Advertising & Marketing

On today's podcast episode (part 1), we discuss what publishers can do about GenAI that summarizes answers, how to strike the right ad load balance, and who has the best 'what-to-do-about-social-media' strategy. "In Other News," we talk about what social app BeReal's next move will be and why X (formerly Twitter) is pivoting to CTV. Tune in to the discussion with our director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman and analyst Daniel Konstantinovic.

YouTube is the best platform for ad engagement, but others are rising: Our Industry KPI data found that YouTube, X, and podcasts delivered the strongest attention metrics.

The company bolsters security and offers credit monitoring after hackers leak data on the dark web. Lawsuits and fines may be on the horizon.

Microsoft to spend over $100 billion on Stargate: It’s partnering with OpenAI on a data center that could provide enough power to build an AGI. But the project faces real-world barriers.

There’s strong demand for physical retail spaces: That’s driving up rents and occupancy costs.

Microsoft uncouples Teams from Microsoft 365 globally in reaction to the EU’s antitrust probe—proving how regional rules can have a global impact.

The state’s largest remaining insurer dropped 72,000 policies, leaving California’s insurance commissioner scrambling to assure insurers they can be profitable there.

Ad blockers gain popularity despite ad policy strides: Google blocking billions of ads isn’t enough to stop consumers' increasing demand for unobtrusive, fast web experiences.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss how the Apple monopoly trial could change the smartphone market, whether Aldi can take on Walmart, if gambling ads will get banned, the impact of Amazon's "Big Spring Sale," how seriously we should be taking drone delivery, where the happiest people in the world live, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Blake Droesch and vice presidents of content Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna.

Q1 has been a mixed bag for marketers. Ad spend grew in January and February, hitting double digits for the first time since March 2022. But many tech and retail companies were hit with layoffs as companies tightened ad spend. IBM, TikTok, and Google all slashed their marketing and advertising teams. On earnings calls, Nike’s finance chief said the company is planning for a “subdued macro outlook” and Paramount mentioned “softness in the global advertising market.”

Yesterday, The Home Depot hosted its first in-person retail media marketing summit, InFronts, where it introduced its revamped retail media network, Orange Apron Media. In addition to the new name, the retail media network will expand its services to include a unified on-site/off-site platform, a data clean room solution, and new media partners.

Big Tech’s year of regulatory pressure: As the EU investigates Apple, Alphabet, and Meta under the DMA, it’s demanding compliance in 12 months. Companies scramble to avoid fines of up to 10% of global revenues.

Google might have solved generative AI’s biggest problem: Its “superhuman” AI fact-checker could make the technology more trustworthy and more appealing for enterprise use cases.

Social shopping skepticism: Despite Meta and TikTok’s best efforts, many prefer to focus on the "social" and the "media" instead.

On today’s podcast episode, host Bill Fisher is joined by our analysts Paul Briggs, Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, and Carina Perkins to discuss the implications of new digital legislations that recently came into force in the EU. Could they be a template for tighter digital laws elsewhere in the world?

Nano-influencers reign on Instagram with a 6.23% engagement rate: TikTok's top influencers, meanwhile, maintain a 4.95% rate.

Amazon invests billions in Anthropic, maker of the best-performing chatbot: $4 billion in funding illustrates fierce competition among Big Tech to partner with startups that have an innovative edge.