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With account integration ending for Android wallets, PayPal sets its sights on keeping more users within its own ecosystem.

Centralized payment options and automating spend threshold One Credential can help to keep PayPal products top-of-wallet for Gen Z.

The news: Medical AI startup OpenEvidence inked a multi-year agreement with JAMA Network that gives the company access to full-text content from the American Medical Association鈥檚 13 medical journals. Our take: OpenEvidence is competing with Wolters Kluwer鈥檚 UptoDate medical information tool, which is used by a few million clinicians worldwide and has recently integrated its own AI search capabilities. One big difference between the products is that OpenEvidence is free for doctors and generates revenue through advertising. Meanwhile, UptoDate does not provide advertising opportunities. We think that OpenEvidence鈥檚 internal AI prowess could give it the leg up as long as its in-platform advertising doesn鈥檛 turn off doctors too much.

The news: Newsweek is buying healthcare-focused ad platform Adprime to boost its offerings for pharma and healthcare marketers. Our take: Healthcare and pharma marketers looking for targeted, data-driven ad solutions could find valuable niche audiences tuning into Newsweek鈥檚 expanding content and events. We鈥檙e not convinced Newsweek鈥檚 adtech strategy is a slam dunk competing against much larger players, but we do think doubling down on the resilient healthcare and pharma digital ad industry makes sense.

The trend: From insight generation and content creation to media placement and regulatory reviews, generative AI (genAI) is becoming more connected to every part of pharma marketing. Our take: The tech is helping pharma marketers and ad agencies create more personalized ads and better predict ad performance鈥攂ut overall, genAI usage is still pretty nascent in the industry.

The news: Moderna has agreed to conduct a true placebo-controlled trial of its new COVID-19 vaccine, according to a post on X this week from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Our take: It鈥檚 difficult for vaccine makers to keep up with shifting requirements for getting shots approved, and for which groups of people. Companies may soon have to weigh pouring billions more into vaccine R&D against expanding or growing product offerings to other drug markets.

Citibank is undertaking a major brand refresh through a bold new marketing strategy aimed at boosting relevance and customer engagement. Chief Marketing and Content Officer Alex Craddock outlined a comprehensive overhaul, including hiring specialized marketing talent, unifying wealth management services, and building a new brand platform targeting globally minded 鈥渃hange-makers.鈥� The bank is shifting toward a data-driven, personalized approach using genAI and enhanced cross-channel content. Rather than incremental changes, Citi is reimagining its entire strategy to deliver more impactful, client-focused messaging鈥攕ignaling a major pivot to a modern, cohesive, and insight-led marketing future aligned with its global presence.

Tens of millions of Americans will use weight loss drugs in the coming years. Here鈥檚 what pharma, food and beverage, wellness, and fitness brands and marketers need to know about GLP-1 patients鈥� changing behaviors alongside their medication use.

93% of business and tech leaders view it as a way to offer proactive support but caution that human empathy and oversight still matter.

The news: TikTok announced updates to its ad capabilities focused on the evolving creator ecosystem at its fifth annual TikTok World event. Updates included an analytics tool for audience insights at different stages of the buying cycle, promotions targeting audiences likely to take action, and multiple changes to TikTok One. Our take: TikTok鈥檚 new offerings are key to reassuring advertisers and creators that the platform鈥檚 influencer tools still outperform rivals. The features will convince advertisers that TikTok is essential to connect with relevant creators, while showing creators that TikTok remains the best place to make partnerships.

The news: The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) gave a glimpse of the TV (CTV) advertising鈥檚 future at its IAB Tech Lab event鈥攁nd proved that pause ads are leading the way. Advertising leaders said they offer the best user experience, were most likely to scale with standardization, and provided the greatest increase in ad spend. Our take: The future of CTV advertising will rely on whether advertisers can implement non-intrusive formats that capture attention. Pause ads are positioned to drive action鈥攂ut advertisers must reimagine their creative strategy to capitalize on this potential.

AI Edge Gallery shows Google's bet on offline AI, turning Android phones into self-contained smart tools. It outpaces Apple鈥檚 walled approach but faces usability hurdles.

Tools like Smart+ and Content Suite help brands find trending creator content, predict ad success, and target more precisely.

Perplexity Labs signals a pivot from AI search to full-stack enterprise tools, positioning the startup as a rising competitor to Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI in workplace automation.

The news: A wave of cyberattacks is sweeping through the retail industry, with Cartier and North Face the latest to report breaches. Both companies recently notified customers that their names and email addresses had been stolen, although financial information remained secure. Our take: The surge in cyber incidents is coming at the worst possible time for retailers, who are already dealing with extreme upheaval in their supply chains and looking for any opportunity to cut costs. But M&S鈥� cautionary tale should be a wake-up call for companies to invest in cybersecurity.

The insight: The gap between Target and its mass merchant competitors Amazon and Walmart is widening. While Amazon and Walmart are consolidating their grip on consumer spending after investments in value and convenience, Target鈥檚 largely discretionary assortment and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) controversies are sharply curbing its appeal. Our take: Shoppers are prioritizing necessities over discretionary goods and favoring retailers that offer value and convenience.

The news: Spirit Halloween canceled its annual kickoff event due to 鈥渋nternational disruptions and supply chain challenges,鈥� it said in a social media post. Our take: While the retailer did not directly cite tariffs, it is the latest warning sign that President Donald Trump鈥檚 鈥淟iberation Day鈥� duties could result in emptier shelves during key shopping seasons.

29.5% of consumers say tariff-fueled price hikes would immediately impact their buying habits, and only 2.3% say their buying habits wouldn鈥檛 be impacted at all by price, according to a February 2025 Omnisend survey.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we check in on how retailers鈥� financials are looking this year, different approaches to inventory, and what Q2 is telling us. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Senior Analysts Blake Droesch and Zak Stambor.

LinkedIn doubles down on B2B video and CTV: New tools help marketers capture attention and drive full-funnel impact.

FTC investigates ad groups, watchdogs over alleged boycott: Advertisers must navigate a landscape where protecting brand image could carry legal risks.

Gen Z defines social winners in Asia-Pacific: Snapchat slows in India while TikTok expands in Indonesia and Singapore.