Successful retail partnerships create value beyond what either brand could achieve alone. “One plus one makes three is the ideal situation, where both parties bring something to the table that the customer values and as a result, both businesses and brands benefit,” said Brian Berger, founder and CEO of Mack Weldon, on a recent episode of “Behind the Numbers.”
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what AI Overviews are doing to search behavior, some potential new business models for the internet, and how much “AI slop” might encourage folks to decrease their time on the web. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Analyst, Grace Harmon, and the CEO and Founder of CMO Huddles, and host of the Renegade Marketers Unite podcast, Drew Neisser. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss our ‘very specific, but highly unlikely’ predictions for the future of digital in 2026 and beyond. Why browsers will become the new AI battleground, what does it mean if agentic AI doesn’t take over shopping, and can GenAI actually lead to more of the jobs it can easily destroy? Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Briefings, Jeremy Goldman, Principal Analyst, Sara Marzano, and Vice President of Content, Paul Verna. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
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The news: Meta will spend more than $10 billion on Google Cloud over six years, making it one of Google’s largest-ever contracts, per CNBC. Despite running its own data centers and using Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, Meta’s growth requires additional cloud capacity. The deal demonstrates how even fierce ad rivals can align when AI demands massive computing scale. Our take: When it comes to AI, the old rules of competition no longer apply. Cloud rivals are forced into uneasy alliances to remain competitive as infrastructure demand explodes. For AWS and Azure, keeping pace with Google Cloud means doubling down on custom silicon, broadening AI partnerships, and proving they can deliver the scale and neutrality that Google is now signaling to the market.
Earlier this month, for the second time in seven years, Claire’s filed for bankruptcy. The retailer will avoid complete collapse by selling most of its North American business to private equity firm Ames Watson, but its ongoing struggles serve as a cautionary tale. Marketing tactics alone cannot keep a brand afloat without a cohesive strategy—one that unites product, customer experience, and cultural relevance.
The news: AI dominated Wednesday’s Made by Google event, where the company unveiled its Pixel 10 lineup. Google pitched Gemini as “personal intelligence,” framing it as a universal AI assistant across smartphones, wearables, smart homes, and connected cars. The showcase feature, Magic Cue, anticipates user needs by pulling data from Gmail, Calendar, and Messages to suggest timely actions. Our take: If features like Magic Cue prove indispensable, Google gains a recurring revenue stream and deeper ecosystem lock-in. If they fade as gimmicks, Pixel risks remaining a niche brand, especially if competitors can provide similar apps or services.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how to best decide who to partner with, the right conditions for a successful store-in-a-store relationship, how to approach long-term partnerships versus one-off collaborations. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and guest host, Marcus Johnson, Vice President of Content, Suzy Davidkhanian, and the Founder and CEO of Mack Weldon, Brian Berger. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
The news: Mastercard has awarded WPP Media its $180 million media account after ending its relationship with Dentsu-owned Carat. Our take: WPP Media’s previous with PayPal may give insight into the type of media it might produce for Mastercard. As the creative firm behind the “Venmo Everything” campaign and the Will Ferrell-fronted PayPal Pay Later campaign, Mastercard’s new promos likely will feature zeitgeisty and generationally buzzy celebrities to target younger demographics.
The news: Google Ads is ending manual language targeting, taking over a significant element of campaign management. In lieu of manual targeting, Google’s AI will detect user language automatically using signals such as language settings and historic search activity. Our take: Brands should consider auditing current campaigns to identify where automated language detection might create gaps and establish safeguards, such as breaking out campaigns by region or market and including clear, native-language text in headlines and descriptions to signal intended language to both users and Google’s systems.
The news: A federal appeals court upheld $92 million in fines against T-Mobile and Sprint for illegally selling customer location information (CLI) without proper consent or safeguards. Our take: When building campaigns that use location-based targeting or CLI, marketers should treat consent and transparency as not only legal checkboxes but also strategic imperatives. Brands that clearly communicate how data is collected and used will build trust and better maintain customer loyalty.
"Sometimes a brand puts out a campaign and the internet goes wild, but it's not always in the way that the brand had hoped," said our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian on a recent episode of “Behind the Numbers.” For example, a recent American Eagle jeans campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney sparked controversy, with headlines like "Sydney Sweeney under fire after controversial American Eagle ad campaign" to "American Eagle stock rises after Trump praises Sydney Sweeney ad amid backlash."
Only 40% of US retail media networks (RMNs) offer self-service sales data, according to Q2 data from Mars United Commerce.
32% of US connected TV (CTV) users find traditional TV ads useful/helpful for holiday gift info, while 34% say the same about streaming TV ads, according to June 2025 data from LG Ad Solutions.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss if the death of the Late Show is “the canary in the linear coal mine” and the biggest takeaways from the landmark NFL and ESPN deal. Join our conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Editor, Daniel Konstantinovic, and Vice President of Content, Paul Verna. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
ChatGPT saw 52.2 million US unique visitors in June, up 180.6% from last July, per Comscore.
The news: A coalition of major US banks is pushing for reforms to the recently enacted GENIUS Act. The banks are concerned that a loophole could give non-bank competitors advantages over more regulated traditional banks, per AInvest. Our take: The main challenge for traditional banks is that they have to compete on a new front with different rules. But it’s also a major risk to their customers, who could not only move their money over to competitors’ accounts—but also lose it. While a 4% reward rate is highly attractive and far exceeds most traditional savings account interest, these stablecoin holdings are not necessarily protected by FDIC insurance. Without this insurance, a platform failure could mean consumers lose their entire investment—a risk that does not exist with a federally insured bank deposit.
The news: Financial institutions (FIs) are obsessed with acquiring new customers. But prioritizing it over other important goals won’t work in the long run. Our take: The steps FIs should take to ensure the customer journey doesn’t end right after it starts include: Investing in a strong onboarding experience. Create incentives—such as rewards and personalized insights—for customers to make their second transaction, not just their first. And seamless onboarding journeys particularly help strengthen ties with younger customers, who have high expectations for great experiences. Rethinking their brands. FIs can stand out by figuring out what makes them unique and communicating that consistently. If a brand or messaging is indistinguishable from the next FI, consider a rebrand or brand refresh. Doubling down on AI. From ensuring FIs show up in generative search engine results to supercharging the customer experience with AI agents, finding new ways to implement the technology to better engage customers can be a valuable investment.
The news: MX Technologies recently surveyed 1,000 US consumers to study what drives banking customer retention and attrition. Our take: The MX Technologies report underscores that consumers are highly motivated by value, convenience, and a seamless digital experience. In addition, they know what they want for their finances and are willing to look to competitors to get it. To win and retain customers, FIs should proactively use data to anticipate customer needs at key life stages and offer relevant products before those moments arrive.