The news: The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) gave a glimpse of the TV (CTV) advertising’s future at its IAB Tech Lab event—and proved that pause ads are leading the way. Advertising leaders said they offer the best user experience, were most likely to scale with standardization, and provided the greatest increase in ad spend. Our take: The future of CTV advertising will rely on whether advertisers can implement non-intrusive formats that capture attention. Pause ads are positioned to drive action—but advertisers must reimagine their creative strategy to capitalize on this potential.
Tools like Smart+ and Content Suite help brands find trending creator content, predict ad success, and target more precisely.
The news: A wave of cyberattacks is sweeping through the retail industry, with Cartier and North Face the latest to report breaches. Both companies recently notified customers that their names and email addresses had been stolen, although financial information remained secure. Our take: The surge in cyber incidents is coming at the worst possible time for retailers, who are already dealing with extreme upheaval in their supply chains and looking for any opportunity to cut costs. But M&S’ cautionary tale should be a wake-up call for companies to invest in cybersecurity.
Perplexity Labs signals a pivot from AI search to full-stack enterprise tools, positioning the startup as a rising competitor to Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI in workplace automation.
93% of business and tech leaders view it as a way to offer proactive support but caution that human empathy and oversight still matter.
Short-form “microdrama” content is surging in China. As the format gains popularity, streaming platforms are exploring new ways to monetize and export the phenomenon to overseas markets.
Facetune, the photo editing app from Lightricks, has expanded from digital screens into the physical world with its first out-of-home (OOH) ad campaign in the US.
Global fintech revenues increased by 21% YoY in 2024, a strong increase from 13% in the previous year, per Boston Consulting Group and QED Investor’s Global Fintech Report. Challenger banks such as Monzo, Nubank, and Resolut fueled impressive 23% revenue growth in the deposit vertical. Trading and investment fintech revenues grew 21%, and Insurance fintechs measured 40% growth. Fintechs need to drill down into key demographics like digital natives, the unbanked, and the underbanked. Scaled fintechs can also focus on merger and acquisition (M&A) opportunities.
A new credit card is a smart way to contend with incumbents and fintech competitors, but a confusing product line could dampen its adoption.
Dollar General benefits from “trade-in” behavior among wealthier shoppers: The retailer boosted its outlook as discretionary spending from higher-income consumers offset lower-income caution.
This follows a longer-term strategy of focusing its operations.
TikTok shifts away from free traffic for US merchants: The change will require businesses to pay for ads for visibility, but TikTok remains a critical touchpoint.
Klarna’s later entry into the US debit card space offers it a pathway to seize more payment volume.
Almost three-fourths (74%) of consumers prefer to shop in-store for alcoholic beverages versus only buying them online (7%), according to March data from ThinkNow Research.
Nonalcoholic beer set to overtake ale as world’s second-largest beer category: Younger consumers drive the growth as they consume less alcohol.
FarmboxRx acquired by wellness company Pyx Health: Food-as-medicine companies are projected to prosper under an administration that touts lifestyle changes over prescription drugs—but Medicaid cuts could thwart growth.
Bristol Myers Squibb partners with BioNTech on new cancer drug: It’s the latest in a new class of cancer treatment drawing billions in dealmaking, which promises hope for cancer patients—but also likely higher drug prices.