ChatGPT is closing 2025 as the most downloaded iPhone app in the US, vaulting past entrenched social platforms, search, and shopping apps, per TechCrunch. Google Gemini was the only other AI app in the top 10, landing in the final slot. This is the first time an AI assistant has outranked every social and utility app in the US. AI assistants are the new entry point for mobile discovery, and brands should optimize content, creative, and ad journeys for users who start—and often finish—inside conversational interfaces.

Millennials accounted for nearly half (46%) of all patient bookings on Zocdoc’s platform this year, per Zocdoc’s just-released annual report on consumer booking behaviors. Healthcare providers need to ensure that their online business profiles are updated, lean into digital tools for pre- and post-visit communication, and create social media content that offers information and guidance on caring for loved ones.

Many Gen Xers have waited until their later working years to prepare for retirement, according to a Harris Poll study, and they’re racing to catch up. After they realized retirement was nearing, 40% of Gen Xers said they cut back on discretionary spending. The story about the Great Wealth Transfer often leaves out Gen Xers. Banks should be preparing their advice offerings for the upcoming wave of Gen X retirements among and the financial strain many face as that transition nears, so these customers aren’t left behind.

Australia has enacted the world’s first nationwide ban on social-media accounts for anyone under 16, forcing platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat to remove underage users or face major penalties. Policymakers and researchers will study the effects on mental health, offline behavior, and migration to unregulated platforms—insights that could influence US policy, where similar proposals are already gaining traction. For advertisers, the implications are significant: removing millions of teen users would constrict future reach curves, shift youth attention toward gaming-adjacent spaces, raise competition for compliant inventory, and complicate early brand-building. Australia’s experiment may foreshadow US market disruption.

Yelp’s newest Most Loved Brands list identifies which national chains consumers returned to most in a year defined by cautious, value-sensitive spending. Unlike perception-based rankings, Yelp’s loyalty score draws from behavioral signals—repeat visits to brand pages, review volume, sentiment, and photo activity—revealing what people actually do, not just what they say. Dave’s Hot Chicken leads the list on the strength of customizable experiences and overwhelmingly positive ratings, while legacy chains, nostalgia-driven brands, and Zillennial favorites succeed for distinct reasons. For marketers, the findings echo broader path-to-purchase trends: consumers increasingly depend on reviews, consistency, and social proof to validate where they spend.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how LGBTQ+ streaming platform Revry has been able to gain traction in a crowded, highly competitive streaming TV universe; what advertisers misunderstand about marketing to the queer community; and some examples of when queer representation in media hit the nail on the head—and when it missed the mark. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with analysts Paola Flores-Marquez and Emmy Liederman, and Revry CEO and Co-Founder Damian Pelliccione. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

e news: Multicultural consumers—a segment whose buying power has grown 345% over the last 20 years—now expect brands to prioritize representation in ads, per a Snapchat study. Brands must tailor ad strategies to appeal to multicultural consumers, but should understand that simple, one-off campaign inclusion won’t be enough to drive action.