Smile vs Talon.One

Cart Abandonment Recovery: How Smile and Redo Turn Lost Carts Into Loyalty Members

Every Shopify brand running a loyalty program can tell you who joins it. The shoppers that make a purchase are

Smile insurer targets older audience with new influencer campaign

Swiss online insurer Smile is shifting its marketing focus to an older audience while retaining younger customers. The company has added comedy couple Loredana and Kilian Bamert (known as “Saturday & Sunday”) and Basel content creator/moderator Pasquale Stramandino to its roster of advertising faces, while longtime partners Zeki and Naomi Lareine have departed. The summer-to-autumn campaign runs from 10 August to the end of October with TV spots across public and private broadcasters (SRF, RTS, 3+, RTL, Pro7, Sat.1, TF1), complemented by out-of-home posters (10–23 August), megaposters through 6 September, and digital activity including Instagram. Smile continues to sponsor the Smile Swiss Influence Award and its Newcomer Award, which gives emerging creators a role in national TV campaigns.

• Smile added the comedy pair Loredana and Kilian Bamert (Saturday & Sunday) and Pasquale Stramandino as new advertising faces.
• Longtime partners Zeki and Naomi Lareine have left Smile's influencer roster.
• The campaign runs from 10 August to end of October with TV spots on SRF, RTS, 3+, RTL, Pro7, Sat.1 and TF1.

Creative Promotions Offer Alternatives to Discounting

Sam Panzer argues that marketers should move beyond routine discounting and use creative promotional mechanics to deliver value without eroding margins. Citing Mark Ritson’s critique of indiscriminate price cuts and Talon.One data showing an average discount rate of 22% in 2025, Panzer advocates for “creative currencies” — non-price rewards that tap cultural moments, aspiration, game mechanics and behavioral framing. He references Maslow’s hierarchy and Prospect Theory to explain why framing and experience can be more valuable than straight discounts. Panzer also reports research conducted with System1 Group across 1,800 consumers in six markets that found gamified promotions (e.g., a “roll the die” mechanic) are perceived as more unique and memorable than discounts. Examples include Coca‑Cola’s Panini sticker World Cup tie-up and Patagonia’s 2011 “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign.

• Talon.One data shows an average discount rate of 22% in 2025.
• Sam Panzer and colleagues ran research with System1 Group across 1,800 consumers in six markets testing promotional mechanics.
• Panzer coins the term “creative currencies” to describe non-price promotional mechanics that deliver perceived value.

Adyen H1 2026: Net Revenue Rises Nearly 20%

Adyen reported strong first-half 2026 results: net revenue rose 19% year‑on‑year to €1.303 billion and processed payment volume increased 24% to €803.8 billion. EBITDA was €641.5 million (49% margin) and free‑cashflow conversion reached 86%. After H1 the company completed acquisitions of Talon.One and Orb and introduced new offerings including Adyen Agentic and Intelligent Money Movement to address AI-driven commerce and liquidity management. Adyen added several large international customers (Aritzia, OpenAI, Xiaomi) and GOV.UK Pay in the public sector, expanded the Toast partnership, obtained a UAE retail payments licence, and joined the x402 Foundation. For full-year 2026 Adyen expects 21–23% net revenue growth (constant FX) and plans higher 2026 capex (~7% of net revenue).

• Adyen reported net revenue of €1.303 billion in H1 2026, a 19% increase year‑on‑year (21% at constant FX).
• Payment volume processed via Adyen's platform rose 24% to €803.8 billion in H1 2026.
• EBITDA for H1 2026 was €641.5 million, corresponding to a 49% margin (50% excluding one‑off transaction costs).