Commerce media is pushing brands to break down internal silos and rethink how they organize teams, allocate budgets, and measure success across an increasingly fragmented ecosystem.

Amazon squeezes affiliates: Commission cuts up to 50% and thinner data access rattle publishers already hit by AI search declines.

Commerce media spending is projected to surpass $80 billion in the US this year, according to EMARKETER’s forecast, but not every network is winning buyers’ trust equally. “Trust is earned campaign by campaign, and even the earned have to keep earning it," said Rob Rubin, head of EMARKETER Advisory, at EMARKETER’s Ad Buyer Strategies Summit. He shared findings from a new survey of 231 senior ad buyers collectively responsible for more than $8 billion in commerce media spend.

Major brands are racing to optimize their presence in large language models (LLMs), but they're confronting an uncomfortable reality: Traditional measurement frameworks don't work, and executives demanding ROI metrics may be asking the wrong questions.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss three big questions surrounding Amazon right now: Can Amazon’s test of AI-generated search overviews reshape discovery? Can Amazon become the backbone of the retail supply chain? And will customers want a shopping-specific AI to help them (like Rufus or Sparky), or a generalist model (like ChatGPT or Gemini)? And more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Vice President of Content Suzy Davidkhanian and Analyst Marisa Jones. Listen everywhere or watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Flexible installments and expanded rewards can help small businesses navigate rising costs

CTV consolidates around three giants: Google, Amazon, and Netflix will near 50% of global ad dollars by 2030.

Gaming CTV ads cool off: KPI data shows that engagement still tops peers, but rates fall sharply as interactive formats scale.

Gen X commands the greatest share of income and consumer spending but consistently diverges from younger cohorts in how they discover, shop, and pay. This report explores how their reliance on search, retail, and established channels—paired with slower adoption of social commerce, mobile payments, and AI—creates a distinct and often misunderstood profile.

Search ad spending keeps rising as AI fuels online discovery and people search across more platforms than ever. Despite this, search’s share of digital ad spending is edging downward due to faster growth in other channels.

Global ad spending is accelerating again, despite geopolitical shocks. Digital is tightening its grip, even as traditional media gets a temporary boost from major events. The sources of growth are shifting across regions—and among platforms.

Amazon personalizes Prime Video ads: Dynamic TV Creative tailors repeat spots using shopping data, turning CTV reach into retail action.

Retail strategy is getting more complex, but the customer journey isn’t necessarily getting better. As brands invest in new channels, emerging tech, and reimagined experiences, many are still falling short on the fundamentals that actually drive discovery, conversion, and loyalty.

US toy and hobby retail sales will grow steadily through 2030, but the real momentum is online. Ecommerce growth will outpace the retail market as its role in the category continues to expand.

Q1 results show how the largest ad companies are weathering uncertainty around the Iran war and AI spending

As ecommerce scales, online returns are becoming a permanent margin drag. Fees and tighter policies can shift consumer behavior but put sales and loyalty at risk, forcing retailers to balance cost control with convenience expectations.

More curated results could shorten the path to purchase, but ad dollars and consumer trust hang in the balance.