The trend: US consumers are pulling back on summer vacations. The average trip budget has dropped 25.4% YoY to $3,132, per an Ipsos survey for Generali Global Assistance. Our take: The pullback in travel spending is a canary in the coal mine. As economic anxiety deepens, more consumers will likely pull back further, scrutinize discretionary purchases, and double down on value. Retailers, brands, and travel companies should brace for a more cautious consumer in the second half of the year. To stay competitive, they should look for opportunities to: Sharpen their value messaging to align with price-sensitive mindsets; Stay closely attuned to shifting consumer sentiment through ongoing survey and trend analysis; Position themselves as allies in financial wellness, offering not just products, but practical ways to help consumers stretch their dollars further.
The news: Virtually all community bank leaders (99%) see embedded finance as important for their institutions' long-term survival, with 60% considering it extremely important, per a recent study by Treasury Prime. Our take: Embedded finance is a popular and effective avenue for community banking growth—if pursued with careful consideration and a priority on compliance. And there's an opportunity to maximize marketing opportunities when entering such partnerships.
The news: Messaging ads are gaining traction as a key opportunity to reach customers at critical moments after Meta debuted ads in WhatsApp. In an exclusive conversation with EMARKETER, Grant Parker, president of omnichannel ad platform Innnovid, offered his take on the future of the messaging medium. Our take: The path forward for messaging ads relies on how well the format integrates with the user experience rather than interrupting it—necessitating that advertisers invest in this opportunity while accounting for consumer attitudes.
The strategy: We’ve covered how smaller financial institutions (FIs) sometimes lose sight of differentiators in marketing campaigns when they focus on being “just as good” as bigger competitors. And The Financial Brand recently highlighted a similar trend of community banks straying from focusing on their community-centric strengths in marketing campaigns. So, what? It is important for smaller FIs to prioritize and improve their digital experiences. But for the time-being, they likely won’t beat bigger FIs and fintechs at their digital game. Instead, according to The Financial Brand, the true strength of community banking is its people. FIs should involve their staff in the customer journey, prioritizing quick human follow-up on leads over marginally improving online forms. This people-first approach fosters deeper relationships. In practice, it involves building experiences—both digital and in-person—that keep customers connected to team members who know them personally.
The news: Zelle significantly increased its network in late 2024 and early 2025, adding 178 financial institutions (FIs) in six months compared to just 69 the prior year, per American Banker. Our take: Zelle’s expansion goals are clear, but the fintech could hit a ceiling with smaller FIs if it doesn’t mitigate the concerns raised by Family First Credit Union. Ultimately, Zelle's long-term success hinges on balancing its drive for network ubiquity with robust protections and equitable partnerships for all participating FIs.
The news: Governments across the UK, EU, and Australia are mandating age verification online and reshaping how platforms handle user identity and access to content. Reddit now requires UK users to prove they’re 18 via selfie or photo ID to access adult or harmful content, in compliance with the Online Safety Act. Our take: Age assurance is becoming the new standard. Advertisers need to move now by adjusting targeting strategies, creative assets, and compliance practices to stay effective in an increasingly verified and government regulated web.
The data points: Nearly 3 in 4 back-to-school shoppers expect to spend the same or more this fall, and more than 1 in 3 parents anticipate spending more than they did in 2024, per a PwC consumer survey. This suggests that even as consumers brace for higher prices—a consistent finding across University of Michigan and Conference Board surveys—demand remains resilient. Our take: The survey findings square with our back-to-school forecast, which expects sales to rise 3.0% YoY, down from 3.3% last year, marking the second consecutive year of declining growth. Retail ecommerce back-to-school sales are set to increase 6.8%, a deceleration from last year’s 7.4% gain. Though consumers are still spending, they’re becoming more selective. Retailers will need to lead with promotions, value-driven assortments, and early-season deals to capture share in this more cautious shopping environment.
The news: Inflation ticked up in June in a sign that companies are beginning to pass on tariff costs to consumers. Our take: June’s CPI data shows the toll tariffs are beginning to take on consumers’ buying power. While real wage growth remains in positive territory for now, that could change quickly once more companies begin to pass on a greater share of tariff costs to consumers, as the vast majority have signaled they’ll do.
The news: Shopify will not allow agents and other bots to purchase on users’ behalf without “final human review,” the company said in an update to the code used by merchants to operate their online storefronts. Our take: While AI agents aren’t yet reliable enough to be given free reign over purchase decisions, companies have to be prepared for a future where they soon will be.
The news: JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup posted strong Q2 2025 earnings—and warnings about Trump’s mercurial economic policies. Our take: While revenues, credit card volumes and delinquency rates reflect positively about the health of the American consumer, their lived experience remains fraught.
The news: Lloyds Bank is reportedly considering acquiring Curve for approximately $162 million, per Bloomberg. Our take: Lloyds wants to acquire Curve to avoid falling behind other alternate payment methods. However, buying a third-party wallet might not be the best solution.
66% of U.S. adults have reduced nonessential shopping to manage expenses, according to March 2025 data from CivicScience.
The situation: Strong performances in ecommerce and pharmacy helped Albertsons beat top- and bottom-line expectations despite continued pressure across the grocery industry. Albertsons is also winning over more shoppers by making its loyalty program more rewarding and easier to use. Membership rose 14% in the quarter thanks to more deals, simpler ways to earn points, and bigger cash-back perks. Our take: Consumers remain laser-focused on value, especially at the grocery store. While food inflation has eased since the sharp spikes of 2021 to 2023, the impact of those increases—plus the threat of new tariff-driven price hikes—has shoppers watching their grocery bills closely. Albertsons’ 14% growth in loyalty membership last quarter signals just how eager consumers are for savings. With more people eating at home to stretch their dollars, Albertsons’ value-focused approach helped it outperform expectations and could drive strength in coming quarters.
The news: UnitedHealth Group has been engaging in a series of legal tactics to silence some of the company’s loudest critics, according to a recent NYT report. Our take: UnitedHealth is more focused on defending its business than acknowledging people’s concerns and offering solutions. This won’t do anything to help its brand reputation—but that probably isn’t a major concern for UnitedHealth right now. Similar to drugmakers, health insurers recognize that healthcare is not like a typical D2C industry, in which consumer experience is the most important measure of success.
The news: Weight loss drug prescribing for children and teens increased significantly after the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended the medications’ use, per a new Harvard study. Our take: Word-of-mouth recommendations and testimonials on social media are driving weight loss drugs’ popularity with young people. GLP-1 marketers have an opportunity to provide medically responsible, but social friendly and engaging content by partnering with influencers, creating behind-the-science video content, and developing edutainment FAQs for interested young consumers.
The news: Rush University System for Health in Chicago is launching a subscription health model for patients seeking virtual urgent care. Our take: Legacy health systems are playing catch-up to D2C healthcare companies, and likely can’t offer a better customer experience. Telehealth is now a commodity, and success in the subscription healthcare space could come down to factors such as easy access to in-demand drug categories (e.g., GLP-1s, sexual health meds) and spending on digital channels such as social media to create brand awareness and more effectively reach younger customers.
The news: Prescription drugmakers spent $2.97 billion on national TV advertising in the frist half of 2025, an increase of 12.2% YoY, per iSpot.tv. The takeaway: Prescription drugmakers went against the current trend—most other industries decreased linear TV spending in the first half of the year, per iSpot. But traditional TV viewing audiences are a prime audience for drugmakers. We forecast 52.8% of TV viewers will be age 65 and older this year, the only age demographic to increase. It makes sense for pharma marketers to focus spending on key audiences, driving awareness and encouraging them to ask their doctors for their brands.
The news: Comscore, iSpot, and VideoAmp passed the Joint Industry Committee’s (JIC) midterm audit to maintain certification for the 2025-2026 broadcast season. Our take: The JIC’s certification and sports-heavy audit process could help iSpot, Comscore, and VideoAmp gain ground on Nielsen.
Nextdoor is undergoing a major reinvention, focusing on hyperlocal value with three core features: real-time safety alerts, AI-generated neighborhood recommendations, and curated news from over 3,500 local publishers. The redesigned platform aims to capitalize on shifting work-from-home behavior, verified neighbor identities, and underused local advertising budgets. With 100 million registered users across 11 countries, Nextdoor is uniquely positioned to offer geotargeted content and build ad inventory through increased daily engagement. CEO Nirav Tolia’s bet? Depth over scale. If executed well, the new Nextdoor could become an essential tool for local businesses, publishers, and residents alike—while opening fresh monetization streams.
“The lines between social media and CTV are blurring, with more people watching social videos and creator content on TV sets,” said our analyst Jasmine Enberg. “Marketers must break down the silos between media and creative and think more holistically about their video strategies.”