蘑菇AV

The US-China trade war drives Shein to diversify its sourcing: Shein and Reliance Retail plan to start international sales of India-made Shein-branded clothes within six to 12 months.

The news: IT leaders are increasingly concerned about unauthorized employee use of AI and its risk to company security and compliance. 90% are concerned about 鈥渟hadow AI,鈥� or employees adopting AI tools without IT team approval, per Komprise鈥檚 IT Survey: AI, Data & Enterprise Risk. 13% of companies said genAI has harmed their finances, customers, or reputation鈥攑roof that AI鈥檚 risks aren鈥檛 just hypothetical. Our take: Companies should pair data management and protection of sensitive data with worker training. Giving employees access to tools they鈥檒l actually use and keeping them in the loop on AI plans could help prevent the use of unauthorized tools and data leaks, foster trust, and deter sabotage of genAI initiatives.

The news: A CBS investigation discovered hundreds of deepfake ads on Meta platforms promoting 鈥渘udify鈥� apps that create sexually explicit content based on images of real people. The analysis of Meta鈥檚 ad library found at minimum hundreds of deepfake ads across Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Facebook Messenger, and Meta Audience Network. Our take: The rise of deepfakes on major platforms like Meta emphasizes AI鈥檚 potential to erode consumer trust and raise brand safety risks鈥攆orcing advertisers to navigate a growing gap between innovation and lagging safeguards.

The news: Walmart rolled out Sparky, its generative AI (genAI) assistant, to all Walmart app users this week鈥攁 preliminary step that puts it closer to achieving its agentic ambitions. Our take: By broadening Sparky鈥檚 capabilities, Walmart is trying to position itself not only as a shopping destination, but also as a place where consumers can go when they need everyday life advice or information鈥攕uch as how to fix a leaky faucet or help with event planning. Whether the retailer succeeds will depend on how well Sparky works, and whether it can convince shoppers to overcome their current skepticism of AI tools.

Back-to-school sales will decelerate this year: Mounting macroeconomic pressures are prompting retailers to kick off promotions earlier and encouraging consumers to buy now rather than later.

US consumers will spend 8.6 hours daily with digital media in 2025. How they divide that time across devices is evolving as video content drives strong growth in connected TV usage.

The news: On Thursday, Nintendo released the Switch 2, 鈥嬧�媔ts first new console since the Nintendo Switch was launched in 2017. The handheld device comes with upgraded specs, social gaming features, and bundles with exclusive titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. It also includes GameChat, a feature that combines voice and video and lets up to 12 people chat while playing games. Our take: With a growing package of subscription perks and social hooks like GameChat, Nintendo may be taking a page from Apple鈥檚 playbook by turning its hardware into a recurring revenue engine. The Switch 2 could be a sticky ecosystem for Nintendo, even if the price goes up.

The news: Amazon鈥檚 Private Auction is quietly reshaping the CTV landscape by introducing more flexible buying on Prime Video. The format allows smaller advertisers and performance marketers to compete for inventory through open bidding, bypassing the need for costly guaranteed placements. As CPMs decline and the demand for agility rises, this move gives brands better control over pricing and access. Our take: While big brands may still favor premium guarantees, Amazon鈥檚 shift reflects broader momentum toward programmatic efficiency. By inviting direct-response buyers into the Prime Video ecosystem, Amazon is not just monetizing scale鈥攊t鈥檚 redefining what CTV access looks like in 2025.

The news: Quality control is a growing fear for advertisers as an Adweek investigation found ads from major brands appeared near offensive and inappropriate content. Ads from brands like Amazon and Verizon were found near sexual or racially offensive content on the Android short-form video app XShorts. Our take: Advertisers are increasingly faced with a digital landscape where programmatic ad buying lacks the quality control required to keep up with rapid innovation and demand for ad space鈥攑rompting renewed calls for transparency, verification, and human oversight in automated systems.

Advertisers鈥� push for a unified strategy across retail media, loyalty programs, and merchandising is raising the bar on data and transparency. Paul Lentz, executive director and head of strategic development at CVS Media Exchange, shares how new collaborations鈥攆rom The Trade Desk to social platforms鈥攃an help brands see every ad dollar鈥檚 impact.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss how advertisers have gone from navigating uncertainty to navigating whiplash, and how they can prioritize and get the most out of ad measurement with a limited budget. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Analysts Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf and Max Willens, and the Director of Product Management at Cint Stephanie Gall. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Temu and Shein ad impressions dropped to 0% as both retailers effectively cut off Google Shopping ad spend in April.

While performance marketing satisfies short-term goals, brand marketing supports long-term growth by building trust, credibility, and lasting differentiation in crowded markets. A new report from 蘑菇AV and StackAdapt shows a clear shift in how brands are approaching their marketing mix in 2025.

Amazon Prime is deeply entrenched in the US, with 75% of households as members. Despite this saturation, Amazon sees growth opportunities in international markets and among underpenetrated US demographics: rural, younger, and lower-income consumers. These groups show untapped potential, said Jamil Ghani, Amazon Prime鈥檚 worldwide VP. Prime fuels Amazon鈥檚 ecosystem鈥攎embers spend more by using benefits like streaming, pharmacy, Grubhub+, and free shipping. In contrast, nonmembers often spend less over time. By expanding perks and appealing to new segments, Amazon uses Prime to drive loyalty, customer lifetime value, and resilience against macroeconomic shifts.

The trend: Consumers who take weight loss drugs are eating less and consuming healthier foods when they鈥檙e on the medication. Our take: This behavior change is driving a slew of food sellers and CPG brands to develop product lines and reformulate items with GLP-1 users in mind.

Despite political pressure, McDonald鈥檚 is standing by its commitment to inclusion. While it recently replaced 鈥淒EI鈥� language with 鈥渋nclusion,鈥� its initiatives remain intact, per Bloomberg. That contrasts with brands like Target, Nike, and JPMorgan Chase, which have scaled back DEI and climate efforts amid conservative backlash. McDonald鈥檚 cosmetic rebranding reflects a strategic calculation: investing in programs it views as beneficial for business and essential to long-term brand equity, especially with key demographics. If it avoids major backlash, McDonald鈥檚 could offer a model for other brands weighing how to uphold values while managing political and reputational risk.

The news: This week鈥檚 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will be a critical opportunity for Apple to define its AI transformation after a year of missteps, unfulfilled promises, and user fallout. Our take: Apple must convince users and developers that its platform is where meaningful AI happens. Leaning solely on OS and service updates won鈥檛 cut it, and ignoring its AI roadmap risks slowing iPhone and Mac upgrade cycles. The pressure is mounting. Samsung and Google are packing AI into their next phones, and 1 in 5 iPhone users say AI features could drive their next smartphone upgrade, per CNET.

Retail and commerce media were huge topics at last year鈥檚 Cannes Lions festival, and this year, the festival is doubling down on the channel by introducing a new retail media sub-category in the Media Lions and Creative Commerce Lions awards. However, 鈥渢he tone is definitely shifting鈥� as the industry matures鈥攁nd faces the threat of tariff-related impacts, according to our analyst, Sarah Marzano.

The news: National TV ad revenues will fall 11.4% this year, hitting $35.3 billion, while streamers are expected to rise 26% to $7.8 billion, per a Madison and Wall projection reported by MediaPost. Our take: Advertisers should continue shifting strategies to align with viewing habits and consumer behaviors鈥攂ut remain cautious about complete CTV adoption, as opaque ad placements and looming economic pressures spell an uncertain future.

The news: In-car voice commerce has the potential to unlock a $35 billion annual opportunity for automakers, according to new research by in-car voice technology provider SoundHound AI. The hands-free tech integrates voice ordering, payments, and navigation directly into vehicles鈥攖ransforming them into mobile commerce hubs that users are already familiar with. Key takeaway: Marketers and advertisers should prepare for a shift in automotive user interface by integrating voice-first campaigns into connected car ecosystems. Opportunities include forging partnerships with automakers and service providers for branded voice experiences, sponsored suggestions, and frictionless ordering while prioritizing transparency to satisfy safety regulators.

The insight: Clothing rental services are in the midst of a resurgence. Rent the Runway ended Q1 with a record number of subscribers, while Urban Outfitters-owned Nuuly added 40,000 members in the quarter alone. Our take: It鈥檚 taken time for companies to prove that the clothing subscription model can be sustainable. While Nuuly was the first to reach profitability, Rent the Runway鈥檚 rebound shows that there is an appetite for rental services that can deliver high-quality products at an affordable price point, as well as capitalize on consumers鈥� desire for newness.