For decades, the prevailing wisdom has been that a four-year college degree is the surest ticket to a successful career. However, the educational and economic landscapes are undergoing a seismic shift. In 2026, the traditional college path is no longer the only, or even the best, route to prosperity. A confluence of factors—soaring tuition costs, a ballooning student debt crisis, and a rapidly evolving job market—has propelled trade schools into the spotlight. These institutions, once

The competition for student enrollment is fiercer than ever. For trade schools, the challenge is not just to attract students, but to attract the right students—those who will thrive in a hands-on learning environment and go on to successful careers in the skilled trades. This requires a sophisticated and data-driven approach to enrollment marketing, one that goes beyond traditional tactics and embraces the full power of the digital landscape. This article is not a theoretical

Google Brings Marketing Mix Modeling to the Masses Google is rolling out a code-free Scenario Planning interface for its Marketing Mix Model, Meridian, giving non-technical marketers access to advanced cross-channel measurement and forecasting. Teams can use natural language prompts to explore performance and stress test budget scenarios in a privacy-safe environment, as MMM continues to outpace other measurement approaches in investment. For marketers managing paid search, paid social, programmatic, and CTV, easier MMM access means

Roku’s video ad growth Roku’s platform revenue, which includes advertising, rose 18% year over year to $1.22 billion in Q4, with leadership saying its video ad growth is outpacing the broader OTT market. AI-powered tools inside Roku Ads Manager are opening CTV to small and mid-sized businesses, while its Amazon Ads partnership aims to expand authenticated reach at scale. For marketers, connected TV is becoming more measurable, more accessible, and more performance-driven, making now the

Amazon’s ad revenue surges past $21 billion in Q4 Amazon closed Q4 with more than $21 billion in ad revenue, up 22% year over year, reinforcing how deeply commerce media is embedded in full-funnel strategy. Prime Video and Thursday Night Football continue to pull brand dollars upstream while retail media closes the loop downstream. Growth at this scale signals that performance and brand are no longer separate budget conversations for marketers planning 2026. Ad-supported television