Bloom’s social media feeds share access to topics normally relegated to the insider knowledge of the privileged few. In so doing, Bloom makes her lavish lifestyle feel motivational for her millions of followers.
Who Is Becca Bloom? Read More »
Join Lauren and Shelley as they reveal the weak spots of a trendy business where many beauty brands are off trend out of the gate to meet the demands of savvy customers. They discuss the antiquated 18-to-36-month product development cycle, agentic AI (Chat GPT) marketing that shrinks the time between researching and making a decision to buy and will eliminate the need for traditional advertising.
Fast Tracking the Beauty Industry Read More »
Consumers are deprioritizing retail authenticity and diving headfirst into escapism. A few extra fingers matter less to next gens than the emotional resonance of the video on their screens. The irony is that these videos are generated with deepfake technology that only recently became available, and it feels right on brand for 2025.
The Oxymoron of Tech and Nostalgia Read More »
Retailers say they’re digitally transforming to capture next gen shoppers’ loyalty. That’s because self-serving studies from digital solution providers have conditioned retailers to think that’s what young consumers want.
The Overwhelm Era: Tech-Obsessed Brands Alienate Overstimulated Shoppers Read More »
We could speculate about whether Gap’s Katseye ad was truly agnostic to the cultural discourse of our time until the cows come home. Both Gap and American Eagle ads do show us one thing, though: There’s a difference between an ad’s impact and an ad’s stated intent.
Gap + Katseye vs. AE + Sydney Sweeney Read More »
If you’ve been to a grocery store lately, you may have noticed they are featuring neon lighting more synonymous with an Electric Dreams hellscape than a store where people want to calmly purchase food.
The Greatest Irony of Retailing in 2025: Digital Transformation Read More »
Zoomers will take the lead to create more meaning in their holiday celebrations this year because they feel the weight of the modern American lifestyle more acutely than any other generation. A McKinsey health study found Gen Z has the least positive life outlook, including lower levels of emotional and social well-being and higher rates of anxiety, depression, and distress than any other generation.
Gen Z Is Resetting Retail Spending Read More »
Well, Gen Zs entered the workforce, and everyone (over the age of 45) seems to be weighing in on one thing: Gen Z isn’t exactly obsessed with traditional office wear. They fully intend to sit at your table and rise through the ranks on the fast track, but the “we’re not doing that” attitude that put Gen Z on the map extends to stuffy workwear.
Office Wear Isn’t What It Used to Be, Thank Goodness Read More »
If the staple of grunge core is tartan plaid, indie sleaze’s core staple is a pair of frayed black skinny jeans. Now that the trend is experiencing its second life, it’ll be rooted in structured workwear blazers and motorcycle jackets, rather than the greasy hair and smudged mascara still haunting millennials’ dreams.
Indie Sleaze Still Having a Moment Read More »
The American Eagle disaster proves that retailers can no longer afford to confuse stock market performance with DEI awareness. Not in an era when customers dissect corporate messaging, then build communities around it on social media. The Sweeney ad demonstrates what happens when a company’s entire chain of command neglects to question the implications of what they’re putting out in the world, or how that messaging fits into the global climate.
American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney Ad Spawns a Culture War Read More »
