Aug 7, 2026
Erika Wheless, consumer culture and brand behavior reporter at Ad Age, breaks down the consumer trends shaping the back half of 2026, and how they connect to the brands gaining the most ground with Gen Z. The conversation covers why credibility is starting to matter more than authenticity, with audiences...
Aug 6, 2026
This week on Ad Age Insider's Weekly Report: McDonald's opens up about how an overloaded promotional calendar, stacking a K-pop Demon Hunters tie-in, value messaging, beverage launches, and a FIFA World Cup push, confused customers and dragged down second-quarter sales, and what it reveals about the real cost of...
Jul 30, 2026
This week on Ad Age Insider's Weekly Report: creators like Alix Earle are increasingly chasing equity stakes instead of traditional brand deals, and what it reveals about creators becoming long-term business partners rather than just marketing assets. Plus, Popeyes names Stagwell's Anomaly as its new U.S. Creative...
Jul 24, 2026
The leaders of the 2026 Ad Age Small Agency Awards—Judy Pollack, Brian Bonilla and Ewan Larkin—break down what actually separated this year's winners from the pack. They dig into why small shops are ditching billable hours for outcomes-based and equity models and how agencies like Conscious Minds and Zambezi rebuilt...
Jul 23, 2026
This week on Ad Age Insider's Weekly Report: Taco Bell's Cyclospora outbreak and what it reveals about crisis communications, food safety, and brand trust. Plus, four Madwell alumni launch independent agency Five Cherries; ChatGPT's advertising platform shifts toward conversion-based pricing; creators Grant Gibbs and...