While Meta, Google, Apple, and programmatic display are all investment areas for M&C Saatchi Performance, the agency is shaking up some approaches for 2024. “We’re investing in all the tried-and-true performance basics,” said Jonathan Yantz, managing partner at M&C Saatchi Performance. “But we’re most excited about the CTV [connected TV] and influencer/creator spaces, since both are so dynamic now.”

Instacart rolled out several updates to its Instacart Storefront platform: It added AI-powered conversational search and an in-store mode to its omnichannel digital commerce platform.

Fewer than a third of US shoppers turn to department stores’ websites (31%) or brick-and-mortar locations (24%) when conducting beauty research, according to a May survey conducted by PowerReviews. In contrast, 71% turn to a specialty retailer’s website when researching new products.

B2B digital ad spending will continue to grow at a slower pace across key industries in 2023. More B2B buyers are millennials and Gen Zers, shifting ad buys from search to display, from Google to social media, and from desktop to mobile.

Amazon’s advertising division ranked highest in our Power of Amazon in 2023 report. Its retail ecommerce division, Amazon’s biggest business by dollars, lost share between our initial rankings in 2021 and our current forecast.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss why the Federal Trade Commission is investigating ChatGPT-maker OpenAI; how publishers, content creators, and authors feel about generative AI; what the wrong kind of regulation looks like; and what AI rules we will likely see next. "In Other News," we talk about when we can expect to see GPT-5 and what to make of Netflix's newly launched game-controller app. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jacob Bourne and Gadjo Sevilla.

While the retail media opportunity is massive, it requires reaching consumers across a growing number of channels and adapting in real time. Google—which receives billions of searches daily—can help capture new demand, and turn that demand into purchases, by bringing in valuable first-party data to a brand’s retail media program.

On today's episode, we discuss the ways in which firms are prepared—and unprepared—for AI, what happens when companies have finished test-driving generative AI, and what to make of Meta giving away its AI model. "In Other News," we talk about when we can expect to see GPT-5 and how Apple’s lip-reading technology could be a step toward artificial general intelligence. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jacob Bourne and Gadjo Sevilla.

Study reveals Midjourney’s AI can be manipulated to produce racist and conspiratorial images. As 2024 elections approach, AI misuse raises serious concerns.

In the two years since our inaugural “Power of Amazon” report, Amazon has remained a retail and tech powerhouse—but it hasn’t been immune to economic uncertainty, shifting consumer behaviors, or increased competition. We examine how Amazon’s 19 business divisions have changed and how these new developments might affect your industry.

Meta rehires laid-off workers: Big Tech competition and economic improvement mean the company needs the employees it cut, calling into question the “year of efficiency” strategy.

Disney’s future is built on AI: The company has a task force looking for ways to implement the tech across its vast entertainment empire.

Since Google debuted its Search Generative Experience AI-based interface in beta three months ago, it’s made a lot of updates to alleviate early concerns from testers. But according to search expert Lily Ray, Google still has some work to do to fix issues with its new AI-driven experience. Meanwhile, Microsoft—which is still a very distant rival—continues to innovate on Bing Chat, which Ray called “the best AI product that’s out there right now.”

The initial wave of excitement over generative AI is fading, leaving many retailers asking, “Now what?” Some might want to look toward Shopify, which is incorporating generative AI capabilities across its platform to help sellers build and scale their businesses more quickly. Or maybe take a cue from eBay, which is using the tech to make more accurate and helpful product recommendations. Meanwhile, Etsy is working to democratize access to machine learning models to help speed up deployment across its organization.

Generative AI hype has faded, but adoption is still increasing, uses are advancing, and it’s influencing marketers’ workflows and consumers’ behaviors. Here are five charts breaking down the current state of generative AI.

In 2025, more than half of US Gen Zers (52.9%) and millennials (52.0%) will be monthly generative AI users, according to our forecast.