Zappi vs Zappos

Carter's Relies on Data and Nostalgia to Stay Relevant

At Brandweek 2026, Carter's global VP of brand marketing Aubrie Corey and Zappi CMO Nataly Kelly discussed how the 161-year-old brand stays relevant. The strategy combines generational insights with a constant pulse of consumer data. Carter's recently launched a brand evolution targeting Gen Z parents, who favor self-expression over the 'mini me' style of the past. The brand also tapped into nostalgia with the OshKosh Reissued Collection, reviving 1980s and 1990s styles, and partnered with Umbro for World Cup-themed clothing. Kelly emphasized the need to centralize customer signals from siloed systems to effectively anticipate consumer trends.

• Carter's is a 161-year-old brand that uses consumer data to guide brand evolution.
• At Brandweek 2026, Carter's global VP Aubrie Corey and Zappi CMO Nataly Kelly discussed brand relevance.
• Carter's brand OshKosh B'gosh launched the Reissued Collection, featuring vintage styles from the 1980s and 1990s.

Converse Ad Rollout Fails Due to Lack of Single Accountability

This article is an opinion piece analyzing Converse's global ad campaign missteps, which led to two separate ads evoking lynching imagery. The first ad, featuring global ambassador Karina, was posted on Threads on Sept. 3. A second ad, a collaboration with Danish brand Palmes, was posted via Converse Mexico's Instagram on Sept. 14, with a similar image also appearing on Converse Malaysia's Instagram. The author attributes these failures to a decentralized global marketing process without a single point of accountability, where local teams and third-party partners lack shared cultural context and consumer testing data is not integrated globally. The piece advises global CMOs to test concepts earlier across markets, include partner and influencer content, and implement a one-flag rule for escalating any mentions of violence, hate symbolism, or historical trauma.

• Converse apologized for a Sept. 3 ad on Threads featuring Karina, which evoked a lynching.
• A second ad, a collaboration with Danish brand Palmes, was posted on Converse Mexico's Instagram on Sept. 14, showing a man on a ladder with sneakers overhead.
• Converse Malaysia's Instagram also posted the second ad image.

Zappi Newsroom: New Consumer Insights on Sydney Sweeney x Novig, Callaway x Good Good, and More

The newsroom page has been updated with new articles including 'Consumers on Sydney Sweeney x Novig: Winning men, losing women' (September 15, 2026), 'Consumers on Callaway x Good Good: Memorable for the wrong reasons' (September 2, 2026), and 'Why we built the Synthetic Idea Pre-Screener' (August 26, 2026). Additionally, the page now features a banner for 'The third annual connected insights report is here' with a link to get the report.

Proposal: Add Contribution Metrics to Affiliate Reporting

The author argues that affiliate marketing is disadvantaged by strict deterministic (last-click) attribution compared with other channels that claim inferred influence. They propose that affiliate reporting should regularly include two numbers: deterministic tracking (clicks, coupons) and a separate contribution or influence metric (AI inference, other uncredited touchpoints). The article cites next-generation tracking technologies (examples: Partnerize, impact.com) as enablers, and notes historical call-tracking proposals (RingRevenue, now Invoca) that revealed uncredited conversions. Publishing contribution numbers to affiliates could strengthen their negotiating position and put affiliate channels on more equal footing with channels that rely on inferred attribution.

• The author proposes affiliate reports should include two numbers: deterministic tracking (clicks, coupons) and a contribution/influence number (AI inference, other uncredited touch points).
• Partnerize and impact.com are cited as providers of next-generation tracking technologies that can support the proposed reporting approach.
• Affiliate marketing commonly relies on deterministic last-click attribution, while many walled gardens use statistical models to infer influence.