On today's podcast episode, we discuss how Amazon turned its ecommerce business around, how much its new AI shopping assistant moves the needle, and what's really driving its ad business. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Zak Stambor and vice president of content Paul Verna.

Walgreens’ Nice! brand mango gummies went viral: An influencer’s TikTok video about the candy drove a surge in demand, offering a case study on why private label sales are soaring.

Ulta Beauty is using in-store vending machines to bring more joy to the shopping experience, and AI enables it to analyze more customer data for personalization. The retailer is also training its store associates to engage younger beauty consumers.

‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ is a sign of Spotify’s shifting strategy: On its path to make podcasting a “$20 billion” opportunity, Spotify is letting go of exclusivity.

Microsoft takes on Apple and Amazon: It continues to lead Big Tech on generative AI. An unbalanced marketplace poses financial risks for the entire industry and beyond.

Chatbots from Google and Microsoft spin tall tales about the Super Bowl: Gemini and Copilot gave users wildly inaccurate information about the high-profile event. It’s an industry pitfall.

Super Bowl ads revealed DEI challenges: major brands lack depth in diversity representation.

X introduces BetMGM betting odds: The platform aims to become more fo a sports betting hub amid regulatory complexities.

In just five years, retail media went from a $1 billion segment to a $30 billion segment. With US omnichannel retail media ad spend poised to reach $59.98 billion this year, per our October 2023 forecast, non-retail industries from health and fitness to restaurants and financial institutions are looking to build out their own media networks.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss whether Meta has officially turned things around, just how big Instagram has gotten, and whether Threads can turn itself into a viable X (formerly Twitter) alternative. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jasmine Enberg and Max Willens.

Hackers, targeting fewer but richer victims, doubled profits in 2023. This surge pressures companies into costly payoffs. Businesses must prioritize cybersecurity to curb this trend.

The ad industry and FTC haven’t buried the hatchet: A battle over “junk fees” is the latest stage of conflict between regulators and the ad industry.

To out-influence Gen Zers’ favorite financial social media creators, banks should mimic certain finfluencer strategies.

41.2% of virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD) viewers watch on YouTube TV, making it the most popular service of its kind.

Slowing growth, layoffs, and a push to improve profitability set PayPal up for “transition year.”

The BNPL industry is angling for long-term profitability by exploring subscription services and reworking loyalty strategies

But in-person are transactions still vital to the company’s strategy, unlike many competitors that are going all in on digital remittances

Meta and TikTok swing back at EU regulators: The social companies are objecting to fines under the Digital Services Act, setting the stage for a wider conflict.