蘑菇AV

Advances in first-party data use cases create blueprints for retailers hoping to scale their data monetization. Retailer data enables precise targeting and audience creation. Off-site, retailers can leverage first-party data and past purchases鈥攁nd fulfill one of retail media鈥檚 biggest promises.

Our take: Few platforms offer what Substack does鈥攃ontent monetization and editorial independence that appeal to both independent creators and legacy media figures. Although Substack is ad-free, for now, it鈥檚 a valuable channel for brands and companies to reach niche audiences and engage with consumers in a trusted, more personal environment.

Well-established creators may want to stay on YouTube for direct follower engagement and to maintain full control over production and monetization. Our take: Adding video podcasts to Netflix could attract long-form video creators who are frustrated by YouTube鈥檚 short-form content push.

The program offers more monetization opportunities for select creators along with standard earnings and is part of TikTok鈥檚 attempt to keep creators on the platform while competitors like Meta are aiming to scoop up TikTok influencers.

YouTube鈥檚 main advantage lies in more mature monetization features and longer audience retention times, and these advantages must be highlighted in the push to capture marketing dollars.

Monetization potential鈥擨t鈥檚 easy to imagine Amazon weaving referral fees or ad revenues into the feature. Trust and convenience鈥擜mazon鈥檚 checkout flow removes friction, even for purchases made on other websites. If successful, Buy for Me could redefine Amazon鈥檚 role within the ecommerce ecosystem by making it not just a platform where people buy, but where all shopping journeys begin.

In supply-side roles at tech vendors, talent is scarce, especially in complex B2B sales positions that require nuanced expertise around multiparty, data-driven, programmatic inventory optimization and monetization. Retailers have enough talent to choose from but face challenges such as defining their broader strategy, roles, and ad tech platform integration.

More reasons to stay: By integrating AI-driven agents across its Adobe Experience Cloud, Adobe has the potential to increase customer lock-in and expand monetization through premium AI capabilities. It鈥檚 starting with 10 purpose-built AI agents for enterprises, including:. Audience Agent: Finds the right people for a brand's ads and builds better audience segments.

The platform further plans to open monetization tools, like its virtual currency and subscription options, to most creators in 2025鈥攆eatures that were previously available only for Affiliate-level streamers.

In its earnings call, executives emphasized Roku鈥檚 continued focus on improving monetization, while addressing tariff-related pressure on its Devices segment. Notably, Roku will no longer disclose streaming household metrics quarterly, following a similar move by Netflix. By the numbers:. Revenues hit $1.02 billion, a 16% YoY increase, slightly above expectations.

Additionally, web publishers could face disruptions to their content monetization.

Advertisers should still shift to in-video monetization strategies that don鈥檛 rely solely on initial clicks, such as mid-roll ads and sponsorships, to offset potential losses until details are clearer. Content creators will need to adapt their SEO and video optimization strategies to maintain visibility outside of AI search results.

RMNs may expand their monetization strategies beyond on-site media to include off-site media partnerships, audience extension programs, creative services, and full-funnel measurement solutions. This was originally featured in the Retail Media Weekly newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.

As brands expand into CTV, off-site media, and advancements in first-party data monetization, the strongest agencies will treat RMNs as full-funnel ecosystems鈥攏ot just media buying channels. Acadia鈥檚 acquisition of Crush strengthens its ability to serve growth-focused brands鈥攁nd signals a broader recalibration of what retail media expertise really means.

By acquiring Red Seat Ventures, Fox isn鈥檛 just expanding its content portfolio鈥攊t鈥檚 staking a claim in the growing host-driven podcast industry which offers unique monetization opportunities.

Mass adoption of Gemini Code Assist could help Google secure the industry standard and build an audience for future monetization. Why not buy the whole thing? Google鈥檚 ongoing antitrust cases will make any high-profile AI acquisition difficult, if not impossible, especially since it鈥檚 considered one of the top AI players.

鈥淲ith more information about why certain bids win in an auction, publishers would be able to optimize their monetization strategies more efficiently, and other ad tech players might be able to fine-tune their algorithms to better compete so Google's sheer size isn't as much of an advantage,鈥� Mitchell-Wolf said. The broader implications for digital advertising.

Our take: Walmart鈥檚 Vizio move isn鈥檛 just about monetization鈥攊t鈥檚 about control. By owning both the experience and the ad space, Walmart can shape the CTV environment from the moment viewers turn on the TV to the moment they make a purchase. That level of integration is rare, and it changes the rules for retail media. The timing couldn鈥檛 be better.

More ad inventory means creators will have more monetization opportunities. Increased human assessment could give YouTube more valuable insights to consistently improve its review system.

Success will depend on effectively scaling monetization programs, including new ad formats like Sponsored Snaps and major advertisers like 鈥淲icked.鈥�.

Between the lines: The volatility creators experience with brand and platform payments have allowed creator platforms that offer direct-to-consumer monetization like Kajabi, Patreon, and Substack to flourish. The turmoil at TikTok and in the political landscape have accelerated their growth, and prompted other platforms to offer major cash incentives or bonuses to TikTok creators.

A timely solution: The decline of third-party cookies forces brands and marketers to rethink targeting and monetization strategies. Adobe鈥檚 solution offers a privacy-first alternative that helps marketers:. Maximize first-party data while staying compliant with intensifying consumer privacy regulations.

However, as subscription costs continue to rise, the streaming service is 鈥渁pproaching the ceiling in the US where their monetization is the highest,鈥� said Paul Verna, 蘑菇AV鈥檚 vice president of content, on a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers.". Netflix has its eyes on over 400 million subscribers by 2030, which is an aggressive but attainable goal, he said.

Shopper response to agent monetization. AI model and agent developers need to figure out how to fund their development and deployment. Apps that use agents for specific tasks to improve the UX can fund their costs with other revenue streams, but standalone agents may face a tougher task. No obvious monetization strategy has emerged.

Monetization plans: Nextdoor鈥檚 hyperlocal approach and plan to incorporate non-user information could help attract ad revenues from local businesses and publishers. It launched the Nextdoor Advertising Agency in January to help businesses conduct neighborhood-targeted advertising. However, Tolia said the platform first needs to improve its user satisfaction and brand safety.