The 2026 World Cup produced a record surge in sports betting acquisition spending — and, according to TrafficGuard's data, a significant share of it may never have reached a genuinely new customer.
As buyers delay contacting vendors until deep into their decision-making, the real constraint on personalisation isn't technology — it's trust.
Brand preference doesn’t disappear, but it splits into two audiences. The consumer still forms the preference. They decide which brands they trust enough to let an agent act for them, and that decision stays emotional and human, says Brian Kealey, Managing Director, APAC, Klaviyo.
As AI agents like Alexa for Shopping and Walmart's Sparky curate shortlists rather than search pages, brands need answer-engine optimisation to be seen.
The gala awards in Dubai honoured 24 winners across 20 categories, spotlighting the ideas and execution setting new benchmarks for marketing excellence.
Across the conversations at Vibe Marketing Tech Fest, Dubai, one idea surfaced repeatedly: marketing is becoming less about isolated metrics, channels and functions, and more about connecting the entire customer and business equation.
Participation should be viewed more as an opportunity for building sustained brand equity and consumer relationships and less as an indicator, says Hira Omar Aamer, Brand Strategy Director, Sprite, Eurasia and Middle East Operating Unit, The Coca-Cola Company.
Video plays are climbing and budgets are flattening, but the real gap is organisational: most teams still treat CEO video as a scheduled asset.
Brands need to function as a connected unit grounded in a solid customer data foundation or else they risk missing hidden signals across their organisation, says Varun Sharma, VP & Head of SAP CX – Middle East Africa, SAP.
The analysis finds ecommerce advertisers increased paid social investment sharply in Q2, while click-through rates rose and cost per click declined.
