In today’s podcast episode, we discuss what summer travel will look like for Americans this year, where people go online to book their vacations, and how AI is helping travelers plan and manage their trips. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Vice President of Research Jennifer Pearson and Principal Analyst Zak Stambor. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube or Spotify. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice President of Content Suzy Davidkhanian, Analyst Paola Flores-Marquez, and Senior Analyst Gadjo Sevilla. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube or Spotify.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how ThredUp markets to both of its customer groups—the buyer and the seller—how it balances brand storytelling with performance marketing, and where AI is actually making the biggest difference for its customers right now. Tune in to hear a discussion featuring Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, and Kristen Brophy, Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing at ThredUp.
AI boosts efficiency, while advisors provide judgment, planning, and relationships.
AI search ads are racing ahead: Spending is set to exceed $101 billion by 2030, even as marketers grapple with sparse performance data.
AI becomes marketing shorthand: Brands spent $1.3 billion on AI-related messaging, turning AI into a cross-industry marketing effort.
Adobe chases visibility: As AI-driven shopping accelerates, Adobe Brand Visibility helps brands improve discoverability before competitors claim the shortlist.
Pinterest broadens AI across its platform: New ad tech and Ask Pinterest app could improve marketer results, engagement, and shopping discovery.
ChatGPT loses a step: AI is splintering across ecosystems, leaving brands to manage visibility beyond a single chatbot.
Expedia Group (39.7 million) and Priceline.com (23.7 million) drew a combined 63.4 million unique US visitors in March 2026, more than 3.5x the 17.5 million pulled by the other eight sites on the top 10 list combined, according to March data from Comscore.
Revenue, innovation, and trust are the new priorities.
AI Overviews answer many health questions directly, forcing online health brands to offer expertise and utility that users can’t skip.
Chrome ad reach expands: Google’s ad-blocker phaseout boosts visibility, but newly reachable users may ignore ads or switch browsers
New infrastructure will help merchants but doesn’t solve customer trust concerns.
Trust deficit deepens: News trust hits lows as platform use climbs; marketers must pair short-form video with transparency.
Community drives discovery: Facebook uses Group posts and reviews to shape AI answers, making user-generated content a brand visibility lever.
There’s no hard and fast rule for when to invest in new technologies, said David Cost, Chief Digital Officer at Rainbow Shops on a recent “Reimagining Retail” episode.
Some patients forgo care after AI advice, creating health risks and urgency for provider-backed tools.
AI can reroute purchase decisions: Consumers are changing brands and relying less on owned channels for answers, making AI engine audits crucial.
Consumers are increasingly using AI chat to explore purchases before they ever reach a search engine. Those conversations are creating a new layer of intent signals that marketers have only begun to tap into.
Consulting’s credibility crunch: AI-assisted research without rigorous verification risks reputational fallout for both top firms and the brands that rely on them.