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The news: IDC has nearly doubled its worldwide smartphone forecast for 2025. Once projected at 0.6%, growth is now expected to hit 1%, fueled by iOS momentum, replacement demand, and a premium-device push, per 9to5Mac. Our take: Smartphones are entering a new cycle of innovation and moving upmarket. AI-first features and foldables will reset consumer expectations, open premium price tiers, and change which brands consumers choose and build loyalty toward. Advertisers and marketers should plan for richer, device-native experiences. Build campaigns that tap into AI-driven personalization, visual search, and generative content creation.

The trend: Neurologists don鈥檛 recall specific brand names of drugs. They think of medication in broader terms, like the type of conditions they treat (e.g., autoimmune disease drugs), or which class of drug category they belong to (e.g., anticonvulsants), according to a July 2025 survey of 57 US neurologists. The big takeaway: Marketing that leads with the product鈥檚 name works well for some drug categories. That鈥檚 the case for blockbuster cancer drugs such as Merck鈥檚 Keytruda and Bristol Myers Squibb鈥檚 Opdivo鈥攂oth of which have strong unaided recall rates with oncologists, per previous ZoomRx research. Neurology is a broad category that treats a diverse range of conditions, however. Most HCP marketing strategies in this space should detail how their product tops others in the same drug category or for a particular indication (e.g., 鈥渁 leading anti-seizure drug), supplemented with peer-reviewed efficacy and safety data, as well as physician prescribing patterns and patient testimonials.

Fubo is launching Fubo Sports, a 鈥渟kinny鈥� standalone sports streaming bundle with a lower cost than its existing plans and pay TV competitors. The bundle offers access to more than 20 sports-focused channels, including ESPN Unlimited, per Variety. If Fubo leans into being a low-cost, high-intensity sports hub, it can carve out a profitable niche, even if it lags behind in subscriber count and scale. But without more exclusive rights or differentiation, Fubo Sports could risk being seen as a less complete version of other bundles.

The situation: Best Buy鈥檚 comparable sales rose 1.6% in Q2, its fastest pace in three years, driven by gains in gaming, computing, and mobile phones. A major boost came from the high-profile launch of Nintendo Switch 2, which pushed June sales up nearly 10%鈥攖he retailer鈥檚 best month since March 2021, per Bloomberg Second Measure, which tracks US debit and credit transactions. Our take: Best Buy is experimenting to reignite growth. Earlier this month it rolled out a third-party marketplace to broaden its assortment and began testing a store-within-a-store partnership with Ikea, positioning its appliances inside Ikea kitchens and laundry rooms. While neither move is likely to be a game-changer, in today鈥檚 tough environment, even small wins matter. Still, to spark lasting growth, Best Buy may need to augment these moves with bolder bets in services and subscriptions.

The news: Netflix鈥檚 heavy use of algorithms to shape recommendations and even greenlight shows is facing criticism for stifling originality. The platform tracks what viewers watch, how long they stay, and when and where they tune in. Algorithms then predict which shows to produce and promote, prioritizing scale and retention over creative risks. Our take: Netflix鈥檚 algorithm-first strategy may boost retention in the short term, but it risks long-term brand erosion in an oversaturated market. With viewers favoring platforms that deliver originality and cultural impact, rivals investing in originality and prestige programming have a clear opening to capture Netflix鈥檚 fatigued subscribers.

The news: Revolut is exploring paths that can help it expand in the US banking industry. The company recently held talks with investment bankers about hiring them to advise on a potential bank acquisition, per Bloomberg. What it means for banks: Nationally chartered banks could see more interest from fintechs or international firms that want to follow Revolut鈥檚 path. And more licensed banks means more competitors鈥攁rmed with not only the agility and digital innovation of a fintech, but also the physical footprint of the banks they鈥檙e acquiring. To combat the threat, banks will need to double down on their biggest strengths, including longstanding reputations, customer-centricity, and the personalized products and services that customers want most, like those we highlight in our 鈥淯S Mobile Banking Emerging Features Benchmark 2025鈥� report.

Shoppers鈥� search for value is steering them to budget-friendly retailers鈥攐ff-price chains, dollar stores, and other discounters鈥攖hat benefited from a surge in sales and traffic in Q2. Value is top-of-mind for today鈥檚 consumer, regardless of income level. That鈥檚 good news for discounters and dollar stores, which are ideally placed to benefit from consumers鈥� financial anxieties. However, risks such as renewed tariffs or dips in consumer confidence mean retailers need to carefully manage their assortments and pricing.

The news: Buy now, pay later (BNPL) firms are exhorting the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) not to write new rules about how installment loan histories would affect federal home loan eligibility. Our take: BNPL providers are divided on whether furnishing their loan information supports or hurts their espoused mission for financial inclusion and helping consumers access credit. Affirm appeared the odd one out by offering more transparency about its consumers鈥� financial health. However, if HUD moves ahead with new loan eligibility rules, its customers could end up the better for it, while reporting naysayers Klarna and Afterpay will have to scramble to set up their customers for success

The news: As newsletter platforms battle for creator loyalty, Substack is positioning itself as a social network, not just a writing platform. As more creators jump ship from platforms like Patreon, they鈥檙e pointing to Substack鈥檚 community tools and discovery features as drivers of subscribers and revenues, per Digiday. Our take: Substack isn鈥檛 just for sending emails anymore鈥攊t is quickly becoming a social network for writers and brands alike. Brands and creators should think of it less like a newsletter option and more like a growth channel for community: a crucial aspect of discovery and engagement.

The news: Pharma commercialization company Eversana bought digital health tech Waltz Health and is creating direct-to-consumer (D2C) and direct-to-payer models that cut out rebate negotiators, or pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Our take: D2C sales are the most palatable of the Trump administration鈥檚 drug pricing policies for pharma companies. But with limited in-house tech expertise, drugmakers need to partner with service providers. Health tech companies that offer D2C end-to-end solutions can create new revenue streams, while helping pharmas cater to Trump and patients鈥� demand for affordability and convenience.

The news: 53% of US consumers cited a lack of human empathy and understanding as a concern with using Gen AI-powered customer service tools, per a survey conducted by American Express. Our take: GenAI will be an engine for automizing easy wins, like personalized customer service experiences or customized rewards. However, the tool needs to be selectively deployed for best results. Consumers also still desire access to live representatives for human touches that genAI cannot generate. Issuers who can provide a blend of both in their customer service experiences stand to win the approval of all age brackets across their cardholding base.

The news: President Trump fired the head of the CDC less than a month after she was approved by the Senate. At least four other senior leaders at the agency also resigned. Director Susan Monarez accused HHS and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of 鈥渨eaponizing public health for political gain and putting millions of American lives at risk鈥� per a statement from her lawyers. Our take: Healthcare brands and pharma marketers need to take the lead and create science-based messaging about vaccines to counter misinformation. They can partner with influencer physicians on social media (where misinformation abounds) with engaging edutainment, and lean into local efforts with community partners like sponsored health screenings or free vaccine days.

The US consumer is in good shape, according to the CEOs of Dick鈥檚 Sporting Goods and Urban Outfitters鈥攄espite a recent dip in confidence and tariff fears. Urban Outfitters鈥� and Dick鈥檚 Sporting Goods鈥� confidence in the health of the consumer shows that despite the strain of tariffs and uncertainty, shoppers remain willing to spend on products that they feel are worth the investment.

From AI agents changing customer expectations to banking licenses no longer differentiating financial institutions (FIs) from digital competitors, this report reveals the trends FIs must understand to maintain a competitive edge in H2 2025.

Only 8% of Google searches with AI summaries led to a traditional link click, nearly half the rate of pages without summaries (15%), according to March 2025 data from Pew Research Center.

Apple is partnering with digital platform TuneIn to strengthen its radio reach and better compete with Spotify, per the Wall Street Journal. The move will see Apple distribute its radio stations across connected cars and home speakers globally and marks the first time Apple鈥檚 current radio stations will be accessible outside of the Apple Music app. Apple鈥檚 radio push could breathe life into its struggling streaming units, attracting listeners who haven鈥檛 considered Apple Music and potentially drawing in advertisers who are looking for access to Apple鈥檚 library.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of August. Each month, Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Emmy Liederman (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial list of the top eight retailers they're watching based on which are making the most interesting moves: Who's launching new initiatives? Which partnerships are moving the needle? Which standout marketing campaigns are being created? In this month's episode, Committee members Arielle Feger and Emmy Liederman will defend their list against Principal Analyst, Sky Canaves and Senior Analyst, Blake Droesch, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.

The news: ChatGPT鈥檚 referral traffic to websites plummeted 52% in a single month after a fundamental shift in how the AI model operates. OpenAI manually reweighted its system to prioritize sources that provide direct, helpful answers, per Search Engine Land. Our take: Declining web traffic means declining revenues. For marketers and publishers, the mandate is to adapt to GEO or risk invisibility in a world where AI answers, not clicks, dominate. Reshaping web content to be more answer oriented could help surface it in ChatGPT, but that鈥檚 easier said than done for publishers with legacy content. Companies that move early to understand and influence AI citation patterns will secure a competitive edge as this new content distribution landscape takes shape.

Amazon closed its second annual Upfronts with 鈥渟ignificant growth鈥� across independent agencies and holding companies, per Adweek. An Amazon spokesperson cited excitement surrounding live sports offerings on Prime Video as a key driver of growth. Amazon is positioned for sustained ad growth if it continues relying on its sports properties to draw advertiser interest in Prime Video. With Prime Video only making up a fraction of Amazon鈥檚 overall ad revenues, the service is far from hitting its ceiling鈥攁nd future investment in tentpole sporting events will put Prime Video on par with its bigger competitors.

The news: Fanatics launched Fanatics Advertising, a division that will oversee the company鈥檚 ad and brand partnership strategy across its commerce, collectibles, gaming, and events businesses. Our take: Fanatics is taking its swing at the fast-growing commerce media space. Commerce media represented 18.0% of US digital ad spending last year, and we expect its share to keep climbing鈥攈itting nearly $1 of every $5 spent on digital ads (19.7%) this year and close to $1 in $4 (24.8%) by 2029, the end of our forecast period. Sitting at the crossroads of sports fandom鈥攎erchandise, collectibles, betting, and live events鈥擣anatics has a brand position few, if any, rivals can match. If it executes well, Fanatics Advertising could be a home run by turning its unmatched access to fans into an equally powerful ad play.

The news: Google Vids rolled out AI avatars, a Veo-powered image-to-video tool, and automatic transcript trimming. Google also announced that features like noise cancellation, custom backgrounds, video filters, and appearance options will be generally available next month. Our take: Brands should: Develop AI content guidelines that set up a clear voice, tone, and message structure to keep scripts brand-consistent. Use AI for speed, not substance. Let the technology handle repetitive tasks, but rely on human input for concepting and storytelling to ensure messages retain emotional nuance鈥攕omething AI may lack. Pilot, then scale. Test AI video tools on low-risk internal content before expanding to public-facing campaigns.

Cracker Barrel has reversed a logo redesign just days after removing its 鈥淥ld Timer鈥� figure, Uncle Herschel, following backlash from customers, commentators, and investors. Criticism spiked when former President Donald Trump called the redesign a costly mistake but also 鈥渁 billion dollars鈥� worth of free publicity.鈥� Hours later, the company confirmed Herschel would remain the face of the chain. The reversal coincided with a 7% stock drop, underscoring how customer sentiment quickly impacts financials. Analysts note that tradition and heritage are powerful brand signals鈥攔emoving them can sever ties with loyal customers while raising doubts about purpose and direction.

A Precise TV study revealed key habits for younger Gen Z consumers ages 13 to 17鈥攅mphasizing that short-form and digital video are leading the way. YouTube Shorts and TikTok ads were major drivers of purchase decisions: 51% of Gen Z boys and 43% of girls made a purchase after watching YouTube Shorts ads, while 44% of boys and 41% of girls purchased after watching a TikTok ad. Gen Z鈥檚 digital buying power will only grow, and targeting younger Gen Z consumers will position brands for long-term growth鈥攑rovided the right strategies are implemented.

The news: Google launched Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (nicknamed nano banana), a generative AI image editor that replaces toolbars with text prompts. Already topping LMArena鈥檚 image-editing leaderboard, it signals a shift toward prompt-driven creative tools. Our take: Nano banana, like Veo 3, reinforces Google鈥檚 move to establish Gemini as the default AI tool set for marketers, designers, and advertisers. This opens up adoption opportunities beyond text and coding-based genAI applications. For advertisers and marketers, this means two things: Production cycles can compress, and reliance on legacy design platforms could erode if AI tools can compete on price.

The news: Online retail traffic from generative AI (genAI) sources is exploding, highlighting how AI tools are intercepting and guiding the product search journey. GenAI traffic to US retail sites grew 4,700% YoY in July, per Adobe Digital Insights. 38% of US consumers have used genAI for shopping, and another 52% plan to do so this year. Our take: Brands need to market to both machines and people to avoid being excluded from AI results. Success will involve understanding how models interpret product data and reviews and aligning messaging with the signals AI uses to index and recommend products.