The Last Word on February 2026

A roundup of digital marketing and email marketing articles, posts, and social buzz you might have missed last month…

Must-read articles, posts & reports

Something Messy Is Happening: On AI, Panic, and Asking Better Questions (Ann Handley)

AI Is Disrupting the Analyst Industry. And That’s Good News (for Buyers). (Email Vendor Selection)

How to Work with Headline Sizes (Type E)

We Need More Humanity in Email, Especially at Unsubscribe (MarTech)

Machine Customers: The Structural Break in Customer Experience (CMSWire)

Insightful & entertaining social posts

DAAAMN! Chatgpt just roasted me:

“You’re the one who voluntarily chose a career where mso- is a personality trait”.

Fair.

— Anne Tomlin (@pompeii79) February 17, 2026

Noteworthy subject lines

Crate & Barrel, 2/6 – Ready for Football’s Biggest Night? So is this living room makeover →
IKEA Family, 2/4 – Happy Lunar New Year from IKEA!
CHANEL, 2/6 – Celebrate Valentine’s Day enveloped in softness
Bed Bath & Beyond, 2/15 – Red, white & 25% off your order 🇺🇸
HP.com, 2/15 – Today only: A 17-inch AI laptop for $600 off!
GameStop, 2/27 – It’s Pokémon’s 30th anniversary! Time to celebrate 🥳⚡
Duluth Trading, 2/15 – Is It Spring Yet?
Goldbelly, 2/26 – Spring Break Bucket List 😎 Joe’s Stone Crab + Central Grocery + Franklin BBQ!
Crate & Barrel, 2/15 – Double Rewards + up to 50% off bestselling sofas? It’s upgrade time →
Olive Garden, 2/12 – Breadsticks > Bouquets
Clinique Online, 2/27 – Pretty pouts 🫦 yes please.
RH, 2/26 – Discover the Early Spring Sale. Up to 70% Off Hundreds of New Items.
IKEA Family, 2/27 – Life hack: Go modular! 🌎

New posts on EmailMarketingRules.com

Five Ways to Personalize Emails for New Subscribers

Fourth Quarter 2025 Email Marketing Benchmark Report

Is Email the Best Path to AI Commerce Dominance?

The Last Word on January 2026