More Amazon Prime shoppers purchase groceries from Walmart than from the ecommerce retailer, according to Coresight Research data reported by Grocery Dive. While grocery is a hugely important category for Amazon to conquer, its efforts so far have been hampered by a complex ecosystem. The retailer’s attempts to unify that system could result in a more seamless experience for shoppers, while its fast delivery capabilities could make it a more appealing place to shop for perishables.
The news: BlinkRx debuted a new quick startup direct-to-consumer (D2C) offering for pharma companies, on the heels of President Trump’s demand for more D2C drug distribution. Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, joined the board of BlinkRx in February. BlinkRx told Bloomberg it did not consult with Trump Jr. nor anyone in the Trump administration about the new offering. The takeaway: Pharma companies were already looking at new access models and ways to build direct connections to patients, but with the now pressing Trump demands, there’s new opportunity for digital health companies to offer vetted plug-and-play models.
The news: GenAI models can easily be influenced to perpetuate false health facts when they’re fed made-up medical terms and information, per a new Mount Sinai research published in Nature last week. Our take: As more consumers rely on open GPT models for health answers, misinformation and intentional disinformation pose growing risks to both personal and public health. There’s an opportunity for healthcare and pharma marketers to step up science-based AI marketing and communications, such as Pfizer’s custom genAI medical query tool Health Answers that sources answers from medical journals and peer-reviewed research.
The trend: Most consumers are skeptical of the health information they see on social media, according to a new KFF survey. The big takeaway: Even as social media increasingly becomes a health information tool, consumers know there is plenty of medical misinformation and influencer self-promotion flooding the internet. But these survey findings also present an opportunity for healthcare brands and marketers to stand out from the crowd with platform-specific strategies that can help build customer relationships.
The news: Google is turning search results into a customizable, algorithmic feed. The search giant is rolling out Preferred Sources, which allows users to select their favorite blogs or news outlets to appear the most in the “top stories” section. The feature aims to help users see more content from their favorite sites, per Google. Our take: If search results become a more limited discovery engine, news sites and blogs may need to rely more heavily on traffic through alternative sources. Joining blogging sites like Medium and Substack could help maintain visibility and surface new readers who will add them as preferred news sources, considering the platforms’ focus on content discovery.
The news: Fox is teaming up with ESPN to bundle their upcoming sports streaming services, per Deadline. The bundle will focus on Fox One and ESPN and marks the first major sports rights package, though programming from Fox’s broadcast network and its local stations will also be available. Our take: An ESPN and Fox bundle will undoubtedly unlock major advertising opportunities for the channels as advertisers turn to sports as a key driver of revenues.
The news: Live-streamer Sling TV debuted day, weekend, and weeklong streaming passes as monthly subscription costs escalate. Consumers can buy a Day Pass for $4.99, a Friday-Sunday pass for $9.99, or a Week Pass for $14.99. Passes don’t auto-renew. All three passes offer access to the same 34 channels on Sling’s Orange package, including ESPN, TNT, A&E, Comedy Central, and more. Our take: If its short-term passes are successful, we can expect more streamers to follow suit and potentially offer popular IP for rent—think “Squid Game” on Netflix or “The Gilded Age” on HBO Max. That would allow advertisers to target specific, price-conscious audiences.
Swiss footwear company On posted raised its full-year sales and gross margin outlook, citing broad-based geographical strength as Gen Z consumers scoop up its premium-priced athletic shoes.
The news: Nvidia is facing a new obstacle in its ability to sell chips to China—Chinese authorities are urging ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent, and others to halt purchases of Nvidia hardware. This follows an agreement between President Donald Trump, Nvidia, and AMD that requires the two companies give the US government a 15% cut of Chinese chip revenues in exchange for permission to sell hardware there, per Bloomberg. Our take: ability to develop and deploy AI models for things like algorithm recommendations, content moderation, and generative AI (genAI) features. Marketers should diversify their AI-powered marketing tools to stay ahead if TikTok’s ad products and UX features develop more slowly.
The news: 88% of mobile app ad spend is concentrated on Google and Meta, per Moloco’s Performance Through Independence report, despite high user engagement with independent apps. Advertisers who diversified their ad mix beyond the two Big Tech giants saw return on ad spend (ROAS) improve by up to 214%. Our take: Independent mobile apps offer untapped ROI. Reducing reliance on Google and Meta by diversifying mobile app spend could boost reach, hedge against platform risks, and better align with user behavior, especially as privacy challenges threaten to reshape targeting and measurement.
Some students have already started their school year, but the back-to-school shopping season is far from over. In fact, over a third (34%) of families begin their back-to-school shopping in August, according to recent data from ad platform gumgum.
For advertisers, the increasing fragmentation within the search landscape can be quite frustrating and challenging. “But for consumers it feels like ease and convenience," said our analyst Sarah Marzano on a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers." "We're able to conduct product searches wherever we're spending time and go on a journey that's tailored to the mindset we're in."
Target’s protracted slump is hurting employee morale as workers worry the retailer is falling behind. Roughly half of respondents to a companywide survey don’t think Target is making necessary changes to compete effectively, The Wall Street Journal reported, while 40% said they lack confidence in the retailer’s future. After 10 quarters of flat or declining sales, Target is in dire need of a shakeup.
Elon Musk plans to sell paid placements within Grok’s AI-generated answers, marking his first major advertiser pitch since Linda Yaccarino’s departure. Grok, X’s in-house AI assistant built by xAI, will integrate ads directly into responses, offering brands high-intent, context-driven targeting. The move comes as X’s global ad revenues, projected at $2.26 billion in 2025, remain roughly half of pre-Musk levels. Musk says Grok will eventually automate the full ad-buying process, from creative grading to personalization, aiming to improve efficiency and performance. With user growth declining in every major region, the strategy hinges on whether brands trust Musk’s AI-led vision enough to re-engage.
The news: Meta announced today updates to its Brand Rights Protection product to combat an influx of scam ads across its social platforms. Meta will now give brands using Brand Rights Protection the option to report scam ads at scale, regardless of whether the ads use the brand’s intellectual property. This feature includes ads that are suspected as scams or ads that are misleading and exploit a brand’s name without authorization. Our take: With social media’s vulnerability to ad fraud and proliferating concerns about brand safety causing some advertisers to reconsider spending, Meta’s update comes at a critical time.
Cutting back is easier said than done. 72% of consumers made an unplanned discretionary purchase in the past month—even as 69% say they intend to cut back or maintain current levels of nonessential spending, per an Optimum Retailing consumer survey. Tried-and-true strategies like spotlighting limited-time deals, using eye-catching displays, and cross-merchandising essentials with related products continue to drive results—even when shoppers say they’re cutting back.
Over half (56%) of US adults commonly purchase private label grocery/food and beverage products, the most popular category of private label purchased, according to April 2025 data from First Insight.
The news: The identified gunman in a fatal shooting at the CDC’s Atlanta headquarters had blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him ill and suicidal, according to media reports. Our take: Building trust in government health agencies like the CDC is crucial. Physician associations and healthcare and pharma companies can help reinforce the credibility of the medical establishment by partnering with trusted local doctors, pharmacists, and patient advocacy organizations to inform consumers on the benefits of government-endorsed treatments and the risks of being unvaccinated.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what to make of Meta’s ‘Superintelligence Labs’ unit, the unconventional ways young people are using Instagram, and the potential sleeping giant of WhatsApp’s ads. Join our conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Vice President and Principal Analyst, Jasmine Enberg, and Senior Analyst, Minda Smiley. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.