US financial media network (FMN) spend will hit $1.50 billion in 2026, $1.15 billion higher than this year, per our June 2024 forecast.
Consumers today are mindful about when, where, and how often they spend due to continued economic uncertainty. For price-conscious consumers, loyalty programs provide opportunities to spend more comfortably thanks to discounts and deals.
Search is undergoing a seismic shift. Google is still the go-to for most inquiries, but generative AI is changing how people search, and leading people to explore alternative search engines. Meanwhile, paid search dollars are moving to retail media networks as shoppers begin their searches on Amazon and other retailer sites. And Gen Z’s search habits look different from older generations, with the cohort flocking to social media sites like TikTok and using visual search and chatbots.
Anthropic and Menlo Ventures challenge OpenAI with a $100 million fund for AI startups focusing on AI trust, safety, healthcare, and cybersecurity.
Consumers take a cautious approach to back-to-school shopping: To drive shoppers to spend, Macy’s revamped its Epic Threads brand, Kohl’s added Limited Too, and Old Navy offered cash back.
Taboola partners with Apple: The native advertising platform will insert ads into Apple News and Stocks, helping Apple surpass $10 billion in ad revenues for the first time.
Amazon’s ad portal crashes during Prime Day: Though sales are unlikely to be impacted, the outage highlighted tensions between Amazon and sellers.
The first contract protecting media jobs and salaries from genAI use could appease advertisers seeking authentic content sources.
Despite an overall tolerance for in-game ads, gamers’ agnostic platform usage complicates brands’ advertising efforts
Discord’s ad approach sets it apart: The gaming messaging app uses an active “quests” ad format, and is looking to entice non-gaming brands.
Adidas hikes outlook for second time this year as shoppers go wild for its retro sneakers: The company is banking on the buzz to boost its apparel and performance businesses.
EssilorLuxottica stretches outside its comfort zone: The parent company of Ray-Ban, Sunglass Hut, and LensCrafters agreed to buy streetwear brand Supreme.
GenAI’s user growth rate in 2024 is 28.6%—still strong, but more than 30 times slower than last year’s meteoric rise of nearly 900% from a relatively small base of users.
Record labels say Verizon encourages piracy through lax policies and prioritizes customer retention over legal compliance.
27% of UK and US adults plan to start buying holiday gifts as early as October, according to an April 2024 survey from Salsify.
Clienteling is a retail tactic that helps brands forge a deeper connection with customers via 1-to-1 relationships between store associates and customers.
AI’s potential to transform search: GenAI can enhance search efficiency by delivering direct answers, reducing reliance on traditional keyword-based search engines like Google.
It’s implementing a strategy that more deeply connects each branch to its local community.