Shopping for fun was one of the top reasons consumers shopped Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale last month, cited by 30% of Prime Day shoppers, according to October data from CivicScience.
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Become a ClientWhile holiday gift-givers do more of their shopping online every year, many shoppers will make purchases in physical stores this holiday season. The segment could make or break retailers facing economic challenges from tariffs and supply chains.
PayPal will use Rokt, an AI marketing service, to power its post-transaction advertisements for users in the US, per a press release. PayPal has for years tried to improve Venmo’s profitability, and post-transaction ads could help accomplish that without changing consumers’ retail checkout habits. However, one of FMNs key selling points to advertisers and consumers alike is trust. Platforms with FMNs should take care not to erode consumer trust—and down the line, loyalty—by pushing ads too aggressively too soon.
Splitit partnered with DXC Technology, enabling affiliated banks to offer installment options at checkout for their consumers, per a press release. Expanding BNPL availability during the upcoming holiday season will be critical. In order to capture consumers’ limited spending, issuers should broaden financing options to make gift-buying more manageable and interest-free, especially for consumers with children, who are more likely to use BNPL options than any other demographic besides millennials at 46.7%, per a PYMNTS study.
TikTok is undergoing a sweeping reorganization that consolidates control under ByteDance’s Beijing-based leadership. The company’s global content and distribution teams now report directly to Douyin architect Fiona Zhi, who is closely tied to ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming. The change strengthens central oversight just as the US and China approach a potential TikTok ownership deal—but it also raises questions about governance, transparency, and stability. Advertisers are pausing or shifting spend amid uncertainty over who will run TikTok’s US operations and how its algorithm and data policies will evolve. ByteDance’s move reasserts control—but risks reigniting trust concerns in its largest market.
The price of newly launched prescription drugs increased by more than half over two years, according to new analysis from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Research (ICER). Although the industry continues to bring innovative therapies to market, high launch prices risk alienating consumers and policymakers. Pharma marketers should prepare for intensified pricing scrutiny and create value-driven narratives anchored in outcomes data, financial support programs, and digital support tools that help patients connect price to health benefits.
Consumers lack familiarity with direct-to-consumer (D2C) pharma services, but many are open to purchasing prescription medications from drugmakers. Pharma companies entering the D2C market must boost awareness of the channel. Pharma brands and marketers should inform pharmacists and doctors of drugmakers' latest D2C options, since they’re key sources for patients with medication cost and coverage questions. They should also create clear educational materials showing how consumers can save on D2C prescriptions, backed by data on limited insurance coverage for certain drug categories.
Alphabet subsidiary Verily is launching a free health app offering personalized guidance from clinicians. The Verily Me app will also have an AI agent to answer people’s health questions based on their medical records. Verily’s competitive advantage over bigger companies with brand-name is that it has clinician partners and access to some medical record data. The company should leverage its network of doctors to endorse Verily Me to their patients, using real-world examples to demonstrate the benefit of combining a person’s health history with a medical expert’s view for individualized guidance.
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