The news: Bumble laid off 30% of its staff and announced it’s returning to a “startup mentality” as dating app engagement declines. The announcement led its stock to rise 25% Wednesday. Bumble and the online dating industry as a whole are at an “inflection point,” CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said in an employee memo. Our take: Unless Bumble successfully reinvests those cost savings into tangible user benefits—like better safety measures and more personalized matchmaking—it could lose relevance in a saturated, burning-out dating market.
The news: T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T are in various stages of launching satellite messaging services, extending mobile connectivity into remote areas. Key takeaway: Satellite-cellular convergence opens new paths for targeted ads. As T-Mobile, Verizon, Apple, and others build out skyward networks, marketers gain access to previously unreachable users in creative ways. Marketers should prepare for a world without dead zones. With satellite connectivity becoming widespread, it could unlock new inventory, audiences, and high-intent use cases—especially for premium segments.
Economic concerns and global tensions are forcing travelers to rethink their summer plans as booking windows shrink and cost-consciousness rises.
81% of Gen Z adults and 78% of millennial adults often wish they could disconnect from digital devices more easily, according to a February 2025 survey from Quad conducted by The Harris Poll.
On today's podcast episode, we discuss our unofficial list of the most unexpected retailer campaigns this year. This month, our analysts Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Sara Lebow (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial themed list of the top eight retailers based on the most surprising marketing campaigns we've seen in the last six months. In this month's episode, Committee members Analysts Arielle Feger and Sara Lebow will defend their list against Senior Analyst Zak Stambor and Analyst Rachel Wolff, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.
Back-to-school spending is steady in 2025, but shopper behavior is split. Parents are prioritizing tech and clothing—yet these are also the first to be cut when budgets tighten. Consumers are shopping earlier, seeking deals, and using AI to keep costs down. With shopping habits divided by generation and income, retailers must stay flexible, personalize offers, optimize for AI, and create seamless cross-channel experiences.
The rest of the year is top-of-mind for leaders in marketing and retail, which they expect to be challenging but riddled with opportunities to stand out from competition.
The news: OpenAI is working on an enterprise product that would rival both Microsoft 365 and Google Workplace, per The Information. The features would allow user collaboration within documents and chat capabilities among co-workers, according to two sources. Our take: OpenAI has the potential to be an all-in-one solution if it could use its interface as a document creator and data storage solution, but Microsoft’s and Google’s brand recognition in that space is likely to keep ChatGPT enterprise solutions on the sidelines—for now.
The news: AI-fueled résumés have pushed LinkedIn job applications up 45% YoY, overwhelming recruiters and upending hiring norms. Recruiters now face an avalanche of lookalike résumés and fake identities—some even auto-submitted by AI bots. Many are turning to AI-powered hiring platforms to fight fire with fire, per The New York Times. Our take:By relying on AI tools to chase efficiency, both sides could drive up skepticism and erode the core goal: finding the right person for the right role. Businesses with open roles should prioritize clarity, human relevance, and judicious restraint in their own use of AI.
Google AI Overviews could face aggressive regulatory measures in UK: A CMA investigation adds to a slew of regulatory challenges that are chipping away at Google’s dominance in search and advertising.
The news: Walmart is testing dark stores in Dallas and Bentonville, Arkansas, as part of its broader effort to speed up deliveries, per Bloomberg. Our take: Amazon’s latest pledge to offer one- or same-day delivery in 4,000 smaller cities and rural areas by year’s end is the latest salvo in its relentless quest to raise the bar on convenience. For Walmart, keeping pace isn’t optional—it’s essential. Fortunately, Walmart has the scale and infrastructure to compete. Fast delivery isn’t just about logistics; it’s a powerful driver of customer loyalty. When shoppers know they can get essentials like toothpaste at their doorstep within hours, they’re more likely to click the buy button rather than venture out to a store.
The trend: A perfect macroeconomic storm is causing younger consumers to cut back on spending. Our take: These pressures aren’t going away anytime soon. The Trump administration’s tariffs are leading retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Macy’s to raise prices—putting even more strain on young shoppers already feeling stretched. At the same time, job anxieties are growing. The white collar workforce is shrinking, and more companies are citing AI as a reason for layoffs. Put it all together, and it’s likely that younger consumers will remain cautious with their spending for some time, especially on nonessentials. Retailers that want to win over this group will need to focus on offering value such as high-quality, private label products.
The scene: When Cooper Flagg—the odds-on favorite to be the NBA Rookie of the Year next season—steps onto the court for the first time, he’ll be wearing New Balance basketball shoes. Our take: New Balance’s push to sign Flagg, along with its other star-powered ambassadors, underscores its clear ambition to break into the top tier of global sportswear brands. While Nike and Adidas still lead by a wide margin, New Balance has its sights set on Puma, which reported $9.5 billion in sales last year—well ahead of New Balance’s $7.8 billion. To close the gap, New Balance needs to turn its growing visibility into demand, which is far from a sure thing. From there, it must maintain that momentum with consistent sales across both its performance and lifestyle lines. If Flagg lives up to the hype and the brand finds ways to ride that momentum, New Balance could take a meaningful step up the sneaker hier
The news: Connected TV (CTV) commands higher attention metrics (AU) than online video (OLV) and display advertising thanks in part to its wide variety of interactive ad formats, per industry KPI data provided by Adelaide. Our take: CTV's growing attention metrics reflects its shift toward becoming a performance marketing channel
The news: Spotify’s Partner Program has opened new monetization paths for video podcasters, enabling MP4 uploads and revenue through ads and subscriptions. Creators like Ryth report earning over $55,000 per month, surpassing YouTube earnings. However, the model doesn’t support dynamic ads for premium subscribers, prompting networks to hold back. Why it matters: Nearly half of all digital media time is spent on video, and Spotify is betting big on that trend—especially among Gen Z, who increasingly prefer video-first podcast formats. Our take: Spotify’s approach may alienate ad-heavy networks for now, but video’s growth and creator enthusiasm suggest its long-term strategy is sound.
The news: Skims, the shapewear brand founded by Kim Kardashian, is on an expansion tear as it nears $1 billion in annual sales, per Business of Fashion. The company plans to open 16 stores in the US this year, bringing its total domestic footprint to 22. Over the next nine months, Skims expects to establish itself in seven new markets—including stores in Mexico, London, and Dubai. Our take: While stores are hugely important to Skims’ growth, the company has several advantages over the rest of the D2C field. Unlike most other D2C companies, Skims doesn’t need to rely on its stores as billboards given its high-profile founder, who is also a fixture of its ad campaigns. Its partnership with Nike will give it access to an even larger audience and smooth its entry into the athleisure category—assuming production delays don’t get in the way. The launch will also considerably increase Skims’ retail presence without needing to invest in premium real estate.
The news: A federal judge gave Anthropic the green light this week to train its AI on millions of pirated books—declaring it “fair use”—even as the company used methods that resembled digital looting, per CNET. Our take: 24% of marketers say copyright concerns will be a big challenge for generative AI (genAI) in the next two years, per Econsultancy. To protect themselves, agencies need to pressure-test genAI vendors and ask tough questions about how models were trained—before the lawsuits land on their desks.
The majority (80.9%) of worldwide retail media ad spend will take place in China and the US this year, according to a March 2025 EMARKETER forecast.
The news: While brands invest heavily in social media giants like Instagram and Facebook, smaller platforms are showing steady growth—indicating a future where ad opportunities go beyond the big players. While the Meta platforms make up an enormous 72.5% of US social network ad spending, smaller social media platforms are holding their own, experiencing growth at a similar rate to Meta. Our take: While advertisers shouldn’t discount the massive reach Meta offers, smaller players are increasingly valuable for driving results, especially as competition intensifies on larger platforms.
As marketing teams face higher expectations to prove campaign results, leaders expect data-driven work from every department. This means once siloed teams must find smarter ways to work together.