Why DSW and other brands are pivoting back to ‘old’ marketing tactics

The phrase “what’s old is new again” doesn’t just apply to cyclical trends like low-rise jeans and flip phones, but marketing budgets as well.

Marketers are increasingly reconsidering more traditional and offline ad channels. Call it a pendulum swing in response to the rise of AI and digital saturation. As ad platforms roll out more blackbox, AI-powered ad solutions and the rise of so-called AI slop makes it harder to decipher human from machine-made content, some marketers are revamping their ad strategies.

Case in point: about 41% of U.S. ad buyers report they expect to increase their investments in in-person and experiential marketing, according to the 2026 IAB outlook study.

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Tariffs forced Temu to slash its U.S. ad spend on nearly every platform

Tariffs dented Temu’s U.S. opportunity. Its ad spending has followed.

The Chinese e-commerce giant slashed its U.S. ad spend across nearly every major social media platform in 2026, according to data from Sensor Tower. It went from being X’s single largest advertiser between January to May 2025, to the 51st largest in the same time period this year, reducing by eight figures — or a 95% year-over-year slump — per the data. 

It wasn’t alone. 

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