The news: Skylight is a new short-form video app like TikTok, but instead of using algorithms to decide what videos users see, it lets real people create and share their own video feeds, similar to Pinterest’s curation model. Built on Bluesky’s decentralized and open protocol, Skylight has clocked 240,000 downloads and 100,000 video uploads since April, per TechCrunch. Our take: Skylight’s reliance on creator-led feeds gives marketers a glimpse at what post-algorithm engagement could look like. But it remains to be seen if users take to an alternative way of consuming short-form video.
The finding: Growing savings is a top priority for 81% of Gen Zers and 79% of millennials, according to a new study by Santander Bank. Most in these cohorts have grown their savings since the beginning of 2024—but they did it the hard way. Our take: FIs have an opportunity and responsibility to educate younger customers in particular about products that earn higher interest rates. Banks also have potential growth opportunities if they successfully market their higher-interest-rate products to this audience—ensuring education is part of these campaigns. This presents an excellent opportunity to launch social media campaigns—especially through partnerships with influencers that customers’ trust most—highlighting these specific products. In addition, less overt marketing strategies, like social media content, can help build trust and brand recognition. We’ve compiled a guide for how to approach and evaluate these relationships.
The news: Google Translate is taking on Duolingo with a slate of new features, including a focus on gamification. An app update includes customizable language lessons based on skill level and is currently available for English, Spanish, and French learners. The lessons track users’ daily progress, similar to Duolingo’s popular “streaks” feature, and can create practice scenarios based on user prompts. Our take: Gamification and interactive features can boost engagement, but AI tools aren’t free to operate. Google may swallow Gemini’s translation costs to keep the service free, a perk that Big Tech’s deep pockets can easily handle and that Duolingo might have a difficult time matching.
The news: Meta’s new auto-translation feature for Reels could simplify global content sharing. The AI-powered translation tool can automatically dub and lip-sync Reels on Instagram and Facebook into other languages, including English, Spanish, and Portuguese. It’s available to Facebook creators with at least 1,000 followers and to all public Instagram accounts. Our take: Creators and brands should lean into short-form multilingual content to maximize audience reach and watch for engagement spikes in views in unexpected regions to identify new markets and audiences worth targeting.
Retailers face an atypical holiday season. Instead of the usual end-of-year boom, 2025 is expected to bring a rare deceleration in holiday sales growth.
Gen X consumers will spend $15.2 trillion worldwide this year, the highest of any generation, according to NielsenIQ.
The news: Sixty-four percent of Gen Z and 65% of millennial homebuyers say their financial well-being will depend on their ability to refinance to a lower interest rate in the future, per Truework’s “The State of Homebuying in America” report. But if rates don’t significantly drop over the next few years, these customers’ mortgages could be at risk of defaulting. Our take: Financial institutions (FIs) can step in to help young homeowners navigate their mortgages while they await rate changes. FIs can start by offering automated refinance alerts, enhancing digital transparency and providing a homeownership/homebuying educational hub.
The news: YouTube is facing user backlash after rolling out its AI-powered age-verification system in the US. Many users are furious, per TechRadar, citing concerns about “mass surveillance and data control.” The age-verification AI estimates a user’s age based on viewing patterns, search history, and account age. If it flags a user as under 18, YouTube automatically applies teen safety restrictions like disabling personalized ads, limiting content availability, and turning on digital well-being tools. Our take: Disabling personalized advertising for flagged accounts will disrupt retargeting models and reduce audience reach. Marketers focused on Gen  Zers on YouTube should prepare for reduced targeting precision and to shift toward context-driven campaigns or diversify across other platforms.
Roughly two-thirds (64%) of Gen Z consumers have cut spending in the past year due to higher living costs, according to an April Ipsos survey for Bank of America.Uncertainty is beginning to shape Gen Z’s purchasing decisions. Brands will need to work harder to earn their dollars—possibly by appealing to the generation’s tendency to shop for emotional relief.
Live Nation expects 2025 to be another record year for concertgoing, as global tours from superstars like Oasis, Coldplay, and Beyoncé fuel attendance and ticket sales. While it may seem counterintuitive for concert demand to be so strong even as other areas of discretionary spending, like travel and restaurant meals, falter, it’s clear that a sizable number of consumers view entertainment as a necessary splurge in an era of uncertainty. That could help give the US hospitality industry a much-needed boost as it grapples with declining international demand.
Almost half (49%) of US Gen Zers are much more likely to pay attention to ads that make them laugh or use music they like, per a June report from Edison Research and SiriusXM Media.
The news: We’ve seen TD Bank lean into comedy before to appeal to younger consumers and launch new products. It’s using a similar strategy to educate current and prospective customers about fractional investing services. Can it work? It’s a clever concept that has prompted consumers, who generally like the ad, to question the legality of using snippets of widely recognized logos, per Creative Bloq. The ad’s core strength is how it takes a complex financial concept—fractional investing—and makes it instantly understandable through a simple visual pun. This approach is highly effective in grabbing attention, especially from younger, digitally savvy audiences, who might find traditional financial ads unappealing.
The news: After facing early-career challenges from the Great Recession and then the pandemic, many millennials are now wealthier than previous generations were at the same age. But a significant number remain anxious about their financial future and worry that their wealth could disappear, per The Wall Street Journal. Why this matters for banks: Just as Gen Zers feel they need to earn a whopping $587,800 per year to achieve financial success, millennials may need a reality check from their banking providers so they can productively work toward their financial goals.
Cost of living is the top concern for global Gen Zers (39%) and millennials (42%), according to December 2024 data from Deloitte.
58% of US adults have viewed a search result page that included an AI-generated summary, per a March Pew Research Center survey.
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Only 28% of US luxury consumers felt optimistic about the economy in April 2025, down from 41% in January 2025 and 45% in April 2024, according to data from Saks.
The news: Save A Lot introduced a new Hispanic-focused store format—its second—in partnership with Leevers Supermarket as it explores ways to build deeper connections with Hispanic consumers. The takeaway: The rationale for opening these stores is clear: Hispanic consumers wield increasing buying power and account for an outsize share of growth in categories like CPG, beauty, and food and beverage. By targeting these shoppers with formats and products best suited to their needs, grocers can win lasting loyalty.
The news: Gen Z’s share of private label spending will overtake that of baby boomers by 2026, according to a Numerator report. Our take: Gen Z’s affinity for private labels is part of a broader behavioral shift—one that retailers are making the most of. To encourage loyalty among this notoriously fickle cohort, companies will need to stay on top of emerging food trends, foster exclusivity and a sense of urgency with limited-edition releases, and make sure they satisfy Gen Zers’ desire for attractive packaging, transparent labeling, and sustainability.