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Acxiom, IPG Mediabrands, and IRIS.TV have partnered to launch Acxiom Contextual CTV, a privacy-safe targeting tool powered by IRIS_ID. The solution analyzes content context鈥攇enre, subject, tone鈥攚ithout using personal identifiers, addressing rising privacy concerns as cookies disappear. Already present in 17鈥�40% of US bidstream inventory, IRIS.TV enables more accurate targeting, while early pilots show higher video completion rates and stronger brand lift. Publishers benefit too, with CPMs rising as much as 25%. With CTV ad sales projected to hit $46.9 billion by 2028, this approach could set a new industry standard for performance, compliance, and contextual relevance.

The news: Snap is seeking outside funding for its AR Spectacles as it struggles to compete with Meta platforms and TikTok, per The Information. Our take: Bringing in outside capital could help Snap accelerate AR development without draining its core business. The possibility of gathering outside investment also highlights how critical Snap鈥檚 AR bet has become and how high the stakes are. Staying competitive requires Snap to prove Spectacles can evolve past a niche hardware play and compete with strong AI alternatives. If it can鈥檛, Snap may get stuck in the middle, overshadowed by platforms that are faster, bigger, and richer.

The news: 46% of US adults check their phones between 10 and 50 times per day, per a YouGov survey, presenting brands with a strong opportunity to create sticky, habit-forming mobile experiences. Sixty-four percent of survey respondents have at least one paid mobile app subscription, showing that consumers are willing to pay if apps provide solutions to users鈥� needs. Our take: B2C marketers looking to drive subscriptions or paid features need to ensure apps deliver immediate, ongoing value that users will turn to daily. For apps that can鈥檛 hit the bar of essential utility, a freemium or ad-supported model can offer more realistic monetization paths.

TikTok is laying off hundreds of UK staff as it shifts moderation to AI, with more than 85% of takedowns now automated. The cuts, part of a global restructuring, come as the UK鈥檚 Online Safety Act pressures platforms to strengthen oversight. Industry peers are also pivoting鈥擬eta and X have scaled back fact-checking while Reddit, Pinterest, and Snapchat adopt varying models of control. Yet user sentiment runs counter: Most want more human oversight, not less, with strong demand for fact-checkers, privacy, and quality control. The divergence raises brand-safety questions as advertisers weigh cost efficiencies against consumer trust.

The situation: A significant share of consumers are putting eating out on the chopping block as tariffs carve into their budgets. 43% could cut back on full-service restaurants, while 42% are rethinking fast-casual, per a CivicScience consumer survey. Chains seen as pricey鈥攐r lacking a clear bang-for-the-buck鈥攁re especially vulnerable, as shown by sluggish results at 鈥渟lop bowl鈥� brands like Cava and Sweetgreen. To stay off the block themselves, restaurants from McDonald鈥檚 to Applebee鈥檚 are leaning hard into value plays. Our take: Consumers haven鈥檛 lost their appetite for dining out, but with budgets under pressure, they want to be sure they鈥檙e getting their money鈥檚 worth. Restaurants that serve up value will thrive; those that don鈥檛 could get carved up as tariffs pinch wallets.

The news: Zip鈥檚 total transaction volume (TTV) spiked 30.3% YoY in fiscal 2025 (ended June 30, 2025), driven by momentum in its US business. Cash before taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBTDA) more than doubled YoY to AUD 170.3 million ($109.38 million), a 147% increase. Total transaction value hit AUD 13.1 billion ($8.42 billion). Transaction volume was up 22.1% YoY to 93 million. Net bad debts decreased YoY to 1.5% of TTV, down from 1.7% in FY24. Our take: Zip鈥檚 year-end results reflect the spending strength of US consumers. We forecast US total retail sales to hit $7.513.38 trillion for 2025. By comparison, Zip鈥檚 native Australia is only anticipated to crack $356.49 billion in total retail sales this year.

The news: Gap鈥檚 newest denim campaign is challenging American Eagle鈥檚 controversial Sydney Sweeney ad. Helmed by K-pop girl group Katseye and featuring a diverse group of dancers set to the 2003 Kellis hit 鈥淢ilkshake,鈥� the ad is earning praise for celebrating diversity, individuality, and modern inclusivity. Our take: Advertisers can take several key lessons from the ads about how culturally attuned messaging can either draw praise or spark controversy depending on how it aligns with current social conversations.

The news: Middle-income credit cardholders who are satisfied with their card are more likely to use buy now, pay later (BNPL) products than all other BNPL users, per a YouGov survey. 48% of satisfied US credit cardholders who used BNPL in the last month reported being middle-income, versus 39% of all BNPL users. BNPL users who were satisfied with their credit card were also more likely to be higher income than all BNPL users, at 10% to 8%. Our take: Issuers of credit cards should note that even their happiest customers desire the flexibility of interest-free installment plans. Credit card companies can get ahead by marketing their card-linked installment plans to their cardholder bases and capture the BNPL spend that could have been lost to a fintech.

The trend: Consumers pay broadly different prices for the same healthcare procedures across the US, with the highest average negotiated rate more than 9 times the lowest average rate in a recent assessment by Trilliant Health. Our take: Consumers want to be able to compare healthcare costs, but it鈥檚 still unclear how forceful the federal government is going to be in mandating true transparency鈥攁nd if consumers truly grasp the publicly posted prices for medical services. We expect hospitals will continue to push back on any new regulations, while insurers will keep information on negotiated rates behind closed doors, thus perpetuating price disparities and not arming consumers with actionable insights that will lower their healthcare costs.

The news: American Express is the payment partner of Hard Rock Stadium, the Formula 1 Crypto.com Grand Prix, and the Miami Dolphins, replete with new perks for for South Florida cardholders and fans. Our take: Amex is leading the premium rewards arms race against competitors like Chase and Capital One by snagging high-profile, high-prestige events like the US Open and Formula 1. Aligning itself with the experiential desires of the wealthy helps Amex deliver unbeatable rewards that turn exclusive experiences into cardholder loyalty. .

Streaming accounts for almost half (45.3%) of total US time spent with ad-supported TV, according to a July report from Nielsen.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss our 鈥榲ery specific, but highly unlikely鈥� predictions for the future of digital in 2026 and beyond. Why browsers will become the new AI battleground, what does it mean if agentic AI doesn鈥檛 take over shopping, and can GenAI actually lead to more of the jobs it can easily destroy? Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Briefings, Jeremy Goldman, Principal Analyst, Sara Marzano, and Vice President of Content, Paul Verna. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Despite recent tariff challenges, Amazon continues to show impressive growth while experimenting with longer Prime Day events and exploring new AI ventures.

The news: Meta鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.

Earlier this month, for the second time in seven years, Claire鈥檚 filed for bankruptcy. The retailer will avoid complete collapse by selling most of its North American business to private equity firm Ames Watson, but its ongoing struggles serve as a cautionary tale. Marketing tactics alone cannot keep a brand afloat without a cohesive strategy鈥攐ne that unites product, customer experience, and cultural relevance.

The news: Google is bringing Gemini AI to the living room. Starting in October, Gemini for Home will replace Google Assistant on Nest speakers and displays, per The Verge. Gemini for Home opens new channels for contextual, voice-driven ad engagement inside households. With millions of Nest and Google Home devices expected to get the upgrade, the scale is massive and the stakes are high. Our take: Gemini for Home lets Google fuse search ads with household AI. But winning against Amazon will depend on trust, adoption, seamless ad integration, and pricing. Google鈥檚 challenge is making its service compelling enough to drive adoption and subscribers.

Google will soon unveil an AI-powered personal health coach for the Fitbit app. Powered by Gemini, the health coach will be available to Fitbit Premium subscribers. Google will roll out a preview in October with the latest Fitbit trackers, Fitbit smartwatches, and Pixel Watches. Our take: The AI arms race has hit the health app and wearables space, and Google/Fitbit beat rivals to the punch with an AI personalized health coach. Highly customized health recommendations will be a must-have in the next iteration of digital health tools. Players in this space must ensure their AI-delivered guidance is reliable, while not turning off consumers with pricey subscription requirements.

The news: Macy鈥檚 Media Network, the department store鈥檚 retail media arm, will test a partnership with Amazon Retail Ad Service鈥攖he ecommerce giant鈥檚 ad tech product for other retailers. The pilot will launch in early Q4, just ahead of the holiday season. Our take: Macy鈥檚 is the first major retailer to test Amazon鈥檚 ad product since its January debut, making this a high-profile proving ground. The pilot will show whether Amazon can drive incremental ad spend for retailers, and crucially, whether other chains are comfortable sharing data with a direct competitor. The results will have ripple effects across the ad tech ecosystem. If the partnership proves effective, Amazon Retail Ad Service could emerge as a meaningful threat to intermediaries like Criteo and Publicis, which have built strong businesses helping brands navigate retail media. It would also open another lucrative revenue stream for Amazon鈥檚 already fast-growing ad arm, strengthening its position at the center of digital commerce.

The news: Podcast ads are turning passive listeners into active consumers and driving measurable outcomes for brands, per a Nielsen study. Podcast campaigns led to a 10-point boost in brand awareness; an 8-point increase in information-seeking; and a 6-point increase in recommendation and purchase intent. Our take: Podcasting鈥檚 high engagement and success for brands makes it an increasingly critical investment鈥攂ut key considerations must be kept in mind. Host-read ads perform best. Brands are most likely to thrive with podcast ads when the host is an actual user of the products advertised and comes across as authentic.

The news: Apple is hiking Apple TV+ subscriptions from $9.99 to $12.99 a month in the US and other select markets. The change took effect Thursday for new subscribers and will begin within 30 days of renewal for existing ones. Annual plans and Apple One bundles remain unchanged. Our take: Price hikes may stabilize short-term revenue, but they heighten the churn risk when loyalty is fragile. Apple is betting that prestige shows and an ad-free edge justify a 30% hike, but with churn peaking, this risks price-sensitive viewers simply switching away.

The news: Telehealth company Ro signed tennis superstar Serena Williams as a celebrity patient spokesperson for its GLP-1 weight loss meds. Our take: As an athlete, Williams speaks to potential GLP-1 customers who may not relate to advertising that focuses on people with obesity. Ro鈥檚 strategy is a win for Lilly and Novo since the drugmakers can stick to brand-safe body positivity and anti-stigma messages via obesity awareness campaigns, while their telehealth partners take on flashier campaigns with mega-celebrities while not having to adhere to the same strict FDA ad regulations.

The news: YouTube Music is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a slate of new features, bringing it closer to serving as a full Spotify replacement. Our take: As music platforms evolve into social ecosystems, brand strategies should adapt from passive ad placements to active participation. Testing new ad formats in Taste Match playlists and comments could provide organic brand presence, while partnering with artists who already bridge YouTube鈥檚 properties opens access to engaged, music-first communities.

The news: New details on the Trump administration and European Union trade agreement solidify a 15% tariff cap on generics and active pharmaceutical ingredients, but leave questions on brand-name drug imports. The takeaway: Pharma companies can breathe a sigh of relief with the certainty of 15% EU tariffs and another reprieve, at least for now, on MFN pricing. Although the threat remains, the MFN deadline has already shifted once from June to September and could be moved again. That said, drugmakers should continue discussions while preparing for counter measures if needed such as US-only drug launches or raising prices abroad.

Blue Yonder has acquired Optoro to expand its footprint in returns management, covering everything from in-store and warehouse processes to recommerce and resale. Returns are projected to hit $685.9 billion in 2024, nearly 13% of US retail sales, with fraud and behaviors like bracketing and wardrobing compounding losses. Optoro brings warehouse-focused workflows, while Blue Yonder has built consumer-facing tools through prior acquisitions like Doddle. Together, they now cover the entire returns cycle. By reframing returns as recoverable assets, Blue Yonder aims to help retailers cut waste, boost profitability, and position itself as a leader in returns technology.