Green, Gatherings, and Grocery Spend: St. Patrick’s Day Trends
Executive Summary St. Patrick’s Day holds its place as a widely celebrated cultural moment in the U.S., with participation and spending showing steady consistency. The latest Prosper Insights & Analytics survey, conducted in February 2026, offers a snapshot of how Americans plan to mark the occasion this year. An estimated 60.4% of adults plan to […]
Feature: Highlight in Ads of Brands on Science Marketing
Spiegel Research Center Study on Trust, Transparency & Advertising to Scientists SRC research was spotlighted in Ads of Brands, highlighting a new study on how to advertise effectively to scientific audiences. The study draws on qualitative interviews with scientists and healthcare researchers and shows that they value trust, education, and clear evidence over persuasive language […]
Feature: SRC Research Guides CPG Brands on Generative AI in MediaPost
Spiegel Research Center’s AI Framework Spotlighted in MediaPost Northwestern’s Medill Spiegel Research Center was recently featured in MediaPost, where its ITMS framework: Introduce, Test, Measure, Scale was highlighted as a practical, research-based approach for helping CPG brands operationalize generative AI in product launches. Read the full article to see how academic insights are informing real-world […]
Valentine’s Day Beyond Cards and Candy
Executive Summary Valentine’s Day remains a meaningful but evolving consumer holiday, shaped by long-term declines in participation alongside steady and increasingly targeted spending. Findings from the January 2026 Prosper Insights & Analytics survey conducted in cooperation with the National Retail Federation (n=7,791) show that just over half of U.S. adults plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day, […]
The Business of Watching the Super Bowl
Executive Summary The Super Bowl continues to operate as a major cultural and consumer event, with participation levels rivaling traditional U.S. holidays and spending patterns that extend well beyond the game itself. Findings from the January 2026 Prosper Insights & Analytics survey conducted in cooperation with the National Retail Federation (n=7,991) show that Super Bowl […]
21 Digital Marketing Experts on How AI Search Overviews are Changing Their Industry
Last summer, the Medill School of Journalism, Media Integrated Marketing Communications piloted a new program called The Spiegel Scholars Program. We invited three highly qualified master’s students—Ariel, Kristen, and Momo—to help us write a research report on how AI is changing the advertising industry. Over three months, our team interviewed 21 marketing executives, transcribed the […]
Spiegel Research Center Data Visualizations Earn Top Honors
Spiegel Research Center Data Visualizations Earn Top Honors Two data visualization projects affiliated with the Spiegel Research Center were recognized at the 2026 Big Ten Academic Alliance Data Viz Championship, earning top placements among faculty and staff submissions. State of Integrated Marketing Communication in 2025, created by Sanchary Pal and Paisley Lyn Drzewicki Lucier, received […]
SRC Research Highlights the Role of Trust in a Zero-Click Economy
The Credit Union Advantage in a Zero-Click World In a recent Copacino Fujikado thought leadership piece on navigating the zero-click era, insights from qualitative research conducted by the Spiegel Research Center (SRC) help frame how trust, visibility and decision-making are changing in an AI search environment. The article draws directly from SRC interviews with senior […]
Updated Report: The State of IMC 2025 – How Integration Is Reshaping the Future of Marketing
Executive Summary The Spiegel Research Center conducted a nationwide survey of 161 experienced marketing professionals to uncover the most pressing challenges and trends in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). The findings reveal a marketing landscape in transition, where rising quality expectations collide with increasing operational complexity. The Generalist Reality Modern marketers function as tactical generalists rather […]
P2Pi Feature: Why Retail Media Measurement Is Lagging
Research Reveals Why Retail Media Measurement Is Lagging Expectations By Michael Applebaum January 5, 2026 Retail media is maturing faster than the systems used to measure it. New research examines why attribution alone isn’t enough — and how brands can rethink measurement to unlock true incremental value. As retail media matures, expectations around performance are rising faster […]