The news: Despite the shift toward programmatic advertising, a study from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) identified a lingering issue with the trend: The growth of wasted ad spending. The amount of wasted ad spend in programmatic advertising has risen 34% in two years, up to $26.8 billion from $20 billion in June 2023. Our take: The efficiency and growing relevance of programmatic comes with brand safety trade-offs, making transparency and stronger verification a prerequisite for sustained investment.

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: Magnite and Dentsu are expanding their partnership in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region to streamline video and connected TV (CTV) capabilities, per a press release. The agreement will use Magnite’s SpringServe video platform across markets like the UK and Spain to support Dentsu’s programmatic CTV offering, Total TV. Our take: Magnite and Dentsu’s partnership marks a critical expansion, giving advertisers a better opportunity to deliver impactful, precise, and measurable video and CTV experiences at scale across key markets.

Privacy regulations are mounting. Signal loss is accelerating. Omnichannel advertising has become impossibly complex. These forces are driving marketers back to MMM for holistic, privacy-safe measurement.

A new framework for gaming ads from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) might finally help marketers take full advantage of the highly engaged gamer audience.

Cannes Lions, an annual opportunity for advertisers to score accolades for their creativity, is refining its agenda to acknowledge how that work drives business.

There are now more than 80 retail media networks (RMNs) in the US. The volume of RMNs, combined with the dominance of Amazon and other established competitors, makes it challenging for new and niche RMNs to capture share.

It can remember customers across chats and make personalized recommendations.

Younger banking customers care more than their older counterparts about banks’ diversity.

We examine what this means for the industry and their competitors.

India urges reclassification of wikipedia: As officials question site's neutrality, it remains a critical part of global search ecosystem.

California law curbs deceptive ads for digital goods: By 2025, sellers must clearly state when products are licensed rather than owned.

Perplexity enters ad market with focus on user engagement: Rapid growth and commitment to transparency position it as a strong competitor in search.

TikTok unveils new AI tools: The platform streamlines content creation with avatars and dubbing, highlighting new challenges like deepfakes and transparency in years to come.

AI influencers on TikTok could streamline ads but threaten real creator incomes: Balancing innovation and authenticity could prove challenging.

For a fee, the bank’s new media solutions team will let retailers target customers based on spending habits.

New EU legislation regulating digital services and platform providers will have ramifications for global companies that compete in the region. Compliance is already required; players now need to understand their obligations.

Customers want more transparency in banks’ lending decision-making processes and more control over the data that factors into them.

Google's ad network oversight exposed: Inappropriate and illegal site placements challenge industry standards.