The news: Magnite today introduced pause ads across several streaming providers, including DirecTV, Fubo, and Dish Media, to capitalize on the momentum of pause ads as a key opportunity to engage and convert connected TV (CTV) viewers. Our take: Pause ads have demonstrated their worth in the quickly growing CTV landscape—but those who see the most success with the format will be the ones who innovate before pause ads become standard practice.

The news: Gap’s newest denim campaign is challenging American Eagle’s controversial Sydney Sweeney ad. Helmed by K-pop girl group Katseye and featuring a diverse group of dancers set to the 2003 Kellis hit “Milkshake,” the ad is earning praise for celebrating diversity, individuality, and modern inclusivity. Our take: Advertisers can take several key lessons from the ads about how culturally attuned messaging can either draw praise or spark controversy depending on how it aligns with current social conversations.

The news: Instagram introduced a linked Reels feature enabling creators to showcase short-form videos in a series for simpler storytelling, per an announcement on its Creators account. The feature follows a trend of creators making Reels series focused on specific storylines and themes, and will allow creators to link both new and previous content, excluding content exclusively shared with subscribers or close friends. Our take: Linked Reels unlocks more opportunities to convey messages with high-production value and an episodic narrative, transforming Reels into a media destination that keeps audiences returning instead of only offering one-off impressions.

The news: Bilt has stealthily been behind the vertical short-form social series Roomies, in a long-term game to broaden its brand recognition across Gen Z and millennial renters. The series has 66,000 and 80,600 followers on TikTok and Instagram. On TikTok, Roomies has passed 906,000 likes across 10 episodes. Our take: With 89.7% of Gen Z spending time on social media platforms, per our forecast, Bilt’s ability to capture the generation’s attention without drawing the “ick” could pay dividends in driving signs up to its upcoming card refresh.

The news: Podcast ads are turning passive listeners into active consumers and driving measurable outcomes for brands, per a Nielsen study. Podcast campaigns led to a 10-point boost in brand awareness; an 8-point increase in information-seeking; and a 6-point increase in recommendation and purchase intent. Our take: Podcasting’s high engagement and success for brands makes it an increasingly critical investment—but key considerations must be kept in mind. Host-read ads perform best. Brands are most likely to thrive with podcast ads when the host is an actual user of the products advertised and comes across as authentic.

The news: Many marketers and salespeople doubt AI’s ability to boost company revenues or customer satisfaction. Some even believe it adds to their workload, signaling a disconnect between AI adoption and employee confidence. Only 39% of marketers and sales professionals in the US and UK are confident that their departments’ use of AI drives revenues, per General Assembly’s AI in Marketing & Sales report. Nearly half (46%) believe AI only somewhat improves the customer experience or doesn’t at all. Our take: Organizations that prioritize tailored training and tie outcomes to KPIs like team efficiency and customer satisfaction could help employees feel empowered and translate AI investments into measurable impact.

The news: TikTok is experiencing massive growth among older generations, with adoption for users 45+ growing 1,200% between 2019 and 2025, per CivicScience—suggesting its stickiness across demographics and emphasizing older consumers’ buying power. Our take: A successful social advertising strategy will strike a balance: Valuing younger demographics for their growing influence while accounting for the enduring importance of older generations for driving digital purchases as social media adoption skyrockets.

The news: Social media is no longer just a branding tool—it’s a commerce engine, particularly among Gen Z. Over half (56%) of US Gen Zers have made a purchase because of a social media influencer, per CivicScience’s 2025 Gen Z Media Consumption report. That’s up from 41% in 2023. 52% of Gen Zers have made a purchase directly on a social media platform, compared with 32% of adults over 30. Our take: Gen Z’s buying behavior is embedded in social-first platforms, where influence equals transaction. Partnerships with nano-influencers, who often have extremely engaged audiences, can help boost reach. Brands should test direct in-platform checkout integration on social media to boost conversion and capitalize on growing ecommerce options on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

The news: A recent YouGov study highlighted shifting media consumption habits—and Gen Z is leading the way. Half of Gen Zers make purchases based on social media ads compared with 41% of overall consumers. Gen Z is one of the leaders in time spent with social media, with 28% spending at least 5 hours on social platforms on the average weekday. Our take: As Gen Z proves itself as one of the most valuable demographics for advertisers, brands must tailor strategies to channels and formats that are most likely to connect with these growth drivers.

Retailers face an atypical holiday season. Instead of the usual end-of-year boom, 2025 is expected to bring a rare deceleration in holiday sales growth.

The strategy: Tech platform Bluwhale has released a model for a scoring system that calculates real-time credit signals from both fiat and crypto assets, per Cointelegraph. Why this matters: We called for FIs to consider incorporating crypto assets into lending products in our report “Home Lending Trends 2025.” Here’s why: Cryptocurrency is becoming more mainstream, with big banks increasingly incorporating digital currencies into everyday solutions. Younger consumers are more interested in alternative investments including crypto than their older counterparts. Our take: FIs aren’t currently offering Bluewhale’s system, but the model still illustrates how creditworthiness scoring could look in the future. FIs that include financial activity that demonstrates strength but doesn’t appear on a traditional credit report can assess loan requests more accurately—and potentially approve more customers.

The news: Sixty-four percent of Gen Z and 65% of millennial homebuyers say their financial well-being will depend on their ability to refinance to a lower interest rate in the future, per Truework’s “The State of Homebuying in America” report. But if rates don’t significantly drop over the next few years, these customers’ mortgages could be at risk of defaulting. Our take: Financial institutions (FIs) can step in to help young homeowners navigate their mortgages while they await rate changes. FIs can start by offering automated refinance alerts, enhancing digital transparency and providing a homeownership/homebuying educational hub.

The news: Two-thirds (66%) of consumers in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region ignore repetitive ads when they are shown on a single platform, per a report from The Trade Desk. Gen Z respondents were over twice as likely (57%) to feel irritated when exposed to repetitive ads compared with other demographics. Our take: Ads often need to be repeated to boost brand recall, putting advertisers in a tricky position of balancing brand recognition while not frustrating consumers. But there are approaches marketers can take to address the fatigue issue.

The news: Podcast ads are the most effective way to drive action through advertising across media types, per a new study from Sounds Profitable and Signal Hill Insights. 22% of monthly podcast listeners have made an immediate purchase after hearing an ad on a podcast in the past six months, per the study. Podcasts outperformed users of premium TV streaming services like Peacock and Netflix (13%), Instagram (13%), YouTube (12%), and TikTok (5%). Our take: As audiences shift to digital, podcasts demand advertiser investment. Brands that pay attention to the format and take steps to innovate will succeed long-term.

The news: A Snapchat, WPP Media, and Lumen study unveiled key insights on the growth of attention-based metrics as key indicators of ad success. Even 5% more attention can double brand perception. Attention was 8 times more effective than view-through rates for predicting brand recall and 4 times more effective at determining brand favorability. Our take: Snap is looking to be a leader in a metric that advertisers are increasingly paying attention to—but on the back of a lukewarm quarter, can Snap’s emphasis on attention help it bounce back?

The news: Booking.com launched the Genius Rewards Visa Signature co-brand credit card for Booking.com account holders. Our take: Booking.com’s credit card offering should appeal to millennial and Gen Z consumers who are eager to travel and aren’t tethered to a specific airline’s or hotel franchise’s loyalty program.

Xbox hits 500M MAUs and $5 billion Game Pass run rate: Franchise power and console loyalty fuel Microsoft’s gaming momentum.

The news: American Eagle’s latest ad with Sydney Sweeney is sparking debate across the political spectrum, with opinions ranging from those who believe the “good jeans” pun promotes eugenics and white supremacy to those who praise the ad for its “anti-woke” message. But regardless of where you land on the campaign, American Eagle is giving advertisers key lessons in toeing the line between bold branding and cultural missteps. Our take: Even campaigns that generate buzz can backfire if they ignore cultural sensitivities—meaning advertisers must adopt cultural intelligence as a core competency in creative strategy.

Community banks and credit unions face rising delinquencies, margin pressure, and a disconnect with young consumers. As M&As accelerate, institutions must modernize tech and retain local trust to survive.

Consumer spending will be restrained during the 2025 holiday season as shoppers remain cautious amid ongoing economic uncertainty. That means retail and ecommerce will see the slowest growth since we started tracking the metrics.