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The Trade Desk (TTD) posted Q2 revenues of $694 million, up 19% YoY and above expectations, driven by strength in connected TV and premium open-web inventory. However, cautious Q3 guidance cited slower advanced adtech adoption among large brands, macroeconomic budget pressures, and tariff-related spending risks. Shares fell nearly 40% in a day. For advertisers, the story underscores the open web鈥檚 importance as an alternative to walled gardens, with US programmatic open-web spend forecast to reach $48.8 billion by 2027. TTD鈥檚 future growth hinges on CTV, cross-channel targeting, and clean-room data collaboration to deliver premium inventory at scale.

Our exclusive survey, conducted in partnership with MoEngage, reveals how financial services leaders are turning to data and AI to protect relevance, fuel engagement, and unlock growth.

Pinterest reported a breakout Q2 2025 with $998 million in revenue, up 17% YoY鈥攂eating guidance and analyst expectations. Monthly active users hit an all-time high of 578 million, with profitability improving and ARPU rising globally. Gains were driven by GenAI tools like auto-collages, stronger commerce integration via Instacart, and a lean ad tech approach powered by Magnite. Pinterest鈥檚 ad business continues to grow steadily, with advertiser spending up and margins expanding to 25%. While still underweight in media plans, Pinterest is proving itself as a differentiated, performance-ready platform with rising traction among Gen Z and global users.

The news: A Snapchat, WPP Media, and Lumen study unveiled key insights on the growth of attention-based metrics as key indicators of ad success. Even 5% more attention can double brand perception. Attention was 8 times more effective than view-through rates for predicting brand recall and 4 times more effective at determining brand favorability. Our take: Snap is looking to be a leader in a metric that advertisers are increasingly paying attention to鈥攂ut on the back of a lukewarm quarter, can Snap鈥檚 emphasis on attention help it bounce back?

The news: Gen Z is reshaping how consumers shop, spend, and stay well鈥攚ithout ever leaving their screens. US Gen Zers record 425 digital actions a month鈥�40.3% more than Gen Xers and 141.5% more than baby boomers, per PYMNTS Intelligence. Our take: Brands should partner with carefully chosen SMEs to expand reach. High social video subscriber counts won鈥檛 bring the best ROI if creators aren鈥檛 well-versed in what they鈥檙e promoting. They should also ensure websites and checkout processes are frictionless. Gen Z wants quick, effortless experiences. Brands that provide those have the best chance to win them over, and other generations will follow their lead.

The news: Apple Intelligence could integrate OpenAI鈥檚 GPT-5, its latest model that combines traditional ChatGPT capabilities with deepo3-series reasoning, as early as next month, per 9to5Mac. Updates for a more personalized and intelligent Siri, originally expected in the iOS 18.4 update, were delayed in March until sometime 鈥渋n the coming year.鈥� GPT-5 could accelerate that timeline and give Apple a more robust foundation for a truly conversational, autonomous assistant Our take: Marketers and publishers should prepare for reduced visibility through traditional search if assistants like Siri can effectively answer user queries directly. Focus on generative engine optimization (GEO) for conversational AI discovery鈥攖hink FAQs on websites and succinct answers that large language models (LLM) can easily surface.

As consumers trade traditional search engines for social feeds, brands are approaching these platforms as drivers of brand awareness and conversion. TikTok Shop has rapidly become the eighth-largest beauty retailer in the United States, according to a February report from NielsenIQ. 41% of Gen Z turns to social platforms first for finding information, ahead of search engines (32%), AI chatbots (11%), and friends and family (9%), according to a May Sprout Social survey.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss if Google is actually fending off the AI search competition, what its AI Overviews are doing to search behavior, and why growing AI search usage might not necessarily translate into a booming ad business. Join our conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Briefings, Jeremy Goldman, and Principal Analyst, Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

The challenge: Sweetgreen is feeling the squeeze. Macroeconomic headwinds鈥攅specially in major urban markets鈥攁re prompting more cost-conscious consumers to think twice before splurging on a salad. After a second straight quarter of weak performance, the chain slashed its same-store sales guidance from flat to down between 4% and 6% for the year. Our take: With value top of mind for many consumers, Sweetgreen needs to do more than tweak pricing or portion sizes; it must convince customers that its offering is worth the premium pricing. Without a clearer value narrative, it risks losing relevance in an increasingly budget-conscious dining landscape.

The news: Empower rebranded the Petal portfolio into Tilt, a trio of cards aimed at credit builders. WebBank will remain the issuer for the cards. Our take: Alternative lenders like Tilt do help individuals start or rebuild their history of creditworthiness. However, Tilt may come into a profitability鈥攐r even operational鈥攑roblem after JPMorgan Chase said it would revoke fintechs鈥� free access to consumer financial information.

The trend: Major chains like Claire鈥檚, Kroger, and At Home are shuttering locations in response to mounting cost pressures, shifting consumer behaviors, and overextended store networks. Our take: Retail鈥檚 physical footprint is undergoing a recalibration. Store closures aren鈥檛 just about poor performance鈥攖hey鈥檙e a reflection of deeper structural shifts: Tariffs are reshaping sourcing, pricing, and profitability. Consumers are moving toward value and digital-first channels. Legacy formats鈥攍ike mall stores鈥攁re losing relevance. Retailers that can鈥檛 adapt to these changes quickly are finding themselves on increasingly shaky ground.

The news: Block鈥檚 gross profit rose to $2.54 billion, an increase of 14% YoY. Cash App鈥檚 gross profit grew 16% YoY Square鈥檚 gross profit increased 11% YoY Developments like Cash App Afterpay are gradually drawing the distinct Cash App and Square ecosystems into a robust dual-sided network. However, the Cash App鈥檚 enduring lack of a credit card makes it harder for Block to sell itself as the one-stop shop for young people鈥檚 financial needs.

The news: American Express renewed its partnerships with AEG, expanding Amex鈥檚 rewards reach over venues, festivals, tours, ticketing, and sports. Our take: Amex鈥檚 dedication to building the breadth and depth of its luxury offerings allows it to maintain its premium branding against competitors like the Chase Sapphire Reserve鈥檚 offerings like Chase Experiences

The news: Openvibe, an aggregator for social networks including Threads, Mastodon, and Bluesky, is broadening its scope, giving brands and publishers a fresh channel to build visibility without relying on algorithms or paid reach. The ad-free platform is adding support for RSS, a web standard that lets users subscribe to updates from blogs, news outlets, and other publishers in real time. This opens the door to tracking sources like Substack, Medium, and other independent media, all in one place. Our take: With no algorithm to boost weak or low-signal content, publishers should write strong and descriptive headlines to encourage engagement. Brands should consider publishing blog versions of social media and newsletter content to get on more RSS feeds and cross-post across social networks to maximize reach.

The news: Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser met with President Donald Trump to propose a public stock offering for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, per Bloomberg. The proposal is part of a larger push by Wall Street executives who see the deal as a potentially large source of revenue. Our take: IPOs take time, and this one would be an especially massive undertaking. In his first term, President Trump attempted to privatize the two firms and was unsuccessful, highlighting the rocky road ahead. This leaves the next steps and timeline murky, but we will be closely watching developments.

The news: The FDA laid out a new FDA PreCheck initiative, aimed at helping pharma companies build US manufacturing plants more quickly. The takeaway: FDA PreCheck may ease manufacturing regulations and trim review time, but navigating real estate, construction, and skilled labor issues still means pharma companies are facing years-long timelines to reshore drug manufacturing. Trump has promised a year or two grace period on his proposed 250% tariffs, but that may not be long enough to get plants up and running. Pharma should look to cut deals鈥攍ike Apple鈥檚 recent tariff exemption granted by Trump after it promised to invest $100 billion in US manufacturing鈥攖o guarantee exemptions as long as projects are underway.

The news: Illinois passed a law banning AI therapy, becoming the first state to outlaw the technology for mental health advising. Therapists in the state can still use AI for administrative tasks like transcription and note taking, but not for diagnoses or treatment decisions. Our take: Healthcare providers need to balance the need for AI mental health chatbots with the potential for misuse. Look for digital health companies using tested science and research to develop AI therapy chatbots, transparent practices, and safeguards for flagging problems.

The trend: Healthcare and pharma marketers plan to increase or maintain spending on every digital media channel, according to a May 2025 survey from Mediaocean. The big takeaway: Healthcare and pharma marketers have established their presence and corresponding strategies on still-important media channels such as CTV and search. Digital video and social media are underexplored advertising opportunities for this space.

Live Nation expects 2025 to be another record year for concertgoing, as global tours from superstars like Oasis, Coldplay, and Beyonc茅 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鈥檚 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.

The RealReal is upbeat about its prospects as tariffs and the uncertain environment boost resale鈥檚 appeal. While the company is not yet profitable, it is winning over more shoppers who see the circular economy as an opportunity to snag a good deal on luxury merchandise. Demand for resale is accelerating as consumers look for ways to escape tariffs and find better deals鈥攏ot to mention shop more sustainably. While shoppers worried about saving money are unlikely to patronize a luxury-focused resale platform, The RealReal is in a good position to win spending from aspirational customers who are interested in luxury but are otherwise unwilling鈥攐r unable鈥攖o pay retail prices.

The situation: The compounded GLP-1 market isn鈥檛 dying down as quickly as previously expected. Our take: Online healthcare companies are getting crafty with how they market and sell compounded GLP-1s. Novo and Lilly will keep experimenting with legal tactics to get copycat GLP-1s off the market, but their path to victory in court is unclear. Short of the FDA stepping in鈥攁nd it doesn鈥檛 seem like it will鈥攖he battle of pharma vs. compounded weight loss drug sellers will get even messier.

The news: We recently covered Wells Fargo鈥檚 early entrance into the agentic AI realm. And we recommended that other financial institutions (FIs) explore how they could implement it, too鈥攔egardless of size. Now a smaller FI, Michigan-based Family Financial Credit Union, has announced its partnership with fintech start-up Algebrik AI to implement a new digital lending suite, per a press release. Why this matters: Family Financial Credit Union will be one of the first smaller FIs to go public with its agentic AI offering. If it proves successful and customers like the experience鈥攚hich could in turn draw more business to its loan products鈥攊t could inspire other institutions to pursue similar partnerships and offerings. We expect many more FIs of all sizes to announce agentic AI pilots in the near future.

The news: YouTube is testing a collaboration option that allows all creators to share credit on individual videos, boosting visibility across channels. MrBeast is among the first to trial the co-author credits. Our take: YouTube is copying an offering that Instagram and TikTok have already rolled out鈥攁 common tactic across social media. It will likely give influencers鈥擸ouTube鈥檚 bread and butter鈥攁 helping hand to increase collaborations and subscriber counts. But it could also decrease production as multiple creators share a single video without producing their own individual content.