eMarketer principal analysts Mark Dolliver, Andrew Lipsman and Nicole Perrin discuss Apple’s new products and services, the new Google investigation, whether privacy is dead, podcast advertising and more.

More shoppers are utilizing omnichannel offerings to simplify their shopping experiences. For brands and retailers, offering consumers an obvious in-app value exchange can lead to downloads and encourage loyalty.

Facebook Dating launched in the US last week, giving users ages 18 and older access to typical dating app features like specialized profiles and matchmaking algorithms. Though the dating app space is crowded, Facebook has an opportunity to set itself apart by simplifying what's arguably the most vexing aspect of online dating: setting up a profile.

eMarketer sales executive Michael Bruckenthal, midmarket account manager Brandon Galindo and vice president of content studio—and author of our recent report, “Esports 2019: eMarketer’s Forecast for US Audience, US Ad Revenue Growth”—Paul Verna discuss the burgeoning world of esports. They chat about how different stakeholders are investing in this space, who’s watching, how large are the prize pools and audiences compared with traditional sports and marketing opportunities for advertisers.

eMarketer vice president of forecasting Monica Peart discusses our advertising estimates for Alibaba and details on the Chinese ecommerce giant’s new retail initiative.

As we’ve covered, ad blocking in the US and many parts of western Europe are here to stay. Whether it’s over privacy concerns or the general annoyance over ads ruining user experience, many internet users are not happy with ad loads when they browse the web.

eMarketer forecasting director Shelleen Shum compares our retail market figures for Germany with the UK and identifies key growth drivers.

Advertising is the core of Facebook’s business, so it was only a matter of time before the company found a place to show ads on WhatsApp. That place will be in Status, WhatsApp’s version of Stories on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger.

eMarketer principal analyst Andrew Lipsman discusses how stores are adapting to their customers' lifestyles, why Target saw a rush of back-to-school shoppers, how consumers feel about shopping at Best Buy and more.

There are about four months before the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) compliance deadline kicks in, and according to July 2019 research from consent solutions provider PossibleNow, only 8% of US businesses said they are prepared. The majority reported still being in the preparation process; however, only a third expected to be able to meet the January 1, 2020, deadline.

eMarketer forecasting analyst Eric Haggstrom shares our latest internet usage estimates for Italy, including projections for 2022.

eMarketer principal analysts Nicole Perrin and Andrew Lipsman discuss the viability of Peloton’s business model, the implications of unsafe products being sold on Amazon, and whether consumers really care about brand activism.

eMarketer principal analyst Nicole Perrin explains how consumers feel about ads why they feel that way: What ads do they least like? Which ones are they most receptive to? How should advertisers respond? Then, principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson talks about the US launch of Facebook’s dating service, how young people feel about ‘likes’ and the impact of the social platform’s latest data breach.

Traditional text messages may (finally) be getting an overhaul. In June, Google announced that it will allow Android users in the UK and France to opt in to Rich Communication Services (RCS), the new texting standard intended to replace the current SMS protocol. That's a step forward for RCS, which has been off to a slow start, but it's not likely to mean much for consumers or marketers yet.