On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how AI has already changed search, whether Google is in a better or worse position today because of AI’s rapid rise, and how AI will transform search in the next 6–12 months. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Principal Analyst Nate Elliot and Analyst Jacob Bourne. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

CMOs are confronting AI fatigue by refocusing on human creativity and trust. As automation accelerates, leaders are rebalancing efficiency with authenticity to restore credibility and performance.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss why 7-Eleven is opening more stores even as foot traffic falls, explore its next engine of growth, and consider some bold moves that could help future-proof the convenience store giant. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, and Principal Analyst Sarah Marzano.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the big 3 questions surrounding Netflix in Q3 and beyond: expectations for its ad business, the impact of Netflix House, a new deal with Spotify, or something else? Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Analyst, Ross Benes, and Senior Editor of Briefings, Daniel Konstantinovic. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of October. Each month, host Suzy Davidkhanian, Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Emmy Liederman (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial list of the top eight retailers they're watching based on which are making the most interesting moves: Who's launching new initiatives? Which partnerships are moving the needle? Which standout marketing campaigns are being created? In this month's episode, Committee members Suzy Davidkhanian and Arielle Feger will defend their list against Senior Analyst, Blake Droesch and Analyst, Rachel Wolff, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what OpenAI as the next big operating system maker looks like, how they might make money from this, which integrated apps will become most popular inside ChatGPT, and how this potential super app could impact consumer AI devices. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Analyst, Grace Harmon, and Principal Analyst, Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how digital has changed in 2025: why the digital ad triopoly (Google, Meta, and Amazon) are losing influence, how YouTube is still under valued, how AI search behavior is changing, and more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, VP of Global Content Operations, Eleni Digalaki, and Principal Analyst, Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how linear TV ad dollars are still managing to outweigh CTV ad dollars, what’s primarily responsible for driving growth in out-of-home ad spending this year, and if some new high-profile print media initiatives can stem the print ad spend bleeding. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Analyst, Ross Benes, and Senior Forecasting Analyst, Zach Goldner. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the moving target that is consumers’ perception of using AI in advertising, how marketers feel about the technology, and the share of ad buying that is likely to be delegated to AI. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Analyst, Marisa Jones, and Senior Analyst, Gadjo Sevilla. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Perplexity dropped the $200 monthly fee for its AI-native Comet browser, making it free worldwide but with rate limits. The change follows Google Chrome hitting a record 73.7% share of desktop browsing in September, per StatCounter. Comet can summarize webpages, pull key details, and wade through links on a user’s behalf. Chrome remains the must-buy channel, but ChatGPT’s mobile stickiness and Comet’s positioning prove that audiences may increasingly flow through alternative gateways. The brands that experiment early across these varied environments will be better prepared when consumer behavior tilts away from legacy browsers.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how “The Savings Wrangler” campaign was dreamt up, how GoodRx will measure its success, and what new spaces the medication savings company is moving into. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Analysts, Rajiv Leventhal and Beth Snyder Bulik, and Chief Marketing Officer at GoodRx, Ryan Sullivan. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Deposits are moving out of community financial institutions (FIs) and into crypto exchanges—from 1% per month 18 months ago to 5% today, per PYMNTS. Instead of chasing these funds by trying to become more like crypto apps, community FIs are increasingly offering stablecoin products. Smaller FIs must not lose sight of what makes them stand out: human centricity, local knowledge, and customer service. By incorporating new technologies and digital currencies into their everyday offerings—instead of reinventing themselves—FIs can remain grounded in those differentiators while still potentially appealing to digital-first demographics.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss more ‘very specific, but highly unlikely’ predictions for the end of 2025 and start of 2026. If a major US news organization like CNN or CNBC will soon get acquired by a billionaire, why Pepsi could split into separate snack and beverage businesses, and the road to full funnel, hyper relevant connected car ads. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Forecasting, Oscar Orozco, and Vice Presidents of Content, Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of September, with a twist. This month ‘The Committee’ (Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Emmy Liederman) put together a very unofficial list of the top eight most interesting back-to-college campaigns and activations. In this month’s episode, Committee members Analyst, Arielle Feger and Senior Director of Content, Becky Schilling will defend their list against Analyst, Rachel Wolff and Senior Analyst, Blake Droesch, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.

In this podcast episode, we discuss the backlash to Delta’s decision to use personalized AI pricing, how consumers feel about dynamic pricing, and if there is a way for retailers to implement it without losing shopper trust. Listen to the discussion with Analyst and guest host, Rachel Wolff, Vice President of Content, Suzy Davidkhanian, and Senior Analyst, Zak Stambor.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the top takeaways from the Google monopoly verdict, how the rise of AI search influenced the decision, and how much this ruling has any bearing on the Google ad tech case. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, and Senior Director of Briefings, Jeremy Goldman, and Principal Analyst, Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

PNC Financial is on track to buy FirstBank for $4.1 billion. The deal would give PNC a significant presence in Colorado and Arizona, per AP News. Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are reshaping US banking, with this deal following larger ones that reset what financial institutions expect federal regulators to approve. But all of these M&As show that large banks are scaling up to better compete with giants like JPMorgan and Bank of America. This consolidation among super-regional banks clearly signals that the regulatory environment is favorable for such moves. And we expect more of these types of deals in the near future.

The news: Payments company Wise is exploring plans to become a full-fledged bank in the UK, per The Times. This shortly follows its application for a US banking license. Why this matters: Fintechs are increasingly applying for US licenses, taking advantage of expedited measures that once took years. The UK is seeing a similar trend: Wise joins fintechs including Starling, Monzo, and Revolut in applying for licenses (some successfully). Fintechs entering the traditional banking space could pressure incumbents and reshape the competitive landscape. Banking licenses would allow them to offer a more complete suite of services while maintaining their digital-first, customer-centric approach. Established players will need to adapt or risk losing a significant portion of the next generation of banking customers.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss why investors wanted to bring in an outsider to right the ship, what’s most to blame for Target’s recent struggles, and what should be top of the new CEO’s to-do list. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and guest host, Marcus Johnson, and Senior Analysts, Blake Droesch and Arielle Feger.