How should businesses view these global trends and events? How are behaviors and spending changing? In this report, Insider Intelligence analysts weigh in on the questions they’re being asked by both clients and the media about the shifting landscape in key areas like digital advertising, retail and ecommerce, and financial services.

Netflix is playing catchup with its younger competitors: The platform began building livestream capabilities while competitors launch completed products.

Inefficiency and environmental impacts make Bitcoin unfit as a payments network, per Sam Bankman-Fried. We think CBDCs pose better chances.

On today's episode, we discuss how wearable tech devices will shake up healthcare, which features will make health wearables a must-have, and how Amazon and Apple will continue to disrupt the industry. "In Other News," we talk about why digital pharmacies are getting in trouble and what we should make of telehealth companies slowing down. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Lisa Phillips and Rajiv Leventhal.

Chipmakers faced with huge stockpiles: The war in Ukraine and China shutdowns are taking their toll on the PC and smartphone market. Manufacturers might have to pivot to produce chips for other uses.

US average time spent with digital will hit 8 hours and 14 minutes per day in 2022 after first crossing the 8-hour mark last year. That 1.9% increase isn't as big as in past pandemic years, but it's still eating up a bigger share of overall time spent with media.

During the 2022 midterm elections, more than $1 billion will be spent on OTT and CTV ads, research projects. With the right tools and approach, political marketers can capture opportunities within this growing landscape.

Brands and retailers increasingly focus on DEI initiatives: Target’s $25 million in paid media to diverse-owned/founded firms is the latest in a number of corporate commitments.

Global shipments of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets will hit 16.5 million this year, up more than 5 million or 32.1% from last year. Most of these shipments are to consumers, but commercial sales are set to multiply over the next five years, driven by the opportunity for product visualization prior to purchase.

Spiking client demand for ESG-focused investment products will drive AUM growth over the next three years. Yet a lack of quality or public ESG data threatens investment managers’ ability to offer accurate products and might see them run afoul of rising ESG regulatory standards.

An underdog’s cloud effort: Google gives expanding its cloud market share another try with its AlloyDB database service that’s priced to sell. Its other cloud products could reap benefits too.

Adopting a customer-centric mindset is key to standing out in today’s marketing climate. And yet, delivering exceptional customer experiences is a key challenge for 35% of marketers.

Twitter has started a gentle decline in US users. The social media app peaked in 2021 with 57.8 million monthly US users. This year, that figure will flutter downward by 0.5%, hitting 57.5 million by year-end. But it's not all a decline for the platform.

Brands are unsure how—or if—to speak out about abortion: Some firms have taken strong stances, while others consider how to respond.

After doubling its transaction volume in its fiscal Q3, Affirm wants to focus on turning a profit.

Noncard crypto payments are increasingly available to consumers and may also be attractive to merchants.

In a world of ubiquitous robocalls, brands need to differentiate themselves if they want consumers to pick up. One option could be logos. Some 69% of US adults ages 18 to 24 say they would answer a call if their phone displayed a recognizable brand logo. This figure decreases with age, and just 46% of US adults ages 55 to 62 say they'd pick up if they recognized a brand logo.

On today's episode, we discuss how many people are cryptocurrency owners, which direct-to-consumer companies are leading the category, and what Meta's overall ad revenues total up to. "In Other News," we talk about the number of people who aren't using the internet and whether consumer enthusiasm for DoorDash will remain high. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Whitney Birdsall and Nazmul Islam.

China’s zero-COVID policy hinders retailers at home and abroad: The mitigation measures put the brakes on both retail sales and manufacturing, which could have long-term implications.

In analyzing the media landscape, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is reimagining the future of digital viewership. In this Q&A, the IAB's Eric John, vice president, media center, discussed continuous growth in video advertising and connected TV, why the old model of a million-dollar TV commercial playing once everywhere is gone, and how to make creative work better.

TSMC is raising prices for the second time in a year: The company blames increased costs and expansion. Long-term effects may be loss of business from customers feeling the squeeze.