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Yes, and: The acquisition signals that Teladoc is focusing on its employer and health plan customers more than its direct-to-consumer business. The company鈥檚 D2C digital mental health business, BetterHelp, is facing headwinds such as high advertising costs that hinder its ability to acquire new customers.

DTC Revenue Growth: Up 8% in Q4, driven by Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Streaming is the growth engine: Executives remain bullish, expecting Paramount+ to achieve domestic profitability in 2025 as part of a shift toward a streaming-first strategy. We expect the service to generate over $600 million in US ad revenues this year (see chart).

Stuart Weitzman will be a 鈥渓ead brand鈥� for Caleres that fits squarely within the company鈥檚 suite of global, direct-to-consumer labels. Kontoor鈥檚 addition of Helly Hansen deepens its outdoor and workwear presence, reinforcing its Wrangler and Lee-driven strategy.

Meanwhile, direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharma company Hims & Hers will run its first Super Bowl ad. While the provocative ad touts the company's GLP-1 weight-loss medication, a low-cost competitor to name brands Ozempic and Wegovy, it also highlights cultural frustration with the US healthcare system at large. "Something's broken, and it's not our bodies," the ad says. "It's the system.".

If Disney鈥檚 standalone D2C ESPN app ever comes to fruition, it would likely become a disruptive player very quickly. People who watch Netflix love it. Netflix鈥檚 active users are deeply engaged, and its user base is so large that it also leads in time spent for the whole country.

Additionally, there is mounting concern among doctors who view the 鈥渘on-traditional" (e.g., D2C companies, telehealth platforms) weight loss drug market as problematic, according to a December 2024 Sermo survey.

We typically do the most Chase volume with our D2C business units. I think what's interesting is when you look at D2C, we're really, really proud that our digital business in total is going to make up almost 50% of the total this year. Suzy Davidkhanian (05:35):. Wow. Sara Lebow (05:35):. Wow. Kristen D鈥橝rcy (05:35):.

Red Seat鈥檚 success in direct-to-consumer media and independent ad sales could help Fox monetize digital audiences more effectively, complementing its streaming and ad-supported media strategy. 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.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps retailers and brands calibrate their sales mix against the market.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.鈥�

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.鈥�

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps retailers and brands calibrate their sales mix against the market.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our 鈥淩etail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.

This year鈥檚 festival highlighted a maturing creator economy, a reality check for AI, and bigger and bolder brand activations and marketing trends.

The news: Target is testing a factory-direct shipping model that would enable it to offer lower-cost products to customers, per Bloomberg. The model, which lets suppliers ship products directly to shoppers, closely resembles the strategy used by Temu and Shein to keep prices low. Our take: Unfortunately for Target, now is not the best time to increase its reliance on overseas suppliers. While the Temu-Shein model worked spectacularly well for several years, the conditions that fueled their growth鈥攏amely, the de minimis exemption and low tariffs鈥攁re no longer in place.

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Embedding direct-to-consumer products into HR software platforms such as payroll systems, benefits administration tools, and employee self-service portals, making it easy for employees to access and enroll in coverage. Next steps: To learn more about offering life insurance products on partners鈥� platforms, read our  鈥淓mbedded Life Insurance鈥� report next.

Our take: Kohl鈥檚 is in a tough position, facing fierce competition from off-price retailers, direct-to-consumer brands, and mass merchants like Amazon. To fend off those merchants, Buchanan must sharply define Kohl鈥檚 own identity, rather than relying on the strength and brand equity of other brands to bolster its appeal.