As AI becomes more embedded in everyday life, a growing number of brands, including Polaroid, are marketing the opposite. At the center of Polaroid's recent "The best of summer is analog" campaign is a billboard overlooking Coney Island Beach that reads, "Go jump in some water before the data centers drink it all up." While the campaign references AI, its target is consumers' increasingly always-on relationship with technology. "It's not a campaign against AI or against data centers," said Patricia Varella, Polaroid's creative director. "Data centers were the perfect metaphor that talks about the scale of this overuse of digital in our lives."
SpaceX's record-shattering public debut has become the first major test of whether investors will continue funding AI companies that burn billions while chasing distant profitability. The rocket company's $75 billion raise, larger than all US IPOs combined over the past two years, signals both the enormous capital requirements of AI development and growing uncertainty about returns. "The move itself is a kind of a double-edged sword for xAI," said our analyst Jacob Bourne on a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers," referring to Elon Musk's AI startup that SpaceX acquired earlier this year. "On the one hand, it now has access to SpaceX's resources and clout. The downside is that xAI now is part of SpaceX's lack of profitability story."
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three biggest questions surrounding Netflix right now: Will the shift from a few long weekly viewing sessions to multiple short daily ones undermine Netflix’s ability to attract audiences for regularly scheduled programming? Should Netflix consider a free tier? Has Netflix been left out in the cold when it comes to bundled services? And more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analyst Ross Benes and Daniel Konstantinovic, Senior Editor of our Marketing and Advertising Briefing. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
82% of weekly AI users use Google Search every day, compared with 71% of all internet users, according to a May 2026 survey from EMARKETER.
Havas expands through acquisitions as consolidation accelerates: Marketers gain simpler agency relationships but fewer independent firms to choose from.
29% of US digital buyers picked up their online order at the store in May 2026, up from 22% in 2023, making it the only delivery method to grow every single year, according to a June report from Bizrate Insights and EMARKETER.
Back-to-school season is getting harder for retailers. Many parents plan to increase their budget from last year, but they’re taking longer to make decisions. That forces retailers to adapt to a longer, more complicated buying journey. “Parents are already building their back-to-school shopping lists, and most of them aren't moving in a straight line from seeing an ad to buying something,” said Rod Paolucci, global head of marketing at Channel Factory.
A new seller app and verification tools strengthen Marketplace as Meta competes for merchants and secondhand shoppers.
Michaels’ rapid rollout underscores how lower-cost AI tools are making conversational shopping a practical option for more retailers.
Global compliance records can derail US bank ambitions.
Ongoing benefits can be more compelling than rates in earning primary banking relationships.
Higher tariffs and fuel costs deepen pressure on shoppers and margins.
Smaller sellers may pay more for real models or risk losing shopper trust.
Local credit splits make market-by-market lending strategies more important.
The company’s lifestyle branding could cost bigger banks the next generation of wealth.
US consumers are picking buy now, pay later (BNPL) providers based on the best fit for particular purchases, rather than staying loyal to any one provider.
Cyclospora cases tied to fresh produce are mounting amid low confidence in the FDA and food safety, raising the value of transparent updates.
Peptide access may soon broaden in the US as the FDA's final decision could legitimize peptide compounding, giving telehealth brands with compounding facilities a head start.
Consumers embrace ChatGPT for health questions, but may remain reluctant to connect sensitive health data with AI tools.
AI is fueling pre-appointment research, forcing doctors to validate information and pharma to maintain accurate and discoverable online content.