蘑菇AV

The trend: Global visits to the top 100 web domains fell nearly 7% from March 2022 to March 2025, per Semrush, with Google鈥檚 own traffic down 6.4%, according to Similarweb as cited by DataReportal. Our take: Search is no longer a neutral traffic driver. Marketers need to plan for a world where clicks don鈥檛 come easy and genAI responses, not blue links, dictate traffic and visibility. GEO strategies must ensure brands are surfaced in genAI outputs. Marketers should focus on first-party data, brand-owned channels, and social, especially since platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube are increasingly becoming primary search paths for younger users.

The news: Credit card issuers can cement top-of-wallet status by personalization and perks, especially for millennials and Gen Zers, per a PYMNTS Intelligence and i2c joint report. Our take: To meet young consumers鈥� needs, issuers need to play up the non-rewards features that cardholders crave鈥攈igher credit limits coupled with tools to help cardholders make smart spending decisions.

The news: Affirm partnered with Shopmonkey and Xsolla so auto mechanics and video game developers can offer installment plans at checkout. Our take: Affirm has focused on building out its partnership network and the Affirm Card鈥攁nd its fiscal Q3 results (ended March 31, 2025) bear out the strategies鈥� success, with total revenues increasing 36% YoY.

The news: PayPal users can get 20% cash back on their Taco Bell orders if they check out with PayPal or Venmo in-app or online, per a press release. Our take: For Taco Bell enthusiasts, 20% cash back every week may be too good of an offer to refuse.

63% of millennials and 61% of Gen Zers feel more connected to health brands since starting GLP-1s, per a January Dentsu report.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss our 鈥榲ery specific, but highly unlikely鈥� predictions for 2025. What would happen if Google preemptively broke itself into smaller pieces, if online shopping flatlined, and if the audio ad space doubled in size in short order. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Director of Reports Editing Rahul Chadha, and Senior Analysts Blake Droesch and Max Willens. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

As retail media networks expand, one of the biggest challenges facing marketers is measurement. In fact, 42% of US retail media buyers believe that more effective and accurate campaign measurement is the most important issue in retail media advertising today, according to March 2025 data from Koddi. To help advertisers better assess the effectiveness of their campaigns, Sam鈥檚 Club Member Access Platform (MAP) has introduced Omni-Impact鈥攁 new AI-powered measurement solution.

The news: As the 2025 economy tightens under the pressure of tariffs, AI disruption, and shifting global trade policy, brands are embracing adaptability. Retail growth forecasts have been slashed, inflation-wary consumers are scaling back, and even luxury sentiment is weakening. Our take: Resilient brands are leaning into agile planning, reallocating media spend to ROI-focused channels like search and digital out-of-home, and anchoring value in trust and quality鈥攏ot just price. As emotional volatility shapes consumer decisions, marketers who show relevance and reassurance will lead. The brands that win won鈥檛 wait for stability鈥攖hey鈥檒l build strategies that succeed amid constant change.

LGBTQ+ consumers are a rapidly growing, influential segment, with expectations for brand authenticity, year-round inclusion, and genuine support. We explore their values and media behaviors as well as strategies for marketers to meaningfully engage.

The news: The P&C insurance industry posted a 96.6 combined ratio in 2024鈥攊ts best in 10+ years鈥攄espite natural disaster losses. Major reserve boosts, surging premium growth, and smart underwriting (especially in personal auto and homeowners) drove this performance. GenAI adoption further enhanced claims processing and fraud detection. Strategic exits from high-risk areas also curbed losses. Our take: P&C insurers must double down on AI, automation, and risk analytics to sustain profitability amid growing climate volatility and economic headwinds. Innovation in underwriting and pricing, paired with disciplined risk management, will be key to staying resilient in an increasingly unpredictable risk environment.

The news: Despite lower COVID-19 mortality rates, it remains the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. Lingering health impacts鈥攍ike long COVID, delayed diagnoses, and worsening chronic conditions鈥攃ontinue to threaten life insurers鈥� claims experience and profitability. Pre-pandemic underwriting likely underestimated these risks. Our take: Life insurers must recalibrate actuarial and pricing models to account for persistent COVID-19 health risks. Incorporating new medical and mortality data into term life and other products will ensure premiums align with post-pandemic realities, protect margins, and improve risk modeling accuracy in an evolving health landscape.

The news: Banks shouldn't use a single marketing strategy for all young people鈥擬illennials (born 1981-1996) and Gen Z (born 1997-2012) have distinct financial behaviors. Millennials, shaped by economic uncertainty, seek stability and pragmatic digital tools, valuing expert advice. Gen Z, digital natives, demand effortless speed, are influencer-driven, and focus on immediate experiences, often skeptical of traditional banks. Our take: Marketing must be tailored. For millennials, emphasize trust, reliability, and security for long-term goals, offering expert education. For Gen Z, highlight speed, flexibility, and convenience through engaging, short-form content on platforms like TikTok, utilizing influencers to build rapport.

The news: A superior digital interface directly correlates with customer care, boosting recommendations and loyalty. Personalized digital engagement, where banks anticipate Gen Z's needs and provide relevant recommendations, also builds trust. Our take: To combat Gen Z's distrust, banks must prioritize brand authenticity and enhance the digital experience. Banks should invest in seamless onboarding, intuitive mobile apps, and relevant personalized recommendations. Failure to do so means digital competitors will continue to capture this emerging generation of wealth builders by operationalizing care through design and data-driven personalization.

The news: China is outpacing the US in retail media鈥檚 global rise, with nearly half of its digital ad spending now flowing through retail platforms. While Amazon still leads globally, its growth is slowing鈥攅xpected to rise just 18.6% in 2025. Meanwhile, players like Uber Eats, Meijer, and Albertsons are growing ad revenues at triple-digit rates. Our take: Retail media is becoming more fragmented and competitive. Success now requires portfolio diversification, especially as new channels鈥攍ike last-mile delivery and in-store signage鈥攇ain momentum. What began as an Amazon-centric, US-led trend is now a worldwide shift reshaping how consumers discover, consider, and buy.

The news: Influencer marketing spending is increasing steadily in the US and worldwide, representing a key area of growth as audiences turn to the creators they trust for purchase decisions. In a conversation with EMARKTER, Arthur Leopold, head of the creator content ad platform Agentio, discussed why audiences are turning to influencers, how technology is changing the game, and where influencer marketing is heading. Our take: Influencer marketing continues to be a core focus for advertisers in a consumer landscape dominated by social media鈥攂ut as more brands invest in influencers, advertisers need to keep key considerations in mind.

Economic concerns and global tensions are forcing travelers to rethink their summer plans as booking windows shrink and cost-consciousness rises.

The news: A recent study found 89% of consumers prefer affordable life insurance with shorter guarantees (to age 90) over 鈥済uaranteed-for-life鈥� policies鈥攐nce visuals and real-world comparisons clarified premium trade-offs. Flexibility and control in coverage and payments also ranked high. Insurers must stop defaulting to lifetime guarantees. Our take: Life insurers should reframe product education using visuals, dollar examples, and jargon-free language to communicate the cost-benefit of 鈥渓ighter鈥� options. Designing flexible, customizable life insurance policies will attract cost-conscious buyers and boost retention in a market shifting toward personalization and transparency.

The news: Higgsfield鈥檚 Soul is the latest AI-powered image- and video-generation service that鈥檚 fine-tuned for 鈥渇ashion-grade realism,鈥� making the output resemble professional photos and videos without the plasticky, overprocessed feel of typical AI visuals. Our take: For less than $10 a month, freelancers and marketing teams can now fast-track campaign proposals and client pitches with high-quality visuals. As AI tools become more accessible, the advantage goes to creatives who learn to shape them strategically鈥攖hose are the ones who鈥檒l win the big contracts. Marketers should treat tools like Soul it as an accelerant, not a replacement. Use it to prototype fast, align on visual direction, and cut production waste.

The news: A proposed merger between Bank of New York Mellon and Northern Trust could create a "monster deal," significantly consolidating the custodial banking space. This large-scale move would pressure smaller competitors, potentially creating a powerhouse in institutional investing and setting new digital efficiency standards. The recent Capital One-Discover acquisition suggests a regulatory environment emboldening such rapid growth. Our take: While large mergers are gaining traction, they're not guaranteed solutions for competitiveness. Banks considering similar strategies must plan meticulously and engage stakeholders. Without careful execution, such integrations can lead to dissatisfied customers and attrition, despite the perceived benefits of scale and market dominance in a hyper-competitive environment.

The news: News publishers are investing in social media presence that may not be creating meaningful referral traffic. Although publishers are working to meet audiences where they are鈥攐n social and video platforms鈥攖heir content is being watched, not clicked, per Digiday. Our take: Despite social media not converting engagement into referral traffic, news publishers have little option but to remain鈥攍eaving social platforms means losing user attention. Publishers may need to boost their efforts in community-driven channels like Substack and podcasts to foster engagement and reader loyalty.

The news: Bumble laid off 30% of its staff and announced it鈥檚 returning to a 鈥渟tartup mentality鈥� as dating app engagement declines. The announcement led its stock to rise 25% Wednesday. Bumble and the online dating industry as a whole are at an 鈥渋nflection point,鈥� CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said in an employee memo. Our take: Unless Bumble successfully reinvests those cost savings into tangible user benefits鈥攍ike better safety measures and more personalized matchmaking鈥攊t could lose relevance in a saturated, burning-out dating market.

The trend: Over three-quarters of US hospitals now task pharmacists with patient care responsibilities, according to a recently published survey from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists. Our take: Struggling retail pharmacies should also entrust pharmacists to play a bigger role in patient care, especially as some drugstores pivot to health-focused store formats.

The news: T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T are in various stages of launching satellite messaging services, extending mobile connectivity into remote areas. Key takeaway: Satellite-cellular convergence opens new paths for targeted ads. As T-Mobile, Verizon, Apple, and others build out skyward networks, marketers gain access to previously unreachable users in creative ways. Marketers should prepare for a world without dead zones. With satellite connectivity becoming widespread, it could unlock new inventory, audiences, and high-intent use cases鈥攅specially for premium segments.

The news: During a Congressional subcommittee hearing, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. laid out his vision for all Americans to use a wearable with health-tracking capabilities within four years. Our take: Marketers should use Kennedy鈥檚 enthusiasm for wearables to their advantage. They should get out in front of the government鈥檚 ad campaign by developing their own promotions that inform consumers of wearables鈥� evolved health-tracking features beyond just counting calories and steps. They could target people who aren鈥檛 as familiar or have never used a health wearable due to price concerns or lack of tech-savviness.

The news: A majority of GLP-1 weight loss drug consumers are now staying on the medications for more than a year, per an annual Prime Therapeutics analysis. The Prime study includes 5,780 people via healthcare claims over three years; the mean age was 47 and 80% were women. The final word: Adherence rates longer than a year validates the idea that prescription weight loss GLP-1s, and newer drugs on the way, are here to stay as chronic disease treatments. It shifts typical weight loss marketing from cyclical鈥攌eep your New Year鈥檚 resolution or lose weight for your wedding鈥攖o medical and consistent.