On today’s podcast episode, we discuss when and where we will start to see ads alongside ChatGPT, how other AI startups are rolling them out, and what kinds of GenAI ads will be most impactful. Tune in to the discussion with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, and Analysts Jacob Bourne and Daniel Konstantinovic.

Regulation will disrupt some digital players, while retail media and genAI adoption will create opportunities across advertising and commerce.

China’s retail sector will grow from government stimulus, retail’s genAI revolution will have a far-reaching impact, India’s quick commerce will heat up, China’s retailers will face pushback in the region, and Xiaohongshu will further establish itself.

Cybersecurity is a major issue for retailers this holiday season: A surge of transactions combined with over-extended, undertrained employees creates opportunities for fraudsters.

While it still faces hurdles, the company’s finances have improved markedly—setting it up for a strong IPO in 2025

GenAI and social are set to heavily influence the UK commerce and advertising landscape in 2025, while thrifty consumer behaviors persist and video viewing shifts to mostly digital.

Microsoft partners with HarperCollins to train AI on books: A $5K-per-title deal offers new data for AI but renews questions about compensation and AI’s effect on creativity.

As competition intensifies and consumers continue to seek value, retailers will need to double down on how to differentiate themselves and offer shoppers what they want, wherever they are.

Consumers turn to genAI to help with holiday shopping: Nearly one-fifth of global Cyber Five sales this year will be influenced by AI agents and other tools, Salesforce says.

Consumers are submitting medical scans to Elon Musk’s genAI chatbot, Grok: But Grok isn’t trained well enough on medical data, which could create a host of problems for patients.

Shoppers want help: Too many choices online can overwhelm consumers and leave them frustrated by the effort required to make a purchase decision.

Coca-Cola’s full throated embrace of generative AI: The company launched a series of holiday ads made with AI that could inspire others to follow suit.

Nordstrom gives its shopping app a genAI upgrade: The department store retailer hopes enhanced search and personalization capabilities will give it an edge this holiday season.

US retail sales via mobile wallets are growing much faster than overall sales. To meet this demand, wallet providers must address consumer expectations and solve growth hurdles.

The BNPL provider has been prepping for this for years. Its profitability push and cost-cutting initiatives should set it up for a strong listing

From the rise of sophisticated AI-driven tools to new policies reshaping data privacy and competition, 2025 promises to be a year of relentless change. Companies that adapt will thrive, while others risk being left behind in a swiftly moving market.

GenAI reaches a crossroads: While nearly all executives embrace AI investments, employee apprehension and lagging adoption expose cracks in the workforce’s readiness for an AI-powered future.

Ad targeting starts with finding the right people. AI has helped marketers do this for years with sophisticated clustering algorithms. These algorithms create segments of people based on certain similarities that indicate their likelihood to respond to an ad. GenAI can make it easier to build these segments on the fly.

Consumers are cautiously optimistic about AI use. Over 100 million people will use generative AI (genAI) in the US this year, per our June 2024 forecast. But many are still distrustful of the tech as it relates to consumer privacy, personalization, and its capacity to hallucinate. Here are five charts demonstrating how consumers really feel about AI, and what marketers can do to make them more comfortable with the evolving technology.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping transform connected TV (CTV) into a performance marketing channel, giving paid search and social media a run for their money. CTV ad spend will reach $32.57 billion in the US next year, and AI is helping to boost its potential for advertisers. Here are three ways AI is doing that.