2024 is shaping up to be the year of the AI-powered shopping assistant. Just two months in, retailers from Walmart and Amazon to Ikea and Chevron have released a flurry of AI-based updates, hoping to make the shopping experience easier and more relevant.
Lowe’s expects comparable sales to fall 2% to 3% this year: The high interest rate environment is tough for the retailer as fewer people are moving or embarking on home projects.
Macy’s unveils new turnaround plan as sales continue to slide: The company will close 150 stores while expanding its luxury and beauty presence.
Ikea operator Ingka Group bets big on malls: The company is scooping up properties around the world and adding on experiential elements (and an Ikea store) to drive traffic.
Google brings a transparency overhaul to search advertising: Move responds to uproar after report that ads were placed on problematic sites.
Another encouraging sign of ad industry health: US ad spending rose 4.3% last month, marking 10 consecutive months of growth and the best January on record.
The gaming giant is cutting 900 jobs from its PlayStation division, reducing headcount in various studios as it reassesses the industry’s changing landscape.
Jolla targets Android users with its personal AI cloud server: It’s designing a small device that will protect AI users’ digital privacy. Convenience, reliability, and price are key adoption factors.
Americans are coming around to weight loss drugs: Pharma has done a good job abating stigmas around the drugs with ads. Now, more companies want a piece of the GLP-1 pie.
Personalized healthcare drives growth for Hims & Hers: AI is helping the company’s providers customize treatments for patients. If the strategy pays off, Hims & Hers may soon leave its competition in the dust.
Hackers took down a crucial piece of US healthcare payments infrastructure: UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare still hasn’t recovered, leaving providers unpaid and people unable to get care. It’s an unwelcome reminder of how vulnerable the system is to disruption.
64% of US adults think disinformation and “fake news” are most widespread on social media, according to a September 2023 survey from UNESCO and Ipsos.
On today's podcast episode, we discuss the main problems folks are facing today when it comes to building creatives, how to overcome them, and what the creative problems of the future might be. "In Other News," we talk about the generative AI (genAI) priorities for marketers this year and what will actually replace cookies. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Bill Fisher and Aarjav Thakore, senior product manager at StackAdapt.
Key sectors increased podcast ad spending in 2023: Our Industry KPI data shows that travel, services, and alcohol significantly bolstered their investment.
While OpenAI is for Copilot and consumers, Mistral’s AI is being pitched as a service for Azure Cloud customers. Its AI diversification is raising regulatory eyebrows.
Google DeepMind showcases Genie, a gaming and robotics catalyst: The AI model represents an innovative breakthrough that could be a stepping stone to artificial general intelligence.
Disney faces investor challenge: Blackwells Capital calls for AI-focused restructuring to boost stock, sparking a debate on technology's role in entertainment.
US streaming growth slows, signaling a market shift: Platforms must now focus on retention over rapid expansion to adapt.
Hotels struggle to find (or retain) workers: That’s hindered their ability to deliver a high-quality customer experience.
Worldwide retail media spend will hit $140 billion this year, according to our December 2023 forecast.