TikTok shared new data to highlight the potential of its search ads for driving action. TikTok showed that activations with dedicated search campaigns led to 2 times higher purchase lift overall, while enterprise advertisers saw 2.2 times higher purchase lift and higher incremental return on ad spend (ROAS). TikTok’s success with search ads is promising, but advertisers ultimately need answers about the platform’s longevity in its core market. Questions about data security, content moderation, and political pressures are still casting a shadow.

President Trump amended an executive order to include generic drugs among the products eligible for lower tariffs. Generic pharmaceuticals could get lower-than-established reciprocal tariff rates if trading partners make deals. While the memo is short on specifics, it’s another step back from pharma tariffs by the administration. Pharma companies, and especially generic drugmakers with slim profit margins, can breathe another sigh of relief. But that doesn’t mean they should step back from US manufacturing pledges where possible.

The news: Retail pharmacy chains and some state health agencies are changing how they navigate the upcoming vaccination season amid federal health agency policy and personnel shifts. Our take: Pharmacies have an opportunity to share information at the local level to ensure consumers are kept up-to-date on new vaccine rules in their state. They should create digital FAQs, be responsive to consumer questions on social media and in stores, and provide pharmacists with the latest information on vaccine access and restrictions through frequent one-on-one sessions. Not all consumers will be pleased with their pharmacy’s changes, but transparency and being a source of reliable information will help pharmacies build trust and loyalty in the confusing vaccine climate.

The news: President Trump fired the head of the CDC less than a month after she was approved by the Senate. At least four other senior leaders at the agency also resigned. Director Susan Monarez accused HHS and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of “weaponizing public health for political gain and putting millions of American lives at risk” per a statement from her lawyers. Our take: Healthcare brands and pharma marketers need to take the lead and create science-based messaging about vaccines to counter misinformation. They can partner with influencer physicians on social media (where misinformation abounds) with engaging edutainment, and lean into local efforts with community partners like sponsored health screenings or free vaccine days.

The news: Legacy news is facing mounting threats after President Trump suggested on Truth Social that ABC and NBC could have their broadcast licenses revoked. Accusing the networks of serving as “AN ARM OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY,” the news follows a string of scrutiny against public broadcasting from the current administration—and has implications for the advertisers that rely on these channels. Our take: As news channels face more scrutiny, advertisers are being forced to reconsider where they spend—but political volatility still needs to be weighed against long-term loyalty among key demographics.

The trend: US consumers are losing faith in most components of the healthcare system, including federal health agencies and their leaders, drugmakers, insurers, and hospitals. Our take: Marketers at healthcare and pharma organizations (including providers, insurers, public health agencies, and drugmakers) must develop strategies to rebuild trust and guide patients to reliable information during a time of great uncertainty. Vaccine makers should partner with trusted medical groups, local physicians, and pharmacists to develop educational materials with clinical data that counter vaccine hesitancy among consumers. Pharma companies and insurers should address consumer frustrations through open public dialogue and provide transparent explanations for controversial pricing decisions. Drugmakers should additionally monitor condition-specific forums and social platforms like Reddit, where consumers share treatment experiences, and use these spaces to offer cost-saving tools for pricey medications.

Visa’s retreat reflects regulatory chaos and rising data access fees, signaling broader instability for fintechs and the future of “open” banking in America.

The news: New details on the Trump administration and European Union trade agreement solidify a 15% tariff cap on generics and active pharmaceutical ingredients, but leave questions on brand-name drug imports. The takeaway: Pharma companies can breathe a sigh of relief with the certainty of 15% EU tariffs and another reprieve, at least for now, on MFN pricing. Although the threat remains, the MFN deadline has already shifted once from June to September and could be moved again. That said, drugmakers should continue discussions while preparing for counter measures if needed such as US-only drug launches or raising prices abroad.

The news: The American Bankers Association, the Bank Policy Institute, and Consumer Bankers Association defended their decisions to charge fees to fintechs in a letter responding to the Financial Technology Association’s recent plea to protect Section 1033. Our take: Banks are in lock-step marching toward undoing Section 1033. As competing trade groups make appeals to President Donald Trump—whose own family has expressed support for the open banking rule—fintechs need to prepare for a post-1033 world.

The news: BlinkRx debuted a new quick startup direct-to-consumer (D2C) offering for pharma companies, on the heels of President Trump’s demand for more D2C drug distribution. Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, joined the board of BlinkRx in February. BlinkRx told Bloomberg it did not consult with Trump Jr. nor anyone in the Trump administration about the new offering. The takeaway: Pharma companies were already looking at new access models and ways to build direct connections to patients, but with the now pressing Trump demands, there’s new opportunity for digital health companies to offer vetted plug-and-play models.

The news: Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser met with President Donald Trump to propose a public stock offering for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, per Bloomberg. The proposal is part of a larger push by Wall Street executives who see the deal as a potentially large source of revenue. Our take: IPOs take time, and this one would be an especially massive undertaking. In his first term, President Trump attempted to privatize the two firms and was unsuccessful, highlighting the rocky road ahead. This leaves the next steps and timeline murky, but we will be closely watching developments.

The news: President Donald Trump said he will enact 100% tariffs on all chips imported into the US, exempting companies that have promised to build or have begun building in the US. The plan was announced during a White House meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook, who said Apple will invest another $100 billion in US manufacturing and jobs, bringing its total commitment to $600 billion, per The Financial Times. Our take: Brands should prepare for new marketing challenges and opportunities tied to supply chain visibility, patriotic manufacturing narratives, and potentially longer product cycles if companies reshore production. Keeping an eye on where key suppliers are building and how quickly they can pivot to US-based operations will be crucial in forecasting product costs and shaping future campaigns.

The news: WPP has taken another hit in earnings, underscoring the current unstable market defined by economic uncertainty.Profits dropped 71% pre-tax in the first half of the company’s financial year, falling to £98 million ($125.2 million), while operating profit fell nearly half (47.8%), reaching £221 million ($282.3 million). Our take: WPP’s profit plunge serves as a wake-up call for agencies to accelerate transformation and prove value beyond media buying. In an AI-dominated landscape, advertisers are demanding more for less.

Community banks and credit unions face rising delinquencies, margin pressure, and a disconnect with young consumers. As M&As accelerate, institutions must modernize tech and retain local trust to survive.

The news: President Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the so-called de minimis trade loophole, which allows foreign packages valued under $800 to enter the US tariff-free. Effective August 29, all shipments under that threshold—regardless of origin—will be subject to duties based on value and country of origin. The White House already ended the exemption for packages from China and Hong Kong on May 2. Our take: Eliminating the de minimis exemption levels the playing field between international ecommerce sellers and domestic retailers—but could also drive up prices for consumers.

The news: A US TikTok ban will take effect if a sale isn’t completed by the September 17 deadline, per comments from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Lutnick said on CNBC that TikTok will “go dark” if China does not agree to sell to a US owner. He also noted that any deal would require the US gaining control over both the app and its algorithms. Our take: Whether or not a full TikTok ban comes to pass, Lutnick’s comments reinforce a troubling trend: Advertisers are increasingly wary of the platform’s stability, accelerating the shift toward cross-platform strategies.

The news: Insurance premiums are set to rise by 15% next year for the people who buy through the Affordable Care Act, per a new KFF analysis. Our take: While the Trump administration is eliminating the ACA tax credits, states where the president won the election account for 88% of ACA enrollment growth since 2020, per KFF research in April. When premium increases roll out across the ACA marketplace, and spillover into higher costs for hospitals and healthcare services, we expect plenty of political finger-pointing over fault, but little agreement on ways to improve US healthcare and keep consumers out of medical debt.

The news: Forecasters are mixed on the future of Elon Musk-owned platform X after CEO Linda Yaccarino, whose experience as an advertising executive at NBCUniversal helped X reclaim some ad revenues, stepped down. But things aren’t all gloom and doom: We forecast that X’s ad revenues will increase by 25% YoY in 2025. Our take: While X’s ad revenues will likely grow in the short term, the shift toward AI could alleviate long-term struggles resulting from a turbulent few years for the platform—and even if some advertisers shift away, many will feel pressured to stay or face consequences.

The news: Abbott and Johnson & Johnson reported lower-than-expected costs from tariffs during Q2 earnings this week. Our take: It seemed like medical device companies would be the hardest hit by tariffs initially. So the positive spin from Abbott and J&J is encouraging. But tariffs are still costly. While device and diagnostic companies talk broadly about plans to mitigate tariff effects, raising prices for healthcare systems and consumers isn’t off the table.