Zelle will use stablecoins to break into cross-border payments, per a press release. Countering this integration will be challenging for all players, unless they can also find a pay-by-bank integration as convenient as Zelle with better incentives. Incumbent remittance platforms like Western Union and Moneygram may be able to harness entrenched customer behaviors to their advantage. Many US remittance users feel safer dropping off cash for overseas loved ones at storefront locations versus using an app. Fintechs may be also able to peel off some competition by leaning on the underbanked within the remittance community, who may not have banking accounts with an institution in Zelle’s consortium.
Bread Financial reported $188 million in net income in its Q3 2025 earnings—roughly flat on the year—while revenues fell 1% to $971 million. Co-brand issuers need to diversify their portfolios to withstand economic downturns and sector-specific slowdowns. However, issuers need to consider what’s going on in potential new sectors. Home goods likely is a low-growth choice based on current outlooks into the housing market, while more resilient industries may be a better play during economic uncertainty.
Coinbase debuted Payments MCP so that AI agents can access on-chain wallets, blockchain onramps, and stablecoin payments, per a blog post. Crypto payment rails don’t yet have market consolidation at the scale of the Mastercard-Visa duopoly. Crypto platforms that enable a broad range of commerce can lock up dominant positions as more mainstream payment platforms facilitate crypto and more retailers accept it. However, convincing consumers of the benefits of stablecoin will take time. Only 1.8% of the US population currently transact with crypto—but we anticipate that share to almost double by 2027, per our forecast.
A new wave of layoffs is hitting corporate America, with major firms like Target, Nestlé, Starbucks, Amazon, Rivian, and GM announcing significant job cuts amid slowing consumer demand and rising costs. More than 946,000 job cuts have been announced this year, the highest since 2020, deepening economic uncertainty. With consumer sentiment at a five-month low and a government shutdown straining millions of workers, inflation and surging insurance premiums are adding pressure. Our take: cautious companies may inadvertently fuel the downturn they fear, amplifying anxiety across the broader economy.
Sixty-two percent of the very wealthiest consumers expect to thrive next year, according to a WSJ Intelligence study, a larger share than the other two classes of affluent investors that were covered. UHNW investors see volatility as a chance to expand and protect their wealth through diversification, alternative assets, and bespoke advice. The emerging affluent, by contrast, prize affordability, digital convenience, and transparency. Banks and wealth managers that offer frictionless digital access on one end of the spectrum and high-touch expertise on the other will bridge this divide
IRYS raised $12.5 million in seed funding. The company sells technology for insurance companies—what it calls “an insurance operating system”—instead of trying to disrupt the industry with a competing offering. Insurtechs are fast becoming reliable partners. Updates to insurance industry systems, now frequently enabled by insurtechs, are long overdue. Insurers will need to work with these startups to keep up with nimble customer-facing competitors
For its latest campaign, BMW is using celebrity storytelling and music to raise awareness for its certified pre-owned program, which the automaker says remains underrecognized among potential buyers.
Marketers are doubling down on content relevance and strategy as key drivers of performance, but personalization is being left behind. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of North American B2B marketers who say their efforts have been effective in the past year cite content relevance as a main reason, per Content Marketing Institute (CMI). Despite the potential payoff, 94% of marketers say their use of personalization is either basic or moderate. Marketers should pivot AI’s role from content creation to content intelligence, focus on high-quality signals, and implement data-driven personalization to get a sustainable edge in campaign efficiency and engagement.
Rising restaurant prices are reshaping how Americans dine out. As 82% of consumers notice higher prices, many are cutting back, especially lower-income households. This shift has boosted value-focused chains like Chili’s and Texas Roadhouse, which have gained market share through affordable bundles and barbell pricing strategies that balance cost-conscious and premium offerings. In contrast, chains that serve less affluent consumers, such as McDonald’s, have seen visits fall despite renewed value promotions. With profitability concerns mounting, operators face pressure to raise prices carefully while using targeted deals and loyalty programs to sustain demand and protect margins.
Procter & Gamble’s strategy of delivering innovation over discounts is helping it navigate economic uncertainty better than many of its peers. While other companies lose sales to private labels, P&G’s US market share is rising as shoppers opt to pay more for products they perceive to be higher quality. Rather than follow competitors by discounting heavily, P&G is focused on delivering superior products—in addition to messaging that emphasizes the potential cost-savings of using them. That strategy allows it to offer more value to customers (and raise prices) without losing loyalty.
Approximately 35% of US adults report using AI tools to learn about and manage aspects of their health and wellness, according to a recent study conducted by The Vitamin Shoppe and Talker Research. As more people grow to trust AI for health information, they may move away from social media and influencer-driven health content that they have never found very reliable. Consumers will increasingly value AI that links to verifiable sources over social videos that often lack accountability. Healthcare and pharma marketers shouldn’t make any drastic pivot away from social media, but should closely track shifts in how consumers engage with social and influencer health content.
Health insurer Highmark Health will cover the cost of Noom’s weight management programs as part of plan members’ medical benefits starting next year. Digital health tools like Noom offer a solution to rising healthcare costs for insurers and employers, but they must boost member engagement to deliver ROI for customers. The companies should collaborate on targeted outreach—using AI and analytics to identify eligible members, promoting no-cost programs via text and email, and highlighting benefits through clear messaging, case studies, and testimonials.
elehealth company Ro is betting a new “food noise” assessment tool will give its patients and pharma partners new data insights for obesity care. As the term food noise gains recognition in consumer health, obesity and weight management marketers can shape early understanding and trust. Clear, evidence-based education campaigns that define food noise as a measurable symptom and not a failure of willpower, can reduce stigma and strengthen patient engagement.
Half of oncologists note their cancer patients are turning to AI tools for information before, during, and after their diagnosis and treatment, according to a recent survey of oncologists from Impiricus and Klick Health. As patients adopt more AI for health information, pharma marketers have a growing opportunity to help physicians navigate the new dynamic. Marketers can offer physicians training on how to discuss and correct AI-generated information, and by providing credible, easy-to-understand resources grounded in evidence.
YouTube TV could lose access to Disney networks October 30, including ESPN, Disney Channel, and ABC, as Google and Disney enter a deal-renewal standoff. YouTube TV will become an increasingly risky investment for advertisers if a deal is not reached by the deadline, especially as advertisers turn to sports as a key channel to reach vast audiences but struggle with sports rights fragmentation.
The connected TV (CTV) landscape is evolving rapidly from an exclusive channel to a democratized medium that drives action for brands of all sizes. In a conversation with EMARKETER, Mike Laband, group SVP of revenue at Magnite, shared his insights on democratization, how Magnite is investing in innovation, and where CTV ad formats are headed. Marketers who ride the wave of CTV innovation will be best positioned to succeed as the medium becomes heavily saturated with ads.
The oldest members of Gen Alpha are highly connected to technology and wield $28 billion in spending power, per Numerator. Half of US 15- and 16-year-olds own multiple devices, giving them access to the internet wherever they are, according to 1,000 Gen Alpha parents surveyed by Attest. The vast majority (92%) have a smartphone. To reach the next generation of shoppers, marketers should be just as internet-savvy as they are and focus on digital content. Build creator and influencer partnerships, and ensure gaming ads are contextually driven and don't interfere with gameplay.
Spectrum Reach and Waymark are scaling their AI-powered creative partnership, which has already supported over 15,000 ad campaigns for small and midsize businesses. The collaboration blends Spectrum Reach’s data-driven media targeting with Waymark’s AI video creation tools, enabling broadcast-quality commercials in minutes. The expansion comes as 55% of US small businesses now use AI, up from 39% last year. Together, Spectrum Reach and Waymark are redefining local advertising, proving AI can make creative faster, smarter, and fairer.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what OpenAI as the next big operating system maker looks like, how they might make money from this, which integrated apps will become most popular inside ChatGPT, and how this potential super app could impact consumer AI devices. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Analyst, Grace Harmon, and Principal Analyst, Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.