Material

Most brands preparing to deploy AI can't answer a basic question: where does our first-party customer data live? Material’s Janet Thompson argues this is an audit problem before it’s an AI problem. What holds most organizations back are inherited systems that were never built to work together. Read her perspective for the full intervention: https://bit.ly/4bhiWF5

Sports properties have more ways to reach fans than ever. More streaming options, more leagues, more live events. So why is it getting harder to hold anyone's attention? John Enoch, VP and Client Partner, makes the case that the real problem isn't access anymore. It's getting fans to decide your moment is the one worth their time. He breaks down what leading sports brands are doing about it. Read the full perspective: https://bit.ly/4fi0IWh

Material has been nominated for Esomar's regional Qualitative Excellence Award this year, recognizing our work in behavioral segmentation for a leading cancer center. Stay tuned for the announcement of winners this September.

Amy Muntz joined the ABM Alliance Marketing Chapter Summit to discuss how AI is changing human behavior and why shifting trust is becoming one of the most important challenges for brands. Photos from the summit below.

Material partnered with WINE MARKET COUNCIL on a study of how Gen Z, Millennial and Gen X consumers really talk about wine online. While wine ranked lowest in visibility of any beverage category in the study, it ranked second highest in net sentiment. People already like wine. What's keeping them out is a sense that they need real expertise before they're allowed to enjoy it. WineBusiness Monthly has the details.

In the new era of AI search, your hospital or health system can show up in the answer but still lose the patient. AI is changing where and how care decisions happen, long before anyone reaches your website or calls your access line. Treating it like traditional SEO gets healthcare marketers optimizing for the wrong thing. What actually matters is how your health system is being framed when a patient is deciding who to trust with their care. Material calls this Decision-Level Authority, and Adam Picker breaks down what it takes to earn it: https://bit.ly/4b0G4HM

The top of the loyalty ladder was never the only destination. Matt Paladino makes the case for a more adaptive approach to travel loyalty: read a traveler’s context and history, then design experiences that feel personal at whatever tier they’re booking. Read the full perspective: https://bit.ly/4fDyw04

While the entertainment industry landscape fractures and reforms, audiences are making their own seismic shifts. It’s time for brands to tune in. In our 2026 Media & Entertainment Trends Report, Material’s Amy Castillo and Kim Rory map the intersections of industry disruption and shifting consumer behavior. From the rise of AI companionship to the surge of gamified prediction markets, the report unpacks six defining audience shifts, explores how forward-thinking brands are adapting today and shares key predictions for what’s on the horizon. Get your copy of the full report today: https://bit.ly/4wxSoHM

“The bar for exceptional experience is not aesthetic. It's cognitive." Material’s Ekta Rohra Jafri has spent 25 years designing systems that remove friction before anyone feels it. Her work spans maternal healthcare access in rural India to sustainability finance platforms launched at COP26. She's been named one of the Most Influential UX Leaders Shaping Exceptional Digital Experiences in 2026. Read the full feature below to discover her approach to designing intuitive systems that integrate into daily routines and eliminate friction.

Cloud complexity is outpacing the operating models built to manage it. In our new research with Microsoft, 84% of enterprise IT leaders say complexity has increased over the past two years, and 69% say it’s moving faster than their teams can manage. Agentic AI is the emerging response, and 79% of organizations already have agents in production. But as the report argues: “The organizations that lead will not be the ones that simply deploy the most agents. They will be the ones that solve complexity the best.” And solving complexity requires a new rhythm, where agents accelerate the path from signal to understanding and humans steer how and when actions are taken. Explore five key takeaways from our research below, and access the full report at Microsoft: https://bit.ly/4aLWXWx