Estée Lauder posted a wider quarterly loss as sales slumped and warned that tariffs could reduce earnings by about $100 million over the next year. Estée Lauder is taking necessary steps to turn around its business—focusing on product innovation, cutting costs, and broadening its customer reach—but it will be tough given intense competition in the beauty market. With key rival L’Oreal gaining US momentum and newer brands emerging, Estée Lauder must accelerate product innovation, reduce reliance on discounting, rebuild momentum in China, and take other steps to win new customers, or risk ceding more ground in the longer term.
The news: Epic rolled out new genAI tools for clinicians, including an AI scribe solution that transcribes doctors’ notes during patient visits. Epic will incorporate ambient technology from Microsoft to power its medical documentation technology. Our take: Epic’s AI scribe solution with Microsoft/Nuance as its development partner delivers a major blow to startups like Abridge and Ambience. These two companies are part of a booming ambient AI scribe space that has totaled nearly $1 billion in investment funding so far this year, per a July analysis from STAT. But Epic’s presence will make it much tougher for smaller players to stand out in the category, since doctors will be drawn in by the efficiency of using scribe tools from their EHR system.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how to best decide who to partner with, the right conditions for a successful store-in-a-store relationship, how to approach long-term partnerships versus one-off collaborations. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and guest host, Marcus Johnson, Vice President of Content, Suzy Davidkhanian, and the Founder and CEO of Mack Weldon, Brian Berger. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
The situation: TJX is thriving as shoppers flock to its off-price value proposition. Our take: Off-price retailers like TJX’s T.J. Maxx and Marshalls are poised to thrive this holiday season, when consumers are likely to be both budget-minded and eager for discovery. TJX’s model allows it to avoid much of the tariff pain weighing on full-price retailers, since it sources excess merchandise at steep discounts. At the same time, retailers frontloading inventory in anticipation of tariff impacts may unintentionally flood the off-price channel with fresh product. That could create a double advantage heading into Q4: sharper values for shoppers, and a “treasure hunt” experience that can pull traffic away from department stores and specialty chains at a time when promotional intensity will be fierce.
The news: Publishers are tackling AI scraping with a new strategy—pay per crawl. Rather than one-time licensing deals, usage-based compensation models would have AI companies pay publishers and content providers based on how often their work is used in AI-generated responses. Our take: These usage-based models could be a more equitable deal for publishers whose content powers AI engines that are earning tens or hundreds of millions of dollars per year. To avoid getting locked out of monetization, brands should act now to review existing content agreements, explore licensing opportunities, and push for fairer models that recognize the value of original content.
The news: Many marketers and salespeople doubt AI’s ability to boost company revenues or customer satisfaction. Some even believe it adds to their workload, signaling a disconnect between AI adoption and employee confidence. Only 39% of marketers and sales professionals in the US and UK are confident that their departments’ use of AI drives revenues, per General Assembly’s AI in Marketing & Sales report. Nearly half (46%) believe AI only somewhat improves the customer experience or doesn’t at all. Our take: Organizations that prioritize tailored training and tie outcomes to KPIs like team efficiency and customer satisfaction could help employees feel empowered and translate AI investments into measurable impact.
The news: CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reorganized Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL) into four units focused on research, superintelligence, products, and infrastructure, per The New York Times. Meta further splitting its AI division, which it spun off in June, underscores both ambition and internal turmoil as it races rivals like OpenAI and Google. Our take: Meta’s public growing pains show it won’t sit out the AI race, even if upheaval is the cost. Its future direction will have wider implications—if Meta leans into closed AI models, the shift could reshape how outside developers and partners interact with its platforms. For advertisers, the signal is clear: Expect fresh AI features in Meta’s ad products, but brace for volatility as Meta struggles to align its people, platforms, and technology.
The news: American Express bolstered its array of hotels and resorts for Platinum members ahead of its much-anticipated Platinum refresh. The credit card company also debuted exclusive Amex experiences at the US Open Tennis Championship this week. Our take: Expanding its resort collection can help Amex cement its dominance in the premium travel card space. Its lineup at the US Open signals the power of experiential rewards, which craft a unique, memorable experience for members that extends beyond cash or material incentives—a clever way to distinguish itself from rivals like the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
The news: Mastercard has awarded WPP Media its $180 million media account after ending its relationship with Dentsu-owned Carat. Our take: WPP Media’s previous with PayPal may give insight into the type of media it might produce for Mastercard. As the creative firm behind the “Venmo Everything” campaign and the Will Ferrell-fronted PayPal Pay Later campaign, Mastercard’s new promos likely will feature zeitgeisty and generationally buzzy celebrities to target younger demographics.
As card demand contracts and consumers pay down debt, banks may be sidelining spend-ready customers before stagflation takes hold.
The news: Home Depot is raising prices on select products to offset tariff-driven cost increases. The move marks an about-face from May, when the retailer said its diversified supply chain would shield it from price hikes. At the time, Home Depot framed holding prices steady as a chance to gain share, but near-universal tariffs have made that increasingly untenable. Our take: Home Depot’s shift illustrates how tariffs are weighing on retailers across categories—even those with diversified supply chains and strong domestic sourcing. Passing costs along to consumers could protect margins in the short term, but it risks dampening demand in an already fragile housing and home improvement market. If tariffs remain in place or expand further, retailers like Home Depot will be stuck between paying more for goods and serving customers reluctant to spend. That dynamic could accelerate SKU rationalization, push more retailers to lean on higher-margin private labels, and force difficult trade-offs between protecting margins and holding share. For Home Depot, its ability to retain relatively high-spending homeowners and pros gives it a cushion, but sustaining growth into 2025 will hinge on how successfully it balances pricing power with customer loyalty in a sluggish housing market. Adjusted earnings per share were $4.68, up from $4.67 a year earlier, but short of the $4.71 expected. Revenues were $45.28 billion, up 4.9% YoY, but below the $45.36 billion expected. However, Home Depot reaffirmed its full-year outlook, guiding to growth in total sales of 2.8% and comparable sales of roughly 1%.
The news: BMO launched the BMO Escape Credit Card, a Mastercard credit card geared for travelers, per a press release. The Escape Credit Card will pack a $150 annual fee. New signees are eligible to earn up to 45,000 points after spending $5,000 within the first three months of their account opening.
The news: President Donald Trump expanded his steel and aluminum tariffs to cover 407 consumer goods that either contain, or are packaged in, aluminum or steel. The scope is wide-ranging, hitting everything from baby booster seats to microwave ovens to personal care products that come in metal containers or packaging.The news: President Donald Trump expanded his steel and aluminum tariffs to cover 407 consumer goods that either contain, or are packaged in, aluminum or steel. The scope is wide-ranging, hitting everything from baby booster seats to microwave ovens to personal care products that come in metal containers or packaging. The takeaway: The sweeping scope and sudden rollout underscore that tariff uncertainty isn’t going away—and could easily intensify. With US consumers now facing the highest average effective tariff rate since 1933, the ripple effects are clear: Higher costs will flow downstream, squeezing retailers and dampening consumer spending.
The news: TikTok is experiencing massive growth among older generations, with adoption for users 45+ growing 1,200% between 2019 and 2025, per CivicScience—suggesting its stickiness across demographics and emphasizing older consumers’ buying power. Our take: A successful social advertising strategy will strike a balance: Valuing younger demographics for their growing influence while accounting for the enduring importance of older generations for driving digital purchases as social media adoption skyrockets.
The news: Meta is moving forward with its ad automation ambitions by introducing new options to consolidate ad targeting, per a company announcement. Meta’s Ads Manager page noted that “some detailed targeting options have been combined,” and that ads using now-unavailable options no longer deliver starting in January. Our take: Automated AI campaigns are the path forward as long as giants like Meta continue pushing for automation and away from manual—necessitating advertisers take key steps to adapt. Campaign goals must be reframed for an AI-first environment.
The finding: More than 1 in 3 Americans (36%) name alcohol as their go‑to restaurant drink, just ahead of soda (29%) and water (21%), per a July Harris Poll. Nearly 70% of recent diners ordered at least one alcoholic beverage, per Harris. Our take: Alcohol remains a top choice, but nonalcoholic options command the bulk of orders. Restaurants should tailor their beverage programs by guest profile and occasion—showcasing premium, adult‑centric cocktails for millennials and Gen X, while expanding on‑trend, flavorful NA and low‑ABV offerings to engage Gen Z and health‑conscious diners.
The news: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released COVID-19 vaccine recommendations that contradict the federal government’s recent guidance shift. Our take: Conflicting vaccine guidance is creating confusion for patients and healthcare providers, while making public discourse on vaccines more divisive. The responsibility to fix this will now fall on local leaders. States, communities, and physicians must take charge. They need to deliver clear, evidence-based vaccine information directly to people through local clinics, schools, and pharmacies. They must also actively campaign for insurers to continue covering the shots.
The news: A closely watched GLP-1 experimental pill from Viking Therapeutics achieved lower-than-anticipated weight loss results in study data released Tuesday. Our take: While weight loss pills won't be as powerful as shots, they still offer a good solution. Losing 10% to 12% of weight is still a significant result. Plus, pills are much more convenient than injectibles. They're easier to store and take, and don't require a needle. Drug companies should focus on promoting these benefits to market the pills as a good weight loss option.
The trend: The number of family caregivers in the US continues to increase, and many are taking on more responsibility, according to a survey of nearly 6,900 family caregivers ages 18+ from the AARP & National Alliance for Caregiving. Our take: Healthcare provider organizations and pharma companies can build relationships with families and drive brand loyalty by developing resources that target caregivers rather than patients. For instance, providers with patients who have family caregivers can offer transportation services to appointments, be accessible during times of the day that best work for caretakers, and connect caregivers with resources on how to get compensated for their work. Additionally, drugmakers should create educational materials that help caregivers better understand their recipients’ disease, manage their treatment regimens, and administer medications.