Younger generations' trust in drug companies is dropping. A new survey shows that many pharma companies are failing to connect with this audience on social media, where they look for health information. To win them back, pharma brands should create social media videos that highlight their history of innovation, rather than focusing on specific products. They can also partner with doctor influencers to create content that removes the stigma around topics like mental health and educates people on treatment options.

The Trump administration announced on September 15 that a TikTok sale deal has finally been reached with China after months of uncertainty, allowing TikTok to remain operational in the US. That means TikTok’s future in the US isn’t as uncertain as it recently was. FIs that set aside plans to build up their TikTok following or reach target customers via campaigns or finfluencer relationships should now move full steam ahead on TikTok. This is the moment to restart those efforts with a renewed focus on authenticity and education. FIs should create specific content that speaks to Gen Z’s financial realities.

Klarna and Affirm will be available for in-store payments via Apple Pay in the US and the UK, per a press release. As more providers find ways to enable BNPL in store, they need to convince consumers to choose their products over card-linked installment plans, which offer the perks of paying over time with competitive rewards and cash back. Gen Zers are demonstrating a distrust of credit cards in favor of debit cards, so Affirm and Klarna could lean into their BNPL-enabled debit cards as a way of seeming like a “safer” financing choice for younger consumers. Eschewing the risks of revolving debt may be more desirable than points rewarded for Gen Zers.

The $106 trillion Great Wealth Transfer is creating new investors who bypass legacy advisors and favor digital tools and alternative assets. To stay competitive, banks must innovate—or risk ceding the future of wealth to nimbler fintechs and robo-advisors.

Junior ad jobs are gradually disappearing as the industry faces upheaval. While overall ad jobs ticked up slightly earlier this year, employment is still trending downward—and younger workers are taking the brunt. Without a pipeline of entry-level talent, agencies risk eroding their long-term relevance.

Gen Z’s recent banking and payments behavior shows they are integrating cryptocurrency into their normal banking habits. Their widespread adoption of cryptocurrency for transactions and investment signals a critical challenge for traditional banks. Meanwhile, fintechs and other nontraditional platforms are targeting these younger customers with in-demand products. Banks must embrace this shift by offering crypto-related products and services and integrating them seamlessly into core offerings. This presents an opportunity for banks to innovate, build new revenue streams, and solidify their position as the central financial hub for the next generation of consumers.

Gen Zers are putting their careers and financial health above family, community, and love, according to a recent NBC poll. These results give financial institutions perspective around these younger consumers’ primary goals. They also highlight the importance of assessing and understanding the needs of individual customers. Some Gen Zers have already bought homes and started families but likely want to further improve their financial health and status. This points to the importance of life-stages banking, including personalizing recommendations for each individual customer. Most Gen Zers want products that help them set money aside and make it work harder for them.

According to a recent Bank of America survey and a KNPX News report, 55% of Gen Zers have more than one source of income. Products like side-hustle savings accounts help track multiple income sources, automate tax withholdings, and separate business expenses from personal finances. Banks must move away from the traditional model built around a single, consistent paycheck. This means offering flexible products that adapt to fluctuating incomes as well as considering customers’ overall financial health—including side-hustle income—when making lending decisions.

TikTok shared new data to highlight the potential of its search ads for driving action. TikTok showed that activations with dedicated search campaigns led to 2 times higher purchase lift overall, while enterprise advertisers saw 2.2 times higher purchase lift and higher incremental return on ad spend (ROAS). TikTok’s success with search ads is promising, but advertisers ultimately need answers about the platform’s longevity in its core market. Questions about data security, content moderation, and political pressures are still casting a shadow.

The news: Facebook is promoting its Pokes feature in an effort to increase user engagement. Pokes—a mainstay feature of the early Facebook experience—are regaining popularity, prompting Facebook to make it a more central part of the user experience, per TechCrunch. Users can now track their “Pokes count” with friends, essentially a streak, on top of a dedicated Poke button added to Facebook profiles. Our take: Meta relies on Facebook for the lion’s share of its ad revenues. While Pokes may seem to be a low-stakes experiment, re-engaging younger users is a high-stakes battle, and even small features can tip the balance if they create sticky user habits.

The news: US consumers overall will slash their holiday spending about 5% this year, while Gen Zers expect to cut it 23%, per Inkl. Our take: We’ve seen this trend among Gen Zers in other areas of spending—such as prioritizing vacations over saving—meaning their habits are consistent. In preparation for the upcoming holiday season, financial institutions (FIs) can tap into this to demonstrate a deeper level of understanding of their Gen Z clientele. Last year we suggested marketing holiday budgeting tools. While that still holds, FIs should also customize the language of these tools to match customers’ actual goals. For example, instead of language about saving for the future, offer savings toward a goal that Gen Zers input themselves, such as a concert or vacation.

The news: Virality can push brand awareness and sales, but the pressure to stay relevant online is exhausting marketers and even leading to rushed, imperfect campaigns. 22% of marketers feel compelled to respond to viral social media moments daily or multiple times per week, per an Adobe Express survey. This constant pressure is causing over one-third (37%) of marketers to report a high level of burnout, including 47% of Gen Z marketers. Our take: Trend-chasing can boost growth, but the emotional and strategic costs can be real. The most successful marketers will focus on brand fit, understanding that the key isn't just speed, but thoughtful alignment and knowing when not to post.

Brands are finding growth in controversy. American Eagle added 700,000 new customers tied to its controversial Sydney Sweeney ad campaign and a Travis Kelce collaboration. The campaigns generated a combined 40 billion impressions, helping American Eagle bounce back from a difficult quarter. American Eagle’s strategy shows that controversy can reignite attention and that generating buzz can pay off. But smaller or inclusivity-minded brands must weigh the potential long-term cost of missteps.

Snap debuted a new ad suite for marketers and developers, offering an “App Power Pack” that includes new bid strategies, ad formats, optimization strategies, and targeting capabilities to boost ROI, per MediaPost. Snap’s ad suite is an important step in the company’s efforts to cement its strength in advertising and curb slowing growth. We forecast the platform’s ad revenues will continue falling in the low single digits through 2027. But with competitors already offering similar products, Snapchat needs to go a step further to stand out.

Instagram launched a feature that allows college students to display their class schedule on their profiles in a bid to make inroads with young consumers—days after TikTok released a similar tool. By cherry picking successful formats on other social platforms like messaging, music sharing, stories, short-form video, and more, Instagram has established itself as a crucial social tool and entertainment platform for young users. Its college schedule launch could help cement influence with yet another generation of students.

Cracker Barrel has reversed a logo redesign just days after removing its “Old Timer” figure, Uncle Herschel, following backlash from customers, commentators, and investors. Criticism spiked when former President Donald Trump called the redesign a costly mistake but also “a billion dollars’ worth of free publicity.” Hours later, the company confirmed Herschel would remain the face of the chain. The reversal coincided with a 7% stock drop, underscoring how customer sentiment quickly impacts financials. Analysts note that tradition and heritage are powerful brand signals—removing them can sever ties with loyal customers while raising doubts about purpose and direction.

A Precise TV study revealed key habits for younger Gen Z consumers ages 13 to 17—emphasizing that short-form and digital video are leading the way. YouTube Shorts and TikTok ads were major drivers of purchase decisions: 51% of Gen Z boys and 43% of girls made a purchase after watching YouTube Shorts ads, while 44% of boys and 41% of girls purchased after watching a TikTok ad. Gen Z’s digital buying power will only grow, and targeting younger Gen Z consumers will position brands for long-term growth—provided the right strategies are implemented.

The news: Legacy news is facing mounting threats after President Trump suggested on Truth Social that ABC and NBC could have their broadcast licenses revoked. Accusing the networks of serving as “AN ARM OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY,” the news follows a string of scrutiny against public broadcasting from the current administration—and has implications for the advertisers that rely on these channels. Our take: As news channels face more scrutiny, advertisers are being forced to reconsider where they spend—but political volatility still needs to be weighed against long-term loyalty among key demographics.

The finding: Growing savings is a top priority for 81% of Gen Zers and 79% of millennials, according to a new study by Santander Bank. Most in these cohorts have grown their savings since the beginning of 2024—but they did it the hard way. Our take: FIs have an opportunity and responsibility to educate younger customers in particular about products that earn higher interest rates. Banks also have potential growth opportunities if they successfully market their higher-interest-rate products to this audience—ensuring education is part of these campaigns. This presents an excellent opportunity to launch social media campaigns—especially through partnerships with influencers that customers’ trust most—highlighting these specific products. In addition, less overt marketing strategies, like social media content, can help build trust and brand recognition. We’ve compiled a guide for how to approach and evaluate these relationships.

Google is enhancing its retail ad offerings with loyalty-driven personalization tools aimed at retention. New features include personalized pricing and shipping perks for loyalty members, a “loyalty mode” in Google Ads’ retention goal to optimize for high-lifetime-value customers, and personalized annotations in Performance Max campaigns. Sephora, an early adopter, reported a 20% lift in click-through rates from loyalty-focused annotations. The launch comes as loyalty ranks high on shoppers’ holiday priorities and as CMOs lean on loyalty programs to bolster first-party data. With Amazon pulling away from Google, the updates position Ads as a retention engine in the retail fight.