On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how anti-US sentiment, live tourism, and tariffs are all shaping people’s 2025 summer travel plans. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice President of Research Jennifer Pearson and Analyst Rachel Wolff. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss whether advertisers can still create powerful brand narratives in such a fragmented media universe, the best piece of advice for advertisers trying to negotiate a minefield of tariff-related changes, and how AI will impact advertising and marketing over the next 12 months. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice President and Principal Analyst Jasmine Enberg, and Principal Analyst Sarah Marzano. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
As Google's search changes continue and consumers increasingly turn to alternative platforms, the SEO playbook defined by link building and keyword optimization is losing relevance.
Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands like Eyebuydirect are overcoming traditional barriers in high-consideration purchase categories like eyewear.
Retailers want richer experiences that still respect guest trust. Katy Hershey, senior director, partner solutions group at Roundel shares how Target’s 165 million guest profiles and 15 years of retail media insight fuels its brand-safe omnichannel campaigns—and outlines what’s next: goal-based buying, AI-driven personalization, and broader reach via off-platform partnerships.
The insight: The US is mired in the “worst housing market in almost 50 years,” RH CEO Gary Friedman said during the company’s Q1 earnings call, as high housing costs and economic uncertainty chill demand. Our take: With the sluggish housing market showing few signs of improvement, retailers must lean into any pockets of opportunity they find. For RH, that’s burnishing its luxury credentials and pushing deeper into hospitality, while Wayfair is leaning on its diverse supplier base. The resilient pro market is another area companies should look to take advantage of as they try to ride out the downturn.
The news: Michaels is getting a head start on the spooky season. The arts and crafts retailer began stocking its shelves with Halloween merchandise this past Friday, marking its earliest-ever rollout of themed items. Our take: Michaels is betting that even as consumers pull back on discretionary purchases, they’ll keep splurging on Instagram-worthy seasonal décor—especially if they can get it first. From black rose wreaths to candy-colored pumpkins and disco-themed skeletons, the early drop positions Michaels to win over shoppers eager to get a head start on Halloween.
The news: The pending Omnicom Group and Interpublic Group merger is facing a new hurdle, per a New York Times report. The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly considering adding restrictions on Omnicom and IPG that would stop the merger unless the new company agrees to a ban on ad boycotts that would prevent it from refusing to host clients’ advertisements on platforms because of political reasons. Our take: If the FTC proceeds, the decision will have a ripple effect on the advertising industry as a whole, emphasizing that advertisers are increasingly faced with choosing between brand safety and legal pushback.
Lloyds, NatWest, and Truist are redefining banking with generative AI. Lloyds moves beyond individual use cases to rethink processes entirely, aiming for a customer-facing AI agent by late summer 2025. NatWest shifted to reimagining entire customer experiences, empowering all 70,000 employees with AI tools to rapidly explore new possibilities. Truist focuses on "knowledge extraction," a low-risk, high-reward use case demonstrating immediate value. Continuous experimentation and adaptable strategies are crucial for AI implementation, requiring agile learning, boundary-pushing, and prioritizing employee buy-in for customer-focused solutions.
Regions Bank is navigating banking M&A activity by opting against acquiring other financial institutions itself. This strategy allows them to avoid the significant internal disruptions—like integrating systems and workforces—that typical mergers cause. Instead, Regions focuses on maintaining stability and leveraging the confusion and frustration experienced by customers and employees of merging competitors. By presenting itself as a familiar, relationship-focused alternative, Regions actively targets and builds connections with those dissatisfied individuals. This approach facilitates organic growth and talent acquisition, proving a valuable strategy for institutions that prefer to avoid the complexities and risks associated with large-scale M&A.
The news: Pinterest will host high-performing influencer content posted on affiliate shopping platform LTK, automatically bringing popular images from the platform to Pinterest, according to The Verge. Pinterest also hired Chip Jessopp, former Amazon director of global accounts and ad tech sales, as head of programmatic, per Digiday. Jessopp will help Pinterest create new demand channels while scaling its programmatic abilities. Our take: Pinterest’s moves could better position it as a legitimate competitor in digital advertising and a promising growth area for influencers and marketers—giving the platform more legs against social commerce giants like Meta and TikTok.
The news: Chases unveiled “The Shops at Chase,” an integrated shopping and promotion platform for Chase Freedom, Sapphire, and Ink cardholders. Our take: Being able to convert Chase rewards into material purchases is a draw. However, retraining Chase cardholders to make purchases at The Shops instead of starting their product search with Google or Amazon will be an uphill battle.
Digital banks lead in attracting Gen Z, with 54% preferring non-traditional providers for real-time payouts and aligned social values. However, traditional banks are adapting. They're boosting digital capabilities, like Truist's mobile ID verification, and personalizing experiences, such as U.S. Bank's targeted social media marketing and immediate rewards. Traditional FIs leverage existing strengths, emphasizing low fees and an omnichannel approach that blends digital convenience with in-person options. Winning Gen Z requires a strategic mix of digital excellence, relevant marketing that resonates, and human-centric personalization, delivering tailored and empowering financial interactions for long-term loyalty.
The insight: Gen Z consumers are starting their purchase journeys more often on Google properties, including YouTube and Gemini, according to a Business Insider report citing Morgan Stanley data. Our take: Google is doing a good job of leveraging the popularity of YouTube and increasing interest in genAI-powered shopping tools to win over younger shoppers and establish itself as the first port of call in their customer journeys.
The news: Meta’s AI app is drawing backlash as users unknowingly publish private chats—some serious—under real names due to a confusing share feature, per TechCrunch. Many people thought they were using the chatbot or saving notes in private, only to find that their prompts—which included topics like gender identity, medical concerns, tax evasion, and job interviews—were visible to strangers. Our take: This episode poses significant issues for Meta regarding the metaverse, AI, and advertising.
The news: Shopify partnered with Coinbase and Stripe so customers can pay with the USDC stablecoin at checkout. Our take: Coinbase is the biggest winner in this partnership. Cryptocurrency needs to gain traction with a wide merchant network to accelerate its use, and Shopify represents a huge score for Base.
The news: Coinbase will launch its first credit card on the American Express network this fall. Our take: This card could be a strong retention play to keep existing users from using an alternative crypto exchange but likely won’t move the needle on broader adoption.
The news: Novo Nordisk is partnering with AI drug discovery company Deep Apple Therapeutics to discover and develop new cardiometabolic drugs, including for obesity. The takeaway: Novo is not the biggest loser in the GLP-1 weight loss category, but it’s trailing Lilly in drug effectiveness, market value, and more importantly public perception. It’s critical for Novo to come up with new and better weight loss drugs—hence the deal with Deep Apple—but also polish its brand with consumers. A new CEO and new marketing direction could garner Novo some much-needed cachet.
The data: Healthcare providers are struggling to get patients to use digital tools for scheduling appointments and paying for care, according to a recent Experian Health report. Our take: Clinic staff should gauge patients’ comfort level with using specific online tools at the first visit. These queries could give marketers the necessary information to remind people of the tech that’s available to them for accessing and managing their care. Further education around understanding medical bills and the importance of filling out pre-visit forms could drive patients to use a provider’s portal for these purposes.
The trend: Gen Z is turning to social media for job and career guidance in the UK, but typical pharma company content isn’t engaging them. The takeaway: Pharma and biotech companies need to embrace social media as serious recruiting channels to connect with Gen Z, and create unpolished, everyday snapshot-type videos with real employees. Social teams should track video trends on TikTok like “day in the life” or “put a finger down” and enlist employees to replicate them.