First-party data is becoming essential: As third-party cookies disappear, brands like The New York Times, Disney, and McDonald’s are leveraging direct consumer relationships to improve ad targeting and measurement.

Target looks to add $15 billion in sales by 2030: However, 2025 is shaping up to be a tough year, as tariffs dampen discretionary demand and shoppers push back against its DEI policies.

YouTube is positioning itself as an all-in-one streaming platform, attracting advertisers and reshaping VOD consumption habits.

US smart wearable users will surge past 100 million by 2025 as AI capabilities drive adoption. Generational preferences, device convergence, and rising form factors like smart glasses and rings will reshape the market through 2028.

Its partnership with Perplexity aims to create an action-oriented AI smartphone, but market competition and questionable demand makes this a risky venture.

It promises emotional intelligence and creative capabilities, with a hefty price tag and limited availability. Integrating its best features into GPT-5 could conserve GPUs.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how Amazon has made themselves even more essential to customers, why “they can’t make physical stores work”, and how its advertising business is getting on. Tune in to the episode with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Analyst Rachel Wolff, and Senior Director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

25% of US adults consider Facebook the most influential social media platform for purchasing decisions, putting it just ahead of TikTok (21%) and Instagram (20%), according to Relex.

This earnings season revealed retailers with strong value propositions and efficient omnichannel operations are positioned to outperform, while those relying on middle-market discretionary spending face challenges.

Data fuels marketing, but it’s tough to track and even harder to make sense of. Businesses juggle measuring customer behavior, respecting privacy, and personalizing experiences—all while marketers try to prove their campaigns are worth the investment. Analytics and attribution tools help by showing what’s working, where to focus, and how to improve.

With new federal regulations up in the air, banks want to know whether they should still prepare for the rule’s rollout.

BNPL will count more than 100 million users by 2027. Its high-growth days are in the past, with both the number of BNPL users and overall payment value decelerating. But it remains an important financing tool for consumers and has a long runway ahead: BNPL payment value will account for just 1.4% of overall retail sales in 2025, per our forecast.

Connected TV (CTV) is now an integral part of retail media. Media networks can offer rich third-party data, while CTV platforms have advanced targeting capabilities and an engaged audience. But just how big is the opportunity?

Canadian consumers boycott American products as tariff threat looms: Anti-US sentiment is pushing consumers to buy local—a trend likely to continue in countries targeted by Trump’s tariffs.

Google, OpenAI, and Opera are embedding AI agents into devices and browsers. These tools can browse, compare, and purchase products with minimal user input.

Prada nears €1.5 billion deal to acquire Versace: The move would give the luxury company broader appeal as spending cools.

Hulu’s technical breakdown at the Oscars sparks backlash: Subscribers missed key moments as the stream crashed early, exposing the platform’s struggles with high-profile live events.

R/GA exits IPG, embracing AI-led innovation: A $50 million investment fuels its future as it competes against consolidating agency holding companies.

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

Time spent with digital media is still climbing, but mainly in tandem with declining traditional media

B2B ecommerce site sales increased 10.5% YoY in 2024, reaching $2.297 trillion.

Keyword blocklists restricted advertisers from 56% of Oscars content: The issue emphasizes the need for a more thoughtful approach to brand safety.

What Gen Z wants from pharma: We present the data on how Gen Z feels about pharma communications and explore how marketers can more effectively reach younger consumers.

Healthcare stakeholders push Congress to make Medicare coverage of telehealth permanent: It’s set to expire at the end of March. We explore what’s at stake for seniors, many of whom are used to getting care remotely.