Flexing data that RMNs lack, PayPal lays a blueprint for FMNs’ unique utility to marketers

Venmo users now can send P2P payments to PayPal users worldwide with just a phone number.

Some Capital One debit cardholders feel dissatisfied with the shift from Mastercard to the Discover network, per The Wall Street Journal. Taking a slow, comprehensive approach to changing card products is critical to maintaining cardholder trust and loyalty. Consumers need assurance that their card will be accepted wherever they shop. Competing issuers can flex their cards’ stability through the Mastercard-Visa duopoly or emphasize their broadening acceptance internationally, like American Express. As travel becomes a tentpole feature of premium rewards, emphasizing acceptance in far-flung locales can entice high-spending wealthy consumers to stick with issuers on major network providers, instead of using a smaller competitor.

The effects of the Capital One-Discovery merger are still coming into relief, two quarters after the deal exploded the size and scope of Capital One’s business. If issuers continue to reorient their investments strictly to their premium offerings, subprime cardholders will become increasingly stranded for lines of credit from incumbents. This gives an opening for fintechs and buy now, pay later platforms to snag this population, as traditional lenders back away from credit-thin consumers in pursuit of wealthy spenders.

American Express debuted Amex Ads, a new digital advertising platform that allows brands to connect with its 34 million customers, per a press release. Amex Ads will go live on AmexTravel.com before spreading to other Amex platforms. Amex has the power to link advertisers with high-spending consumers, which are driving the bulk of US spending during a period of economic uncertainty—and Amex’s earnings. By granting access to consumers who already are interested in prestige travel and dining experiences, advertisers can attach themselves to Amex’s strong brand halo for luxury experiences, delivering strong ROI for ad spend.

The news: Upfront spending on primetime TV declined for the third year in a row as viewers shift to streaming and advertisers follow suit, per Media Dynamics. Our take: Though linear still commands more ad spending than streaming for now, money and viewership are becoming more entrenched within streaming.

DoorDash is strengthening its media network through new ad products and the acquisition of tech company Symbiosys, aiming to help brands reach consumers both on and off its platform.

Leaning on non-card revenue can help the network maintain its momentum even if shaky economic conditions lead to slower consumer spending

The large card program is in flux, with both its issuer and network partnerships up for grabs

Mothers in the US spend over twice as much time on Facebook and Facebook Messenger than they do on TikTok, according to September Comscore data.

Western Union has become the latest financial company to launch a media network, joining the likes of Chase and PayPal. “The biggest advantage [financial media networks] have is just breadth. So, unlike a retail media network, they capture the entire spending history that a customer has,” said our analyst Maria Elm on an episode of our Behind the Numbers podcast.

American Express is expanding Amex Offers, which allows advertisers to serve card holders tailored deals. The expansion comes on the heels of Chase and PayPal launching financial media networks (FMNs), a trend we expect will continue.

CVS Media Exchange (CMX) announced yesterday the beta launch of a new self-service offering in collaboration with The Trade Desk. The offering includes enhanced audience targeting, transparent ad pricing, the ability to activate media through its data service provider, and improved performance insights.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss why the Atlantic thinks "Google is playing a dangerous game with AI search", the best new membership perk that retailers should introduce, TV networks strategy to deemphasize age, whether every brand needs a personality, why the Taj Mahal was built, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Blake Droesch, Bill Fisher, and Carina Perkins.

Retail media is traditionally dominated by, well, retailers. But as access to customer insights becomes increasingly important for advertisers amid cookie deprecation and mounting privacy laws, other industries are hopping on retail media’s bandwagon.

JPMorgan Chase launched its Chase Media Solutions ad unit earlier this month. The venture looks a lot like a retail media network (RMN), with one important distinction—Chase is not a retailer. But because it’s monetizing purchase data, Chase Media Solutions operates a lot like an RMN.

With seemingly everyone jumping onto retail media, it may feel too late or intimidating to grab a piece of the pie. But that’s not the case, according to Jason Farver, Hy-Vee’s executive vice president, chief supply chain officer, and president of RedMedia.

Microsoft’s new ad network helps retailers build and maintain their own media networks, boasting “ready-built demand, expansive ad supply, and access to high-intent shoppers.” Using Microsoft’s new product can help retailers reach profitability, according to the software company.

In just five days, 100 million users signed up for Threads, compared with Twitter’s 364 million, according to our forecast.

Retail media will stay ahead of connected TV (CTV) in US ad spending and close in on traditional TV this year, according to our forecast. Search overall, including paid search on retail media networks, will reach $108.48 billion in 2023.