Retail marketers should ditch brand lift studies, use social media engagement to validate strong creative and prepare a live selling strategy for 2026, according to Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of marketing agency VaynerMedia, who spoke at an NRF ’26 keynote earlier this week. Read up on GaryVee’s no-holds-barred advice — and stay tuned for more NRF content next week.

Nearly 100 million people worldwide, including 50 million in the U.S., use location-sharing app Life360 to stay connected with and keep track of their family members, pets and personal belongings. But this particular user base is highly engaged, opening the app an average of five times a day. Brian McDevitt, VP of Global Advertising, shares how Life360 strengthens its connection with users and amplifies cultural relevance to win user engagement.

According to the Capgemini report “What Matters to Today’s Consumers 2026,” shoppers are rife with contradictions — from wanting convenience and also a human touch, to being price conscious while selectively splurging. We review the data from the 12,000-person survey, which points to consumers seeking value, transparency and a balanced use of tech during the shopping experience.

NBCUniversal is primed and ready for what it’s calling “Legendary February,” a month of major sports events airing across its linear and streaming platforms. In addition to being the home of this year’s Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Weekend, NBC Sports will also broadcast wall-to-wall coverage of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, happening Feb. 6-22. We look at how the brand is marketing the latter as a pop culture franchise.

Lastly, marketing intelligence company Sooth shares research findings on the maturation of the clean beauty category and insights for marketers seeking to connect with these consumers.

Until next week,