Suzy

Ulta Beauty is leaning into two cultural powerhouses: music and sports. As interest in women’s sports continues to surge, Kelly Mahoney, Chief Marketing Officer at Ulta Beauty, sees a pivotal opportunity—to support young girls at the moment when confidence determines whether they stay in the game. By showing up in sports the right way, Ulta is reinforcing empowerment, identity, and the belief that you can compete fiercely and feel confident doing it. 🎧 Listen to the full conversation Apple: https://suzy.news/e80081 Spotify: https://suzy.news/aa73e2 #SpeedOfCulture #UltaBeauty #CES2026 #Marketing #Loyalty ADWEEK

AI is rapidly becoming the default layer of consumer decision making, and the shift is already reshaping how brands win attention and loyalty. Kantar reports that 24% of AI users rely on AI shopping assistants today and 46% use AI most or every time they shop. Meanwhile, Iterable data shows consumers starting holiday shopping earlier than ever, driving brands to launch 30% more campaigns from early October through Thanksgiving. The real momentum is in real-time, intent-driven engagement. Embedded campaigns grew 294% year over year, triggered campaigns increased 10%, and SMS engagement jumped nearly 60%. Shoppers are also expecting deeper AI involvement, with 80% anticipating greater reliance on AI for recommendations and purchases. For CMOs, the path forward is clear. Optimize for AI visibility, design for agentic shopping journeys, and maintain relevance across both human and AI-mediated touchpoints. The brands who adapt first will be the ones consumers and their AI agents choose. Sources: Iterable, Kantar, PwC #MarketingStrategy #AIFuture #CMOInsights #ConsumerTrends

This week our R&D team pushed through a couple of long days and very late nights building what I believe is a defining product for Suzy. At one point, a group of team members worked straight through the night and delivered a working product at 6AM. Later that morning, they walked into a standing ovation from the company. That moment mattered. Not because of the hours. Not because of the applause. But because of what it represented. Ownership. Resilience. Talent meeting ambition. I’m incredibly proud to work alongside this team. They bring a rare mix of skill, grit, and care for the outcome. The way they show up for each other, challenge ideas, and keep pushing when it gets hard is what makes the difference. The work is hard. It is demanding. It stretches you. It also helps when our leadership creates the right environment for teams like this to do their best work. There is intensity and high standards, paired with the space to take real risks without fear, because progress requires trying things that might not work the first time. This team takes ownership, embraces the challenge, and refuses to settle. Grateful to be in the room with them this week. Excited for what’s ahead.

The results are in, and everyone’s staring at the deck. This is the pivotal moment: either the research drives a decision, or it dies quietly for a dozen avoidable reasons. In this blog, we break down how to ensure every team — even non-researchers — can act on insights and drive real impact: 🧠 Why interpretation – not data – is where most teams get stuck ⚠️ Why failing to find the narrative becomes research’s most costly mistake 💡 How Stories transform raw findings into clear, decision-ready storytelling assets With Stories in your arsenal, getting teams across your organization — from non-researchers to research experts — to the “so what” becomes faster, clearer, and a lot harder to ignore. 👉 Read the full blog: https://suzy.news/8el

A bot got a 99.8% pass rate. That’s how often an AI-generated respondent cleared standard attention checks in a recent study. The old quality playbook wasn’t built for that. In his latest blog, Steve Ward, VP of Field Operations at Suzy, breaks down: 🔍 Why AI has turned respondent quality into a structural risk 📉 How respondent engagement drift is quietly degrading signal 🎙️ Why Suzy’s blend of AI-moderated conversational research, AI-driven security, and human oversight is becoming the new quality playbook Learn why integrity is no longer a checkbox – it’s a living strategy – and how Suzy helps brands protect data confidence in the AI era. 👉 Read the full blog: https://suzy.news/arm

Gen Z and Millennials are reshaping the future of food by turning to ancient ingredients and proactive longevity eating to manage rising stress. New data from Innova Market Insights shows 54% of US consumers feel anxious about the world, and younger generations are responding by embracing traditional nutrition and simplified whole foods sourced from Ayurveda, local recipes, and natural ingredients. What stands out is how tech and tradition now work together. Fifty nine percent of consumers use AI platforms to learn new health practices, while 28% use food and drink as a way to disconnect and reset. This creates a powerful space for brands to blend personalization, cultural authenticity, and accessible wellness in a market where health is a top stress driver. For CMOs, the opportunity is clear. Affordable, functional, and emotionally grounding products can meet a growing demand among younger shoppers who want both nourishment and calm in their daily routines. Source: Innova Market Insights, February 10 2026 #FoodTrends #ConsumerInsights #Innovation #GenZ

“The Ulta Beauty Rewards program now has more than 46 million members, and what’s truly staggering is that 95% of all of our sales come from those members.” That single insight explains how Ulta Beauty thinks about growth today. In this episode of The Speed of Culture Podcast, Matt Britton sits down with Kelly Mahoney, Chief Marketing Officer at Ulta Beauty, live from CES 2026. Kelly breaks down how Ulta Beauty’s loyalty program and personalization engine power relevance at scale, why motivation-based signals now matter more than demographics, and how data enables a seamless Ulta Beauty omnichannel customer journey. The conversation also explores AI-powered personalization, the evolution of Ulta Beauty’s beauty and wellness retail strategy, and what it takes to build trust with customers through value, discovery, and experience. 🎧 Listen to the full Kelly Mahoney Ulta Beauty interview: Apple: https://suzy.news/e80081 Spotify: https://suzy.news/aa73e2 #SpeedOfCulture #UltaBeauty #CES2026 #MarketingLeadership #Loyalty #Personalization ADWEEK

AI increasingly reshapes who gets to compete, not just how fast technology advances. On The Speed of Culture Podcast, Matt Britton speaks with Milo Speranzo, recorded live from the Lenovo CES 2026 Sphere. As Chief Marketing Officer for Lenovo North America, Milo reflects on how access to AI tools changes the playing field for founders, operators, and professionals building smaller businesses in crowded markets. The conversation explores Lenovo AI strategy CES 2026, the value of a unified Lenovo AI ecosystem, and how edge computing AI privacy levels the playing field for smaller businesses. 🎧 Hear the full conversation: Apple: https://suzy.news/fj4 Spotify: https://suzy.news/684851 #SpeedOfCulture #Lenovo #CES2026 #AI #SmallBusiness #Leadership ADWEEK

Consumers are becoming more value conscious, and it is reshaping club and value channels fast. Private label growth is accelerating as lower income households lean into essentials and bulk buying, while higher income shoppers continue to spend on premium products. This split is forcing brands to sharpen both pricing and personalization strategies. A key data point: 74% of consumers say they would switch brands for lower regular prices according to Numerator 2024. National brands will need meaningful innovation in pack sizes, formats, and value propositions to stay competitive against rising private label strength. The brands that win will pair integrated data with clear differentiation to meet value seekers where they are without losing premium buyers. Hashtags #ConsumerInsights #RetailTrends #BrandStrategy #CPGMarketing