As AI fundamentally changes how consumers find products and services, experts continue to explore what marketers must do to adapt. "The most surprising thing, the most pressing thing about AI adoption isn't just that people are starting to use it. It's that they're trusting it, it's that they're using it within their shopping journeys," said EMARKETER analyst Nate Elliott during last week's Future of Digital Summit.
The vast majority (89%) of US adults use generative AI (genAI), per a Centerfield GenAI Consumer Survey commissioned by Search Engine Land. But not everyone uses it the same way. Eighty-seven percent read AI summaries in search results, and the same percentage have used AI for shopping, but only 41% click on a source link after reading a summary. Training and education are top next steps. Keyword research will become less important as competitor analysis ramps up. SEO/GEO specialists need to understand specific user needs and the companies surfacing in AI results to adopt their methods.
Amazon Ads has unveiled an agentic AI tool inside Creative Studio, designed to serve as a real-time creative partner for advertisers. Through a conversational interface, brands can brainstorm, storyboard, and generate professional-quality video and display ads in hours instead of weeks—at no extra cost. Powered by AWS models like Amazon Nova and Anthropic Claude, the system combines retail insights with automation to democratize high-quality ad creation once limited to big-budget brands. Early testers, including Nestlé Health Science, praised its ability to surface new insights and scale campaigns, underscoring how platforms like Amazon, Meta, and Google are redefining advertising.
YouTube is piloting Edit with AI, a remixing tool that turns raw smartphone footage into draft Shorts. The system automatically selects highlights, adds transitions, suggests music, and even generates voiceovers in English or Hindi. The goal is to give creators a starting point for Shorts rather than making them edit from scratch, per TechCrunch. For advertisers, this creates a twofold opportunity: more ad inventory and a larger, more engaged audience than on TikTok. Marketers should prioritize Shorts in their media mix now. Test campaigns to remain competitive and build creative strategies that balance AI efficiency with human authenticity.
One in three Gen Zers and one in four millennials prefer to go to generative AI (genAI) platforms—not search, social media, or influencers—when deciding what to buy, per a new Future Commerce survey of consumers from Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the US. Trust in AI is a key driver, with these users viewing platforms as trusted companions, not just tools. Brands that design campaigns to build discovery and trust within AI-driven journeys will amplify their reach and relevance as AI-assisted shopping scales.
Amazon has unveiled an upgraded AI-powered Seller Assistant designed to streamline operations for third-party sellers by automating product listings, ad creation, inventory management, and strategic planning. The tool, showcased at the Amazon Accelerate conference, shifts sellers from handling every task themselves to collaborating with an intelligent assistant that acts like an expert team. Already embraced by over 1.3 million sellers, it has boosted ad performance and improved listing quality, leading to higher conversions. Our view is that by lowering barriers and equipping even small businesses with sophisticated tools, Amazon strengthens its marketplace efficiency while enhancing customer choice and shopping experiences.
Beauty companies are rapidly diversifying beyond traditional sales channels to adapt to changing consumer behaviors and seize opportunities made possible by ecommerce, social platforms, and digital tools. This push is designed to forge closer, more direct connections with shoppers. Selling through multiple channels is no longer a choice in beauty. Consumers now shop across apps, websites, social media and stores, and brands that don’t meet them where they are will lose out. Still, distribution alone won’t set brands apart. Beauty companies that win will offer technology like AR try-ons, use their physical stores as hubs where people can gather for makeup classes and to sample products, and sell through external retailers while also beefing up their own direct channels.
Snap introduced Snap OS 2.0, the software powering its AR Spectacles on Monday. The update brings a native browser with WebXR support with a customizable home screen and widgets, bookmarks, and multitasking features like window resizing. For marketers, the release signals that vertical, immersive formats will move off the phone and into ambient spaces. Brands should test AR-ready creative now, as early adopters of wearable platforms will shape consumer expectations when Snap, Meta, and Amazon push glasses into the mainstream.
In this podcast episode, we discuss the backlash to Delta’s decision to use personalized AI pricing, how consumers feel about dynamic pricing, and if there is a way for retailers to implement it without losing shopper trust. Listen to the discussion with Analyst and guest host, Rachel Wolff, Vice President of Content, Suzy Davidkhanian, and Senior Analyst, Zak Stambor.
Santander’s Bank of Antandec UK advertising campaign featuring the iconic British TV broadcasting duo Ant and Dec has concluded after six years, per Little Black Book. The series of 15 ads followed the Bank of Antandec as it humorously and unsuccessfully tried to compete with Santander’s products. By investing in a long-running, character-driven narrative, Santander put on a show and achieved a level of engagement and memorability that a simple product-focused ad could never achieve. It also showed consistency by building and maintaining its brand voice over the span of the campaign.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has proposed new rules updating the requirements for displaying the official FDIC sign on digital platforms, per Davis Wright Tremain LLP. Ultimately, these changes are a win for FIs and their customers. The current, often-confusing signage can lead to confusion about how customers’’ money is protected. By focusing the signage at the most relevant touchpoints—like logging in or opening an account—and requiring clear, consistent warnings for uninsured products, the FDIC is making it easier for consumers to make informed decisions about their money.
Google, the latest Big Tech company to reach a $3 trillion market cap, is committing £5 billion ($6.39 billion) to expand its UK footprint and anchor AI and cloud growth in one of its most important ad markets. Google expects the expansion to help drive as much as £400 billion (about $511 billion) in AI-related economic activity for the UK by 2030 while supporting about 8,000 local jobs annually. By building infrastructure, tech giants are laying the groundwork for ad expansion across Europe. Each multibillion-dollar bet buys influence, regulatory goodwill, and a stronger grip on the region’s digital backbone.
Meta Connect, the company’s annual developer conference, will highlight how it’s weaving AI, VR/AR hardware, and ad technology across its platforms. Meta is expected to shift its multibillion-dollar bet from VR to smart glasses. Meta is shifting from experimental hardware to AI as the company’s true growth engine. Smart glasses may grab headlines, but the near-term payoff—and competitive edge—will come from campaigns built on AI. The bigger test is whether Meta can fuse its hardware, AI, and ad products into a cohesive platform that justifies its massive spending and persuades both consumers and advertisers to buy in.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the top takeaways from the Google monopoly verdict, how the rise of AI search influenced the decision, and how much this ruling has any bearing on the Google ad tech case. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, and Senior Director of Briefings, Jeremy Goldman, and Principal Analyst, Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Sell-side ad company Magnite announced a lawsuit against Google on Tuesday over alleged monopolistic and anticompetitive behavior in ad exchanges that hindered Magnite’s growth, following an April ruling that Google operates an illegal ad tech monopoly. The lawsuits against Google give advertisers a rare chance to strengthen their own position without overhauling their tech stack.
Google’s Gemini surpassed longtime leaders like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta’s Threads to become the No. 1 free iPhone app in the US App Store. Downloads surged due to the viral success of its Nano Banana AI image-editing feature, which sparked intense social media engagement, per ZDNet. Gemini’s breakthrough demonstrates the power of social media to amplify AI tools overnight, yet its long-term position will hinge on whether it can evolve from a trend into a staple. For now, Nano Banana’s popularity is a huge win for Google, but the next test is whether Gemini can convert that buzz into habit.
The Trump administration stated Monday that a TikTok sale deal has finally been reached with China after months of uncertainty, allowing TikTok to remain operational in the US. TikTok’s US operations may be safe for now, meaning brands can continue investing in the platform for its massive reach without immediate disruption—but caution is still warranted until details emerge on how its critical algorithm will be handled.
Meta announced new ad options at its Brand Building Summit, focused on Reels and innovative ad formats for Threads, per a blog post. While Meta’s new ad offerings promise more sophisticated placements, they can’t fully offset uncertainty. Marketers could face a scenario where the platform they’re relying on today could operate under massively different constraints tomorrow.
Robotaxi deployments are moving from pilots to broader rollouts as companies try to cash in on advancements in autonomous driving. Lyft recently began robotaxi tests in Atlanta, and Amazon's Zoox launched in Las Vegas. For companies investing in robotaxis, the opportunity extends beyond passenger rides. These fleets could eventually serve as a backbone for cost-saving delivery services, expanding the commercial applications of the technology. With Uber and DoorDash testing delivery robots, robotaxis could be the next move in on-demand logistics, moving beyond transporting passengers to carrying packages, meals, and groceries.