The Trade Desk (TTD) posted Q2 revenues of $694 million, up 19% YoY and above expectations, driven by strength in connected TV and premium open-web inventory. However, cautious Q3 guidance cited slower advanced adtech adoption among large brands, macroeconomic budget pressures, and tariff-related spending risks. Shares fell nearly 40% in a day. For advertisers, the story underscores the open web’s importance as an alternative to walled gardens, with US programmatic open-web spend forecast to reach $48.8 billion by 2027. TTD’s future growth hinges on CTV, cross-channel targeting, and clean-room data collaboration to deliver premium inventory at scale.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss if Google is actually fending off the AI search competition, what its AI Overviews are doing to search behavior, and why growing AI search usage might not necessarily translate into a booming ad business. Join our conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Briefings, Jeremy Goldman, and Principal Analyst, Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Some 46% of worldwide marketers say customer retention rates are the most important metric when evaluating A/B test results, per April 2025 data from Ascend2.
Pinterest reported a breakout Q2 2025 with $998 million in revenue, up 17% YoY—beating guidance and analyst expectations. Monthly active users hit an all-time high of 578 million, with profitability improving and ARPU rising globally. Gains were driven by GenAI tools like auto-collages, stronger commerce integration via Instacart, and a lean ad tech approach powered by Magnite. Pinterest’s ad business continues to grow steadily, with advertiser spending up and margins expanding to 25%. While still underweight in media plans, Pinterest is proving itself as a differentiated, performance-ready platform with rising traction among Gen Z and global users.
The news: Gen Z is reshaping how consumers shop, spend, and stay well—without ever leaving their screens. US Gen Zers record 425 digital actions a month—40.3% more than Gen Xers and 141.5% more than baby boomers, per PYMNTS Intelligence. Our take: Brands should partner with carefully chosen SMEs to expand reach. High social video subscriber counts won’t bring the best ROI if creators aren’t well-versed in what they’re promoting. They should also ensure websites and checkout processes are frictionless. Gen Z wants quick, effortless experiences. Brands that provide those have the best chance to win them over, and other generations will follow their lead.
The news: A Snapchat, WPP Media, and Lumen study unveiled key insights on the growth of attention-based metrics as key indicators of ad success. Even 5% more attention can double brand perception. Attention was 8 times more effective than view-through rates for predicting brand recall and 4 times more effective at determining brand favorability. Our take: Snap is looking to be a leader in a metric that advertisers are increasingly paying attention to—but on the back of a lukewarm quarter, can Snap’s emphasis on attention help it bounce back?
The news: We recently covered Wells Fargo’s early entrance into the agentic AI realm. And we recommended that other financial institutions (FIs) explore how they could implement it, too—regardless of size. Now a smaller FI, Michigan-based Family Financial Credit Union, has announced its partnership with fintech start-up Algebrik AI to implement a new digital lending suite, per a press release. Why this matters: Family Financial Credit Union will be one of the first smaller FIs to go public with its agentic AI offering. If it proves successful and customers like the experience—which could in turn draw more business to its loan products—it could inspire other institutions to pursue similar partnerships and offerings. We expect many more FIs of all sizes to announce agentic AI pilots in the near future.
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: Fintech giant Chime beat Wall Street estimates in its first quarterly revenue reporting as a public company, driven by strong demand for its digital banking services, per Reuters. Our first take: Chime's impressive debut as a public company is a powerful statement about the shifting dynamics of consumer banking. For years, traditional banks have dismissed challenger banks as a fringe trend. But Chime's financial performance proves there's a huge, profitable market for digital-first financial services. In addition, Chime’s focus on short-term liquidity tools and early pay access has positioned it as a valuable financial partner, especially as consumers are faced with pressing economic concerns.
The trend: Major chains like Claire’s, Kroger, and At Home are shuttering locations in response to mounting cost pressures, shifting consumer behaviors, and overextended store networks. Our take: Retail’s physical footprint is undergoing a recalibration. Store closures aren’t just about poor performance—they’re a reflection of deeper structural shifts: Tariffs are reshaping sourcing, pricing, and profitability. Consumers are moving toward value and digital-first channels. Legacy formats—like mall stores—are losing relevance. Retailers that can’t adapt to these changes quickly are finding themselves on increasingly shaky ground.