Marketing in the K-shaped economy

2026 has been a challenging year for marketers, with constant upheaval forcing consequential decisions. Amid all this: the impact of the K shaped economy. WARC's Catherine Driscoll and Carat's Tony de Vizio join Anna Hamill to discuss marketing in economically challenging times, based on insights from WARC's recent report 'Marketing In The K-Shaped Economy'.

Guests:
Catherine Driscoll, EMEA Commissioning Editor, WARC
Tony de Vizio, Global Partnerships Director, Carat
Anna Hamill, Senior Editor - The WARC Podcast, WARC

Chapters:
[00:00] Intro: Marketing in the K-shaped Economy
[00:09] What Is the K-Shaped Economy? Setting the Marketing Context
[02:28] A Two-Speed Consumer Reality: Hermes vs Buy Now Pay Later
[03:09- How the K-Shaped Economy Changes Demand, Resilience and Marketing
[05:46] Top of the K: Affluent Consumers Driving Global Marketing Spend
[07:31] The End of the “Average Consumer” and What It Means for Marketers
[10:33] Mid-Market Brands in a K-Shaped Economy
[11:55] Redefining Value in Marketing: Beyond Low Price to Emotional Return
[14:07] Category, Occasion and Pricing Strategy in a K-Shaped Economy
[17:29] Marketing to Affluent Consumers: Luxury Lessons on Depth and Pricing Power
[19:27] Marketing to Pressured Consumers: Value, Dignity and Life-on-a-Budget
[22:00] How Technology Accelerates the K-Shaped Economy
[24:07] K-Shaped AI Adoption and Strategic Questions for Marketing Leaders

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