Nearly 9 in 10 US adults (88%) are stressed about grocery prices—including 53% who say food costs are a major source of stress—according to a July AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey. This news comes as food prices continue to go up. The US Consumer Price Index for food increased 0.5% in August MoM. Grocery prices, as measured by the food-at-home index, rose 0.6% from July and were up 2.7% YoY. Grocery stores may be the most visible flashpoint for consumers’ financial stress, but the ripple effects extend far beyond food. The financial strain is prompting fundamental shifts in how people shop, which all retailers will need to watch closely in the back half of the year.

The news: Online scams and internet crimes cost Americans a record $16.6 billion in 2024, per Pew Research, potentially reshaping trust in digital platforms. Almost three-quarters (73%) of US adults have experienced some type of online scam, ranging from phishing attempts and online shopping scams to credit card fraud. Most adults report getting weekly scam phone calls (68%), emails (63%) or text messages (61%) that attempt to collect their personal information. The big takeaway: To attract new customers and assuage scam-related hesitations, brands need to be proactive about trust in every digital touchpoint.

The news: AI is revolutionizing the way social media managers (SMMs) work, but spending on the tools is surprisingly low. 73% of SMMs, content creators, entrepreneurs, and marketers use AI, per Metricool’s 2025 State of AI in Social Media report. Two-thirds create at least half their content with it. Over half (52%) spend nothing on AI tools each month, and only 8% spend over $50 per month. Our take: Failing to monitor AI’s benefits and limitations could hinder teams’ ability to optimize content or justify investment to higher-ups. CMOs should recognize that adoption alone is not a strategy: Tie outputs to performance data, invest in secure tools, and incentivize teams to move beyond surface-level use to capitalize on AI’s potential.

The finding: Up to one-third of US consumers consider lying on credit applications to be acceptable in some situations or normal behavior, potentially fueled by the rising cost of living, per FICO’s 2025 Consumer Survey. Our take: The rise of first-party fraud means FIs can no longer rely solely on self-reported data. By responsibly leveraging a broader range of data points—such as transactional history, rent/mortgage payments, and utility bill data—within compliance guidelines, banks can build a more comprehensive and accurate picture of a customer's financial health and ability to repay.

This finding could prompt life insurance products and marketing strategies.

Advertising’s AI obsession is upside down: While genAI dominates for content creation, agencies are sleeping on AI’s real strategic edge—like SEO, workflow automation, and data insights

AI is reshaping media campaigns—but most companies haven’t fully integrated it yet, according to the State of Data 2025 report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). While publishers are leading, agencies and brands are catching up, with many expecting full deployment within the next few years. However, challenges like complexity and data security are prompting the need for clearer strategies, use case definitions, and performance metrics.

Brand strength bubbles up: Even as inflation squeezes budgets, many consumers are not trading down from name-brand sodas.

Learn what Chase and other digital competitors have done to outrank traditional banks.

We explore what's behind the drop and what the top-ranked bank is doing right.

Measurement is on the minds at Advertising Week New York. With flat or shrinking budgets, clients need to pinpoint—and be able to prove—where growth is coming, Meredith Zhang, measurement lead at TikTok, said during the event.

“[Last-click attribution is] the devil marketers know,” said EMARKETER’s vice president of content Paul Verna. “It falls well short of representing what’s really going on.” Because it doesn’t paint a full picture, it doesn’t accurately reflect marketing’s impact on conversions.

A new report found that having the best mobile banking app isn’t enough to retain these digital natives.

A recent study reveals this generational cohort cares less about accumulating and paying off debt than they do about saving.

Hubspot’s recent marketing report reveals key trends in how marketers use AI—and what they’re afraid of.

Many acknowledge AI tools can help with specific needs, but they still don’t want to give it unlimited access to their data.

And the generation of banking consumers that most needs an urgent intervention isn’t the youngest one.