Advertising & Marketing

OpenAI’s business model under siege: Many customers are opting for bundled Microsoft offerings and switching to cheaper open-source alternatives, hurting OpenAI’s direct sales and profitability.

The company thought AI wouldn’t deliver revenue gains until 2024. Recent earnings show that it’s already fueling profit in cloud and productivity services.

41 states and DC are suing Meta for violating children’s privacy laws. A deluge of fines and possible bans could follow if addictive algorithms aren’t altered.

Google shines on ad revenue but high AI expenses disappoint: Its Q3 earnings fell short in cloud revenue amid heavy AI investments. Investors seek clarity on generative AI profitability.

Apple spooks tech rivals with surprise launch event: A "scary" event promises new Mac laptop unveilings and potential chip developments, stirring excitement ahead of holiday shopping.

To keep campaigns new and relevant, Poshmark leans on AI to enhance product images and refresh video assets. The fashion resale platform has also employed AI to help it translate TV ads into different languages to scale campaigns across countries.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss some personalization tips and tricks that emerged from research, examples of personalization done well, and how AI is accelerating it. "In Other News," we talk about why an email exhibition at a design museum made headlines and a plan to charge X (formerly Twitter) users to post content. Tune in to the discussion with our director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman and Malinda Sandman, senior director of global acquisition marketing at Intuit Mailchimp.

Retailers look to redefine the customer experience: That’s leading them to invest in immersive experiences such as AR, VR, gamified social shopping, and AI-enabled personalization.

Marketers, publishers, and media and tech companies have known for years that the third-party cookies and mobile IDs on which they built a thriving ad business would eventually disappear. What may have seemed like an abstraction in 2016 is now a looming reality: Google has said it will fully phase out Chrome cookies and potentially mobile IDs in late 2024. Google has repeatedly delayed this timeline, but even if the dates shift, it’s game time for the ad industry to accept and embrace the cookieless future.

Customer loyalty comes with strings attached: As shoppers become more fickle, discounts and other incentives play a driving role in keeping consumers tied to a brand or retailer.

Japan’s FTC follows the US DOJ in investigating potential abuse of market dominance in mobile search. Scrutiny could force Google to alter its business model.

Nvidia wants to take its chip market dominance to the next level: It’s adding CPUs to its chip portfolio to rival Intel. It could shake up the PC landscape.

The luxury market is rapidly evolving: While consumers kept splurging on Hermès’ pricey handbags and Brunello Cucinelli’s high-end garments in Q3, Gucci owner Kering’s sales fell short of expectations.

Connected glasses target entertainment and gaming. Priced at $399, Xreal’s Air 2 can create more opportunities to make the technology available to a larger audience.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss what AI rules the government should focus on first, what to make of AI "nutrition labels," and what concerns us most about the dark side of AI. "In Other News," we talk about a Minecraft milestone and what AI chatbots can tell about you from a conversation. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jacob Bourne and Gadjo Sevilla.

YouTube tries to get ahead of misinformation complaints: It launched a news hub with a content creation program as rivals like TikTok and Meta catch flak from regulators.

Apple is setting the stage for a colossal faceoff in an already crowded arena as it aims to deploy its genAI by late 2024. Acquisitions could accelerate Apple’s timetable.

More appliance makers join the fold, but supporting an expanding range of interoperable smart home products is a herculean task. Accountability might be a problem.

Generative AI is starting to supercharge the gaming industry: It’s revolutionizing gameplay and development. It also presents challenges in content control and potential workforce implications.

Google wants to share its cloud platform with AI novices: The Big Tech firm is looking to expand its customer base by making its products easier to use. The strategy is solid but misses the bigger picture.