High stakes, big budgets: How brands are navigating a massive sports year

Between the Super Bowl, 2026 Winter Olympics and FIFA World Cup, there is no shortage of sports marketing opportunities this year. But global ad spend has increased, and brands like Grey Goose, John Deere and Lavazza coffee brand are investing in pre-existing, long-standing partnerships instead of chasing this year’s live sports calendar.

Blame it on the price tag. 

‘Keeping the coin purse very close’

“Clients are keeping the coin purse very close because of just the nature of the world,” said Luis Velasco, media planner at Media by Mother, referring to ongoing geopolitical conflict and economic headwinds. There’s interest in live sports, he said, but some clients need to be convinced of the return on investment before committing ad dollars.

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Fenty Beauty launches WhatsApp AI advisor as messaging becomes beauty’s next commerce channel

This story was first published by Digiday sibling Glossy

Fenty Beauty is taking its community-first strategy into messaging. On Wednesday, the Fenty Beauty brand launched “Rose Amber,” an AI-powered beauty advisor built for WhatsApp, marking its first formal partnership with the platform in the U.S.

The experience allows users to chat directly with the brand in Whatsapp to get product recommendations, tutorials and reviews in a conversational format. It is designed to feel like texting a friend.

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