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Big Tech tries cooperation, not combat, with EU regulators: Platforms are trying to adapt to new norms around data privacy and advertising.

Pinterest launches AI-powered tools: Advertisers can now create engaging visuals and reduce costs, aligning with industry-wide shifts toward generative AI solutions.

In December 2024, Google.com dominated generated AI (genAI) search with 16.5 billion visitors, while runner-up ChatGPT had just 517 million, according to Similarweb.

鈥淭ikTok has taken the opposite approach of putting shopping front and center in front of its users, and telling the brands that it already had on board as advertisers to start selling on the platform.鈥�. While Meta and Google would have even more incentive to encourage social buying in the event of a TikTok ban, the impetus is on brands themselves to be prepared to keep consumers.

So Instacart, by partnering with Google, it is enabling its advertiser clients to really expand their reach while also using Instacart's data, which is going to help them target their audience even better. So it's really just a really smart retail media play.

By integrating AI across speech, music, and code, Google positions Workspace as the one-stop shop for enterprise-grade creativity and automation.

After Yahoo shut down its server-side provider business in 2023, Marriott transitioned the network to Google, as reported by Skift. As of February 2024, Marriott鈥檚 media network was in 鈥渉igh demand鈥� from advertisers, according to Nicolette Harper, global vice president of media, per Skift. But Skift found no evidence of non-Marriott branded ads in hotels or across its digital sites.

Already under a 鈥渃ode red鈥� to productize AI, Google may need to move even more quickly. Insider Intelligence expects Google鈥檚 US ad revenues to grow just 2.9% in 2023, far below Microsoft鈥檚 10.0%鈥攚hich is growing from a much lower base. Google faces additional threats to its search business, as Amazon cuts into product search and regulators launch anti-trust suits.

In the last quarter of 2022, Amazon increased its total net sales 9% YoY to hit $149.2 billion. But compared to the massive growth the company has experienced in the past, its Q4 results were a bit lackluster. From ad revenues to physical store sales, let鈥檚 take a closer look at how some of Amazon鈥檚 business units fared in Q4.

Why it matters: In addition to its partnerships with social and streaming platforms, Walmart has enhanced the search relevancy of Walmart Connect and switched to a second-price auction model, growing its US advertiser base by 136% YoY last year. Walmart鈥檚 US digital ad revenue growth will outpace Google, Meta, and even Amazon this year, according to our forecast. 5. Lowe鈥檚 and Yahoo.

A recent Apple report details its use of more than 10,000 processors designed by Google to develop AI models as it reshapes its business around enabling AI functionality. The partnership with Google could be temporary, given Apple is developing Project ACDC (Apple Chips Data Center) using Apple Silicon to own its server infrastructure and better control its AI pivot.

Google may have spared third-party cookies, but in practice, almost 90% of US browsers could become cookieless. Leveraging first-party data is the top way marketers worldwide are adapting to a cookieless future. Two-thirds of brands and 80% of publishers expect to increase first-party data sets.

The news: Chases unveiled 鈥淭he Shops at Chase,鈥� an integrated shopping and promotion platform for Chase Freedom, Sapphire, and Ink cardholders. Our take: Being able to convert Chase rewards into material purchases is a draw. However, retraining Chase cardholders to make purchases at The Shops instead of starting their product search with Google or Amazon will be an uphill battle.

US advertisers will spend $157.1 billion on local ads this year, up 4.4% YoY, per December 2023 data from Borrell Associates cited by Inside Radio. While the top two channels by ad spend in 2023 were broadcast and cable TV, marketers are increasing their spend on search engine marketing and social media.

Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses created a roadmap for rival products, and its success highlights how the wearables can be especially useful for content creators and advertisers. 4. GenAI search: Ad-supported genAI search models enable mass adoption and are already driving higher engagement and revenue for Google.

Publisher concerns: Daily Listen is another Google AI tool that saves users the time it takes to flip through pages of search results鈥攁t the expense of web publishers鈥� ad revenue and traffic. Its predecessor, AI Overviews, helps users quickly find compiled answers to their questions but also reduces user traffic on individual websites.

Why we care: Amazon has slowly been stealing ad share from the duopoly of Google and Meta. These updates take direct aim at Google by making it easier for consumers to start their search on Amazon.

Amazon to shutter Amazon Ad Server by 2024, focusing on growing other ad services: Reflects a strategic shift towards more promising advertising technologies.

2023鈥檚 explosive adoption of AI will be felt in the year ahead, as the technology continues to make an impact on nearly everyone. On top of the AI revolution, immersive media will be made more accessible, connected cars will give rise to new media opportunities, and carbon-efficient advertising will gain priority.

Our take: The test builds on existing consumer behavior, as 52% of shoppers start their online product searches on Amazon鈥攎ore than Google or any other platform, per JungleScout. Despite its reputation as the 鈥渆verything store,鈥� Amazon doesn鈥檛 always have everything a shopper may be looking for.

OpenAI, Google, Moonvalley, and others are purchasing the content to train and improve AI models, per Bloomberg. Companies are paying between $1 and $4 per minute of footage, depending on quality and format. Why sell random videos?

Google, which has been under fierce antitrust scrutiny for years, might see a silver lining in Microsoft鈥檚 generative AI Bing integration. For over two decades, Google has dominated search, reaching nearly 93% of the global market share, according to StatCounter, per Insider鈥� making it a prime antitrust target.