The news: OpenAI is rolling out ChatGPT mental health safeguards for people in crisis and boosting protection specifically for teens with added Parental Controls. Our take: Additional AI guardrails are a positive mental health development, but tech companies should continue to develop more. Healthcare is an important emerging use case for AI, but when it comes to mental health, caution and vigilance needs to trump speed to market.
The news: Walgreens Boots Alliance will be spun out into five standalone companies following its official sale to private equity firm Sycamore Partners. The final word: Walgreens tried to become a vertically integrated healthcare conglomerate, but it picked the wrong markets to invest in. Its rival CVS bought a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) and a health insurer, both of which have contributed tremendous value to the parent company. However, Walgreens could find newfound success in retail pharmacy by positioning itself as a neighborhood drugstore destination that isn’t affiliated with unpopular PBMs and insurers while leaning into its pharmacists as highly trusted and accessible healthcare professionals.
The news: President Trump is insisting that pharma companies publicly demonstrate the success of their COVID-19 vaccines. Our take: Trump's demand should not worry vaccine makers like Pfizer and Moderna. In fact, it’s an opportunity for these companies to share evidence-based data on their products (which the FDA has likely already seen) through public channels that could force the Trump administration to acknowledge the shots’ effectiveness. At the very least, drugmakers can show consumers that they have nothing to hide when it comes to providing real-world data on COVID-19 vaccines.
Over half (54%) of US ad-supported TV viewers who paused content did so for between one and five minutes, long enough to serve a targeted ad, according to April data from Magna Global and DIRECTV Advertising.
The news: Google has cut 35% of managers overseeing small teams, part of a sweeping drive to streamline operations. The focus: fewer layers, less bureaucracy, and a leaner leadership footprint. Many managers now serve as individual contributors, per CNBC. Our take: Google’s rapid thinning of management aims to make the tech giant more nimble and cost-efficient. The realignment signals a company eager to do more with less—possibly speeding decision cycles and innovation, but also tightening access to internal advocates and resources. Leaner teams could mean faster product rollouts and ad platform tweaks—but also less support and fewer points of contact for advertisers inside Google’s vast marketing machine.
The news: Instagram’s latest updates to direct messaging could help brands and creators better organize communications, making the platform a go-to for striking brand partnerships and engaging with customers. Meta added several filtering options to Instagram, including the option to sort DMs by unread or unanswered messages as well as by the senders’ follow count and verification status. Creators can also streamline inbox management with new folders. Our take: These are more than just admin updates—they’re features that pave the way for a future where DMs are central to engagement. Investing time and resources in intentional messaging workflows can help treat DMs as a high-impact channel and a meeting point between companies and consumers.
The news: Software now eats 40% of cybersecurity spend to defend against AI-driven attacks—11 points more than personnel (29%) and nearly triple hardware (15.8%), per Forrester’s 2026 Security Budget Planning Guide. Our take: Businesses should prioritize innovation that’s harder to cut—first-party data programs, customer-centric automation, and strategic partnerships. These amplify impact and deliver growth even when budgets are tight.
The news: Online scams and internet crimes cost Americans a record $16.6 billion in 2024, per Pew Research, potentially reshaping trust in digital platforms. Almost three-quarters (73%) of US adults have experienced some type of online scam, ranging from phishing attempts and online shopping scams to credit card fraud. Most adults report getting weekly scam phone calls (68%), emails (63%) or text messages (61%) that attempt to collect their personal information. The big takeaway: To attract new customers and assuage scam-related hesitations, brands need to be proactive about trust in every digital touchpoint.
The news: Anthropic will now require Claude Free, Pro, and Max users to decide whether their conversations can be used to train its AI. The new rules take effect September 28, and business customers remain exempt, per TechCrunch. Some users on Reddit say the change is making them reconsider Anthropic, citing the five-year data retention requirement as heavy handed. Our take: Anthropic says its new policy is intended to empowering user choice, but skepticism over privacy and consent could push users to opt out or seek other alternatives. As more AI providers prioritize data access over user comfort, transparency and trust will become differentiators in a crowded field. AI’s appetite for training data is going to continue to push privacy and copyright boundaries. Anthropic’s ability to manage trust will determine whether the policy change aids or undermines adoption.
The news: Microsoft dropped its first homegrown AI models—MAI-1-Preview and MAI-Voice-1—to prove it can build top-tier AI in-house, not just lean on OpenAI (where it owns 49%). Our take: Microsoft now has a chance to set its AI apart, capture first-party data at scale, and sharpen its models using real-world feedback. Developing its own AI also prepares Microsoft for a future where OpenAI may shift from partner to rival.
The news: Meta is struggling to retain talent after its splashy, expensive efforts to poach workers from OpenAI and Google, raising concerns about retention and the stability of its AI strategy. Multiple staff members recruited from OpenAI have returned to their former employer within weeks, per Wired. Some veteran Meta employees have also exited, potentially due to frustrations over the sky-high compensation packages offered to newcomers. Our take: This staff exodus intensifies concerns about Meta’s retention and organizational stability. Money may not equal loyalty, and the departures highlight both the limits of using compensation alone to win the AI talent race and a need to rethink how company culture, values, and mission factor into recruitment strategy.
The news: AI is revolutionizing the way social media managers (SMMs) work, but spending on the tools is surprisingly low. 73% of SMMs, content creators, entrepreneurs, and marketers use AI, per Metricool’s 2025 State of AI in Social Media report. Two-thirds create at least half their content with it. Over half (52%) spend nothing on AI tools each month, and only 8% spend over $50 per month. Our take: Failing to monitor AI’s benefits and limitations could hinder teams’ ability to optimize content or justify investment to higher-ups. CMOs should recognize that adoption alone is not a strategy: Tie outputs to performance data, invest in secure tools, and incentivize teams to move beyond surface-level use to capitalize on AI’s potential.
Nearly three-quarters (73.5%) of US adults at least sometimes check prices or inventory online before visiting a store, according to a May survey from Locala and EMARKETER.
The trend: Retail layoffs have surged 249% in the first seven months of the year, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas—and more cuts are likely to come as tariffs squeeze margins. Our take: Layoffs at large prominent retailers like Nike, Kroger, and Best Buy are a clear signal of what’s ahead. Staff cuts at these industry leaders suggest the sector is bracing for weaker consumer demand and persistent margin pressure. If the strongest players are retreating, weaker chains are likely to follow. These moves may prove the canary in the coal mine for a broader retail reset.
Instagram is currently testing a picture-in-picture (PiP) viewing option for Reels that will allow users to watch the short-form service outside of the Instagram app. Instagram is reportedly prompting a small number of users to test the option, which includes a toggle for PiP in Instagram’s playback settings. While it’s a late move for Instagram, PiP Reels will extend the platform’s role beyond active scrolling, letting advertisers reach consumers during passive moments, unlocking a critical advantage in a crowded social landscape.
The summer boom for marketing interns was more of a thud: A report found that the number of ad industry internships has sharply declined since 2022.
The situation: Dollar General, Amazon, and Walmart are on a collision course as each races to speed up rural ecommerce deliveries and win loyalty in a market ripe for growth. Our take: Dollar General, Amazon, and Walmart are pushing hard into rural ecommerce because the growth potential is too big to ignore. The retailers that can pair speed with convenience will be best positioned to lock in lasting loyalty.
Snap debuted a new ad suite for marketers and developers, offering an “App Power Pack” that includes new bid strategies, ad formats, optimization strategies, and targeting capabilities to boost ROI, per MediaPost. Snap’s ad suite is an important step in the company’s efforts to cement its strength in advertising and curb slowing growth. We forecast the platform’s ad revenues will continue falling in the low single digits through 2027. But with competitors already offering similar products, Snapchat needs to go a step further to stand out.
US beauty shoppers are becoming more price conscious, even as overall spending continues to increase. The lipstick effect may have lost some of its punch, but it continues to support steady beauty sales. We expect US cosmetics and beauty sales to grow a relatively sedate 2.4% this year on strength in the hair and skincare categories.