The trend: Brands are ramping up legal action over perceived infringements of their intellectual property. Our take: With brand loyalty ebbing as price concerns take priority, more companies are leaning on the law to keep rivals from undercutting their business. But there are limits: Ecommerce marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, Temu, and Shein are crammed to the gills with dupes that are incredibly difficult to crack down on. While companies should protect their IP wherever possible, they also need to make clear to shoppers why their products are better than knockoff versions—and why they’re worth full price.
32% of US connected TV (CTV) users find traditional TV ads useful/helpful for holiday gift info, while 34% say the same about streaming TV ads, according to June 2025 data from LG Ad Solutions.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss if the death of the Late Show is “the canary in the linear coal mine” and the biggest takeaways from the landmark NFL and ESPN deal. Join our conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Editor, Daniel Konstantinovic, and Vice President of Content, Paul Verna. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
MS NOW rebrand targets broader news reach: MSNBC aims to scale beyond its niche as TV audiences fragment globally.
The news: As entry-level roles for younger hires shrink, ad schools are retooling their programs to promote AI fluency and skills. Miami Ad School, Virginia Commonwealth University’s Brandcenter, and London’s School of Communication Arts are adding AI education curriculum focused on concepting, campaign execution, and portfolio development, per Adweek. Our take: CMOs who understand how AI is reshaping both entry-level roles and leadership expectations will be in a better position to build resilient, AI-ready teams. However, companies shouldn’t focus only on hiring junior employees with existing AI literacy—keeping resources open to train both new and current workers as AI evolves will encourage a diversity of skills and experience on staff.
Execution missteps remain a stubborn issue in grocery retail. Nearly half (48%) of shoppers have encountered pricing mismatches or promotional errors at checkout—a frequent frustration that quietly undermines trust, per a consumer survey commissioned by store intelligence provider Simbe. At a time when brand loyalty is waning, strong execution and a seamless in-store experience can be a powerful competitive advantage.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how the world’s largest online retailer is weathering tariffs so far, the biggest takeaway from Prime Day, and why Amazon’s AI future could be wearables. Join our conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman, and Analyst, Rachel Wolff. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
ChatGPT saw 52.2 million US unique visitors in June, up 180.6% from last July, per Comscore.
Retailers face an atypical holiday season. Instead of the usual end-of-year boom, 2025 is expected to bring a rare deceleration in holiday sales growth.
The news: A coalition of major US banks is pushing for reforms to the recently enacted GENIUS Act. The banks are concerned that a loophole could give non-bank competitors advantages over more regulated traditional banks, per AInvest. Our take: The main challenge for traditional banks is that they have to compete on a new front with different rules. But it’s also a major risk to their customers, who could not only move their money over to competitors’ accounts—but also lose it. While a 4% reward rate is highly attractive and far exceeds most traditional savings account interest, these stablecoin holdings are not necessarily protected by FDIC insurance. Without this insurance, a platform failure could mean consumers lose their entire investment—a risk that does not exist with a federally insured bank deposit.
The news: Financial institutions (FIs) are obsessed with acquiring new customers. But prioritizing it over other important goals won’t work in the long run. Our take: The steps FIs should take to ensure the customer journey doesn’t end right after it starts include: Investing in a strong onboarding experience. Create incentives—such as rewards and personalized insights—for customers to make their second transaction, not just their first. And seamless onboarding journeys particularly help strengthen ties with younger customers, who have high expectations for great experiences. Rethinking their brands. FIs can stand out by figuring out what makes them unique and communicating that consistently. If a brand or messaging is indistinguishable from the next FI, consider a rebrand or brand refresh. Doubling down on AI. From ensuring FIs show up in generative search engine results to supercharging the customer experience with AI agents, finding new ways to implement the technology to better engage customers can be a valuable investment.
The news: MX Technologies recently surveyed 1,000 US consumers to study what drives banking customer retention and attrition. Our take: The MX Technologies report underscores that consumers are highly motivated by value, convenience, and a seamless digital experience. In addition, they know what they want for their finances and are willing to look to competitors to get it. To win and retain customers, FIs should proactively use data to anticipate customer needs at key life stages and offer relevant products before those moments arrive.
Gen X consumers will spend $15.2 trillion worldwide this year, the highest of any generation, according to NielsenIQ.
The news: Cardholders who pay an annual fee report higher satisfaction with their financial product than those carrying no-fee cards, per J.D. Power’s US Credit Card Customer Satisfaction Study. Our take: Chasing too quickly after the most premium cardholders risks disenchanting young, upwardly mobile professionals in the millennial and Gen Z cohorts. If these elite cards want cardholders who can grow across their financial lifetimes with their products, they need to avoid hollowing out the middle between their elite and entry-level cards.
The news: Stripe is developing a blockchain called Tempo with crypto venture capitalist Paradigm, per an exclusive from Fortune. Our take: Even after the completion of its ecosystem, Stripe still faces steep competition with a crowd of existing public and private blockchain networks.
The news: The American Bankers Association, the Bank Policy Institute, and Consumer Bankers Association defended their decisions to charge fees to fintechs in a letter responding to the Financial Technology Association’s recent plea to protect Section 1033. Our take: Banks are in lock-step marching toward undoing Section 1033. As competing trade groups make appeals to President Donald Trump—whose own family has expressed support for the open banking rule—fintechs need to prepare for a post-1033 world.
The news: Apple could soon renew its smart home and robotics plans with a slew of products. The hardware giant is planning an AI-enabled tabletop robot, per Bloomberg, a smart home camera, and a smart speaker with a display. This could all be accompanied by a major Siri upgrade built on large language models (LLMs). Our take: This could be Apple’s biggest ecosystem play since the iPhone. If successful, it could drive growth in a post-iPhone era, reestablish Apple in the AI game, and usher in a new era of home-based intelligence.
The news: Upfront spending on primetime TV declined for the third year in a row as viewers shift to streaming and advertisers follow suit, per Media Dynamics. Our take: Though linear still commands more ad spending than streaming for now, money and viewership are becoming more entrenched within streaming.
US retail sales advanced in July as consumers took advantage of major sales events. However, signs are emerging that consumers are becoming more pessimistic as inflation expectations rise. With pressure from rising food prices, higher housing costs, and uncertainty about higher tariffs, consumers remain cost-conscious—and are wary about what’s ahead. Still, it’s clear that they’re willing to spend when they see clear value, providing a roadmap for retailers to capture sales.
The strategy: Agentic AI could redefine how banks detect and prevent financial crime, according to a recent McKinsey report. Our take: Banks are just beginning to pilot agentic AI and explore use cases, but they should prioritize using it in financial crime prevention. This technology will become essential as traditional methods struggle to keep up with increasingly sophisticated criminal tactics: Despite allocating significant resources to KYC and AML efforts, the financial industry only detects about 2% of global financial crime, per Interpol data.