On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the growing AI literacy gap, how to tell if your organization is ready for AI, and what not to do when it comes to AI adoption. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Analyst Gadjo Sevilla, and Professor and AI Advisor to the Deans at Rice Business School and Founder and CEO of AI company DemistifAI Kathleen Perley. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
The news: Meta is refusing to change its “pay or consent“ model in the EU, per Reuters, risking fines to protect its ad-targeting capabilities. The company argues it’s being singled out and that “a user choice between a subscription for no ads service or a free ad-supported service remains a legitimate business model for every company in Europe—except Meta,” per Reuters. Our take: This is a battle for user data, and with the DMA’s prior victories over Meta, it’s one fight that Meta may not win. Marketers should track Meta’s changing compliance stance, prepare for restrictions on user-level data, and consider spending on platforms with fewer regulatory risks.
The news: Samsung is exploring innovative new wearable formats, including smart jewelry. Won-joon Choi, Samsung’s COO of mobile experience, told CNN that AI advancements could power a “new wave” of devices beyond the smartphone. “We believe it should be wearable, something (that) you don’t need to carry. … It could be something that you wear: glasses, earrings, watches, rings, and sometimes (a) necklace,” Choi said. Our take: As the shift toward hands-free, voice-first wearables accelerates, companies should start building applications designed for screenless experiences like voice-driven customer service tools, workforce productivity assistants, or sponsored fitness programs.
The news: Most marketers aren’t adapting their creative assets to fit the platforms where their ads appear, per Smartly and EMARKETER’s July 2025 CTV Meets Social survey. Nearly three-quarters (72%) reuse or lightly tweak social video content for connected TV (CTV), indicating that they’re missing the opportunity to engage with a motivated audience. Our take: Marketers could benefit by treating social as a testing lab for larger screens. Using feedback to identify winning campaigns, they can rework those ads for CTV audiences. Bifurcating creative development specific to social and CTV could serve both channels while keeping costs down and impact high.
The news: Google Chrome could soon face intensified competition from OpenAI and Perplexity. On Wednesday, Perplexity launched its long-awaited agentic AI browser, Comet. It’s currently exclusive to subscribers on its $200-per-month Max plan, but other users can sign up on a waitlist. OpenAI is expected to launch its own browser in the coming weeks, per Reuters, bringing more AI tools to its over 400 million weekly ChatGPT users. As AI search tools continue to expand, companies should plan their generative engine optimization (GEO) strategies now by ensuring content can be summarized by chatbots and that copy in graphics is clear and accessible to AI tools.
The news: Consumers increasingly see connected TV (CTV) ads as helpful during the holiday shopping season, according to LG Ad Solutions’ latest study. A growing number—59%—say CTV ads help guide holiday purchases, a 43% YoY spike. Home screen CTV ads are clicking—26% of shoppers find them helpful for purchases, up 105% YoY. For advertisers, they’re fast becoming high-impact conversion tools amid rising ad loads. Our take: As holiday shopping habits extend into events like Prime Day and Cyber Monday, advertisers that align messaging, timing, and format across CTV platforms will win both attention and conversions.
The news: YouTube is scrapping its Trending page and Trending Now list, citing the growing diversity of topics on its platform and rise of content discovery through search and recommendation algorithms. Instead, YouTube will promote popular content in category-specific charts, such as Trending Music Videos and Weekly Top Podcast Shows. Our take: Brands should shift their focus beyond chasing virality and toward building content that fits audience niches. Reaching users through personalized feeds and hyper-specific categories could deliver more consistent engagement.
The news: Meta purchased a $3.51 billion stake in eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica, signaling its long-term commitment to AI-powered smart glasses. It now holds about a 3% share but is considering a larger investment that would increase its share to 5%, per Bloomberg. EssilorLuxottica’s stock rose about 6% Wednesday after the announcement. Our take: Marketers should view smart glasses as more than a casual consumer device. Start developing internal tools such as training and simulation applications and user-facing offerings like personalized experiences and voice-activated product walkthroughs.
The news: Moonvalley publicly launched its Marey video-generation tool, making its ethical AI filmmaking tool accessible to broader audiences concerned about brand safety and copyright infringement amid AI adoption. Our take: Moonvalley’s Marey could make AI video generation more accessible to brands, especially those focused on prioritizing ethical AI practices and those with smaller production budgets. Marey could also serve as a lower-cost prototyping tool to test out video concepts and align creative direction plans prior to filming to streamline full-scale production and save costs.
The situation: QSRs are in a tough spot. The restaurant industry had monthly traffic growth in just one of the 12 months through May, according to Black Box Intelligence data cited by CNBC. Our take: QSRs can’t afford to stand still. In a tough operating environment, brands that act decisively and innovate boldly are best positioned to outpace the macroeconomic headwinds. Even if every move doesn’t deliver an immediate payoff, momentum matters—and sitting on the sidelines is the riskiest strategy of all.
In today’s episode, we talk about how AI has changed finserv’s approach to advertising and which areas of bank marketing will be affected the most. Join the discussion with host and Head of Business Development Rob Rubin, Analysts Lauren Ashcraft and Jacob Bourne.
As Walmart celebrates its 63rd birthday this year, the retail giant continues to differentiate itself through data capabilities, technological innovation, and a willingness to experiment with new strategies.
The news: Fortnite-maker Epic Games settled its antitrust lawsuit against Samsung, ending claims that Samsung and Google blocked rival app stores, per Bloomberg. Epic had accused Samsung’s “Auto Blocker” of preventing third-party app store downloads, alleging collusion with Google. Samsung and Google previously denied wrongdoing, calling Epic’s claims “baseless” and “meritless.” Our take: With Epic’s continued disruption of app store ecosystems, marketers should prepare for a fragmented but freer market—alternative app stores allow more control over promotions, subscriptions, and bundled offerings.
The news: Meta poached Apple’s top AI/ML engineer, Ruoming Pang, with a multimillion-dollar offer—marking another major hire for its fast-growing Superintelligence Labs (MSL), per Bloomberg. Our take: MSL’s AI breakthroughs will likely funnel into Meta’s core products—ads, targeting, automation, and content moderation. AI-powered Meta ads are already delivering almost 22% higher returns than average Meta ads, per The Drum. Advertisers should track how Meta’s talent advantage could enhance ad personalization and ROI. Start stress-testing campaigns with Meta’s AI tools now—before they evolve further—and align campaigns to AI-native ad products.
The news: Bluesky added customizable notifications and activity alerts, helping users avoid notification fatigue and letting marketers reach more engaged audiences. Our take: If Bluesky continues building tools that prioritize user control and low-noise engagement, it could challenge X and Threads, especially among tech-savvy audiences who crave customization. Marketers should tailor content for small, more intentional user circles to increase the likelihood of notification subscriptions. This new feature highlights the importance of brand presence and engagement on Bluesky.
The news: YouTube’s viewing dominance is pushing publishers and media companies to look beyond it as a marketing channel and adopt it as a primary platform for airing TV episodes and original content. National Geographic now airs linear rerun streams on YouTube, and NBCU launched YouTube-centric media brands like Comedy Bites and Family Flicks. Our take: Brands should prioritize YouTube just as they do TV and TikTok, not as a dumping ground for extra assets. Launching campaigns with a YouTube-first media strategy—including original YouTube content and creator-first formats like Shorts—is the new table stakes.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the second biggest digital ad player’s (Meta) vision for the future of ads, if it will lead to money saved or more commercials, and why the 30-second AI-made TV ad for Kalshi matters more than most. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman, and Principal Analyst Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
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.
The news: Amazon is shutting down its standalone free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platform Freevee in August. All Freevee content—including original series and live TV—will migrate to Prime Video. Advertisers take heed: As streaming giants consolidate, ad buyers might see fewer platforms but more fragmented audiences. This centralization of inventory boosts scale but narrows options for niche targeting. Our take: Amazon and its rivals are bundling content into fewer apps to boost ad revenue and reduce churn. But for advertisers, viewer behavior is splintering as audiences jump between services each month, chasing new shows, deals, and lower costs.
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.