The average US adult spends just over an hour playing video games per day, according to our estimates. Such a sizable share of attention offers a prime opportunity for brands to advertise in games—especially since traditional barriers to brand advertising have been lowered. Big changes have opened opportunities for brands across platforms.
On today's episode, we discuss what to make of Apple's Vision Pro, the company's newly announced mixed reality (MR) goggles; how AI could improve shoppable TV; why retailers and customers aren't on the same page; how ads on the New York subway are changing; how Amazon plans to deliver packages to folks even faster; how long it actually takes to play a baseball game; and more. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Blake Droesch and Paul Verna.
US luxury sales are cooling off: Neiman Marcus and Signet were the latest retailers to note softening demand as economic uncertainty dampens appetites for expensive purchases.
The CFPB signaled it’s taking a more proactive stance in policing banks’ AI chatbots, including dishing out penalties.
Google expands its AI ‘Model Garden’ and adds free instruction: It sees the AI-skills scramble as an opportunity for cloud growth. Automation might fuel an endless upskilling trend.
Sony developing ‘invisible’ tech for the hospitality industry: It’s making gadgets that are interesting, less ugly, and blend into the background, potentially unlocking a new area of growth.
Gen Z and millennial UK consumers prefer digital solutions and are willing to trade their financial data for better banking tools.
Unexplained transfer delays are causing some Apple loyalists to question if Big Tech should have their savings.
The SEC stepped up its crackdown on crypto after filing civil charges against Coinbase and Binance.
The global influencer crackdown continues: French regulators are following a trend of regulating influencer product recommendations.
Reddit's road to IPO gets rougher: Workforce cuts, declining valuation, and a conflict with OpenAI over API charges threaten the company's stability.
Ben & Jerry's is the latest brand to halt Twitter ads due to concerns over hate speech and toxic content: Situation poses a significant challenge to the platform's profitability ambitions under Musk.
The card network launched an account owner verification tool in Europe and partnered with Algoan to boost financial inclusion
The agency issued a consumer advisory about storing money in P2P’s potentially uninsured accounts
It integrated its payment services with travelplanbooker.com’s travel agency platform
As the mobile wallet ecosystem matures, US proximity mobile payment engagement gains are lapping user growth.
There are clear signs that consumers are struggling to keep up: Credit card debt keeps piling up and several retailers have found a sharp rise in buy now, pay later use.
Eurozone retail sales were flat in April as food inflation cut in: But low unemployment, easing inflation, and wage growth are helping to relieve consumers’ anxieties.
Key stat: Google’s share of US nonretail search ad spend has declined since 2021, when the company saw $57.49 billion in US search ad revenues, according to our forecast. Among Google’s rivals outside of retail, both Microsoft and Apple are growing their search revenues faster.
A partial Mobileye stake sale raises $1.48 billion, bolstering Intel’s financial flexibility to invest in profitable alternatives at a time when PC sales are tanking.