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The news: We recently covered JPMorgan鈥檚 decision to charge fintechs for access to customer data. Fintechs aren鈥檛 taking this lightly and don鈥檛 appear to be accepting of their fate. Our take: The current situation sets the stage for a battle of the lobbies. With the CFPB unlikely to reinstate stronger open banking regulations for now, fintechs may pivot to launching public education campaigns about how they believe this affects banking customers. This could be a strategic move to rally consumer support and advocate for their perspective on data access and financial choice in the interim. Meanwhile, more banks are likely to follow in JPMorgan鈥檚 footsteps鈥攁nd PNC has already announced it鈥檚 considering a similar move, per Bank Automation News.

Target will no longer match prices at Amazon and Walmart, a move it claims will simplify its pricing policy, per a Bloomberg report. Strategically, this is another move that could backfire for Target, which is already having a hard time getting shoppers to its stores. It could widen the gulf that is emerging between the retailer and its mass-merchant rivals, who are increasingly using Target鈥檚 own tactics against it.

The news: CBS is ending 鈥淭he Late Show with Stephen Colbert鈥� next year, an announcement the titular host made during taping for his Thursday show, sparking controversy and speculation. The move came days after Colbert criticized CBS parent company Paramount on air, saying it paid a 鈥渂ig fat bribe鈥� when settling a lawsuit with Trump worth $16 million. Our take: Though politics and Paramount鈥檚 sink-or-swim pending merger may have influenced the swiftness of 鈥淭he Late Show鈥� cancellation, the ultimate cause likely boils down to the traditional TV model floundering.

The split screen: There鈥檚 a growing divide between affluent consumers and everyone else. Our take: It鈥檚 tempting to look at top-line numbers鈥攍ike June retail sales鈥攁nd assume the economy is holding steady. But much of the resilience is concentrated at the top. Moody鈥檚 estimates the wealthiest 10% of households鈥攖hose earning $250,000 or more鈥攏ow account for half of all US consumer spending, up from about one-third in the early 1990s. That dynamic helps explain why luxury brands like Burberry and RH continue to post gains, while value-focused chains like McDonald鈥檚 are seeing signs of softening demand. As inequality widens and economic anxiety builds, especially amid persistent inflation and trade uncertainty, the US economy looks increasingly bifurcated.

The news: YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, and TikTok each offer unique advantages and drawbacks for gamer ad reach, per HypeAuditor鈥檚 2025 State of Gaming report. Choosing the right platform depends on what kind of impact marketers want to make. Our take: Marketers should boost campaign performance with influencer partnerships on these platforms since creators often understand their audience better than companies do. Track success platform by platform to help tailor ad strategies, capitalize on UGC, and maximize return on investment.

The news: The connected TV (CTV) market is in flux as retail giants Amazon and Walmart escalate their fight for dominance鈥攕taking claims not just on content or devices, but on the operating systems themselves. Our take: Amazon and Walmart are racing to close the gap between attention and action. Controlling TV hardware and CTV operating systems while linking them to first-party retail data helps build seamless, closed-loop ad ecosystems where viewers can become buyers in a click. To stay competitive, marketers must optimize for closed-loop attribution, prioritize retail media integrations, and treat smart TVs as both screen and storefront as retail media and CTV ad spending surge.

The news: Walmart鈥檚 $2.3 billion Vizio acquisition may have only closed last December, but the retailer is already unlocking outsize value from the deal. Our take: Walmart is squeezing every drop of value from its Vizio deal by fusing hardware, software, data, and retail media into a self-reinforcing flywheel. Making Vizio a Walmart-exclusive private label gives the retailer tighter control over pricing and distribution, while Vizio鈥檚 OS and shoppable-TV features unlock new streams of nonendemic ad revenues. By combining its in-house ad network with ONN TVs powered by Vizio software, Walmart is positioning itself to own the entire living-room stack鈥攆rom screen to checkout. The result is a powerful closed-loop media system that can rival Amazon鈥檚 Fire TV ecosystem. The retailer鈥檚 timing couldn鈥檛 be better: We expect retail media CTV ad spending to surge 47.4% this year to $4.84 billion, and to more than double to $10.72 billion by 2029.

The news: More than half (55.3%) of Gen Zers use advanced budgeting tools鈥攁 greater share than any other generation, per a PYMNTS Intelligence report. Our take: Payment providers, issuers, and banks can embed more advanced tools within their apps to reach Gen Zers actively seeking sophisticated ways to plot out their spending and saving habits.

The news: American Express鈥檚 net revenues grew 9% YoY in Q2 2025, per its earnings release. Our take: Amex鈥檚 expansion into international markets and bet on its Gen Z and millennial cardholders鈥� interest in exclusive, experiential rewards has been a winning combination. But there may be early signs that Amex鈥檚 strategy is reaching its limits as consumers grapple with financial anxieties.

The news: President Donald Trump signed the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act, known by its shorthand as the GENIUS Act, during a White House ceremony on Friday. Our take: The GENIUS Act ushers in the clarity and legitimacy sought after by crypto players and traditional FIs alike.

Ecommerce sales of pet products are expected to rise to nearly $50 billion annually in 2029, as pet owners look for affordable and convenient methods to purchase essentials for their pets.

The news: Tech company Hewlett Packard (HP) is reportedly pitching HP Media Network, an ad network focused on laptop-targeted ads and desktop streaming, per Adweek. HP Media Network will sell ads that show up on HP computers and apps, and will promote its first-party data to give adtech firms access to offsite ads. Our take: HP鈥檚 launch could capitalize on growth in the desktop and laptop ad market鈥攂ut the company needs to prove its offerings as distinctly beneficial compared with competitors, or risk falling victim to advertisers鈥� concerns over investing in new offerings as budgets are slashed.

The news: Though it already offers software-as-a-service in the US, UK digital bank Starling has its sights set on a US expansion, per PYMNTS. Our take: Starling鈥檚 multi-pronged growth strategy is in line with its biggest digital competitors. We鈥檝e recently covered multiple neobanks and fintechs pursuing or considering IPOs in the US, along with fintechs acquiring banks for licenses. But this isn't just about neobanks competing with other neobanks; it represents a direct strategic pivot by digital-native players to leverage their technology to rapidly modernize and capture customers from the traditional banking market. Such moves will inevitably intensify competitive pressure on US mid-tier and community banks, forcing them to seek fintech partnerships to avoid becoming acquisition targets themselves.

Netflix's Q2 2025 earnings results came in at $11.1 billion in total revenues. The company鈥檚 shift away from reporting net subscriber growth now places investor focus squarely on margins, ad performance, and global monetization. While churn remains low and its brand strong, Netflix faces growing competition from YouTube and TikTok for user screen time. With hit content, live sports, and gaming on deck, the streaming giant鈥檚 next act will test its ability to monetize an already massive user base while retaining cultural dominance. For Netflix, growth now means doing more with what it already has.

The news: Substack is exploring a larger shift from a newsletter-first platform to a more expansive media ecosystem鈥攐ne that could include ads and a social media identity. The company is doubling down on the Substack app and aiming to show that social media 鈥渃an be fun and rewarding without melting your brain,鈥� the company stated in a blog post. Our take: As AI search engines downgrade publisher content, Substack could become an important channel for brands to reach loyal and engaged young audiences. Marketers should research creators to find authentic voices that align with brand messaging, craft company newsletters to get onto user feeds, and be prepared with market analysis if and when Substack launches ad placements.

The news: Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb will launch a direct-to-patient channel to sell their blockbuster blood thinner Eliquis at a reduced cash-pay price. Our take: Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb have anticipated the Eliquis patent loss and sales drop for years as part of the typical branded drug cycle. We see the new direct sales platform launch not as a play for new revenues, but rather a negotiating nod to the Trump administration. Only 10% of Eliquis patients are uncovered by insurance, so it鈥檚 a small market to court as a revenue-driving ploy. However, Trump has made it clear he鈥檚 open to using any levers possible to force lower drug prices, pushing pharma companies to offer good faith options and concessions.

The news: We鈥檝e covered the importance of life-stage banking, which demonstrates an understanding of customers鈥� most pressing needs and helps banks move past product-centricity. With its family-focused products, SoFi demonstrates what this strategy can look like in practice. Our take: SoFi is far from the only bank to have developed products aimed at solving target customers鈥� financial challenges. But its holistic approach to financial health could help it stand out when young parents are looking for the right fit for their families, especially considering its savings rate鈥攚hich is well above many of its traditional competitors鈥�. Customers' deposits are largely determined by banks鈥� rates, and are much more volatile than many banks assumed. Learn more by reading our article, 鈥淐ustomer deposits are more volatile than banks assumed: What banks can do to keep them.鈥�

The news: Most big banks reported better-than-expected profits for Q2 2025, per Reuters. Our take: These strong Q2 earnings show that big banks are capitalizing on opportunities鈥攂ut they鈥檙e not letting their guard down. We鈥檒l see that continue as banks tap new revenue streams given a relaxation of financial regulations, like JPMorgan charging fintechs for customer data. With risks like more tariffs, deficits, and geopolitical tensions looming, banks will likely stay disciplined on costs and risk exposure. To stay ahead, banks should double down on tech-driven efficiency and monetization strategies that can scale regardless of market headwinds.

The trend: Physicians are ramping up use of AI for pharma-related queries on medications, treatments, and drug interactions. But usage of AI trails search, according to a new Bain & Company. report. The big takeaway: Doctors trust search engines over AI for drug information鈥攆or now. The convergence of the two tools via AI Overviews on Google could lead to declining confidence in search results. The winner in securing physician trust could be clinical-specific AI tools like the widely used UptoDate or the emerging OpenEvidence, which brands itself as a ChatGPT for doctors.

The news: Meta is experimenting with letting users sign up for Threads through Facebook, potentially attracting older users and further separating Threads鈥� identity from Instagram. Our take: Combining data from Facebook and Threads will give advertisers deeper insights and opportunities to optimize campaigns. Marketers can use this to tailor platform-specific campaigns or create unified cross-platform content to better resonate across demographics.

The news: TikTok launched a beta suite of Songwriter Features, designed to credit and showcase the creators behind hit songs. Songwriters can now tag their profiles, curate music in a dedicated tab, and share the stories behind their work within TikTok鈥檚 music discovery ecosystem.

The news: Connecticut plans to ask the federal government to allow it to contract for generic GLP-1 drugs for state employees and Medicaid patients. Our take: While other HHS secretaries have resisted trying to use Section 1498, RFK Jr. has shown a willingness to challenge established precedent. Even if RFK doesn鈥檛 respond to Connecticut鈥檚 plea, the broad enthusiasm for workarounds to lower GLP-1 costs鈥攖he Connecticut law sponsor said both red and blue state officials have reached out鈥攃ould be a negotiating tool with drugmakers.

The insight: Amazon鈥檚 decision to double the length of its Prime Day sale delivered significant rewards for its advertising business鈥攁s we said it would. The takeaway: The first four-day Prime Day was an important learning experience for brands. With the event unlikely to get any shorter, sellers will need to be more precise about their ad strategy鈥攆ocusing spending on times of day when shoppers are more likely to buy, or saving the bulk of their budgets for end-of-sale urgency.

The news: Circle K owner Alimentation Couche-Tard has dropped its bid to buy Japan鈥檚 Seven & i Holdings, casting doubt on whether the 7-Eleven operator鈥檚 planned US IPO will proceed, Bloomberg reported. Our take: As 7-Eleven continues efforts to strengthen its core business, the failed takeover bid offers lessons for retailers and brands. Decisions involving globally recognized brands should be strategic, not reactive. Retailers must maintain flexibility to revisit IPO or spin-off plans as business circumstances change.