The news: Microsoft dropped its first homegrown AI models—MAI-1-Preview and MAI-Voice-1—to prove it can build top-tier AI in-house, not just lean on OpenAI (where it owns 49%). Our take: Microsoft now has a chance to set its AI apart, capture first-party data at scale, and sharpen its models using real-world feedback. Developing its own AI also prepares Microsoft for a future where OpenAI may shift from partner to rival.
The news: AI is revolutionizing the way social media managers (SMMs) work, but spending on the tools is surprisingly low. 73% of SMMs, content creators, entrepreneurs, and marketers use AI, per Metricool’s 2025 State of AI in Social Media report. Two-thirds create at least half their content with it. Over half (52%) spend nothing on AI tools each month, and only 8% spend over $50 per month. Our take: Failing to monitor AI’s benefits and limitations could hinder teams’ ability to optimize content or justify investment to higher-ups. CMOs should recognize that adoption alone is not a strategy: Tie outputs to performance data, invest in secure tools, and incentivize teams to move beyond surface-level use to capitalize on AI’s potential.
Instagram is currently testing a picture-in-picture (PiP) viewing option for Reels that will allow users to watch the short-form service outside of the Instagram app. Instagram is reportedly prompting a small number of users to test the option, which includes a toggle for PiP in Instagram’s playback settings. While it’s a late move for Instagram, PiP Reels will extend the platform’s role beyond active scrolling, letting advertisers reach consumers during passive moments, unlocking a critical advantage in a crowded social landscape.
The summer boom for marketing interns was more of a thud: A report found that the number of ad industry internships has sharply declined since 2022.
Snap debuted a new ad suite for marketers and developers, offering an “App Power Pack” that includes new bid strategies, ad formats, optimization strategies, and targeting capabilities to boost ROI, per MediaPost. Snap’s ad suite is an important step in the company’s efforts to cement its strength in advertising and curb slowing growth. We forecast the platform’s ad revenues will continue falling in the low single digits through 2027. But with competitors already offering similar products, Snapchat needs to go a step further to stand out.
Google staff are quietly preparing Ad Manager for life as a potential stand-alone company, per The Information. Employees recently met with ad agencies—an unusual move for a publisher-facing business—as a federal court considers whether Google must divest its ad tech unit. Ad Manager generates an estimated $5 billion in annual revenues but faces declining demand and complaints from streaming players and publishers about slow innovation. With DOJ regulators pressing for a spinoff and rivals like Magnite and PubMatic gaining ground, Google’s outreach underscores how seriously it views the threat of breakup and the need for buyer-side relationships.
Google’s AI-powered video creation platform, Vids, has surpassed 1 million monthly active users, fueled by a new free tier and updates that simplify production. Features include motion effects for product photos, AI transcript editing, Google Meet integrations, and expanded social formats. Paid users retain advanced options like multi-style AI avatars. The adoption highlights rising demand for scalable video workflows—46% of professionals already use AI for images or videos, per EMARKETER. With ideation and personalization ranking as top genAI use cases, Vids is positioning itself as a daily creative tool, potentially joining Docs and Slides in Google’s productivity suite.
Historically, search engines and social platforms acted as gateways, linking to other sites for consumers to continue reading, researching, or shopping. Now, those platforms are answering queries directly within their own ecosystems, resulting in a “zero-click search.”
The news: Citi Wealth has launched AI-driven tools for employees aimed at improving client communication, per a press release. Our take: AI platforms will deliver the greatest impact when banks shift them from passive information repositories to active drivers of business growth. This will require integrating the tools with other systems. For example, an AI assistant could automatically draft personalized client emails in response to a market event identified by Advisor Insights. A human advisor could then review and send the emails. This level of integration would increase the speed of personalized outreach, giving banks a competitive edge in maintaining and growing client relationships.
The news: Revolut is exploring paths that can help it expand in the US banking industry. The company recently held talks with investment bankers about hiring them to advise on a potential bank acquisition, per Bloomberg. What it means for banks: Nationally chartered banks could see more interest from fintechs or international firms that want to follow Revolut’s path. And more licensed banks means more competitors—armed with not only the agility and digital innovation of a fintech, but also the physical footprint of the banks they’re acquiring. To combat the threat, banks will need to double down on their biggest strengths, including longstanding reputations, customer-centricity, and the personalized products and services that customers want most, like those we highlight in our “US Mobile Banking Emerging Features Benchmark 2025” report.
The news: IDC has nearly doubled its worldwide smartphone forecast for 2025. Once projected at 0.6%, growth is now expected to hit 1%, fueled by iOS momentum, replacement demand, and a premium-device push, per 9to5Mac. Our take: Smartphones are entering a new cycle of innovation and moving upmarket. AI-first features and foldables will reset consumer expectations, open premium price tiers, and change which brands consumers choose and build loyalty toward. Advertisers and marketers should plan for richer, device-native experiences. Build campaigns that tap into AI-driven personalization, visual search, and generative content creation.
Japan-based agency holding company Dentsu is considering selling its international business, ending its goal to compete against rivals Publicis and WPP. Selling its international business could allow Dentsu to reposition itself as a specialized player in its core market rather than stretching itself thin internationally where it can’t match competitors. The change could make the company more sustainable in the long run, but even if it focuses solely on Japan, rapid adoption of emerging technologies in the ad sector will still necessitate innovation.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of August. Each month, Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Emmy Liederman (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial list of the top eight retailers they're watching based on which are making the most interesting moves: Who's launching new initiatives? Which partnerships are moving the needle? Which standout marketing campaigns are being created? In this month's episode, Committee members Arielle Feger and Emmy Liederman will defend their list against Principal Analyst, Sky Canaves and Senior Analyst, Blake Droesch, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.
Only 8% of Google searches with AI summaries led to a traditional link click, nearly half the rate of pages without summaries (15%), according to March 2025 data from Pew Research Center.
The news: Fanatics launched Fanatics Advertising, a division that will oversee the company’s ad and brand partnership strategy across its commerce, collectibles, gaming, and events businesses. Our take: Fanatics is taking its swing at the fast-growing commerce media space. Commerce media represented 18.0% of US digital ad spending last year, and we expect its share to keep climbing—hitting nearly $1 of every $5 spent on digital ads (19.7%) this year and close to $1 in $4 (24.8%) by 2029, the end of our forecast period. Sitting at the crossroads of sports fandom—merchandise, collectibles, betting, and live events—Fanatics has a brand position few, if any, rivals can match. If it executes well, Fanatics Advertising could be a home run by turning its unmatched access to fans into an equally powerful ad play.
The news: Google launched Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (nicknamed nano banana), a generative AI image editor that replaces toolbars with text prompts. Already topping LMArena’s image-editing leaderboard, it signals a shift toward prompt-driven creative tools. Our take: Nano banana, like Veo 3, reinforces Google’s move to establish Gemini as the default AI tool set for marketers, designers, and advertisers. This opens up adoption opportunities beyond text and coding-based genAI applications. For advertisers and marketers, this means two things: Production cycles can compress, and reliance on legacy design platforms could erode if AI tools can compete on price.
The news: ChatGPT’s referral traffic to websites plummeted 52% in a single month after a fundamental shift in how the AI model operates. OpenAI manually reweighted its system to prioritize sources that provide direct, helpful answers, per Search Engine Land. Our take: Declining web traffic means declining revenues. For marketers and publishers, the mandate is to adapt to GEO or risk invisibility in a world where AI answers, not clicks, dominate. Reshaping web content to be more answer oriented could help surface it in ChatGPT, but that’s easier said than done for publishers with legacy content. Companies that move early to understand and influence AI citation patterns will secure a competitive edge as this new content distribution landscape takes shape.
Apple is partnering with digital platform TuneIn to strengthen its radio reach and better compete with Spotify, per the Wall Street Journal. The move will see Apple distribute its radio stations across connected cars and home speakers globally and marks the first time Apple’s current radio stations will be accessible outside of the Apple Music app. Apple’s radio push could breathe life into its struggling streaming units, attracting listeners who haven’t considered Apple Music and potentially drawing in advertisers who are looking for access to Apple’s library.
Cracker Barrel has reversed a logo redesign just days after removing its “Old Timer” figure, Uncle Herschel, following backlash from customers, commentators, and investors. Criticism spiked when former President Donald Trump called the redesign a costly mistake but also “a billion dollars’ worth of free publicity.” Hours later, the company confirmed Herschel would remain the face of the chain. The reversal coincided with a 7% stock drop, underscoring how customer sentiment quickly impacts financials. Analysts note that tradition and heritage are powerful brand signals—removing them can sever ties with loyal customers while raising doubts about purpose and direction.
Amazon closed its second annual Upfronts with “significant growth” across independent agencies and holding companies, per Adweek. An Amazon spokesperson cited excitement surrounding live sports offerings on Prime Video as a key driver of growth. Amazon is positioned for sustained ad growth if it continues relying on its sports properties to draw advertiser interest in Prime Video. With Prime Video only making up a fraction of Amazon’s overall ad revenues, the service is far from hitting its ceiling—and future investment in tentpole sporting events will put Prime Video on par with its bigger competitors.