The news: Samsung is exploring innovative new wearable formats, including smart jewelry. Won-joon Choi, Samsung’s COO of mobile experience, told CNN that AI advancements could power a “new wave” of devices beyond the smartphone. “We believe it should be wearable, something (that) you don’t need to carry. … It could be something that you wear: glasses, earrings, watches, rings, and sometimes (a) necklace,” Choi said. Our take: As the shift toward hands-free, voice-first wearables accelerates, companies should start building applications designed for screenless experiences like voice-driven customer service tools, workforce productivity assistants, or sponsored fitness programs.
Measuring creator performance is the top barrier to influencer marketing success (32%) for brand marketers worldwide, per an August 2024 CreatorIQ report.
The news: Samsung leaned heavily on AI functionality at its Unpacked event Wednesday with the Galaxy S25 series, Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 smartphones and Galaxy Watch 8, all featuring enhanced AI capabilities as a core value proposition, per Android Central. Samsung highlighted proprietary Galaxy AI for tasks like on-device photo and video editing, but the bigger news was Samsung’s adoption of Google Gemini across its ecosystem. Our take: For advertisers, the shift toward screen-aware, voice-activated experiences requires them to rethink how brands and campaigns align in an AI-first mobile world. Reframing brand experiences around mobile, voice, and contextual AI features opens opportunities for user engagement.
The news: Meta is facing an investigation from the French Competition Authority for allegedly limiting access to ad verification partners and exploiting its ad market dominance. Meta is required to implement interim measures, including the development and disclosure of updated guidelines governing access to and maintenance of “viewability” and “brand safety” partnerships. Our take: While France doesn’t account for a massive portion of Meta’s ad revenues, the company could still be subject to substantial consequences if found guilty. Antitrust fines from the French Competition Authority can be as high as 10% of a company’s global annual turnover.
The news: The Federal Trade Commission’s “click-to-cancel” rule that would have simplified canceling subscriptions was rejected by a US federal appeals court on Tuesday, exposing a rift between the priorities of advertisers and digital service providers and those of consumers. Our take: The ruling is seen as a win for companies that use subscriptions for first-party data to strengthen their ad ecosystem, giving protection for those looking to reduce churn and run more effective programmatic and retargeting campaigns. But while advertisers may benefit from the decision, consumers still want an easier process—and simplifying cancellations can benefit businesses in several ways.
YouTube is taking aim at AI-generated "slop" by revising its monetization rules on July 15, drawing a line between authentic content and spammy filler. The update targets low-effort uploads—like synthetic voiceovers over stock footage or AI-mimicked news—but exempts legitimate formats like reaction videos. The shift comes amid growing concern over AI-generated clutter, scams, and identity fakes, as seen in platforms from Spotify to Pinterest. With content volume soaring and faceless creators rising, YouTube’s move reflects a growing push to safeguard viewer trust and advertiser confidence. The platform now faces the challenge of enforcement while reinforcing that originality still matters.
Google is launching a new Gmail feature called Manage Subscriptions, giving users a streamlined way to bulk unsubscribe from newsletters and promotional emails. The tool—rolling out across web, Android, and iOS—centralizes subscription management and ranks senders by frequency, making high-volume emailers easier to flag. With fewer barriers to opt-out, brands risk higher unsubscribe rates if they rely on one-size-fits-all content. Gmail's update reflects a broader trend toward more curated inboxes and less tolerance for irrelevant messaging. Marketers now face heightened pressure to improve targeting, pacing, and value—or risk being silently purged by users looking to clean house fast.
The news: Over 78% of internet users globally use at least one fintech service monthly, with user penetration expected to surpass 80% by the end of the year, per Coinlaw data. Our take: Traditional financial institutions (FIs) must act now to stay competitive against fintechs’ continued popularity, particularly with younger generations. We’re already seeing fintech checking account openings outpacing those at traditional FIs. The threat will rise further as digital-only competitors start looking increasingly like banks in the products and services they offer and licenses they acquire. Customer-centric journeys are the key to traditional FIs staying relevant.
The news: Jasper’s suite of AI-powered marketing agents are purpose-built to automate core marketing functions. These agents, which start at $49 per user per month, work inside Jasper Canvas, a new intelligent workspace designed to streamline planning, collaboration, content creation, and execution. Our take: Marketers must assess their current pain points. If content quality is inconsistent, execution is slow, or tools don’t talk to each other, an agentic platform like Jasper could drive sharper outcomes. As with most new tools, running pilot programs and benchmarks for speed and brand consistency against your current stack will help determine value and ROI.
The news: A recent Equifax report indicates that consumers are struggling with their household financial health and ability to pay mortgages. This will have a negative impact on the home lending market for the foreseeable future. Our take: They’ll need to proactively shift their risk management and lending strategies in anticipation of increased stress on their mortgage portfolios. Meticulously monitoring delinquency rates, enhancing early intervention programs for struggling homeowners, and potentially adjusting underwriting criteria can help mitigate future risks. Banks can also diversify revenue streams beyond traditional mortgage origination to offset potential profitability declines.
The news: When asked where they’re seeing the most return on their AI investments, 68% of Canadian banks cited a back-office implementation, while just 32% cited a customer-facing capability, per GFT’s 2025 Banking Disruption Index Report. Our take: Prevention is an obvious area for AI investment, given the rising costs of cybersecurity and fraud incidents. But it’s a good sign that banks are also investing in enhanced customer-facing capabilities that could help them attract and retain customers. They should prioritize these investments going forward, particularly with agentic AI on the rise. Customer-experience improvements are essential even if their value isn’t immediately quantifiable: Over half of Canadian banking customers say they would leave their bank due to a poor customer experience.
The news: PayPal rolled out a dynamic, AI-powered scam alert system to protect consumers against fraud for “Friends and Family” transactions. Our take: Rolling out user-facing AI-powered fraud protection alerts increases PayPal’s visibility as a safe financial provider for more than just online checkout at well-known retailers.
The news: Early Warnings Services’ Zelle submitted a letter in response to the Treasury Department’s request for information on paperless payment services. Our take: Winning this contract would dramatically boost Zelle’s payment volume, but it faces steep competition from incumbents and other structural roadblocks.
The news: American Express rolled out special London-based perks and offerings as a part of its Adventures with Amex series. Our take: Sixty percent of respondents to Amex’s Global Travel Trend Report planned on taking at least one trip for a sporting event this year. Hitching its London adventure rollout to both F1 and Wimbledon can get those travelers to book through Amex’s platform instead of a competitor’s.
The news: The wave of consolidation in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector is continuing with Italian candymaker Ferrero’s $3.1 billion acquisition of cereal manufacturer WK Kellogg. The deal will give the maker of Nutella and Ferrero Rocher a foothold in staple grocery categories, as well as deepen its North America presence—a particular area of focus for the company. Our take: With grocery spending strained and costs rising, most CPG companies are taking one of two tracks. Some, like Ferrero and PepsiCo, are making strategic acquisitions to broaden their portfolios and keep up with shifting trends. Others, like Conagra and General Mills, are shedding assets to reduce expenses and focus on the categories with the greatest growth potential.
The news: Ulta Beauty acquired upscale UK beauty retailer Space NK for an undisclosed amount, the company said, as it turns to new markets to offset slowing US growth. Our take: The US beauty market is becoming increasingly saturated as more retailers lean on the category to boost sluggish sales. While expanding to new markets comes with its own set of challenges, Ulta’s decision to rely on acquisitions and distribution partnerships will help smooth its path.
The news: President Trump is threatening 200% tariffs on pharma products, but the 1+ year lag in enforcement gives drugmakers time to increase US manufacturing. Our take: While 200% is an exorbitant tariff rate, the year-long reprieve is a win for drugmakers. It gives them time to move product and double down on US manufacturing commitments, and also opens a big window for change with the capricious Trump administration.
The news: Samsung’s just released Galaxy Watch 8 series comes equipped with new health and wellness features for sleep, stress, and activity. Our take: Samsung’s new features (e.g., antioxidant measuring, vascular load) are too niche to move the needle in consumer adoption. Health wearable players should lean into product capabilities that easily integrate with smartphone apps and that aren’t overly complex or clinical, such as chatbots delivering personalized recommendations based on user activity, exercise, and nutrition data.
The news: Hims & Hers will soon expand its business to Canada, where it plans to sell generic semaglutide. The bottom line: Novo just gave a massive gift to healthcare companies that are in the weight loss drug market but can no longer sell compounded GLP-1s now that the brand-name versions are available again. We’ll likely see more players in this space that primarily operate in the US expanding north of the border, while others could take advantage of President Trump’s executive order that calls for the FDA to authorize more states to import lower-cost drugs from Canada.
The news: Mattel introduced the first Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes, sporting a glucose monitor and insulin pump. Our take: Pharma insulin makers like Sanofi, Eli Lilly, and Novo Nordisk, and device companies like Dexcom, Abbott, and Medtronic can leverage the type 1 Barbie news to drive more awareness and visibility and dispel stigma and the embarrassment kids with diabetes may feel.