Pinterest announced new ad offerings at its Pinterest Presents summit as it looks to cement its position as a key destination for digital advertisers. Advertisers can use Pinterest to capitalize on intent-driven shopping.
President Trump’s announcement of new tariffs on kitchen cabinets, vanities, and upholstered furniture—without clear White House guidance—has added fresh uncertainty for retailers already struggling with volatile policy shifts. While consumer spending rose 0.4% in August and GDP growth was revised upward to 3.8% in Q2, inflation pressures remain with the PCE index up 2.7% YoY. Real disposable income barely grew, the savings rate fell to its lowest this year, and sentiment slipped across most groups. Retailers face tightening margins and fatigued consumers, requiring nimble strategies to sustain engagement amid economic headwinds.
Meta is planning on offering UK users paid, ad-free versions of Instagram and Facebook in the coming weeks. Privacy transforming into a priced option implies a growing consumer awareness of data use. Advertisers who make privacy a positive part of their brand messaging will better match emerging consumer mindsets.
Bolt launched a super app, named SuperApp, that combines payments, banking, crypto trading, rewards, and shopping, per a press release. For the select few crypto-forward consumers, Bolt’s crypto reach across 40+ cryptocurrencies could be attractive but there’s not much differentiating it from fintechs that already offer crypto services, like PayPal or Cash App.
US auto sales are on pace to rise 6.2% year-over-year in Q3, with GM, Toyota, Ford, and Hyundai leading gains, while record EV sales of 410,000 units pushed electric vehicles to nearly 10% of the market ahead of expiring tax incentives. Cox Automotive lifted its full-year forecast to 16.1 million vehicles, but the industry faces growing challenges as CarMax reports steep declines, Ford leans on risky financing, and Volkswagen and Porsche cut output. GM is also scaling back EV production with layoffs in Tennessee and Detroit. Despite recent momentum, fading incentives, rising costs, and tighter demand signal a turbulent road ahead.
Uber Eats will offer customers weekly discounts on fresh groceries in markets worldwide as it looks to become a top destination for grocery shopping. Fierce competition between Uber and other delivery platforms, as well as Amazon and Walmart, is making grocery delivery more affordable, which is in turn driving online grocery adoption. By offering weekly discounts, Uber is hoping to turn occasional shoppers into regulars—and grow its small share of grocery spending into a much larger one.
Despite its $999.99 price tag, the ROG Xbox Ally X is selling out, showing there’s still strong consumer interest in on-the-go gaming experiences. Preorders for the handheld gaming console sold out Friday, per Xbox. Xbox console prices are inching up at a not-so-subtle rate—with two price bumps this year—undercutting the old adage that waiting to purchase until post-launch leads to lower costs. Companies should bundle experiences, not just hardware, lean into mobility features, amd address price increases head-on.
President Trump threatened pharma companies with a 100% tariff on drug imports unless they start building US manufacturing plants by October 1. The winners of Trump’s latest threat/demand are generic drugmakers that appear to be spared, and highly profitable Big Pharmas that were likely planning investments in US manufacturing and R&D anyway to stabilize supply chains. But smaller pharma players may be forced to pull back from US commerce in favor of international markets, explore a sale, or cut a strategic partnership with bigger drugmakers in which their treatments could be produced at the larger company’s US facilities.
Paid search clickthrough rates for healthcare ads plummeted 51.4% year over year—the steepest drop across all industries measured, according to our Industry KPI data provided by Skai. The rise of AI-generated health info and consumer burnout from constant drug ads are likely driving down engagement. Healthcare and pharma companies need to ensure their online content is tailored for AI relevance. They must also continuously review whether their ads are being over-exposed to the same audience.
The pharma industry moved up from last place in Gallup’s annual survey of US industry reputation, although 58% of consumers still view the industry negatively. Healthcare fared better landing in the middle of the list, but still notched a 51% negative rating. Consumers are still angry about high pharma drug prices, but they’re increasingly aware that insurers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and hospital systems are part of the problem. There’s an opportunity for pharma to continue to spotlight how PBMs drive up drug prices, for instance. But companies should also amplify more recent efforts, like creating US jobs by building more manufacturing plants in the US and making some medications more accessible in direct-to-consumer programs, to win back public goodwill.
AstraZeneca is launching a direct-to-consumer (D2C) website and dropping the cash-pay prices of two key drugs, following Bristol Myers Squibb’s announcement a day earlier. Pharma D2C is no longer a niche play and we expect direct sales to play a bigger role in future drug sales. The new models bypass insurers and pharmacy benefit manager middlemen, which should lead to better prices for consumers. Drugmakers and agencies also need to focus on creating well-designed, patient-centered website experiences that mirror online retail experiences—or risk losing out in what’s about to become a crowded pharma D2C marketplace.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss more ‘very specific, but highly unlikely’ predictions for the end of 2025 and start of 2026. If a major US news organization like CNN or CNBC will soon get acquired by a billionaire, why Pepsi could split into separate snack and beverage businesses, and the road to full funnel, hyper relevant connected car ads. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Forecasting, Oscar Orozco, and Vice Presidents of Content, Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
More than half (53%) of US consumers turn to AI for conducting shopping research, per an August Adobe survey.
Connected TV has become a full-funnel channel, but creative can feel like the biggest hurdle. Repurposing existing assets is often all it takes to get started.
Streaming is outplaying movie theaters for most consumers, despite frustration around streamers’ rising subscription prices. Three-quarters of US adults have streamed a recently released movie in the past year instead of watching it in a theater, per an AP-NORC poll. Brands shouldn’t abandon theaters for streaming or vice versa but should instead focus on approaching each channel with a clear strategy. Streaming, especially ad-free tiers, offers data-driven targeting, while theaters offer cultural impact and immersive experiences. Strong campaigns will employ both, using streaming for precision and theaters for impact.
Several channels and platforms saw viewing hikes in August, largely driven by live sports, per Nielsen’s August 2025 Media Distributor Index. The platforms that thrive in an increasingly fragmented media landscape will be those that go all-in on live sports and build a diversified portfolio combining tentpole events like the Super Bowl and emerging growth drivers like women’s sports.
YouTube TV could lose access to programming from NBCUniversal’ Peacock as the companies struggle to reach a distribution agreement. Rather than purchasing ad slots tied to a single platform or broadcaster, leveraging data-driven audience segments will help cut across services to follow fans regardless of where they watch, ensuring continued reach as rights scatter.
Meta is in discussions with Google to use Gemini as a benchmark for its own content understanding systems. The social media giant wants to test its systems against Gemini, not integrate the AI model, to help support its ad targeting and recommendation systems. Findings could show Gemini is stronger, or that Meta’s own systems already match or surpass it. Stronger content understanding could yield more nuanced insights and richer ad tooIs, enabling better campaign planning, targeting, and measurement. It highlights that AI in ads is less about flashy features and more about the invisible infrastructure that shapes outcomes.
In-store retail media has the “reach, quality, rent, safety, and cultural relevance that marketers traditionally want,” said Andrew Lipsman, founder and chief analyst, media, ads, and commerce at Colosseum Strategy, during IAB’s Connected Commerce Summit.