Amazon opens a “parapharmacy” in Milan: The store is part of a broader push into beauty and personal items and marks its latest attempt to crack the brick-and-mortar code.

Consumer tech spending expected to reach record $537 billion in 2025—unless tariffs get in the way: The need to replace pandemic-era purchases and interest in AI-powered features will spur demand, assuming prices stay steady.

X plans first marketing campaign under Musk, but ad revenues will still drop: While brands like Apple are resuming advertising, but it has more to do with politics than ROAS.

Meta’s EU Marketplace ad change shifts power to regulators: The company will allow rivals to buy ads on Marketplace in compliance with EU rules

A lot happens in a week, so every Friday we're going to analyze all the new data and provide you with some of the key takeaways. Welcome to the Friday 5.

AI-powered summaries from OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity misrepresent facts, yet audiences buy in—fueling misinformation and risking brand reputation

TikTok returns to US app stores, hinting at a secure future: Regulators and storefronts say they want to keep the app around, putting it on much stronger footing.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how marketers (and consumers) currently feel about brand safety, how publishers are trying to assuage brands’ concerns, and what comes after ‘brand suitability’. Tune in to the conversation with Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, our Senior Director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman, Vice President Paul Verna, and co-founder and CEO of Mobian Jonah Goodhart. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

It plans to unify its models under one offering, with GPT-5 integrating multiple AI capabilities. The move will simplify access but reduce user control.

Nearly half of US consumers say AI-generated ads make brands seem fraudulent, yet most will still buy, revealing a gap between skepticism and spending habits.

Travel holds up amid headwinds: Consumers continue to prioritize trips, aiding hotel performance and expansion.

On today’s special edition podcast, we discuss how marketers and advertisers are beginning to treat influencer marketing as a need-to-have as more serious industries from B2B to politics and healthcare are developing their own creator strategies. This discussion is from the keynote of EMARKETER’s The Creator Economy Trends 2025 and is hosted by Vice President and Principal Analyst Jasmine Enberg and Principal Analyst Sarah Marzano. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Reddit posts 71% revenue growth but misses DAUq targets: Despite strong ad revenue and international expansion, Reddit’s user growth fell short of expectations, sending shares down 14% after hours.

The mobile landscape is rapidly evolving, and a strong mobile strategy is essential for B2C brands. Brands must prioritize a unified mobile approach to stay competitive, according to new research from Airship in partnership with EMARKETER based on an October 2024 survey of 120 B2C global brands.

Online reviews are vital to the shopping experience, but a growing wariness of fake reviews and AI's escalation of the problem has recently spurred governments to act.

AppLovin exits gaming in $900M sale to focus on AI-driven adtech: The company sells its entire "apps business," shifting its strategy to prioritize ad mediation, automation, and performance-based advertising.