One of my favorite themes these days is that marketers focus on personalization while consumers want value.  Let’s add some wood to that fire with this Oracle Retail study, which found that consumers rate convenience as the most important part of a great in-store experience (56%), ranking experience far behind at 37%. Yet retailers prioritize them equally: experience 35% vs. convenience 34%.

One factor driving martech growth has been the ability for marketers to buy systems with little corporate IT support. This study from Entrust Datacard found that even IT professionals recognize that letting users pick their own tools can provide a competitive advantage. Their preferred solution is to make IT more responsive rather than giving up control entirely.

It’s tough to get brand safety right, but the industry keeps trying.  IPG Mediabrands announced a new set of tools to find and block inappropriate ad placements, while IAS expanded its suitability measurements to include standards from the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM).  Meanwhile, DoubleVerify admitted a mistake made brand safety on X/Twitter look worse than it really was in October 2023 and March 2024.