March 2026
Signals | When Effectiveness Meets Democracy
Effie’s new “Democracy” category suggests marketing is no longer just influencing consumers—it’s being asked to influence society itself. There are moments when an industry quietly redraws its boundaries.This may be one of them. At its Spring Conference in Lisbon, the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA), together with Effie Awards Europe, introduced a new category: […]
e.l.f. and the Business Case for Cultural Fluency
We’ve spent years celebrating creativity and purpose. But we’ve spent far less time connecting marketing decisions to actual business outcomes. e.l.f. Beauty is one of the clearest examples that the two are not at odds. They are, increasingly, the same thing. Not Just “On Culture”—Built With It e.l.f. is often described as a brand that […]
Skechers and the Power of Aligning with Real Life
Not every brand reshapes culture loudly. Some simply align with it more honestly. Skechers is one of them. With nearly $9 billion in annual sales and strong growth driven in part by the 50+ market, the brand has built its success around comfort, accessibility, and everyday use—not aspiration. It has leaned into “comfort technology,” targeted […]
Burger King and the Shift from Brand to Participant
Burger King’s latest campaign does something few brands are willing to do. It gives up control. By retiring its long-standing King mascot and placing the crown on its customers, the brand signals a deeper shift—one built over years of operational change, listening, and response. Burger King is putting its guests in the spotlight with a […]
Paris, Texas—and the New Geography of Relevance
JCPenney has spent years trying to find its way back into relevance. Not through a single campaign, but through a series of decisions—each one suggesting a brand that understands it must change not just what it sells, but how it shows up in culture. Its latest moves are deceptively simple. And that’s exactly why they […]
What If Marketers Could Test Strategy Before Launch?
Synthetic personas offer a new way to model how different audiences interpret meaning — before investing in production and media. Marketing insight has traditionally been retrospective. Campaigns launch. Audiences respond. Researchers analyze what worked and what did not. But a new generation of AI tools may begin to change that sequence. Synthetic personas — computational […]
Signals of a Changing Media Landscape
Media Innovation Awards 2026 Finalists… This year’s finalists for The Internationalist’s 18th Annual Awards for Innovation in Media reflect more than strong execution—they offer an early read on how media is evolving. If recent years proved that media could perform, this year’s finalists suggest it can participate. Across markets, categories, and approaches, a few clear […]
Silver Stagnation: When Demographic Reality Outpaces Marketing Strategy
Dow Jones Consumer Goods Index reveals the economic power of consumers over fifty. For decades, consumer growth has been framed largely through the lens of youth. Marketers talk about “emerging generations” or “youth culture” as the primary engines of brand momentum. Yet the demographic and economic reality of today’s marketplace tells a very different story. […]
At 50, Habitat for Humanity Looks Forward: Opening the Door to What Comes Next
Fifty years after its founding, Habitat for Humanity stands at a rare intersection of legacy and urgency. What began as a bold experiment in community-driven housing has grown into a global movement that has helped more than 65 million people access safe, decent, and affordable homes. Yet, as Habitat marks this milestone, the organization is […]
Why Media Excellence Now Means Doing Less — and Doing It Better
Adam Benaroya on strategic simplification, reach plus relevance, and the growing challenge of retail media measurement. In a marketing industry increasingly defined by dashboards, data layers, and expanding channel choices, Adam Benaroya has been advocating something refreshingly counterintuitive: strategic simplification. Over the course of his career — spanning leadership roles at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Johnson […]