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Consequently, feature phone ownership (9.5%) for this region was tied for No. 2 globally with South and Southeast Asia, just behind Central and Eastern Europe (10.7%). Similarly, smart wristband ownership in the Middle East and Africa region trailed all other regions. At 9.0%, it was about half the rate of ownership in East Asia and Oceania, which was the global leader at 18.1%. Egypt.

The news: 82% of travelers are interested in using points from non-travel loyalty programs to book trips, per a report from Expedia鈥攊ncluding 43% who are extremely interested. Our take: Capturing expensive travel purchases is critical to reinforcing issuers鈥� card volume as economic anxieties make consumers spend less.

Trump鈥檚 鈥淟iberation Day鈥� tariffs landed harder than expected. Uncertainty remains, given the pause on reciprocal tariffs for countries willing to negotiate with the US鈥攁long with an escalating trade war with China. Which markets will take the greatest hits? And how might our US forecasts change?

The news: President Donald Trump said he will enact 100% tariffs on all chips imported into the US, exempting companies that have promised to build or have begun building in the US. The plan was announced during a White House meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook, who said Apple will invest another $100 billion in US manufacturing and jobs, bringing its total commitment to $600 billion, per The Financial Times. Our take: Brands should prepare for new marketing challenges and opportunities tied to supply chain visibility, patriotic manufacturing narratives, and potentially longer product cycles if companies reshore production. Keeping an eye on where key suppliers are building and how quickly they can pivot to US-based operations will be crucial in forecasting product costs and shaping future campaigns.

Streameast, the world鈥檚 largest illegal sports-streaming hub, has been shut down in a coordinated sting led by Egyptian authorities and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment. The operation dismantled more than 80 domains that drew 1.6 billion visits over the past year. The crackdown comes as soccer and NFL seasons begin, underscoring how piracy disrupts rights holders by siphoning revenues from subscriptions and ads. Yet piracy remains resilient: copycats are already emerging to tap fans frustrated with fragmented, costly streaming options. With digital sports viewership surpassing pay TV, the industry faces an urgent challenge to keep audiences in paid ecosystems.

Facebook is projected to lose users in several major markets: Meta may need to lean more heavily on its other platforms to sustain growth.

Skechers goes private in challenging time for footwear industry: The $9.4 billion deal will give the company breathing room to navigate punishingly high tariffs.

The news: Gen Z is preparing an ambitious lineup of summer fun鈥攊ncluding domestic and international travel, shopping and dining, and vacation upgrades鈥攖o a degree that outstrips millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers, per a study by Bread Financial. Our take: Gen Zers invest in work/life balance and are willing to spend to maximize their R&R experiences. Brands should meet this generation with luxury-first options and seamless experiences to maximize their return on investment for the younger cohort willing to spend to make a good time a great one.

Social users around the world engage with and make purchase decisions from creator content in similar ways. Localizing creator strategies is key, but marketers can apply the same best practices across many geographies.

It鈥檚 also a chance to boost ad revenues, as sellers look for ways to stand out amid a sea of listings. The big takeaway: Operating an online marketplace has many advantages鈥攂ut finding success can be complicated.

A new Adalytics investigation reveals that YouTube served ads from major brands like Disney, HBO Max, and Hulu alongside thousands of pirated films, live TV broadcasts, and exclusive streaming content鈥攔acking up over 250 million views. The report highlights systemic failures in YouTube鈥檚 content moderation and ad placement transparency, leaving advertisers with little visibility and minimal recourse for refunds. Worse, some studios may have inadvertently paid to retarget users who pirated their own content. As copyright enforcement lags and automation is gamed, brands and rights holders face financial, reputational, and legal risks in one of digital media鈥檚 biggest ecosystems.

The situation: A cloud of uncertainty has hung over the US economy since the Trump administration鈥檚 April 9 pause of so-called reciprocal tariffs. That鈥檚 made it difficult for retailers and brands to plan for the short and medium term. The outlook is now poised to grow even murkier. President Donald Trump extended the pause period鈥攐riginally set to expire on Wednesday鈥攗ntil August 1. At the same time, he announced new 25% tariffs on imports from South Korea and Japan, also taking effect August 1, along with steep additional levies on other countries. Our take: With companies planning to pass on about 70% of the cost of levies to consumers via higher prices, it鈥檚 no surprise that we expect tariffs to take a meaningful bite out of retail sales this year鈥攚hether we remain in the moderate scenario or shift into a heavier one. In such a dynamic environment, retailers and brands should rely on scenario modeling that accounts for a range of possible futures. They can hope for the best but plan for the worst to ensure they鈥檙e ready to adapt to whatever twists lie ahead.