Forty-nine percent of Americans feel stereotyped by identity-based ad targeting: Overuse of these ads can fracture consumer trust. It might be time for brands to reconsider how they connect with consumers. Read online

As marketers integrate generative AI (genAI) into their creative workflows, they must ensure the technology enhances, rather than replaces, creativity. Creatives must be active in AI policy development, maintain transparency of AI use, and be thoughtful about the way they use genAI. Brands that balance AI efficiency with human insight will stand out.

2025 will be the year of “true co-branded storytelling” for retail media creative formats, according to Brian Monahan, global client president, head of retail media solutions at Dentsu.

TikTok Shop’s sales soared 153% in January: The video app’s social commerce arm is eating into Shein’s market share, adding to the hurdles facing the fast fashion company.

Many large banks are watering down or removing online references to DEI in a polarized environment.

About one-third of US small businesses charge customers to accept card payments. Bigger retailers doing the same could hurt issuers

The bank will start blocking more transactions that originate from social media

News and magazine apps have the highest engagement score in North America, with 29% of monthly active users coming back daily, according to a September 2024 Airship survey.

Walmart and Kroger would be hit hard by SNAP benefit cuts: Democratic lawmakers warn Republicans could make steep cuts to food assistance, producing significant challenges for grocers.

Coca-Cola takes on Olipop, Poppi: The company is getting in on the “better for you” trend with Simply Pop, a high-fiber, low-sugar prebiotic soda.

RFK to lead Trump’s Make America Healthy Again commission: Trump’s executive order outlines policies and actions that could impact medication access for children, how quickly drugs get to market, and how federal health agencies conduct research.

Docs are using AI more, and are more excited about its potential: But physicians want more regulatory oversight before they completely trust the tech. Recent workforce cuts at the FDA could make this difficult to achieve.

Another full-body medical scan startup raises its Series B: Even though the value of full-body scans is up for debate in medical communities, it’s hard to see the hype fading anytime soon.

Move to develop AI-powered humanoid robots raises concerns about overextension as the company juggles multiple ambitious projects.

Nike partners with Skims to launch women’s activewear brand: NikeSKIMS combines the former’s performance expertise with the latter’s form-fitting style and emphasis on inclusivity.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how DeepSeek has reset Google’s AI strategy, how much other GenAI chatbots can chip away at Google’s search dominance, and why the tech giant was able to double revenue growth last year. Tune in to the conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman, and Senior Analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.