It’s MONDAY ☀️
A new report says DTC brands that lean into humor drive bigger engagement and bigger budgets, proving there’s real money in making people laugh.
Amazon’s DTC play: Buy with Prime expands to Adidas
Amazon is ramping up Buy with Prime, its checkout and fulfillment service, by adding big names like Adidas, Fossil, and Laura Mercier. The move signals Amazon’s strategy to stay relevant in a shifting e-commerce landscape where DTC brands are prioritizing their own sales channels.
By letting shoppers use Prime benefits on brand websites, Amazon secures a cut of sales without requiring brands to sell directly on its marketplace. The company is also testing a new feature that redirects shoppers to DTC sites when products aren’t available on Amazon.
With Chinese e-commerce players like Shein and Temu gaining ground and tariffs looming over imports, Amazon is pushing hard to attract premium brands that have historically avoided its marketplace. Whether this will make Amazon a true partner rather than a competitor for DTC brands remains to be seen.
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Super Bowl blowout hurts ad recall for brands
A lopsided Super Bowl game may have cost advertisers more than just the $8 million per 30-second spot. According to marketing analytics firm Big Chalk, brand recall took a hit in 2025, with unaided awareness and proper attribution both declining compared to last year’s overtime thriller.
Brands like Budweiser and Doritos saw slight gains, but overall, ad recall slipped from 10% to 8.5% among the top 10 performing brands. Dunkin’ saw the steepest drop, falling from 20% awareness in 2024 to just 9.5% this year. Proper attribution—where viewers can name a brand based on its ad plot or celebrity—dropped even further, from 44% last year to 22% in 2025.
The biggest issue? Viewers likely checked out as the Eagles dominated the Chiefs. Ads in the first half, like Reese’s and Michelob Ultra, had stronger recall, while second-half spots suffered.
“In part, that’s the gamble you take as a Super Bowl advertiser,” said Big Chalk’s Rick Miller. “If the game doesn’t keep people engaged, your ad might not, either.”
For small retailers, Trump’s tariffs feel like ‘Covid 2.0’
Independent retailers are bracing for another financial hit as Trump’s tariffs begin to take effect. From local general stores to boutique fabric shops, small businesses are facing a choice: absorb the costs or pass them onto customers.
For Jessica Bettencourt, owner of Klem’s in rural Massachusetts, the impact is already clear—five of her vendors have announced 5% tariff surcharges starting in June. In Pennsylvania, Sarah McDonald of Out There Outfitters is seeing delays as brands shift supply chains, cutting into crucial selling seasons.
Retailers reliant on imported goods face even steeper challenges. Sarah White, who runs an 85-year-old fabric shop in Queens, bulk-ordered spring inventory to get ahead of rising costs. Others, like Washington D.C.’s Pacers Running, are seeing a drop in conversions as economic uncertainty slows consumer spending.
With store closures at their highest since 2020, small retailers are doubling down on what they do best—building community. Free running events, curated selections, and hyper-personalized service are becoming survival strategies. But for many, it still feels like another round of pandemic-era uncertainty. As McDonald put it: “Once you’ve gone through Covid, inflation, and supply chain chaos, you just brace yourself for whatever comes next.”
Walmart’s ad business hits $4.4 billion
Walmart’s ad business continues to grow, hitting $4.4 billion in revenue last year—up 27% year over year. In Q4, its global ad division grew 29%, while Walmart Connect expanded 24% in the US.
Retailers like Walmart and Target are leaning into retail media networks, which are projected to make up 25% of US ad spend by 2028. Walmart’s recent $2.3 billion acquisition of Vizio is expected to fuel further ad growth, integrating shopping data with streaming ads.
Despite this momentum, Walmart still lags behind Amazon, whose ad business pulled in $56 billion last year. With Target set to report earnings in March, the battle for retail ad dollars is heating up.
