The news: Cybersecurity researchers discovered 16 billion leaked login credential files across 30 previously unreported data sets. It’s considered the biggest data breach in history, affecting major platforms including Facebook, Google, Apple, GitHub, Telegram, and US government services, per Fortune. Our take: With billions of credentials now on the loose, marketers should treat brand systems as compromised. Auditing accounts, enforcing password resets, and demanding stricter multifactor or QR-code based methods are necessary safeguards. The cost of prevention pales compared to recovering from compromised campaigns, stolen customer data, and ransomware resulting in damaged brand reputation.
The news: A new report indicates major banks committed a staggering $869 billion to fossil fuel companies in 2024, an increase of $162 billion over the previous year. Most large US banks have also pulled back from global climate alliances, signaling a broader industry shift away from sustainability commitments. While profitable, these investments risk alienating younger generations like Gen Z, who deeply value environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices and authenticity from financial institutions (FIs), and already demonstrate low trust in banks. This puts FIs at risk of further eroding crucial customer loyalty. Our take: FIs that remain committed to ESG should focus on these actions in their marketing campaigns targeting Gen Zers.
The news: The Trade Desk has partnered with Rembrand to bring AI-generated in-content product placements to its Kokai platform. Advertisers can now programmatically insert branded elements like packaging or signage into videos across the open internet and connected TV. Rembrand claims these placements increase unaided awareness by 1.5x and boost brand recall by up to 31%. TTD also added three AI creative partners: Nova, Spaceback, and Bunny Studio. Our take: This marks a shift toward immersive, scalable ad formats that don’t disrupt the viewer experience. The move strengthens TTD’s AI credentials while giving brands new ways to be seen—without being skipped.
The news: YouTube unveiled Open Call at Cannes Lions 2025, a new platform-native feature allowing advertisers to post campaign briefs that monetized creators can directly respond to with self-produced content. The initiative removes the need for traditional influencer matchmaking, giving brands centralized control over content submissions, approvals, and performance via Google Ads. Our take: As costs rise and brand safety concerns mount, Open Call could tilt the branded content ecosystem in favor of marketers. It simplifies creator discovery, improves ROI measurement, and could lead to longer-term omnichannel partnerships. YouTube’s move positions it as a central hub for scalable, data-informed influencer marketing.
E.l.f. SKIN is blending product marketing and comedy with “Sunhinged,” a comedy special that doubles as a PSA for sun protection.
Netflix House shows the power of brand marketing: The streamer’s retail play capitalizes on cheap real estate and consumer demand for experiences.
The news: Despite reports that the CFPB plans to repeal Section 1033 of its Open Banking Rule due to legal challenges, financial institutions (FIs) shouldn’t abandon their open banking efforts. Citizens Bank, for instance, still intends to leverage open banking for secure data sharing and an improved customer experience, driven by market demand rather than regulatory requirements. Our take: Open banking is still the "next step in banking technology" and will continue to advance due to rising customer expectations around data sharing. FIs that retreat risk falling behind in a market that demands transparency, personalization, and interoperability.
The news: Two recent surveys from Duke University and MarTech reveal a common theme regarding technology and AI adoption: Martech underperforms not because of weak tools, but because of weak infrastructure. Our take: The real competitive edge isn’t adoption speed, it’s integration depth. Marketers who lead data strategy and coordinate teams will win the future. Failure to integrate will result in marketers ending up with tools they can’t use.
The insight: Walmart sees a (near) future where customers will shop directly from their smart TVs—preferably one powered by Vizio, which the retailer purchased for $2.3 billion last year. Our take: Shoppers are gradually becoming more comfortable with the concept of shoppable TV. Whether those occasional behaviors become habit will depend on platforms’ ability to offer ads that are personalized and relevant. That puts Walmart at an advantage, given its troves of first-party data—although it faces tough competition from the likes of Amazon and Roku.
The news: OpenAI is discounting enterprise ChatGPT subscriptions—but only if customers agree to buy more AI products. Microsoft is unhappy, as it rarely offers discounts for its competing services aimed at enterprise users, per The Information. Key takeaway: Business leaders should anticipate potential shifts in AI pricing resulting from fraying alliances and increased competition between OpenAI and Microsoft. Lock in longer-term pricing and negotiate for essential services while pushing back on expensive add-ons. Diversifying AI vendors and solutions reduces reliance on single entities and provides opportunities for testing of models from different sources, some of which may be more easily customized for specific use cases.
Believe it or not, the year is already halfway over. For advertisers, it's been a whirlwind with economic upheaval, massive AI adoption, Google upending search, and working hard to understand Gen Z. Oh, and remember when TikTok went dark for a weekend?
68% of US LGBTQ+ adults say all or most companies participate in Pride Month to boost business, while just 16% believe it’s driven by genuine support, per a January survey from Pew Research Center.
Cannes Lions, an annual opportunity for advertisers to score accolades for their creativity, is refining its agenda to acknowledge how that work drives business.
The news: Google blamed a faulty, untested policy update—not overloaded infrastructure—for triggering a Google Cloud outage that took down Gmail, Cloudflare, Shopify, and many others. It admitted to skipping standard risk safeguards, per CNBC. Our take: The next outage is a matter of when, not if—and the time to prepare is now. CMOs should pressure vendors for transparency, diversify martech stacks to reduce dependency, and ensure business continuity plans cover cloud failures and system disruptions.
Major financial institutions like Bank of America are exploring issuing their own stablecoins, viewing it as a crucial strategic move. Tokenization, the underlying technology, enables payment transactions to settle in seconds, automating compliance and cutting costs significantly (e.g., 40-60% in bond operations). This transforms static financial instruments into dynamic, programmable assets, appealing to a broader, potentially younger, customer base through innovations like fractional ownership. Failing to lead in tokenization risks U.S. banks losing their global market dominance, especially if retailers develop their own digital currencies, bypassing traditional payment systems. Smaller institutions can participate by partnering or leveraging existing stablecoin services from larger players.
The news: Streaming and social media sites are the top beneficiaries of AI chatbot referral traffic. Out of 1.3 billion generative AI (genAI) search referrals in May, YouTube ranked first in traffic with nearly 40 million visits, per Similarweb. Our take: Focusing on what makes sites top the AI search results could help increase site visits. Expand knowledge-based articles, FAQs, and blog posts with educational and UGC content. Boost SEO with long-tail keywords that are likely to appear in prompts. Encourage inbound links since site authority is a factor in AI search results.
Credit unions have historically championed white-glove service through personalized customer care, a key differentiator. However, the term's vagueness risks inconsistency and superficiality, potentially neglecting internal staff experience and ultimately harming customer service. To truly excel, financial institutions (FIs) must embed human-centric care into their core culture, beyond just outward presentation. This involves training employees in empathy, rewarding complex problem-solving skills, and redesigning products around customer milestones rather than sales. Ultimately, genuine differentiation for FIs lies in authentic financial partnership and a deep understanding of unique customer needs, which larger, less personal entities cannot easily replicate.
Over half of US small business owners are aged 55 or older, making succession planning critical, with 45% planning to pass businesses to children. A notable 62% of owners have accelerated retirement timelines, and 37% plan to sell within 12 months, indicating a rapid wave of SMB transitions for banks to prepare for. Small businesses have favored personalized banking, but digitally native successors will demand enhanced digital features, addressing past complaints about lagging experiences. Banks must prioritize developing superior digital tools, including seamless onboarding and relevant financial advice. Engaging early with future owners and understanding their needs, such as startup funding or growth capital, is crucial for securing these vital relationships.
Programmatic ad buying is undergoing a sea change: Microsoft’s DSP closure signals a smaller role for Big Tech in managing third-party ad inventory—so who will take its place?
H-E-B is expanding its retail media footprint with the launch of a new self-service advertising platform, developed in partnership with Epsilon.