AI agents are coming—“It’s not years. It’s months,” said Adam Buhler, senior vice president of creative technology at Digitas.

On today's podcast episode (part 2), we discuss what the end of cookies means for publishers, what new media business models look like, and who's done the best job of pivoting to digital. "In Other News," we talk about when brands should disclose that they have used AI and whether Spotify's new video learning courses can move the needle. Tune in to the discussion with our director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman and analyst Daniel Konstantinovic.

Even the oldest members of Gen Alpha (born between the early 2010s and 2024) are younger than the iPad. For this digitally native generation, YouTube is the place to be, but other media channels like streaming platforms and even podcasts are popular. With the future of Gen Alpha’s social media use uncertain as states like Florida bar children under 14, marketers should know where the demographic is consuming content.

Political ad spend will hit $12.32 billion this year, according to our December 2023 forecast. That’s nearly three times what it was in 2016.

Discover the dynamic shift toward digital wallets in the US and the UK in the latest podcast episode of "Behind the Numbers: The Banking & Payments Show." Delve into the compelling discourse on how younger generations' move to digital is rendering traditional wallets obsolete. Join host Rob Rubin, our US-based analyst Tyler Van Dyke, and UK-based analyst Carina Perkins as they unravel trends in digital transactions for dining, shopping, and ID verification. In the "For Argument's Sake" section, we dissect the fierce competition for market dominance among industry giants like Apple and Google, established players like PayPal, rising star Paze, and potential disruptors. Tune in for a forward-looking conversation and hit subscribe for the latest insights. Key insights: - Youth-led shift: Analysis reveals a robust trend among younger consumers pivoting to digital wallets for everyday activities, indicating a cultural and technological shift. - Market dominance debate: We uncover the strategic moves by tech titans and emergent challengers vying to capture the largest share of digital wallet users. - Cross-Atlantic perspectives: Insights from US and UK analysts present a diverse view on the adoption of digital wallets, offering a broader understanding of the global digital economy.

Ad-supported streaming and live sports are accelerating pay TV’s decline: The largest pay TV providers lost 5 million subscribers in 2023, while SVOD’s market share grew.

Last year, Kroger found success embracing omnichannel shoppers and personalizing digital promotions, which helped it grow its identical sales (without fuel) 0.9% YoY. Looking ahead, the retailer is counting on its digitally engaged customers to fuel its retail media network, which Kroger expects to grow 20% next year.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how the resale market is evolving, why some retailers work with a third party instead of developing their own charitable programs, and the role of digital marketplaces in resale. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and Nancy Youssef, chief global business development officer of Soles4Souls.

Nearly a third of the US population will be free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) viewers by 2027, accounting for a total of 114.5 million viewers, according to our September 2023 forecast. That large audience base, coupled with the rise of new players and the abundance of ad inventory, is making FASTs increasingly appealing to media planners—especially those on a budget.

Media planners should be paying attention to both digital and linear TV, but attention is obviously moving toward the former. When preparing for upfronts, keep in mind that ads are almost everywhere now, which means an expanding menu of options.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss what will influence digital ad spending this year, who's the "dark horse" ad player of 2024, and how the CMO role and marketing departments will change. "In Other News," we talk about what to make of Google's latest AI creation called Gemini and some research explaining how often AI chatbots make things up. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Yory Wurmser.

Digital ad spend is growing and going increasingly toward programmatic formats. Search ad spend is on the rise as well, as retail media growth remains healthy. And social media is in better shape than previously projected. Here are five recent charts forecasting the future of ad spend.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss how much Amazon's new shopping chatbot can move the needle, what Planet Fitness' out-of-home ad network looks like, becoming a digital mannequin to see what clothes look like on you, whether minutelong soap operas will catch on, who the smartest people in the world are, and more. Tune into the discussion with vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian, analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, and vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss whether Google's recent performance was actually good (or not), how YouTube turned things around, and what could trip up the digital giant in 2024. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf.

Many in digital advertising, including the Interactive Advertising Bureau, have begun to use connected TV (CTV) as an umbrella term to include content delivered via CTV devices or OTT services.

The vast majority (81.5%) of retail media ad spend will go toward on-site formats this year, per our October 2023 forecast. As advertisers seek to target consumers whenever and wherever possible, other formats are emerging, particularly in-store, streaming, and social.

On today’s episode of The Banking & Payments Show podcast, we discuss the most important banking trends that we expect to see in 2024. We examine the big headlines from our Banking Trends to Watch in 2024 report, such as risky banking as a service partnerships, the social media players pushing the boundaries of banking, the disruption caused by AI and new developments with digital wallets. In a new segment called "Place Your Bets," using a total of 10 points, we allocate points to different trends to predict their likelihood of coming true. Listen to the conversation with guest host Marcus Johnson and our analysts Tiffani Montez and David Morris.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the digital habits across generations: what baby boomers' top digital activity is, Gen X's approach to all things digital, and how much more time Gen Zers actually spend on social media over other generations. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Paola Flores-Marquez and vice president of research Jennifer Pearson.

US viewers will spend 10 more minutes each day with digital video this year, per our June 2023 forecast, and streaming platforms will compete for their share of that viewership and its accompanying ad revenues. From Amazon’s ascent in streaming advertising to the growing use of AI in content and potential consolidation among streaming platforms, here are three predictions for video in 2024.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss what non-AI technology took the spotlight at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), second-tier TV audiences, what streaming will look like in a few years, what its like to shop with a chatbot, how digital grocery will take things up a notch, how big the sun actually is, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our forecasting writer Ethan Cramer-Flood, analyst Bill Fisher, and forecasting analyst Zach Goldner.