The insight: Food delivery has become an ingrained habit, with more consumers turning to the service multiple times per day. Our take: With more restaurant spending being funneled through platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats, operators are having to rethink their acquisition strategy. Companies previously reluctant to sign on to their marketplaces—like Olive Garden and Domino’s—are changing their tune as it becomes clear that consumers’ affinity for delivery is not a pandemic blip. At the same time, DoorDash and its competitors are aiming higher. For them, food delivery is merely the first stepping stone toward becoming a one-stop shop for all of consumers’ needs, from restaurant meals to groceries to pet and home improvement supplies. That’s an ambitious goal, and one that is not yet reflected in shoppers’ behavior—but that could change as people become more accustomed to spending time on delivery apps.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what area of people's lives artificial general intelligence (AGI) will change the most, the argument for AI developers asking permission from society to build these models, and when AGI might actually get here. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, and Analysts Jacob Bourne and Grace Harmon. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
US commerce media ad spending is projected to hit $118.4 billion by 2029, growing at a 15.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), per a May EMARKETER forecast.
US financial media network ad spend will soar to $1.22 billion in 2026, nearly doubling from $640 million in 2025—a 66.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), per our May 2025 forecast.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the ingredients of Walmart’s current recipe for success and the technology that’s most likely to propel them into the future. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Vice President of Content Suzy Davidkhanian and Analyst Rachel Wolff.
“Friday, Friday, Friday,” begins Amtrak’s recent viral social media video, in the retro style of monster truck ads. The content, which goes on to encourage train travel as summer begins (on Friday), has received over 500,000 shares across platforms, per Amtrak.
The news: Meta announced numerous updates to its messaging ad options, with a heavy focus on WhatsApp. Meta is expanding Ads Manager to include WhatsApp campaigns, centralizing multi-campaign management across its platforms. The feature allows businesses to upload subscriber lists to use Advantage+ to optimize ad budgets or manually choose messages for additional placements. Our take: The ongoing potential for divestiture could have significant implications for advertisers that rely on Meta’s ecosystem—but the new features will still make WhatsApp a more appealing option for those that haven’t considered it as a key ad channel.
The news: Baidu has launched MuseSteamer, an enterprise-only AI tool that converts images into 10-second videos using three output modes—Turbo, Pro, and Lite—while upgrading its core search engine to support multimodal inputs. The tool targets businesses looking for scalable, automated creative output. Our take: With nearly half of marketers and creators now using AI for video daily, Baidu is doubling down on the enterprise market. MuseSteamer distinguishes itself from consumer-facing tools by offering speed, reliability, and tight workflow integration. As video becomes the default for content, the winners will be platforms that deliver pro-grade output without creative friction.
The news: Meta, which recently assembled Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL) as part of its AI acquisition spree, is staffing its new department with key figures from OpenAI and other AI startups. Meta has poached at least 11 OpenAI engineers, per Wired—including Jiahui Yu, Hongyu Ren, Jin Lin, and Shengjia Zhao, co-creators of OpenAI’s o3, o4-mini, GPT-4.1, and GPT-4o. Our take: Meta’s aggressive talent grab reveals the AI arms race is now a bidding war. If top researchers are increasingly swayed by compensation over mission, it raises tough questions for brands making long-term AI investments.
The news: Cloudflare, which serves 20% of the web and 35% of the Fortune 500, launched beta tests of Pay per Crawl, a private marketplace that lets websites charge AI companies for scraping content. It’s a strategy other content delivery networks (CDNs) will likely follow that could signal the end of AI’s unchecked scraping. Key takeaway: Though still in beta, Pay per Crawl could give websites a new layer of protection—and a path to profit—if AI companies agree to pay for content they've long used without compensation. If AI wants to keep reading the internet, it may finally have to pay the bill.
The news: The electric vehicle industry hit a rough patch in Q2, with sales slowing across the board—especially for companies focused solely on EVs. Our take: If the so-called Big Beautiful Bill passes—as many expect—and eliminates the EV tax credit, the industry could find itself in a downturn it can’t easily steer out of. Without incentives to offset higher upfront costs, EV adoption may slow even further, leaving automakers stuck with inventory and uncertain demand.
The trend: Scarcity still sells. Even as consumers become more budget-conscious, limited releases continue to spark outsize demand and buzz. Our take: Consumers are drawn to the new, the novel, and the exclusive. That’s why limited releases continue to deliver results. They create urgency and give brands a way to protect margins—even at a time when many shoppers are rethinking their overall spending.
The data point: Constellation Brands expects to take a $20 million hit this fiscal year due to the Trump administration’s aluminum tariffs, CFO Garth Hankinson said on the company’s earnings call. Our take: Constellation Brands is one of the few companies openly acknowledging the real-time impact of the administration’s policies. With both hardline deportation rhetoric and tariffs hitting at once, the company faces a dual challenge that could weigh heavily on its performance throughout the year.
The trend: Few consumers use AI tools for the health and wellness activities they participate in, according to a recent survey from Menlo Ventures and Morning Consult of 5,031 U.S. adults in April 2025. The big takeaway: Consumers are right on the cusp of using AI as a health information tool. AI tools are getting smarter, but can still be unreliable—one faulty response to a query about a person’s symptoms or health condition can turn a user off for good. AI platforms must train their models on credible medical sources and collaborate with clinicians to review outputs for accuracy.
The news: AMC Entertainment’s stock plummeted 7.4% on Tuesday, per TipRanks, after the chain started running additional ads before screenings—building on AMC’s 27.8% YTD loss. AMC simultaneously announced a debt and financing agreement that included $223 million in new financing for debt maturing in 2026 and converting at least $143 million worth of existing debt into equity. Our take: Higher ad revenues for AMC could offset the chain’s financial difficulties, but its refinancing plan shows ads alone aren’t enough. Investors are seeking a clear path to consistent profitability.
The news: Paramount has settled a lawsuit with Donald Trump after the president sued the company following a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris that he argued contained “deceptive doctoring,” the company announced Tuesday. Sources cited by The Hollywood Reporter claim the lawsuit posed a threat to Paramount’s pending merger with Skydance, which will require the Trump administration’s approval. Our take: While the settlement could pave the way for Paramount and Skydance’s merger, it raises questions about the future of media companies who are perceived as holding a liberal bias—and concerns about increasing censorship in the current political environment.
The news: Consumers increasingly trust shopping suggestions from AI, even more than product suggestions from content creators, positioning the technology as a trusted and personalized guide rather than a back-end tool. 27% of US consumers trust AI shopping recommendations, per Walmart’s Retail Rewired Report, compared with 24% who trust suggestions from social media influencers. Our take: AI retail tools are most likely to succeed if they offer both speed and a sense of user control. Retailers should let users set spending caps and offer options to pause or customize recommendations to help AI agents feel more like a trusted assistant than a pushy salesperson.
Almost half of Gen Zers (46%) and Baby Boomers (45%) would switch to less expensive brands or product alternatives if there are price increases related to tariffs, according to March data from Collage Group.
The news: Capital One, after acquiring Discover, plans to significantly expand its card businesses using Discover's network. This allows the bank to boost profitability and enhance offerings. CEO Richard Fairbank emphasized new services, including attractive rewards for debit cards and compelling credit card deals, funded by increased interchange revenues. Our take: Capital One's Discover acquisition maximizes its expanded infrastructure. Owning a payment network allows Capital One to capture more interchange revenue, reinvesting it into more competitive debit and credit card products. This approach will appeal to consumers facing financial uncertainty, promising better rates and rewards, strengthening Capital One's market position and ability to attract/retain customers.