Nearly half (48.0%) of US digital shoppers want to see AI-driven customer service quality improved or added on ecommerce sites, per a February 2025 survey from Cint and Omnisend.

This year’s festival highlighted a maturing creator economy, a reality check for AI, and bigger and bolder brand activations and marketing trends.

AI is transforming B2B content marketing, but trust and differentiation remain critical. Buyers seek authenticity from peers, influencers, and industry experts. Marketers must balance AI, human expertise, and bold strategies to drive engagement and growth in 2025.

In today’s episode, we talk about whether regulators will allow, and consumers will adopt, AI over human financial advisors. Will AI close or widen the wealth gap? What happens if an AI financial advisory loses your money? Join the discussion with host and Head of Business Development Rob Rubin, and Analysts Lauren Ashcraft and Jacob Bourne.

Delays in core features could stall everything from Vision Pro to smart home devices, just as rivals double down on smarter assistants.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how some teachers think young people should be approaching GenAI, the differences between younger and older teenagers’ social media usage, and how engagement with digital gaming is changing. Tune in to the episode with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Analyst Paola Flores-Marquez, and Vice President of Research Jennifer Pearson. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Category leaders go beyond traditional data, using consumer intelligence to predict behavior rather than just react. By tapping into unconventional insights like culture, entertainment, and social trends, brands can build more dynamic, human-centric strategies.

It’s been about a month since Google made its marketing mix model (MMM) tool, Meridian, available to the public, igniting a debate about whether open-source MMM is the way to go or if marketers should stick to vendor’s proprietary tools. Of course, the answer isn’t that simple. The effectiveness of these tools can depend on organization size and resources, customization needs, and cost. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of each to help make the process a bit easier.

AI skills shortage gets targeted fix in Utah: Nvidia will boost Utah’s formal AI education where it’s most lacking—higher ed and adult upskilling—offering a scalable model beyond corporate training.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of US adults feel at least somewhat uncomfortable about AI-generated ads, according to September 2024 data from EMARKETER and CivicScience.

As the creator economy grows, marketers are considering how they can incorporate AI into their strategies without compromising the consumer trust and human connection the industry relies on.

Digg makes a comeback 12 years after it was sold: While the revival promises “good vibes” and a community-first focus, how they’ll monetize is unclear.

Microsoft brings AI ad features to Copilot: It’s vying for ad dollars in an increasingly competitive chatbot space.

Walmart bought a mall, Coca-Cola launched a soda, and Nike partnered with SKIMS in February, marking some of the month’s most interesting retail moves. Here are the eight most interesting retailers and brands from last month, as ranked on our “Behind the Numbers” podcast.

In a competitive retail landscape, alcohol brands are turning to AI-powered image recognition to optimize in-store execution. This technology provides real-time insights on shelf conditions, helping brands keep products well-stocked, properly displayed, and positioned to capture shoppers’ attention—boosting visibility and sales.

Virtual and hybrid events have more than proved their staying power as in-person experiences resumed post-pandemic. In fact, 62% of B2B marketers said they plan to attend webinars in 2025, while 45% will host their own webinars, according to a November 2024 survey by Sagefrog Marketing Group.

Over half (54%) of marketers feel overwhelmed by the prospect of implementing AI into their workflows, according to October 2024 data from HubSpot.

Pinterest will start labeling AI-generated images: The change is likely an attempt to maintain the platform’s user base without sacrificing the lucrative potential of AI.