Along with expanded access to Pay with Venmo and a buzzy ad campaign, Venmo is trying to reach key demographics.
Centralized payment options and automating spend threshold One Credential can help to keep PayPal products top-of-wallet for Gen Z.
The news: Shein’s and Temu’s influence in the US is fading quickly as both companies cut ad spending and look to Europe for growth. Our take: Shein and Temu are finding that the billions of dollars they plowed into US advertising have not been enough to secure US customers’ loyalty in the face of higher prices. But rather than find ways to extend the longevity of their US businesses, both companies are fleeing to Europe to take advantage of the (currently) more favorable trade environment.
With account integration ending for Android wallets, PayPal sets its sights on keeping more users within its own ecosystem.
The trend: Consumer packaged goods brands are prioritizing profitability as macroeconomic headwinds reshape consumer behavior. For example, Kimberly-Clark is selling a majority stake in its international tissue business to Suzano and P&G is cutting roughly 15% of its global nonmanufacturing workforce. Our take: While short-term headwinds may be driving CPG companies’ actions, portfolio reassessment is a valuable exercise in any economic climate. Those that take the time to find efficiencies that enable them to emerge stronger and more agile will be better positioned for long-term success than companies simply focused on cutting costs.
The trend: From insight generation and content creation to media placement and regulatory reviews, generative AI (genAI) is becoming more connected to every part of pharma marketing. Our take: The tech is helping pharma marketers and ad agencies create more personalized ads and better predict ad performance—but overall, genAI usage is still pretty nascent in the industry.
The news: Moderna has agreed to conduct a true placebo-controlled trial of its new COVID-19 vaccine, according to a post on X this week from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Our take: It’s difficult for vaccine makers to keep up with shifting requirements for getting shots approved, and for which groups of people. Companies may soon have to weigh pouring billions more into vaccine R&D against expanding or growing product offerings to other drug markets.
The news: Medical AI startup OpenEvidence inked a multi-year agreement with JAMA Network that gives the company access to full-text content from the American Medical Association’s 13 medical journals. Our take: OpenEvidence is competing with Wolters Kluwer’s UptoDate medical information tool, which is used by a few million clinicians worldwide and has recently integrated its own AI search capabilities. One big difference between the products is that OpenEvidence is free for doctors and generates revenue through advertising. Meanwhile, UptoDate does not provide advertising opportunities. We think that OpenEvidence’s internal AI prowess could give it the leg up as long as its in-platform advertising doesn’t turn off doctors too much.
The news: Newsweek is buying healthcare-focused ad platform Adprime to boost its offerings for pharma and healthcare marketers. Our take: Healthcare and pharma marketers looking for targeted, data-driven ad solutions could find valuable niche audiences tuning into Newsweek’s expanding content and events. We’re not convinced Newsweek’s adtech strategy is a slam dunk competing against much larger players, but we do think doubling down on the resilient healthcare and pharma digital ad industry makes sense.
The news: AMC Theaters has made a deal with National CineMedia (NCM) that will see the biggest US theater chain run additional ads before showings. Beginning July 1, AMC showings will include a “platinum spot” right before a film starts. Our take: AMC’s deal emphasizes that getting moviegoers back in theater seats and boosting ticket sales isn’t enough to keep the industry afloat—theaters need to diversify revenue streams through tactics like expanded advertising to remain competitive.
The news: Meta is planning another VR headset, codenamed Loma, to compete with Apple’s beleaguered Vision Pro, per The Wall Street Journal. The product will look similar to its Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses—rather than a traditional headset goggles design—and feature higher-fidelity video than the Quest line of headsets. Meta is offering millions of dollars to Disney, A24, and others for exclusive IP-based gaming content to avoid the Vision Pro’s pitfall of lacking compelling content. Our take: Meta’s renewed headset push shows the company is learning from past missteps, but success will hinge on whether Loma can offer must-have experiences at a justifiable price.
The news: Lululemon beat earnings expectations and met revenue forecasts in Q1, but softening demand in its core Americas market cast a shadow over the results. Our take: Even premium brands aren’t immune to macro pressures. As consumers grow increasingly cost-conscious, discretionary purchases—especially those with big price tags—are easy for consumers to postpone. Lululemon’s challenge now is not just product innovation, but convincing shoppers its value proposition is worth the premium.
The news: The NBA held steady at 4,668 brand sponsors between 2023 and 2024, but total sponsorship revenues rose 8% to $1.62 billion, thanks to jersey patch deals, venue launches like the Intuit Dome, and record-breaking player endorsements. The Golden State Warriors alone brought in over $200 million, and rookie Jared McCain set a league record with 30 personal brand deals. Our take: The NBA is deepening its value to advertisers, not just expanding reach. With media rights deals and Amazon integration elevating its commercial footprint, the league is fast becoming one of the most lucrative platforms for modern marketers.
The news: OpenAI’s business user base surged 50% since February, reaching 3 million paying enterprise customers. To deepen its footprint in the space, the company released workplace features aimed squarely at Microsoft and Google, per VentureBeat. New options let employees pull and interact with cloud data from SharePoint, Dropbox, Google Drive, and more—directly in ChatGPT. Also added: Record Mode for transcribing meetings and upgrades to Codex and Deep Research. Our take: Expect ChatGPT to continue evolving from a standalone AI app to a productivity platform. Business leaders should evaluate OpenAI’s new business suite not just as a productivity upgrade, but as a strategic shift toward AI-driven business platforms.
On today’s podcast episode, we check in on how retailers’ financials are looking this year, different approaches to inventory, and what Q2 is telling us. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Senior Analysts Blake Droesch and Zak Stambor.
FTC investigates ad groups, watchdogs over alleged boycott: Advertisers must navigate a landscape where protecting brand image could carry legal risks.
29.5% of consumers say tariff-fueled price hikes would immediately impact their buying habits, and only 2.3% say their buying habits wouldn’t be impacted at all by price, according to a February 2025 Omnisend survey.
The news: TikTok announced updates to its ad capabilities focused on the evolving creator ecosystem at its fifth annual TikTok World event. Updates included an analytics tool for audience insights at different stages of the buying cycle, promotions targeting audiences likely to take action, and multiple changes to TikTok One. Our take: TikTok’s new offerings are key to reassuring advertisers and creators that the platform’s influencer tools still outperform rivals. The features will convince advertisers that TikTok is essential to connect with relevant creators, while showing creators that TikTok remains the best place to make partnerships.
AI Edge Gallery shows Google's bet on offline AI, turning Android phones into self-contained smart tools. It outpaces Apple’s walled approach but faces usability hurdles.