Disney will pay $10 million in a settlement after the Federal Trade Commission alleged that the company collected personal information from children on videos uploaded to YouTube. Disney reportedly uploaded child-directed content to YouTube but did not label the videos as “Made for Kids,” allowing young users to be served targeted ads. Information was collected “without parental notice or consent,” the FTC and Justice Department said. Disney’s payout highlights the risks of targeting younger audiences without adequate safeguards—a challenge that will become even more pressing for advertisers as connected TV matures as a channel.
The news: AI startup Anthropic raised a staggering $13 billion, tripling its valuation to $183 billion, per CNBC. This momentum is driven by enterprise demand for Claude, Anthropic’s AI assistant, and a rapidly expanding customer base that now tops 300,000 businesses. The company’s annual revenues have also jumped fivefold in 2025 to $5 billion. Our take: Anthropic’s ascent is setting a new standard for AI startups—spurring rivals like Perplexity, Mistral, Intelligent Machines, and Safe Superintelligence to chase scale through aggressive fundraising, not quick exits. The message: In this market, go big or get left behind.
The news: Use of AI search tools is surging, which could soon spell trouble for Google’s market dominance. The share of consumers using of AI search tools on a daily basis doubled to 29% in August, per HigherVisibility’s 2025 How People Search Today report, up from 14% in February. Meanwhile, Google’s share of general information queries fell from 73% to 67%. Our take: Brands and marketers need to tailor their campaigns and strategies based on user intent. Those looking to attract new shoppers should invest in social media and AI search placements, while those focused on driving traffic for services or capturing high-intent buyers should prioritize Google, especially for initial discovery and location-based queries.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss Reddit’s most interesting recent development, if Snap’s emphasis on attention can help it bounce back, and whether Reddit can earn a permanent seat at the table for bigger brand budgets. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Vice President and Principal Analyst, Jasmine Enberg, and Senior Analyst, Minda Smiley. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
"In the space of what amounts to less than two years, we've seen commerce media evolve from an emerging idea to an industry pillar," said our analyst Sarah Marzano during a recent EMARKETER webinar.
The findings: Banks’ NFL ads did better than other ads on all TV platforms, according to EDO’s NFL TV Outcomes Report. Bank ads that aired during the NFL’s 2024–2025 season programming were 27% more effective than the category average across all broadcast and cable TV platforms, increasing to 47% during the postseason, according to this study. This effectiveness is measured by the ads' ability to drive brand searches and website visits. Our take: Running an ad during an NFL game and featuring a well-known actor or athlete doesn’t come cheap. But if done correctly—leveraging the football platform to tell a compelling, human story—the ROI can make it worthwhile. Financial institutions that haven’t used celebrities or NFL players in their campaigns should consider engaging a third-party agency to make the most of a potential campaign.
The findings: One quarter of Gen Zers in the UK have multiple bank accounts but only use one regularly, according to a recent study by Intuit Credit Karma. What this means for banks: Account-opening incentives are working, and FIs should continue to offer them to boost customer acquisition. However, they should also add parameters that require customers to remain active banking users or keep accounts for a certain period of time in order to qualify. The real win for banks is converting customers into primary users following the sign-up bonus. This requires a shift in strategy from acquisition to engagement. Banks must build a digital experience so valuable that Gen Zers use their accounts regularly even after the initial bonus has been spent. This means focusing on things that matter to them: Superior digital experience: A seamless, intuitive, and fast app is nonnegotiable. Clunky interfaces or slow load times will send them straight to a competitor. Personalized value: Offer tools that help them manage their money better, such as AI-powered insights, easy budgeting features, and integrated saving goals.
The news: Cogent Bank, a Florida-based community bank, is expanding its focus on a niche type of commercial real estate (CRE) financing—single-tenant net lease (STNL) properties—per American Banker. It created a new division and hired a former Bank OZK executive with over a decade of experience in this area to lead the charge. Our take: This strategy has offered smaller banks in particular a way to profit on CRE loans. While some community banks might hesitate due to lower yields compared to other loan types, the strong credit performance of STNL loans makes them incredibly attractive. But if a single tenant defaults or goes bankrupt, the lender faces a vacant asset and the burden of finding a new tenant. This can be particularly challenging if the property is highly specialized or difficult to repurpose. Furthermore, a nationwide focus requires a higher level of operational and underwriting expertise, which can strain a community bank's resources and force it into a highly focused corner.
AI search engine Perplexity is facing potential ad business struggles with the departure of its head of advertising Taz Patel. The departure comes as Perplexity eyes new avenues for growth and is faced with legal pressures, per Adweek. Patel’s departure signals a deeper issue with AI search ad monetization, reflecting advertiser hesitation to spend without proven formats, measurement, and ROI, even as AI adoption grows.
The news: Despite lingering uncertainty from tariff wars, five of Canada’s Big Six Banks beat analyst expectations in Q3 2025, per Bloomberg. Our take: Strong Q3 results provide a critical opportunity for Canadian banks to proactively fortify their balance sheets against known future risks. While lower loan loss provisions signal a better credit environment, the lingering threat of rising unemployment means this may not last. Banks should use this period of outperformance to conservatively build reserves, tighten lending standards for higher-risk clients, and prioritize stability and risk management over short-term loan growth.
Backlash over e.l.f. Beauty’s partnership with controversial creator Matt Rife and debates sparked by Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad shows that advertisers are facing a moment of heightened scrutiny that requires rigorous vetting of influencer partnerships. As audiences turn to influencers for purchasing decisions and rethink brand loyalty for those who turn their backs on social issues, brands who remain selective and thorough about the creators they work with will win trust.
Over half (54%) of US ad-supported TV viewers who paused content did so for between one and five minutes, long enough to serve a targeted ad, according to April data from Magna Global and DIRECTV Advertising.
The news: Google has cut 35% of managers overseeing small teams, part of a sweeping drive to streamline operations. The focus: fewer layers, less bureaucracy, and a leaner leadership footprint. Many managers now serve as individual contributors, per CNBC. Our take: Google’s rapid thinning of management aims to make the tech giant more nimble and cost-efficient. The realignment signals a company eager to do more with less—possibly speeding decision cycles and innovation, but also tightening access to internal advocates and resources. Leaner teams could mean faster product rollouts and ad platform tweaks—but also less support and fewer points of contact for advertisers inside Google’s vast marketing machine.
The news: Software now eats 40% of cybersecurity spend to defend against AI-driven attacks—11 points more than personnel (29%) and nearly triple hardware (15.8%), per Forrester’s 2026 Security Budget Planning Guide. Our take: Businesses should prioritize innovation that’s harder to cut—first-party data programs, customer-centric automation, and strategic partnerships. These amplify impact and deliver growth even when budgets are tight.
The news: Online scams and internet crimes cost Americans a record $16.6 billion in 2024, per Pew Research, potentially reshaping trust in digital platforms. Almost three-quarters (73%) of US adults have experienced some type of online scam, ranging from phishing attempts and online shopping scams to credit card fraud. Most adults report getting weekly scam phone calls (68%), emails (63%) or text messages (61%) that attempt to collect their personal information. The big takeaway: To attract new customers and assuage scam-related hesitations, brands need to be proactive about trust in every digital touchpoint.
The news: Anthropic will now require Claude Free, Pro, and Max users to decide whether their conversations can be used to train its AI. The new rules take effect September 28, and business customers remain exempt, per TechCrunch. Some users on Reddit say the change is making them reconsider Anthropic, citing the five-year data retention requirement as heavy handed. Our take: Anthropic says its new policy is intended to empowering user choice, but skepticism over privacy and consent could push users to opt out or seek other alternatives. As more AI providers prioritize data access over user comfort, transparency and trust will become differentiators in a crowded field. AI’s appetite for training data is going to continue to push privacy and copyright boundaries. Anthropic’s ability to manage trust will determine whether the policy change aids or undermines adoption.
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.