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The news: Epic rolled out new genAI tools for clinicians, including an AI scribe solution that transcribes doctors鈥� notes during patient visits. Epic will incorporate ambient technology from Microsoft to power its medical documentation technology. Our take: Epic鈥檚 AI scribe solution with Microsoft/Nuance as its development partner delivers a major blow to startups like Abridge and Ambience. These two companies are part of a booming ambient AI scribe space that has totaled nearly $1 billion in investment funding so far this year, per a July analysis from STAT. But Epic鈥檚 presence will make it much tougher for smaller players to stand out in the category, since doctors will be drawn in by the efficiency of using scribe tools from their EHR system.

Consumer trust in the US healthcare system and its key players has eroded. Brands now face patients who distrust traditional guidance鈥攐ften due to political polarization鈥攁nd seek answers from unverified sources. Here鈥檚 how brands and marketers can win back patient trust and rebuild deteriorating reputations.

The news: Meta is moving forward with its ad automation ambitions by introducing new options to consolidate ad targeting, per a company announcement. Meta鈥檚 Ads Manager page noted that 鈥渟ome detailed targeting options have been combined,鈥� and that ads using now-unavailable options no longer deliver starting in January. Our take: Automated AI campaigns are the path forward as long as giants like Meta continue pushing for automation and away from manual鈥攏ecessitating advertisers take key steps to adapt. Campaign goals must be reframed for an AI-first environment.

The news: Google Ads is ending manual language targeting, taking over a significant element of campaign management. In lieu of manual targeting, Google鈥檚 AI will detect user language automatically using signals such as language settings and historic search activity. Our take: Brands should consider auditing current campaigns to identify where automated language detection might create gaps and establish safeguards, such as breaking out campaigns by region or market and including clear, native-language text in headlines and descriptions to signal intended language to both users and Google鈥檚 systems.

The news: President Donald Trump expanded his steel and aluminum tariffs to cover 407 consumer goods that either contain, or are packaged in, aluminum or steel. The scope is wide-ranging, hitting everything from baby booster seats to microwave ovens to personal care products that come in metal containers or packaging.The news: President Donald Trump expanded his steel and aluminum tariffs to cover 407 consumer goods that either contain, or are packaged in, aluminum or steel. The scope is wide-ranging, hitting everything from baby booster seats to microwave ovens to personal care products that come in metal containers or packaging. The takeaway: The sweeping scope and sudden rollout underscore that tariff uncertainty isn鈥檛 going away鈥攁nd could easily intensify. With US consumers now facing the highest average effective tariff rate since 1933, the ripple effects are clear: Higher costs will flow downstream, squeezing retailers and dampening consumer spending.

Generative AI is rapidly moving from novelty to necessity in advertising, collapsing production costs and timelines while expanding creative possibilities. National TV ads that once required six figures and weeks of work can now be made in days for a fraction of the budget, opening broadcast-quality campaigns to smaller advertisers. With nearly 90% of large video advertisers already adopting AI, use cases like personalization, ideation, and versioning are proliferating. Yet consumer skepticism remains strong鈥攅specially among older audiences鈥攗nderscoring that human craft and cultural nuance still matter. The challenge ahead: merging automation鈥檚 efficiency with trust and authentic creativity at scale.

The finding: More than 1 in 3 Americans (36%) name alcohol as their go鈥憈o restaurant drink, just ahead of soda (29%) and water (21%), per a July Harris Poll. Nearly 70% of recent diners ordered at least one alcoholic beverage, per Harris. Our take: Alcohol remains a top choice, but nonalcoholic options command the bulk of orders. Restaurants should tailor their beverage programs by guest profile and occasion鈥攕howcasing premium, adult鈥慶entric cocktails for millennials and Gen X, while expanding on鈥憈rend, flavorful NA and low鈥慉BV offerings to engage Gen Z and health鈥慶onscious diners.

Nexstar is acquiring Tegna in a $6.2 billion deal that would expand its reach to 265 stations and 39% of US TV households, pending FCC approval. CEO Perry Sook says the merger is essential for competing with Big Tech, while critics warn it could weaken local journalism. The timing comes as regulators signal openness to loosening ownership caps. Local TV ad spending is projected at $17.27 billion in 2025, with broadcast accounting for most of it, but growth lags digital channels. Nexstar is betting that consolidation and scale will help protect broadcast revenue against mounting digital competition.

The trend: The number of family caregivers in the US continues to increase, and many are taking on more responsibility, according to a survey of nearly 6,900 family caregivers ages 18+ from the AARP & National Alliance for Caregiving. Our take: Healthcare provider organizations and pharma companies can build relationships with families and drive brand loyalty by developing resources that target caregivers rather than patients. For instance, providers with patients who have family caregivers can offer transportation services to appointments, be accessible during times of the day that best work for caretakers, and connect caregivers with resources on how to get compensated for their work. Additionally, drugmakers should create educational materials that help caregivers better understand their recipients鈥� disease, manage their treatment regimens, and administer medications.

The news: A closely watched GLP-1 experimental pill from Viking Therapeutics achieved lower-than-anticipated weight loss results in study data released Tuesday. Our take: While weight loss pills won't be as powerful as shots, they still offer a good solution. Losing 10% to 12% of weight is still a significant result. Plus, pills are much more convenient than injectibles. They're easier to store and take, and don't require a needle. Drug companies should focus on promoting these benefits to market the pills as a good weight loss option.