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The news: Consumers increasingly see connected TV (CTV) ads as helpful during the holiday shopping season, according to LG Ad Solutions鈥� latest study. A growing number鈥�59%鈥攕ay CTV ads help guide holiday purchases, a 43% YoY spike. Home screen CTV ads are clicking鈥�26% of shoppers find them helpful for purchases, up 105% YoY. For advertisers, they鈥檙e fast becoming high-impact conversion tools amid rising ad loads. Our take: As holiday shopping habits extend into events like Prime Day and Cyber Monday, advertisers that align messaging, timing, and format across CTV platforms will win both attention and conversions.

The news: The Federal Trade Commission鈥檚 鈥渃lick-to-cancel鈥� rule that would have simplified canceling subscriptions was rejected by a US federal appeals court on Tuesday, exposing a rift between the priorities of advertisers and digital service providers and those of consumers. Our take: The ruling is seen as a win for companies that use subscriptions for first-party data to strengthen their ad ecosystem, giving protection for those looking to reduce churn and run more effective programmatic and retargeting campaigns. But while advertisers may benefit from the decision, consumers still want an easier process鈥攁nd simplifying cancellations can benefit businesses in several ways.

The news: YouTube is scrapping its Trending page and Trending Now list, citing the growing diversity of topics on its platform and rise of content discovery through search and recommendation algorithms. Instead, YouTube will promote popular content in category-specific charts, such as Trending Music Videos and Weekly Top Podcast Shows. Our take: Brands should shift their focus beyond chasing virality and toward building content that fits audience niches. Reaching users through personalized feeds and hyper-specific categories could deliver more consistent engagement.

The news: Samsung鈥檚 just released Galaxy Watch 8 series comes equipped with new health and wellness features for sleep, stress, and activity. Our take: Samsung鈥檚 new features (e.g., antioxidant measuring, vascular load) are too niche to move the needle in consumer adoption. Health wearable players should lean into product capabilities that easily integrate with smartphone apps and that aren鈥檛 overly complex or clinical, such as chatbots delivering personalized recommendations based on user activity, exercise, and nutrition data.

Google is launching a new Gmail feature called Manage Subscriptions, giving users a streamlined way to bulk unsubscribe from newsletters and promotional emails. The tool鈥攔olling out across web, Android, and iOS鈥攃entralizes subscription management and ranks senders by frequency, making high-volume emailers easier to flag. With fewer barriers to opt-out, brands risk higher unsubscribe rates if they rely on one-size-fits-all content. Gmail's update reflects a broader trend toward more curated inboxes and less tolerance for irrelevant messaging. Marketers now face heightened pressure to improve targeting, pacing, and value鈥攐r risk being silently purged by users looking to clean house fast.

The news: Hims & Hers will soon expand its business to Canada, where it plans to sell generic semaglutide. The bottom line: Novo just gave a massive gift to healthcare companies that are in the weight loss drug market but can no longer sell compounded GLP-1s now that the brand-name versions are available again. We鈥檒l likely see more players in this space that primarily operate in the US expanding north of the border, while others could take advantage of President Trump鈥檚 executive order that calls for the FDA to authorize more states to import lower-cost drugs from Canada.

The news: Jasper鈥檚 suite of AI-powered marketing agents are purpose-built to automate core marketing functions. These agents, which start at $49 per user per month, work inside Jasper Canvas, a new intelligent workspace designed to streamline planning, collaboration, content creation, and execution. Our take: Marketers must assess their current pain points. If content quality is inconsistent, execution is slow, or tools don鈥檛 talk to each other, an agentic platform like Jasper could drive sharper outcomes. As with most new tools, running pilot programs and benchmarks for speed and brand consistency against your current stack will help determine value and ROI.

YouTube is taking aim at AI-generated "slop" by revising its monetization rules on July 15, drawing a line between authentic content and spammy filler. The update targets low-effort uploads鈥攍ike synthetic voiceovers over stock footage or AI-mimicked news鈥攂ut exempts legitimate formats like reaction videos. The shift comes amid growing concern over AI-generated clutter, scams, and identity fakes, as seen in platforms from Spotify to Pinterest. With content volume soaring and faceless creators rising, YouTube鈥檚 move reflects a growing push to safeguard viewer trust and advertiser confidence. The platform now faces the challenge of enforcement while reinforcing that originality still matters.

The news: A recent Equifax report indicates that consumers are struggling with their household financial health and ability to pay mortgages. This will have a negative impact on the home lending market for the foreseeable future. Our take: They鈥檒l need to proactively shift their risk management and lending strategies in anticipation of increased stress on their mortgage portfolios. Meticulously monitoring delinquency rates, enhancing early intervention programs for struggling homeowners, and potentially adjusting underwriting criteria can help mitigate future risks. Banks can also diversify revenue streams beyond traditional mortgage origination to offset potential profitability declines.

The news: President Trump is threatening 200% tariffs on pharma products, but the 1+ year lag in enforcement gives drugmakers time to increase US manufacturing. Our take: While 200% is an exorbitant tariff rate, the year-long reprieve is a win for drugmakers. It gives them time to move product and double down on US manufacturing commitments, and also opens a big window for change with the capricious Trump administration.

The news: Mattel introduced the first Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes, sporting a glucose monitor and insulin pump. Our take: Pharma insulin makers like Sanofi, Eli Lilly, and Novo Nordisk, and device companies like Dexcom, Abbott, and Medtronic can leverage the type 1 Barbie news to drive more awareness and visibility and dispel stigma and the embarrassment kids with diabetes may feel.

The insight: Travel demand has stabilized after a turbulent start to Q2, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in an interview with CNBC. As a result, the airline reinstated its profit outlook for the year. It had withdrawn its forecast after President Donald Trump鈥檚 Liberation Day tariff announcements. Our take: The summer travel season is shaping up to be better than airlines expected at the beginning of Q2鈥攂ut demand remains constrained by uncertainty as consumers debate whether to indulge now or conserve their resources in anticipation of future financial strain. Airlines can either juice demand by lowering prices, or protect their bottom lines by cutting capacity and doubling down on premium experiences.

The news: The wave of consolidation in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector is continuing with Italian candymaker Ferrero鈥檚 $3.1 billion acquisition of cereal manufacturer WK Kellogg. The deal will give the maker of Nutella and Ferrero Rocher a foothold in staple grocery categories, as well as deepen its North America presence鈥攁 particular area of focus for the company. Our take: With grocery spending strained and costs rising, most CPG companies are taking one of two tracks. Some, like Ferrero and PepsiCo, are making strategic acquisitions to broaden their portfolios and keep up with shifting trends. Others, like Conagra and General Mills, are shedding assets to reduce expenses and focus on the categories with the greatest growth potential.

The news: PayPal rolled out a dynamic, AI-powered scam alert system to protect consumers against fraud for 鈥淔riends and Family鈥� transactions. Our take: Rolling out user-facing AI-powered fraud protection alerts increases PayPal鈥檚 visibility as a safe financial provider for more than just online checkout at well-known retailers.

The news: American Express rolled out special London-based perks and offerings as a part of its Adventures with Amex series. Our take: Sixty percent of respondents to Amex鈥檚 Global Travel Trend Report planned on taking at least one trip for a sporting event this year. Hitching its London adventure rollout to both F1 and Wimbledon can get those travelers to book through Amex鈥檚 platform instead of a competitor鈥檚.

The news: Early Warnings Services鈥� Zelle submitted a letter in response to the Treasury Department鈥檚 request for information on paperless payment services. Our take: Winning this contract would dramatically boost Zelle鈥檚 payment volume, but it faces steep competition from incumbents and other structural roadblocks.

The news: WPP slashed its 2025 outlook in an earnings update, citing declines in client spend and net new business鈥攅xacerbating the agency鈥檚 turbulence over recent months and sending WPP stock to its lowest point since 2009. WPP now expects an annual revenue decline of 3% to 5%, up from its previous forecast of 2%. Our take: WPP鈥檚 woes indicate that the traditional agency model is struggling to adapt to shifting client demands, AI-led marketing, and digital disruption.

US adults will spend an average of 2 hours and 29 minutes (2:29) per day watching traditional TV in 2025, more than any other media activity, per our May 2025 forecast.

The news: Out-of-home (OOH) and TV advertising are outperforming popular channels like connected TV (CTV) and digital across metrics, per a five-year study from Clear Channel Outdoor and Kantar. Our take: OOH and TV advertising will continue playing a critical role in an effective omnichannel strategy, and the most savvy advertisers will recognize the enduring effectiveness of these channels for reaching key audiences when they鈥檙e likely to purchase.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss Every Man Jack鈥檚 performance vs. brand marketing priorities, the role of marketplaces for the company, and what tactics the brand uses to stand out from the pack. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, Senior Analyst Zak Stambor, and VP of Growth Marketing & E-Commerce at Every Man Jack Nick Hasselberg.

The news: Moonvalley publicly launched its Marey video-generation tool, making its ethical AI filmmaking tool accessible to broader audiences concerned about brand safety and copyright infringement amid AI adoption. Our take: Moonvalley鈥檚 Marey could make AI video generation more accessible to brands, especially those focused on prioritizing ethical AI practices and those with smaller production budgets. Marey could also serve as a lower-cost prototyping tool to test out video concepts and align creative direction plans prior to filming to streamline full-scale production and save costs.

The situation: QSRs are in a tough spot. The restaurant industry had monthly traffic growth in just one of the 12 months through May, according to Black Box Intelligence data cited by CNBC. Our take: QSRs can鈥檛 afford to stand still. In a tough operating environment, brands that act decisively and innovate boldly are best positioned to outpace the macroeconomic headwinds. Even if every move doesn鈥檛 deliver an immediate payoff, momentum matters鈥攁nd sitting on the sidelines is the riskiest strategy of all.