents (12%), and friends (12%). When asked why, respondents point to both cost and impulse: 17% say the item was expensive 15% say it felt unnecessary or impulsive 15% say the item was personal or embarrassing Deal-driven behavior appears to be fueling that tension. Fifty-eight percent admit they've purchased something primarily because it felt like a good deal – even if it wasn't needed. "People are feeling more accountable for every dollar, especially at home. When money is tighter, purchases carry more weight – and sometimes that means keeping them private. It's not as much about secrecy for secrecy's sake, but more about avoiding judgment," says Marty Bauer, Ecommerce Expert at Omnisend. What Americans Are Buying: Cheaper Brands, Fewer Features Two-thirds (66%) say they've switched to cheaper alternatives often or occasionally in the past year. For many, that means trading brand names for more affordable options: 57% chose lower-priced brands 46% switched to private-label or store brands 29% chose simpler products with fewer features 26% bought second-hand or refurbished items Only 7.5% say they don't substitute products and instead just buy less. "For a long time, convenience and brand drove online shopping. Now it's about justification. Consumers want to feel confident they didn't overspend – and that shift is powerful. Once shoppers prove to themselves that a cheaper option works just as well, it permanently changes their expectations," says Bauer. How They're Buying: Waiting, Comparing, and Triggering Discounts Price sensitivity is also shaping the path to purchase. Half of Americans (50%) say they wait for sales or promotions before buying. Many take additional steps to avoid paying full price: 43% compare prices across multiple websites 40% search for discount codes before checkout 60% abandon carts often or occasionally expecting a discount or reminder email Nearly one in five (18.7%) delay purchases even when they want the item. "Consumers have been trained to believe the first price isn't the real price. After years of constant promotions, shoppers expect a better offer to show up. Waiting has become part of the checkout process, and paying full price can feel like leaving money on the table," says Bauer. MethodologyThe survey was commissioned by Omnisend and conducted by Cint in January of 2026, polling 1,072 consumers from the US about their shopping habits from the last 12 months. Quotas were placed on age, gender, and place of residence to achieve a nationally representative sample among users. The margin of error is +/-3 percent. More: https://www.omnisend.com/shopping-psychology/ About OmnisendOmnisend is an email & SMS marketing platform with a suite of features made specifically to help ecommerce stores grow their online businesses faster. One-click integration with major ecommerce platforms, pre-made automation & email templates, and award-winning 24/7/365 live customer support make it easy for brands of any size to sell more – all without the exaggerated cost.
business 19 Feb 2026
Delinea Appoints Three Senior Leaders to Accelerate Growth Across EMEA and APAC
SYDNEY – February 19, 2026 – Delinea, a pioneering provider of solutions for securing human and machine identities through centralised authorisation, has appointed three senior executives to expand growth and support customers across EMEA and APAC. The company has named Cynthia Lee as VP, APAC; Chris Waynforth as VP, EMEA North; and Adam Perks as Director of Channel, EMEA. Delinea’s significant growth and expanding customer adoption across EMEA and APAC is driving strategic investment in regional leadership to support scale and capture expanding market opportunities. These appointments underscore Delinea’s accelerating momentum as it invests in sales and channel leadership to strengthen its ecosystem, enable partners at scale, and extend its reach across the region. “Across EMEA and APAC, organisations are accelerating cloud adoption, embracing AI automation, and modernising their approach to identity security,” said Spence Young, SVP, EMEA & APAC at Delinea. “Identity has become the control plane for modern enterprises, and security leaders are looking for solutions that reduce risk without slowing innovation. Bringing on leaders like Cynthia, Chris, and Adam strengthens our regional expertise and channel momentum to meet this demand and support customers at even greater scale.” Investing in global momentum Lee joins as VP, APAC, where she will work closely with customers and partners to deliver measurable outcomes and support organisations navigating increasingly complex threat landscapes. With over two decades of experience, she brings a strong track record of building and scaling sales functions across the region, having previously held leadership roles at Cyberint, Aqua Security, and CyberArk, where she drove enterprise adoption and regional expansion. As VP, EMEA North, Waynforth brings over 20 years of experience leading high-performing cybersecurity sales organisations. Most recently, he served as CRO at Performanta. He previously held senior leadership roles at Imperva and Splunk, giving him a broad perspective on market dynamics and growth strategy. At Delinea, Waynforth will lead regional sales strategy and execution across Northern Europe, focusing on expanding enterprise relationships and accelerating new customer acquisition. As Director of Channel, EMEA, Perks will be responsible for accelerating Delinea’s ecosystem-driven growth across the region, expanding strategic alliances, increasing partner-initiated revenue, and embedding a scalable co-sell motion across the EMEA sales organisation. He brings more than two decades of experience building high-performance channel and alliance functions within cybersecurity and enterprise software companies, including Riverbed Technology, NetBrain, and Aternity. His track record includes driving measurable pipeline growth, strengthening global system integrator and MSP partnerships, and aligning ecosystem strategy directly to regional revenue outcomes. The addition of these three leaders represents a pivotal step in Delinea’s international growth strategy, fuelled by continued platform innovation, including the launch of the Delinea Iris AI engine and the planned acquisition of StrongDM, bringing just-in-time runtime authorisation capabilities to the Delinea Platform. As Delinea scales its global footprint, deepening regional leadership across EMEA and APAC enhances the company’s ability to execute locally, move faster in key markets, and deliver differentiated value to customers. To learn more about the Delinea Platform powered by Iris AI, visit: https://delinea.com/products/delinea-platform-iris-ai AboutDelinea Delinea is a pioneer in securing human and machine identities through intelligent, centralised authorisation, empowering organisations to seamlessly govern their interactions across the modern enterprise. Leveraging AI-powered intelligence, Delinea’s leading cloud-native Identity Security Platform applies context throughout the entire identity lifecycle – across cloud and traditional infrastructure, data, SaaS applications, and AI. It is the only platform that enables you to discover all identities – including workforce, IT administrator, developers, and machines – assign appropriate access levels, detect irregularities, and respond to threats in real-time. With deployment in weeks, not months, 90% fewer resources to manage than the nearest competitor, and a 99.995% uptime, the Delinea Platform delivers robust security and operational efficiency without complexity. Learn more about Delinea onLinkedIn,X, andYouTube.
business 19 Feb 2026
Cannes Lions honours France as the 2026 Creative Country of the Year
17 February 2026 - The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced that France will be recognised as the recipient of the 2026 Creative Country of the Year, the annual accolade that recognises a country’s exceptional and enduring commitment to creativity that drives progress and growth.France’s selection reflects its long-term dedication to creativity across advertising, fashion, craft, tech, culture and commerce. From the artistic movements that shaped modern design to the luxury brands that define global sophistication, France has consistently demonstrated that creativity is a national philosophy that permeates business, culture and society.Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “France is a country with an exceptional creative output. Its rich creative heritage and outstanding performance at Cannes Lions reflect a nation that understands creativity is a strategic economic asset that can drive progress. Since 2020, the French government has invested €10bn in funding to more than 20,000 creative businesses, and its cultural and creative industries generate €92bn in annual revenue. On the global stage at Cannes Lions, France has consistently ranked in the top 10 performing countries, and last year ranked 4th. Cannes has been the Festival’s permanent home since 1984, and the spirit of this very special culture and creativity are woven into the fabric of Cannes Lions.”As part of this recognition, the 2026 Festival will feature French creative showcases, celebratory events, dedicated stage talks and French-led activations – including a networking event, bringing together the French and global community in celebration of French creativity.Commenting on the honour, David Lisnard, Mayor of Cannes, said: “This recognition carries particular meaning for us, given the inseparable ties between Cannes Lions and France, not only through the Festival’s deep history with Cannes, but also through the creative ecosystem it has helped to showcase for decades. France’s creative DNA is also at the heart of “France 2030”, a major national investment plan designed to help France close its industrial gap while positioning the country at the forefront of cultural and creative content production and immersive technologies. Being named Creative Country of the Year is a huge testament to France’s unwavering dedication to harnessing creativity as a catalyst for progress.”Winning its first Lion at the 1954 Festival for Camay Soap, France went onto win its inaugural Grand Prix for Vins du Postillon in 1955. To date France has been awarded an impressive 1603 Lions and 39 Grands Prix. At the 2025 Festival, French brand AXA ranked number one following an awards haul of 13, which included three Grands Prix for ‘AXA - Three Words’ by Publicis Conseil, Paris.Over the years Cannes Lions has welcomed more than 250 individuals from France to sit on its Juries, with 18 of these serving as Jury Presidents.As part of Cannes Lions’ ongoing commitment to amplify fresh voices in the global creative community, French delegates will have the opportunity to gift one complimentary Festival pass to a French-based colleague who has never attended the Festival before – giving new talent direct access to the inspiration and transformative experience that defines Cannes Lions.The Creative Country of the Year for France is being supported by a number of collaborators, including the AACC, which are the official Festival Representatives in France, as well as Mairie De Cannes, Publicis, Havas, the IAA and Le Club des Directeurs Artistiques. To find out how you can contribute to French-led activations taking place across the 2026 Festival, please contact us at partnerships@canneslions.com to register your interest.Cannes Lions takes place from 22 to 26 June 2026. Further information on the Creative Country of the Year can be found here. Passes are now available, and more details on the variety of options available, including funded opportunities, can be found here.
business 17 Feb 2026
pubMatic Appoints Marketing Veteran John Petralia as Chief Marketing Officer to Accelerate AI-Driven Growth
NO-HEADQUARTERS / REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PubMatic (NASDAQ:PUBM), the leading AI-powered ad tech company delivering digital advertising performance, today announced the appointment of John Petralia as Chief Marketing Officer. Petralia will lead PubMatic’s global marketing organization as the company scales AI-powered advertising technology across premium connected TV (CTV), mobile app, and omnichannel media. His appointment comes as publishers and brands move from AI experimentation to live, measurable execution – placing new emphasis on clarity, measurable performance, and trusted scalability. His appointment follows PubMatic’s recent expansion of its commercial leadership team and go-to-market organization. Together, these moves position PubMatic to lead the next phase of AI-powered digital advertising, delivering performance and efficiency at scale. “John brings deep experience aligning marketing, product, and commercial execution at moments of transformation,” said Rajeev Goel, Co-Founder and CEO of PubMatic. “As demand accelerates for AI-powered performance and agentic execution, his leadership will help translate our technology leadership into broader market adoption and clear value for publishers and advertisers.” Petralia brings more than 25 years of marketing leadership experience, scaling growth across advertising technology and enterprise platforms. Most recently, he served as Chief Marketing Officer for Enterprise at Coursera, where he led marketing for the company’s B2B education platform. Previously, he was VP of Marketing at The Trade Desk, building global acquisition marketing during a pivotal growth phase. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly seven years at Bloomberg, leading marketing for data analytics and media businesses. "What drew me to PubMatic is the combination of technology leadership and market opportunity," said Petralia. "Advertisers and publishers need partners who can efficiently deliver measurable performance in an AI-driven advertising landscape. PubMatic has built that platform, from CTV monetization to supply path optimization. My focus will be ensuring the market understands how our technology translates into outcomes they can measure with confidence.” About PubMatic PubMatic (NASDAQ: PUBM) is the leading AI-powered ad tech company delivering digital advertising performance. Through an intelligent, unified platform that connects buyers, publishers, data partners, and commerce media networks, PubMatic delivers superior performance with greater transparency, control, and efficiency. Since 2006, PubMatic has pioneered every major advance in programmatic advertising, from enabling the first OpenRTB transactions to embedding AI-driven optimization and privacy-focused innovation across its platform. With omnichannel scale, proven reliability, and a track record of continuous innovation, PubMatic is building a more intelligent, profitable, and sustainable digital advertising ecosystem. Built to Connect. Powered to Perform
business 16 Feb 2026
5W PR Launches Investment Division Offering Integrated PR and Communications for Investment Firms
NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 5W PR, one of the largest independently owned PR firms in the U.S., today announced the launch of its Investment Division, a dedicated practice built to support investment and financial services firms across wealth management, venture capital, banking, and private equity, ETFs, and private markets. The division delivers integrated PR and digital communications programs designed to help firms clearly articulate their value, build trust, and influence investor decision-making in an AI-driven, highly fragmented media environment. The launch of 5W PR's Investment Division comes at a time when investment firms across financial services are facing intensified competition alongside a rapidly changing communications landscape. Investor and industry stakeholder decision-making is increasingly influenced by fragmented media, digital platforms, and AI-powered tools that surface information without context, raising the stakes for how firms are perceived and evaluated. As information becomes widely accessible through AI and digital tools, investment firms must clearly communicate the value of their real-world experience, expertise, and judgment. Clear storytelling and credible visibility help firms demonstrate why human insight matters, build trust, and earn long-term relationships with investors and clients. 5W PR's Investment Division delivers integrated PR, brand awareness, crisis, and digital communications programs grounded in data-informed strategy and GEO-driven insights to support client acquisition, executive visibility, and strategic positioning. Leveraging industry-leading AI tools and data, the practice maps and optimizes media strategies to strengthen how firms are discovered, represented, and understood across AI-powered search and emerging platforms. "Investment firms today are operating in an increasingly competitive and complex environment, where visibility, trust, and clarity directly influence growth," said Matthew Caiola, CEO of 5W PR. "This practice was built to deliver integrated communications strategies spanning brand, thought leadership, and crisis management that align closely with the business objectives of our clients. With deep experience across financial services, we understand the nuances of this space and how to help firms communicate their value with credibility and precision." The new practice will sit within 5W PR's Corporate division, building on the firm's experience supporting venture capital firms, investment managers, fintech companies, and financial services organizations across strategic communications, reputation management, and crisis response. For more information about 5W PR's Investment Division, visit https://www.5wpr.com/practice/investment-pr-communications.cfm. About 5W PR 5W PR is a full-service PR agency known for cutting-edge programs that engage with businesses, issues, and ideas. Founded in 2003, 5W has been named a top US and NYC PR Agency by leading industry publication O'Dwyer's, as well as awarded Agency of the Year in the 2024 American Business Awards®, and continuously brings leading businesses a resourceful, bold, and results-driven approach to communication. The agency has more than 250 professionals serving clients in B2C (Beauty & Fashion, Consumer Brands, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, Nonprofit), B2B (Corporate Communications and Reputation Management), Public Affairs, Crisis Communications and Digital Marketing (Social Media, Influencer, Paid Media, SEO). In addition to its business accolades, 5W was named to the 2024 Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year list. For more information and to join our team, visit 5W Careers.
business 12 Feb 2026
Canto's 2026 State of Digital Content Report: Marketers Say Eliminating Duplicate Content and Connecting Product Data Are Their Top Priorities for 2026
ATLANTA, Ga. — February 11, 2026 — Canto, the leader in AI-powered digital asset management, today released The State of Digital Content, a new research report on 2026 digital content trends developed in partnership with Ascend2 Research. The fourth-annual report examines how content and creative teams are scaling production while dealing with operational friction across disconnected tools, workflows, and repositories. The data shows just how much measurable business impact fragmentation in content and creative operations is having right now. When digital assets are poorly managed within their organization, respondents reported employee frustration or burnout (44%), wasted or misused budget (39%), duplicated or redundant work (38%), missed revenue opportunities (35%), and delayed campaign launches (35%). The report also identifies a strong performance divider tied to connectivity. Content and creative teams with full connectivity between product content and digital assets were over four times more likely to report significant improvements in content ROI over the past year, at 56% versus just 13% for teams without full connectivity. Additional findings from this year’s report include: The AI search advantage is real. 54% of teams using AI for asset search say locating assets is “extremely easy,” compared to only 6% of teams who are not using AI. Multiple systems amplify the pain. Teams using two or more solutions to manage digital assets were more likely to report delayed campaign launches (40% vs 24%), missed revenue (40% vs 26%), burnout (49% vs 34%), and wasted budget (44% vs 30%) than teams using one solution. Governance is shaky. Only 35% of respondents feel very confident employees are always using the most up to date, approved version of brand assets. Speed is a competitive constraint. Only 32% can update content or product information across channels immediately (defined as real time or same day). Most teams need a few days (43%) or up to a week (19%). Faster content updates correlate with stronger revenue outcomes. Among teams that can make real-time updates, 65% reported significant revenue increases, versus 16% among teams with slower update timelines. Product content is still managed in messy ways. Respondents most often rely on a website CMS (54%) and spreadsheets (51%) for product information, followed by internally-built systems (39%). Only 38% reported using a more centralized structured approach. Product content consistency is breaking down. 88% of teams struggle to keep product content consistent across channels, and 56% still manage product information separately from the digital assets used to market and sell products. Teams know what would help most. Top improvement opportunities included making product data easier to access (38%), eliminating duplicate or outdated product data (37%), and managing product data alongside creative assets (37%). Budgets keep rising. Over 80% of respondents reported their brand plans to increase content and creative budgets in the year ahead. “Content and creative teams are under so much pressure right now to move faster across more and more channels while still keeping brand and product information accurate,” said Jen Neary, Director of Content & Communications at Canto. “The State of Digital Content 2026 shows that the cost of fragmentation is concrete, and it shows up in wasted spend, duplicated work, and frustrated teams. It also shows a clear path forward. When brands centralize assets and connect them to product content, it becomes easier to govern what is current, update information quickly, and reuse work instead of recreating it. The result is better execution, stronger consistency, and more measurable ROI.” The State of Digital Content 2026 is available now. Download the full report: https://www.canto.com/ebooks/stateofdigitalcontent/About the Research Canto, in partnership with Ascend2 Research, conducted an online survey of 434 professionals involved in content and creative asset production, management, or strategy. The survey was fielded in November 2025, with respondents located in the United States and United Kingdom. About CantoCanto is a leader in digital asset management (DAM), helping global brands maximize the value of their digital content with an intuitive, AI-powered platform. Our solutions make it easy for businesses to centralize, organize, and share digital assets, streamlining workflows and driving real business impact. With a legacy of innovation — from launching one of the first DAM solutions to advancing AI Visual Search and expanding DAM into the product content space — we continue to shape the future of intelligent content management. Backed by best-in-class support and implementation, Canto empowers industries like retail, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, and more to manage their growing content libraries. Headquartered in Atlanta, with offices in Berlin, Cork, and Sydney, Canto supports teams worldwide in optimizing their content workflows. For more information, visit www.canto.com .
business 11 Feb 2026
DemandScience Launches Winnable Account System to Redefine B2B Account Prioritization and Drive Predictable Pipeline
Boston, MA. February 11, 2026 — DemandScience today announced a strategic partnership with HG Insights and GTM Fabric designed to help B2B companies define, prioritize, and activate winnable accounts more efficiently to drive predictable pipeline. As revenue accountability intensifies and boards demand a pipeline that is measurable and defensible, broad targeting and inflated intent signals are no longer sufficient. The combined model helps revenue teams identify truly winnable accounts and activate them with clarity and confidence. Recent DemandScience research shows B2B organizations waste 25% of marketing budgets on phantom signals and activity that never converts to pipeline. Most B2B organizations already have intent signals, firmographic data, and ABM platforms. Yet many still struggle to answer a more fundamental question: which accounts are truly winnable, and why now. Without deep intelligence into incumbent technology installs, competitive exposure, IT spend, and active buyer research behavior, revenue teams often spread resources thin across accounts unlikely to convert. The result is wasted spend, elongated sales cycles, and ICP definitions that lack depth and fail to deliver the right targets at the right time. How the Partnership Works Through this partnership, DemandScience introduces a more extensive ICP model that combines buying center, spend, and technographic intelligence, competitive context, and verified buyer research signals to create new audiences and activate demand generation programs that generate pipeline more efficiently. HG Insights Revenue Growth Intelligence Fabric provides deep technology install, spend and maturity intelligence, downstream buyer intelligence, account purchase propensity, and competitive context. GTM Fabric operationalizes that intelligence into prioritized, execution-ready account sets grounded in timing, replaceability, and conversion likelihood. DemandScience activates those accounts through precision multi-channel execution tied to delivering high-propensity leads and more efficient pipeline generation. The model is built for mid-market to enterprise B2B companies with complex sales cycles, competitive or displacement-driven strategies, and multi-stakeholder buying committees. It strengthens existing ABM, CRM, and intent systems by improving clarity around who to pursue, why now, and how to activate with confidence. New Propensity-Driven Audience Activation Offerings Powered by HG Insights and Trust Radius Building on this partnership, DemandScience is introducing two new propensity-driven audience products that embed verified technographic, competitive, spend, and buyer research insights directly into demand programs, ensuring activation begins with the right accounts. Propensity-Based Audience Activation Targets companies based on refined ICP criteria using expanded technographic , firmographic, IT spend, usage, and competitive intelligence powered by HG Insights. Accounts are scored for propensity to convert and activated into demand programs to generate leads from statistically prioritized audiences. In-Market Buyer Activation Identifies and scores accounts demonstrating active purchase research behavior using HG TrustRadius buyer community signals, activating prioritized in-market audiences into lead generation programs. Customers can deploy either product independently or combine both to apply dual-filter targeting for maximum confidence. Early use cases focus on three outcomes: higher win rates through precision prioritization of accounts where technology footprint, buying committees, and timing align for realistic conversion; efficient pipeline expansion into validated whitespace opportunities; and faster sales cycles by engaging buyers demonstrating active purchase signals or trigger events. Both products are available immediately. Executive Perspectives “This partnership is about more than identifying the right winnable accounts and buying committees,” said Derek Schoettle, CEO of DemandScience. “It is about activating them and turning prioritization into predictable pipeline. Most B2B teams do not suffer from a lack of data. They suffer from a lack of focus. By integrating verified market intelligence directly into activation, we help customers target winnable opportunities and move from signal to revenue outcome with far greater confidence.” “Revenue Growth Intelligence only creates value when it informs action,” said Rajat Bhatnagar, SVP of Growth at HG Insights. “Our customers have realized 10X conversion and 49% revenue lift by applying our deep firmographic, technology, competitive, spend and intent intelligence to account prioritization. By embedding this context directly into DemandScience’s activation workflows, customer can accelerate funnel velocity and performance,” “ICP has lived in slides for too long,” said Scott Smyth, CEO of GTM Fabric. “The advantage comes when competitive context and timing intelligence become operational targeting logic. Together with DemandScience and HG Insights, we are turning ICP into an executable system that fuels activation and stronger win rates.”
business 11 Feb 2026
New Intuit Mailchimp report reveals how marketers can break through as opt-ins prove harder to earn in ANZ
Sydney, Australia, 5 February 2026 — Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), the global financial technology platform that makes Intuit TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp, today released a new report, The Art of the Opt-In: Why List Building is Only the Beginning. Developed by Intuit Mailchimp and Ascend2, this report includes findings from thousands of marketers and consumers across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, including 1,489 consumers and 249 marketing professionals in ANZ, outlining practical guidance to close the gap between consumer expectations and marketing execution at opt-in and beyond. In Australia and New Zealand, consumers are more selective about opting into marketing emails and SMS than their global counterparts, with 64% having opted into email and 50% to text, the lowest rates among countries surveyed. And marketers feel it. More than four in ten (41%) cite getting visitors to complete sign-ups as a top opt-in challenge, more than in any other market. Despite this hurdle, the findings highlight where marketers can adapt. To earn customer trust, brands must take a more deliberate, customer-led approach at the opt-in moment, one that prioritises usefulness and restraint over volume. “The opt-in moment is a meaningful one: consumers are inviting brands to enter their world,” said Anthony Capano, Regional Director, APAC at Intuit Mailchimp. “Shoppers in Australia and New Zealand are thoughtful about that choice. As inboxes and message threads get noisier, this research is an important reminder that timing, value, and transparency are key to building and maintaining consumer relationships.” The striking gap between marketing strategies and consumer preferences Across all four countries surveyed, The Art of the Opt-In report found that nearly all marketers maintain email and SMS lists, but less than one-third consider their lists to be “very high quality,” and only 8% see conversion rates above 20%. Lack of sophisticated tools may be a factor; only 1 in 5 brands (21%) have fully automated their email and text campaigns, and only a third feel very confident that they can track which channels drive sign-ups. Meanwhile, most consumers have noticed an uptick in marketing emails and texts, but only 40% say they are paying more attention, and about a quarter admit they are tuning out these channels more than they did a year ago. Those who stay subscribed say they want content that actually adds value (56%) and messages at a frequency that doesn't feel like spam (40%). But many opt-in strategies misjudge customer trust from the start: 65% of brands ask for a phone number in their popup forms, for example, but only 28% of consumers are willing to hand it over, suggesting that brands are overstepping consumer trust thresholds by asking for high-friction data too early. “Most opt-ins come up short because they’re created only thinking about what the business needs, not what the customer actually wants,” explains Matt Cimino, Product Manager at Intuit Mailchimp. Instead of relying on generic popups, the data suggests that successful brands focus on "high-intent" moments: Consumers are much more likely to opt in after browsing (50%) or during checkout (39%). Trust varies sharply by age: 39% of Gen Z assume brands will follow privacy laws, a figure that plummets to just 19% among Baby Boomers. For Gen Z, trust is visual and immediate: 43% say a clean, simple design makes them feel more comfortable completing an opt-in form, compared with 29% of Boomers+. Insight-driven automations and cross-channel platforms make the difference Globally, the report highlights how the future of list growth will enable marketers to send smarter. Automation as the secret sauce. Brands that consider their contact list quality to be best-in-class ("List Quality Leaders") are 3x more likely than others to have full automation across their email and SMS marketing. They're also more likely to leverage welcome series (64% vs. 53% of all others) and cross-sell or upsell flows (45% vs. 36%). The rise of the "Omnichannel Orchestrator." When messaging and timing are orchestrated across channels, every channel becomes a stronger conversion driver. Brands with highly aligned omnichannel messaging and timing are significantly more likely to report high value from nearly every channel, including organic social (62% vs. 43%), paid social (56% vs. 40%), and even emerging channels like Generative Engines (10% vs 5%). Data-informed, not data-overloaded. Marketers struggle less with access to data than with turning it into value. Only 30% use preference or frequency data and just 29% use browsing behavior, despite these being among the strongest drivers of relevance. Marketers need platforms that unify fragmented data and help act on the signals that drive trust and long-term engagement. “This research reinforces what marketers are feeling every day: relevance comes from clarity, not volume,” said Diana Williams, Vice President of Product, Intuit Mailchimp. “When data is fragmented, even the best intentions fall short. Our focus is removing that friction by bringing behaviour signals, automations, and omnichannel insights together so marketers can confidently turn every interaction into a chance to build trust and long-term growth.” Download The Art of the Opt-In: Why List Building is Only the Beginningto learn more. Methodology The Art of the Opt-In: Why List Building is Only the Beginning was conducted in partnership with Ascend2. The report offers fresh insights collected from more than 6,000 consumers and more than 2,000 marketers across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, including 1,489 consumers and 249 marketing professionals in ANZ. Ascend2 conducted two online surveys in October and November 2025. Respondents were sourced from pre-recruited research panels and were unaware of the study sponsor. About Intuit Intuit is the global financial technology platform that powers prosperity for the people and communities we serve. With approximately 100 million customers worldwide using products such as TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to prosper. We never stop working to find new, innovative ways to make that possible. Please visit us at Intuit.com and find us on social for the latest information about Intuit and our products and services.
business 9 Feb 2026
Cannes Lions reveals 2026 Jury Presidents, spotlighting creative leadership across global disciplines
3 February 2026 - The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, taking place 22–26 June 2026, has announced its 2026 Jury President line-up, bringing together an exceptional group of global leaders to define creative excellence that will shape the year ahead.Across the line-up, Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev, Global, has been named the inaugural Jury President for the Creative Brand Lion, recognising his leadership in building globally iconic brands through creativity at scale. Under his stewardship, AB InBev is the only brand to have been named Creative Marketer of the Year twice in the history of the Festival, underscoring a sustained commitment to creativity as a core business driver. The Creative Brand Lion has been introduced this year to recognise the visionary brands that are building the systems, cultures and capabilities that make world-class creative marketing inevitable and repeatable – and the practices that transform creative potential into lasting business impact.The line-up also highlights the growing influence of independent agencies, alongside leaders from global brands and platforms. With first-time Jury Presidents from Artplan, Rethink, M+C Saatchi and Mother, the line-up recognises the vital role independent agencies play in pushing creative boundaries across industries and markets worldwide.Commenting on this year’s line-up, Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “Our Jury Presidents are selected for their proven creative leadership, global perspective and ability to recognise creative work that will raise the bar. The 2026 Jury President line-up reflects the full breadth of creativity today – spanning from brand building to transformation, to driving culture and influencing commerce. I have no doubt they will collectively set a powerful new standard for the year ahead.”The Cannes Lions 2026 Jury Presidents have been announced as follows:Audio & RadioOriel Davis-Lyons | Chief Creative Officer, Mother New York, USABrand Experience & ActivationRafael Pitanguy | Deputy Global Chief Creative Officer, VML, GlobalCreative B2BTy Heath | Global Director, Thought Leadership, GTM Strategy, LinkedIn, GlobalCreative BrandMarcel Marcondes | Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev, GlobalCreative Business TransformationGugu Mthembu | Chief Marketing Officer, Telkom, South AfricaCreative CommercePhil Camarota | Chief Creative Officer, Flywheel, GlobalCreative DataAnupriya Acharya | CEO, Publicis Groupe, South AsiaCreative EffectivenessBertille Toledano | CEO, BETC and Havas Creative Middle East; President, Havas Creative Network, GlobalCreative StrategySarah Lemarié | Chief Strategy Officer, Publicis, FranceDesignGreg Quinton | Chief Creative Officer, Design Bridge and Partners, GlobalDigital CraftAndrés Ordóñez | Global Chief Creative Officer, McCann, GlobalDirectJoaquín Cubría | Chief Creative Officer, GUT, ArgentinaEntertainmentChris Beresford-Hill | Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Worldwide, GlobalEntertainment Lions for GamingLolly Thomson | Joint Global Chief Creative Officer, M+C Saatchi Group, GlobalEntertainment Lions for MusicMatt Murphy | Global Chief Creative Officer, 72andSunny, GlobalFilmPelle Sjoenell | Former Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, Droga5, part of Accenture Song, GlobalGlass: The Lion for ChangeMonique Nelson | Executive Chair, UWG, USAHealth & WellnessKainaz Karmakar | Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy, IndiaIndustry CraftRafael Gil | Chief Creative Officer, Artplan, BrazilInnovationKazuhiro Shimura | Executive Creative Director, Dentsu Inc., JapanMediaSindhuja Rai | Chief Client Officer, WPP Media, APMEAOutdoorAaron Starkman | Global Chief Creative Officer, Rethink, GlobalPRDana Tahir | CEO, HAVAS Red, Middle East and EgyptPrint & PublishingJessica Apellaniz | Chief Creative Officer, Wieden+Kennedy, MexicoSocial & CreatorMihnea Gheorghiu | Global Chief Creative Officer, LePub, GlobalSustainable Development GoalsKazoo Sato | Chief Creative Officer and CEO, Earth Centric Design, JapanDan Wieden TitaniumChaka Sobhani | Global Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\Worldwide, GlobalCannes Lions is open for Awards submissions until 9 April 2026. Further information on the 2026 Awards, including dates, Entry Kits and the LIONS Integrity Handbook, can be found here.The 73rd edition of the Festival takes place from 22 to 26 June in Cannes, France. Pass options, as well as the breadth of initiatives, funded opportunities and talent programmes can be found at www.canneslions.com.
business 4 Feb 2026
True Media Appoints Alison Clark as Senior Vice President, Head of Account Management
Minneapolis, February 2, 2026 — True Media, an independent media agency and part of the True Independent Holdings family of companies, announced the appointment of Alison Clark as Senior Vice President, Head of Account Management. Clark is based in the agency’s Minneapolis office, reporting to Chris Actis, President of True Media. Clark leads True Media’s Account Management team, driving business success through media excellence and strengthening client partnerships. Clark brings more than 25 years of deep agency experience to the role, having worked with premier brands across retail, quick-service restaurants, gaming, MedTech, and hardlines categories. “We’re thrilled to welcome Alison to True Media,” Actis said. “Her proven track record of building strong client relationships and delivering exceptional results, combined with her strategic vision for account leadership, makes her the ideal person to guide our account management team into the future. Alison’s client-first approach and deep understanding of how media drives business outcomes align perfectly with our mission to help brands rise above the noise.” “I’m excited to join the talented team at True,” Clark said. “I’ve found a wickedly smart group of media professionals who are reimagining the media landscape. I’m excited to see what we can grow together.” Most recently, Clark was Chief Client and Growth Officer at Marcus Thomas, where she led client services and business development initiatives. Prior to that, she held leadership positions at CBX as Vice President, Group Director, Head of Client Services and Colle McVoy, where she was Lead Group Account Director. Other agencies for which she has worked include JWT, Deutsch LA and Leo Burnett. Across her career, Clark has partnered with leading brands including JCPenney, Target, Old Navy, Festival Foods, Invisalign, McDonald’s, KFC, Nintendo, PlayStation, and Stanley Black and Decker. Clark’s appointment reinforces True Media’s commitment to delivering strategic media solutions backed by exceptional account management and partnership. The agency has worked with clients including Bobcat, StorageMart, and Central Bank. About True MediaFounded in 2005, True Media is an independent media agency helping leading and emerging brands across North America rise above the noise and build relevant connections with customers. True Media works closely with clients to apply a deep media expertise and genuine human perspective to enable them to find what’s true and elevate their brands across all digital, traditional and performance media channels. True Media is owned by True Independent Holdings, a Meet The People company, which represents a collective of best-in-class independent agencies united by a shared commitment to independence, creativity, and client success. About True Independent HoldingsTrue Independent Holdings is one of North America’s leading independent media advertising groups with capabilities that span strategy, media, data, analytics, digital, social and content development across its award winning agencies True Media, True Media Canada, Swell Media, Coegi, Coegi Canada and RADaR. Collectively, its companies provide marketers with the ability to collaborate and access best-in-class media services by leveraging technology, data analytics, and a deep understanding of consumer behavior in order to help grow business for clients. Its structure enables the agencies in our portfolio to exist independently, grow entrepreneurially, yet collaborate when needed to meet client needs. This integrated approach ensures our clients receive more holistic and effective solutions in less time, from true experts. About Meet the PeopleMeet The People is an international group of unified but independent agencies bringing together key marketing services under one umbrella, allowing for fully integrated but deeply specialized solutions, from Creative and Design to Activation and Measurement. Backed by Innovatus Capital Partners, LLC, Meet The People is deeply committed to the idea that people are at the core of any organization and drive success, and that advertising works best when clients have access to expertise and deep talent.
business 4 Feb 2026
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