The news: Consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketers plan to hop on the AI train and scale up their retail, social, and connected TV (CTV) ad spending, but challenges around audience and data fragmentation remain. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of CPG marketers expect to increase their retail media spending in the second half of 2025, per MediaOcean’s 2025 H2 Market Report, compared with 59% for social platforms and 55% for CTV. Our take: Using creative AI tools like one recently added to YouTube Shorts to resize and retarget content for different social platforms can maximize campaign reach. CPGs are huge advertisers, and when they pivot, they can influence the entire market. Broader marketers should follow their lead not only in spending but by immediately testing AI tools in high-impact internal areas like CTV creative or retail copy optimization.
Procter & Gamble is hedging its bets as it grapples with higher costs related to tariffs and “stressed” consumers. The CPG company expects organic growth between 0% and 4% this year—a notably wider range than it usually forecasts, underscoring the uncertainty it (along with the rest of the CPG and retail industries) faces. Uncertainty is the byword for this year. While consumer sentiment is recovering, financial pressures, particularly on low-income households, remain—and are likely to intensify as tariffs boost inflation and the “Big Beautiful Bill” curbs buying power. Regardless of which way sentiment is headed, there is no question that tariffs are reshaping consumers’ purchasing decisions.
The situation: Despite logging a sixth consecutive quarter of negative comps in FY Q3, CEO Brian Niccol—who famously steered Chipotle out of its food‑safety crisis—said Starbucks’ turnaround is running ahead of schedule. Our take: While it’s encouraging to see Starbucks take some small steps in a positive direction, the road is still steep. Consumers remain price‑sensitive, agile rivals in the US and China are taking multiple paths to steal share (both value‑led and trend‑driven), and commodity costs are rising. To break out of its sales slump, Starbucks must execute on four fronts: Make service faster and better. The chain needs to speed up service without sacrificing the high-touch hospitality that Niccol is seeking. Find ways to differentiate. It’s easy to roll out new offerings, but it's hard to develop unique beverages that consumers will clamor for rather than recoil at (who can forget Starbucks’ Oleato line of olive oil-infused drinks?). Lean on technology. Refreshing Starbucks’ Rewards program and revamping its app are proven tools to drive occasional customers back into its stores. Stabilize China. Price cuts may lift traffic, but Starbucks needs to balance volume gains against margin erosion and fend off lower‑priced competitors such as Luckin. Nailing these pillars—speed, product innovation, tech‑powered engagement, and a calibrated China play—will determine whether early green shoots turn into sustained growth.
The news: Novo Nordisk’s stock plunged over 20% on Tuesday after it cut full-year guidance, citing lower-than-expected sales growth for Wegovy, its blockbuster weight loss drug. Our take: Despite the recent slump, we think Novo is well positioned to rebound. It remains one of two dominant players in the weight loss drug space and is still posting profit growth, albeit below Wall Street expectations. With the US adult obesity rate expected to hit 50% by 2030, the market opportunity is huge. Meanwhile, regulators are likely going to make it more difficult for compounded drugs to be sold as long as brand-name forms stay off the FDA’s drug shortage list.
The news: The trade deal between the US and EU will include a 15% tariff on pharmaceuticals imported from Europe, the White House said. The final word: Pharma companies and industry trade groups had been holding out hope that their medicines imported to the US would be exempt from tariffs. Not getting that reprieve is a setback—but the 15% rate on its own could be seen as a decent outcome, particularly considering that 200% tariffs were threatened and the Section 232 investigation could lead to a higher levy in other countries.
The news: TV ad-supported viewing time grew 2% overall in Q2 across linear and streaming, reaching 73.6% of total time spent watching TV, per Nielsen—largely driven by streaming. Ad-supported streaming grew 7% to a 45.3% share—but broadcast and cable continued a downward trend. Our take: As streaming solidifies its lead in ad-supported viewership, the smartest advertisers will recognize that success hinges on striking a delicate balance of using streaming’s precision to target key audiences that are shifting to CTV, while leveraging linear’s scale and ability to drive action.
The news: Despite strong subscriptions growth, Spotify’s ad business remains stuck in neutral amid macroeconomic pressures and the slow ramp-up of its ad stack. The streamer’s stock dropped over 11% after Q2 earnings missed expectations on both revenues and profit and the company issued weak guidance for the current quarter. Our take: Efforts around Spotify’s Ad Exchange are promising, but lagging adoption means early testing and partnerships may have resulted in disproportionate insights. With lower consumer spending and economic uncertainties, B2B planners should model more conservative ad results and balance new ad initiatives with more predictable, proven customer-acquisition channels.
The news: WPP Media launched a “first-of-its-kind activation” with ad-tech company Criteo, marking the first big advancement in WPP’s “Open Intelligence” data platform for connected TV (CTV). The activation, built to offer “more value for advertisers," is currently being tested with Samsung, Roku, and Scripps. While more specific details were not provided, WPP Media stated in a press release that the pilot provides “premium supply with real-time commerce signals” from Criteo. Our take: WPP Media and Criteo’s partnership solidifies CTV as a performance-centric channel, giving advertisers new tools to target high-intent shoppers and drive measurable outcomes at scale.
The news: Amazon’s Prime Video overtook Netflix in Brazil’s streaming market in Q2 2025, leading with 22% of user interest and edging out Netflix at 21%, according to JustWatch, per Meio & Mensagem. Prime Videos’ ascent presents new advertising opportunities in the country, while Netflix’s decline suggests potential audience fragmentation Our take: Brazil’s streaming war is shifting from subscriptions to hybrid models, and Prime Video wins on bundled utility. Netflix can catch up by scaling its ad tier and investing in local hits. The next battleground? Premium reach at a lower cost in a market where cultural relevance drives loyalty.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what “authentic storytelling” looks like in practice, surprising findings about the authenticity levels between print and digital, and what’s most important when it comes to a “brand’s handshake.” Join our conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Briefings, Jeremy Goldman, and Vice President of Brand Marketing at Quad, Heidi Waldusky. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
YouTube is the top recipient of AI chatbot referral traffic, receiving over three times as much traffic than Facebook or Wikipedia, according to May 2025 data from Similarweb.
This year, Amazon extended its July Prime Day event from two to four days, giving consumers more time to shop, brands more opportunities to advertise, and Amazon more time to generate sales.
Ocado Ads has partnered with data collaboration platform Permutive to make its first-party purchase data available to select UK publishers.
The news: Brands are ramping up influencer investment and creator rates are skyrocketing following Unilever’s commitment to allocate half of its advertising budget on an “influencer-first” strategy. Numerous influencer and social agencies “unanimously” claimed a notable increase in client spend on influencer marketing since Unilever’s announcement, per sources cited by The Drum. Our take: Unilever has accelerated a trend that was already in motion, signaling the broader shift among advertisers toward influencer-led strategies that deliver consistent engagement and targeted reach among key demographics.
The news: A US TikTok ban will take effect if a sale isn’t completed by the September 17 deadline, per comments from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Lutnick said on CNBC that TikTok will “go dark” if China does not agree to sell to a US owner. He also noted that any deal would require the US gaining control over both the app and its algorithms. Our take: Whether or not a full TikTok ban comes to pass, Lutnick’s comments reinforce a troubling trend: Advertisers are increasingly wary of the platform’s stability, accelerating the shift toward cross-platform strategies.
The situation: The US housing market is in rough shape, as homes aren’t selling, yet prices keep climbing. In June—typically the spring peak—existing-home sales fell 2.7% MoM, while the median price hit a record $435,300, per the National Association of Realtors (NAR). This spring marked the weakest selling season since 2012, with just 1.39 million contracts signed from April to June, per Redfin. That was down 9.7% from last year, which was also a weak sales season. Our take: With transactions stalled and prices still climbing, the housing market offers little short-term relief. For retailers tethered to homeownership and moving cycles, that’s a stubborn headwind—especially as tariff costs rise and consumers grow more selective about their discretionary spend. Retailers tied to housing can keep sales going by highlighting their affordable products as well as the long-term value of items like appliances and furniture.
Fandom has partnered with Experian and Audigent to enhance its AI-driven Helix platform, integrating over 2,400 syndicated audience segments to deliver deeper fan insights. The move empowers marketers to combine third-party data with first-party fan behavior, unlocking targeting based on motivations, not just demographics. Early results show significant brand lift in awareness and purchase intent. This partnership marks Fandom’s evolution into a data-rich media platform, aiming to help advertisers tap into emotional fandom signals across CTV, mobile, and digital. Despite criticism over ad clutter, the platform’s scale and Gen Z reach position it as a leader in culture-driven targeting.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri clarified that using “link in bio” in post captions does not affect reach, aiming to dispel creator concerns that the algorithm punishes off-platform engagement. Despite his statement, creators remain skeptical, citing anecdotal dips in engagement when directing followers externally. As creators increasingly monetize through affiliate links, paid communities, and platforms like Substack, visibility control has become a high-stakes issue. Misinformation about Instagram’s algorithm leads to caution and second-guessing, creating friction for entrepreneurs growing businesses across multiple platforms. Real or perceived, lack of clarity undermines trust—and for creators, platform policies directly impact their bottom line.
emu’s attempts to tariff-proof its business are running into opposition from regulators and sellers alike. The company has been accused of failing to protect EU users from illegal products. Efforts to woo US sellers to its marketplace are also running aground as companies and merchants refuse to sell products on Temu for less than what they retail for on Amazon. For all its troubles, we expect Temu’s US ecommerce sales to rise 13.5% this year, which would be the second-fastest rate of growth among the companies we track—but a far cry from the triple-digit increases it enjoyed over the past few years. With governments increasingly unfavorable to its business tactics—and Amazon increasingly inclined to flex its market power—Temu will need a new playbook to navigate the current era of uncertainty and tariffs.