The news: Zelle significantly increased its network in late 2024 and early 2025, adding 178 financial institutions (FIs) in six months compared to just 69 the prior year, per American Banker. Our take: Zelle’s expansion goals are clear, but the fintech could hit a ceiling with smaller FIs if it doesn’t mitigate the concerns raised by Family First Credit Union. Ultimately, Zelle's long-term success hinges on balancing its drive for network ubiquity with robust protections and equitable partnerships for all participating FIs.
The news: Governments across the UK, EU, and Australia are mandating age verification online and reshaping how platforms handle user identity and access to content. Reddit now requires UK users to prove they’re 18 via selfie or photo ID to access adult or harmful content, in compliance with the Online Safety Act. Our take: Age assurance is becoming the new standard. Advertisers need to move now by adjusting targeting strategies, creative assets, and compliance practices to stay effective in an increasingly verified and government regulated web.
The data points: Nearly 3 in 4 back-to-school shoppers expect to spend the same or more this fall, and more than 1 in 3 parents anticipate spending more than they did in 2024, per a PwC consumer survey. This suggests that even as consumers brace for higher prices—a consistent finding across University of Michigan and Conference Board surveys—demand remains resilient. Our take: The survey findings square with our back-to-school forecast, which expects sales to rise 3.0% YoY, down from 3.3% last year, marking the second consecutive year of declining growth. Retail ecommerce back-to-school sales are set to increase 6.8%, a deceleration from last year’s 7.4% gain. Though consumers are still spending, they’re becoming more selective. Retailers will need to lead with promotions, value-driven assortments, and early-season deals to capture share in this more cautious shopping environment.
The news: Inflation ticked up in June in a sign that companies are beginning to pass on tariff costs to consumers. Our take: June’s CPI data shows the toll tariffs are beginning to take on consumers’ buying power. While real wage growth remains in positive territory for now, that could change quickly once more companies begin to pass on a greater share of tariff costs to consumers, as the vast majority have signaled they’ll do.
The news: Shopify will not allow agents and other bots to purchase on users’ behalf without “final human review,” the company said in an update to the code used by merchants to operate their online storefronts. Our take: While AI agents aren’t yet reliable enough to be given free reign over purchase decisions, companies have to be prepared for a future where they soon will be.
The news: JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup posted strong Q2 2025 earnings—and warnings about Trump’s mercurial economic policies. Our take: While revenues, credit card volumes and delinquency rates reflect positively about the health of the American consumer, their lived experience remains fraught.
The news: Lloyds Bank is reportedly considering acquiring Curve for approximately $162 million, per Bloomberg. Our take: Lloyds wants to acquire Curve to avoid falling behind other alternate payment methods. However, buying a third-party wallet might not be the best solution.
66% of U.S. adults have reduced nonessential shopping to manage expenses, according to March 2025 data from CivicScience.
The situation: Strong performances in ecommerce and pharmacy helped Albertsons beat top- and bottom-line expectations despite continued pressure across the grocery industry. Albertsons is also winning over more shoppers by making its loyalty program more rewarding and easier to use. Membership rose 14% in the quarter thanks to more deals, simpler ways to earn points, and bigger cash-back perks. Our take: Consumers remain laser-focused on value, especially at the grocery store. While food inflation has eased since the sharp spikes of 2021 to 2023, the impact of those increases—plus the threat of new tariff-driven price hikes—has shoppers watching their grocery bills closely. Albertsons’ 14% growth in loyalty membership last quarter signals just how eager consumers are for savings. With more people eating at home to stretch their dollars, Albertsons’ value-focused approach helped it outperform expectations and could drive strength in coming quarters.
The news: UnitedHealth Group has been engaging in a series of legal tactics to silence some of the company’s loudest critics, according to a recent NYT report. Our take: UnitedHealth is more focused on defending its business than acknowledging people’s concerns and offering solutions. This won’t do anything to help its brand reputation—but that probably isn’t a major concern for UnitedHealth right now. Similar to drugmakers, health insurers recognize that healthcare is not like a typical D2C industry, in which consumer experience is the most important measure of success.
The news: Weight loss drug prescribing for children and teens increased significantly after the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended the medications’ use, per a new Harvard study. Our take: Word-of-mouth recommendations and testimonials on social media are driving weight loss drugs’ popularity with young people. GLP-1 marketers have an opportunity to provide medically responsible, but social friendly and engaging content by partnering with influencers, creating behind-the-science video content, and developing edutainment FAQs for interested young consumers.
The news: Rush University System for Health in Chicago is launching a subscription health model for patients seeking virtual urgent care. Our take: Legacy health systems are playing catch-up to D2C healthcare companies, and likely can’t offer a better customer experience. Telehealth is now a commodity, and success in the subscription healthcare space could come down to factors such as easy access to in-demand drug categories (e.g., GLP-1s, sexual health meds) and spending on digital channels such as social media to create brand awareness and more effectively reach younger customers.
The news: Prescription drugmakers spent $2.97 billion on national TV advertising in the frist half of 2025, an increase of 12.2% YoY, per iSpot.tv. The takeaway: Prescription drugmakers went against the current trend—most other industries decreased linear TV spending in the first half of the year, per iSpot. But traditional TV viewing audiences are a prime audience for drugmakers. We forecast 52.8% of TV viewers will be age 65 and older this year, the only age demographic to increase. It makes sense for pharma marketers to focus spending on key audiences, driving awareness and encouraging them to ask their doctors for their brands.
The news: Comscore, iSpot, and VideoAmp passed the Joint Industry Committee’s (JIC) midterm audit to maintain certification for the 2025-2026 broadcast season. Our take: The JIC’s certification and sports-heavy audit process could help iSpot, Comscore, and VideoAmp gain ground on Nielsen.
Nextdoor is undergoing a major reinvention, focusing on hyperlocal value with three core features: real-time safety alerts, AI-generated neighborhood recommendations, and curated news from over 3,500 local publishers. The redesigned platform aims to capitalize on shifting work-from-home behavior, verified neighbor identities, and underused local advertising budgets. With 100 million registered users across 11 countries, Nextdoor is uniquely positioned to offer geotargeted content and build ad inventory through increased daily engagement. CEO Nirav Tolia’s bet? Depth over scale. If executed well, the new Nextdoor could become an essential tool for local businesses, publishers, and residents alike—while opening fresh monetization streams.
“The lines between social media and CTV are blurring, with more people watching social videos and creator content on TV sets,” said our analyst Jasmine Enberg. “Marketers must break down the silos between media and creative and think more holistically about their video strategies.”
The news: ByteDance is working on lightweight mixed-reality goggles that could directly challenge Meta’s products, per The Information. Our take: If ByteDance can leverage its content ecosystem, creator network, and powerful algorithm, it could carve out a foothold with younger, social media–savvy users. Brands could sponsor AR lenses and place products within digital overlays to turn everyday activities into shoppable moments.
The news: Streaming’s share of television usage skyrocketed to 46% in June, while time spent with streaming increased 5.4% versus May, per Nielsen’s Total TV/Streaming Snapshot. Streaming was far above cable (23.4%) and broadcast (18.5%), growing nearly 6% YoY compared with June 2024. Our take: Advertisers are navigating a challenging landscape where connecting with broad audiences necessitates investment in a format that has yet to prove its ability to drive action. A diversified approach is key. While attention and dollars are shifting toward CTV, advertisers can’t discount the effectiveness of traditional formats.
The news: Google is experimenting with AI summaries in Discover—the news feed within its iOS and Android search apps—adding yet another threat to referral traffic for web publishers. Instead of displaying a headline and link to a news story, Discover shows an AI summary with an icon featuring the logo of any cited source. Our take: If users increasingly rely on AI summaries—and if Discover becomes a zero-click search hub—publishers risk further declines in web traffic, imperiling not just ad revenues but the viability of good journalism.
The Trade Desk will join the S&P 500 on July 18, a milestone that highlights the company’s growing importance in the ad tech space. TTD has recently introduced tools like Deal Desk and AI-powered video placements via Kokai and Rembrand, all while vocally criticizing Amazon’s bundling practices. Despite a 30% YTD decline in stock price, the company’s Q1 revenue rose 25%, and retention remained above 95%. With Ventura OS on the horizon and renewed leadership in place, TTD is positioning itself as a transparent, open-web alternative to Big Tech’s walled gardens—just as it prepares to enter a new phase of institutional visibility.