In today’s podcast episode, we discuss what SpaceX’s IPO says about xAI’s position in the AI race, why so many AI companies are rushing to go public this year, whether these IPOs will drive business growth or become a distraction for shareholders, and how much these AI giants are actually competing with one another. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Analyst Jacob Bourne and Principal Analyst Nate Elliott. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube or Spotify.
EU regulators challenge Meta’s app designs: Meta may have to redesign “addictive” social media features, testing ad performance and platform mechanics.
Regions adds personalized insights that turn transaction data into timely, in-app coaching.
PubMatic and Zynga open gaming reach: AI workflows and first-party data help brands tap engaged mobile players with less buying friction.
Live sports reward streamers with user acquisition: Exclusive events create can't-miss moments that offer engagement and advertising opportunities.
5G-Advanced gives luxury brands an edge in UAE: Du’s network can reduce mobile friction where premium shopping journeys happen.
A wrap-up of the most popular payment stories so far this year.
Netflix adds more short-form video offerings: New publisher deals could fill in content gaps and help it compete for daily attention beyond binge viewing.
Captioned content is a user expectation: Subtitles boost ad attention and clarity, making them a creative must—not just an accessibility feature.
OpenAI ads open in European markets: OpenAI is seeking proof that ads can fuel revenues before its IPO.
Sony shows digital purchases have limits: Deleting content consumers bought could lead them to question digital bundles, purchases, and media offers.
Cloudflare challenges Google: New crawler defaults give publishers more control over AI scraping and could prompt Google to split search and AI crawling.
Google's AI Mode healthcare ad test signals expanding AI ad inventory, though disclosure-heavy healthcare ads remain excluded for now.
But many doctors aren’t convinced that wearable-generated health data has enough clinical value to influence their decisions.
AI is increasingly shaping how consumers discover and evaluate products before they buy. As agentic commerce gains momentum, brands are rethinking what it takes to turn AI-driven discovery into completed transactions.
38.2% of US digital shoppers have not used a retail AI chatbot and aren't interested in doing so, the single biggest response to tools like Amazon Rufus and Walmart Sparky, according to a May survey from Bizrate Insights and EMARKETER.
On today’s podcast, we discuss how infrequent big-ticket brands can stay part of the conversation and maintain relevance between purchases, what separates a partnership that’s simply marketing from one that truly strengthens a brand, and what it means for brands to earn a place in consumers’ initial consideration set as more people discover brands through AI instead of traditional search. Tune in to hear a discussion featuring Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Analyst Rachel Wolff, and Saatva CMO Joe McCambley.
Meta expands AI creation: Muse Image could strengthen Meta’s AI moat and help advertisers streamline social content creation.
ActiveCampaign makes martech more autonomous: Its Google Ads tool shows how AI is moving from assistant to hands-on campaign builder.
AI search rewrites visibility: Search rankings don't predict AI visibility, making third-party coverage and user communities more important.