ICEBlock, an app that allowed users to flag US Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, was taken down from Apple’s App Store after the Trump administration pressed for its removal, per The New York Times. This push for compliance is exemplified by the TikTok ban threat in the US. Even though the ban didn’t materialize, it showed how government pressure can reshape platform access overnight. And if a company takes a stance that appears to favor one political side, the fallout can be far-reaching, not just for the platform but for every brand inside its walls.
Trust in news media is at a record low in the US, with just 28% of Americans across age groups and party affiliations showing a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in television, radio, and newspapers to report news fully, fairly, and accurately, per Gallup. Creating content that aligns with core audience values will be critical to sustain advertising success as consumer trust in media declines.
Xbox plans to add a free ad-supported tier to its Xbox gaming subscriptions, per The Verge. Employees currently have access to testing ahead of a public beta. Test features include two minutes of pre-roll ads before gamers gain access to Xbox Cloud Gaming and a one-hour time limit per session. Nearly half (46%) of gamers often make purchases based on in-game ads. Marketers should focus on influencer-led campaigns that play up gaming and personalization. If ads feel more like a buddy joining them in the living room rather than an interruption, gamers are less likely to be irritated.
At Advertising Week New York, creators are no longer side players—they’re center stage. Global president Ruth Mortimer told EMARKETER that influencers now operate as media channels in their own right, shaping programming with four dedicated tracks, a creator lounge, and even an Adobe-backed live pitch where creators can secure $25,000 contracts on stage. As creators revive entertainment formats and build their own businesses, brands should view them as long-term partners driving cultural relevance—not just campaign amplifiers.
The subscription economy is on track to surge 67% over the next five years, reaching $1.2 trillion globally by 2030, according to Juniper Research. Digital video subscriptions lead the way and account for more than a third of all spending. The subscription model is scaling, but trust is fragile. With large shares of consumers across markets feeling they pay too much, retention will define the next growth phase. Retention must be part of the design from the start—transparent pricing and policies, simple cancellation or tier-change processes, and clear, distinct benefits—so subscriptions become habits, not burdens.
YouTube TV is in a dicey position after it lost access to Univision networks and reached a temporary extension with NBCUniversal as a total blackout looms. Brands should prepare for fragmentation and adapt accordingly. Looking to CTV and OTT platforms with more stable sports offerings—like Prime Video and its 11-year deal with the NBA and WNBA—will provide a cushion amid uncertainty.
Apple is scrapping plans for a next-gen Vision Pro in favor of developing its own smart glasses to compete with Ray-Ban Meta and others. The glasses will “rely heavily” on voice interaction and AI, per Bloomberg—two areas where Apple has been slow to innovate. With Meta already pushing smart glasses, brands that delay adapting risk falling behind in this emerging medium. As input shifts from screen tapping or gestures to voice, marketers need to ensure their brands sound natural in conversational AI environments and that website data is optimized for voice SEO and consistent brand tone.
The majority (70%) of US adults do not trust health information coming from President Donald Trump, according to June 2025 data from Ipsos and Axios.
The news: The latest actress generating buzz across Hollywood isn’t real. “Tilly Norwood,” an AI-generated persona created by Particle6, drew sharp critiques from Hollywood personalities and unions. Our take: Consumers still report a deep distrust of AI influencers. For now, partnering with corporeal influencers is the safer path for most brands.
Spotify announced updates to its advertising offerings on Wednesday, expanding access to its inventory and enhancing its addressability capabilities for programmatic buyers through several new partnerships via Spotify Ad Exchange (SAX). Spotify’s new features are showing the company’s dedication to improvement, warranting experimentation for brands who are hesitant to leverage evolving resources.
Amazon is expanding its Prime Video live sports push through major deals with the National Basketball Association (NBA). For advertisers, the betting landscape, combined with mounting options to advertise in live sports, offers opportunities to connect with highly engaged and passionate audiences as platforms expand.
Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) is becoming an increasingly important part of the connected TV (CTV) landscape as audience interest skyrockets, per a new Wurl study. Brands can view FAST as a core part of the CTV media mix, leveraging early-adopter advantages while continuing to invest in paid subscription services like Netflix that have lower churn rates.
Pause ads are proving their potential in the crowded connected TV (CTV) landscape after marketing service Wunderkind Ads saw massive success with a pause ad campaign for jewelry brand Zales. Pause ads are proving to be one of the most promising CTV innovations yet, and advertisers who haven’t experimented with the format should tap in—but must also understand what makes these ads work.
Bad Bunny will make history at Super Bowl LX as the first artist to perform a halftime show entirely in Spanish. The move comes as Hispanics emerge as the nation’s most engaged digital video audience, with 83.7% penetration and nearly 56 million monthly viewers. It also arrives at a politically charged moment: Bad Bunny has openly criticized Trump-era policies, endorsed Kamala Harris, and refused to tour the US over ICE concerns. For brands, his Spanish-only set underscores the growing importance of bilingual and Latino audiences in media and marketing.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek will step down in January 2026 to become executive chairman. In his place, chief product and technology officer Gustav Söderström and chief business officer Alex Norström will serve as co-CEOs. The leadership change could help unlock new monetization paths—such as deeper AI-driven ad targeting, expanded creator tools, or new subscription ad models—to hone Spotify’s ad ambitions, provided the transition doesn’t create friction. Brands should watch for investor days, ad tech announcements, or new targeting plans post-transition to see how Spotify’s business, pricing, and measurement options change.
Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM) has introduced a new suite of off-site capabilities, aiming to help small- to mid-sized brands navigate the complexities of programmatic channels.
The latest multibillion-dollar AI deals are a reflection of the massive computing power needed to build AI products and services—and 2025 has shown just how steep the costs can get. We expect price increases to trickle down to brands, resulting in more expensive access to AI tools and services. Brands should stay agile—diversify vendor bets where budgets allow, test across ecosystems, and align with the stacks most relevant to audiences and workflows. Failing to anticipate and respond to this hardware–cloud–AI consolidation could leave brands locked into costly, limited ecosystems with little room to maneuver.
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.