Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast

Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast

EMARKETER’s podcast, Behind the Numbers, helps marketers, retailers, and advertisers understand the rapidly changing landscape of digital media. EMARKETER analysts and industry experts come together to analyze a wide variety of critical topics, from the transformative influence of AI to the dynamic world of social media, and the evolving landscape of consumer shopping habits. Stay informed and stay ahead with insights and analysis that matter. Tune in to new episodes published Monday through Friday wherever you find podcasts.

Episodes

March 18, 2026 19 mins

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss whether Walmart and Target were ever truly competing on the same promise of mass retail, or whether they were solving different consumer needs all along. We also explore the differences in their loyalty program strategies and consider whether their recent success has been driven more by business models or by execution. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and h...

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what’s been driving Formula One’s growth in America, whether F1 has finally broken through in the US or if we’re in a temporary hype cycle, and what brands get from the sport that they can’t get anywhere else. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analysts Ross Benes and Blake Droesch. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss why Warner Bros. Discovery chose Paramount's bid over Netflix's, what impact this will have on the streaming universe, and how all of this will affect marketers. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analyst Ross Benes and Analyst Marisa Jones. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

 

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how much AI is really helping with productivity, the hidden trade-offs of using the technology in the workplace, how to counter slow and uneven adoption, and how AI is affecting the way workers view their roles. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with analysts Jacob Bourne and Grace Harmon. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

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Recorded at the EMARKETER Creator Trends 2026 Virtual Summit, this panel explores how creator video is opening new territory for brands on CTV.  EMARKETER Analyst, Emmy Liederman along with Nicole Marcus, Manager of Influencer Strategy at Dick’s Sporting Goods and Allison O’Keefe, Senior Manager, Influencer and Creator Marketing at Best Buy, discuss how to shape programming cadence, package content for bigger screens,...

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss why Starbucks just revamped its loyalty program, what the ideal loyalty program looks like, and how this revamp could tie into a broader strategy to bring customers back into stores and drive frequency if you were CEO of Starbucks for a day. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, and Analyst Arielle Feger...

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In this special edition episode recorded at the EMARKETER Creator Trends 2026 Virtual Summit, you will learn how shoppable video, retail media integrations, storefronts, and affiliate programs are reshaping the journey, and the metrics and org models needed to make always-on creator commerce truly work. Minda Smiley, Senior Analyst at EMARKETER hosts a panel with Cory Weaver, Head of Influence at Gap, Inc. and Alexis ...

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss teens’ online behavior: which digital activities they engage in on which devices, why this could be the cohort to take social commerce mainstream, what a teen’s life on social media looks like, how these young people use AI, and more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with analysts Paola Flores-Marquez and Emmy Liederman. Listen everywhere, and watch...

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three big questions surrounding Spotify right now: What will the audio giant do about AI slop? Can it generate significant revenue from advertising? Will people sit down in their living rooms and turn on a podcast to watch, en masse? And more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analyst Ross Benes and Senior Editor Daniel Konstantinovic...

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EMARKETER Principal Analyst Max Willens unveils new forecasts that reveal where creator spending is accelerating, including new category breakouts for 2026. He’ll dig into what’s powering the surge, from shoppable content to CTV’s growing pull, and how brands are moving toward fuller-funnel partnerships that deliver real lift. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

 

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss why Gap is introducing a Chief Entertainment Officer, whether this is a bold, transformational move or a distraction from retail fundamentals, and how success should be measured 12 months from now. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch.

 

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the biggest takeaways from the social media addiction trials so far, what our numbers tell us about social media usage in the US, and where else Americans spend their time consuming media. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Principal Forecasting Writer Ethan Cramer-Flood and Senior Director of Forecasting Oscar Orozco. Listen everywhere, and watc...

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss advertising around the 2026 Winter Olympics: how marketers tackled fragmentation across media channels, how creators were used by Olympic broadcaster NBCUniversal, and which campaign was the best — and why. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analyst and Editor Peter Allen Clark and Senior Director of Content Jeremy Goldman. Listen everywhere, and watch ...

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On today’s podcast episode, we present our “Unofficial Monthly Retailer Awards,” or the UMRAs, for February, including “Most Impactful Campaign,” “Best IRL Initiative,” and “Greatest Under-the-Radar Move.” Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, Senior Director of Content Becky Schilling, and Principal Analyst Zak Stambor.

 

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three big questions surrounding TikTok right now: Will TikTok spend this year fighting perceptions of bias? Will the new algorithm be as good? How much bigger can TikTok Shop get? And more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Analyst Emmy Liederman and Principal Analyst Max Willens. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three big questions surrounding Amazon right now: Can it maintain its ad revenue momentum in 2026? Is AI spending a problem? Is it ready for agentic commerce? And more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Analysts Marisa Jones and Rachel Wolff. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

 

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three big questions surrounding Google right now: When and how will it monetize AI search? Is it spending too much on AI? Will it reconcile its two full-fledged AI chatbots? And more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Principal Analyst Nate Elliott and Senior Director of Content Jeremy Goldman. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spo...

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what stood out most about how people shopped this past holiday season, what feels fundamentally different about the upcoming holiday season, what real personalization at scale looks like for retailers, and why AI matters even more during the holidays. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian and Principal Analysts Sky Canaves and Zak Stambor.     G...

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the redefining of “attention,” what neuro-contextual research actually measures, and how it could reshape media planning for brands that traditionally buy based on reach or demographics rather than emotional resonance. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Content Jeremy Goldman, and Brian Gleason, CEO of Seedtag. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube a...

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On today’s podcast episode, we discuss Super Bowl LX: the main takeaways, the biggest winners, and the lessons for marketers. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analyst Ross Benes and Vice President of Content Paul Verna. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.On today’s podcast episode, we discuss Super Bowl LX: the main takeaways, the biggest winners, and the les...

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