Netflix has struck a global marketing deal with AB InBev spanning programming sponsorships, live events like NFL Christmas Day games and the Women’s World Cup, and even beer packaging featuring Netflix IP. For AB InBev, aligning beer with Netflix viewing occasions connects drinking culture to shared entertainment rituals. More than a sponsorship, the deal positions both brands as co-authors of cultural moments across sports, shows, and global viewing events.
Pfizer agreed to pay as much as $7.3 billion to acquire anti obesity drugmaker Metsera. The company is buying its way into weight loss drugs after unsuccessful attempts at internal development. Pfizer will need to find its niche in an underexplored area of weight loss treatments, such as marketing its monthly shot for people who don't want to inject themselves weekly or take a pill every day.
President Trump delayed TikTok’s ban until December 16 and claimed Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, Michael Dell, Larry Ellison, and Marc Andreessen are among investors preparing to acquire its US operations. The potential buyer group—stacked with conservative media and tech moguls—raises concerns over political bias on a platform where left-leaning influencers currently dominate. For advertisers, TikTok’s massive 116.6 million US user base remains critical, but ownership politics could shift user trust and open the door for rivals.
OpenAI added restrictions for ChatGPT users under 18, prioritizing safety over freedom for teen users. The changes are in response to growing legal and regulatory pressure surrounding AI chatbot risks to minors, per TechCrunch. By segmenting teen and adult experiences, OpenAI sets a precedent that forces advertisers to rethink how and where they engage with users. Age gating pushes marketers to balance reach with responsibility. Those who adapt early—auditing media buys, vetting AI tools, and leaning into ethical safeguards—will secure trust and minimize regulatory risk.
Connected TV (CTV) attention metrics (AUs) declined between 2024 and 2025, but remain strong overall, according to our industry KPI data provided by Adelaide. Even with slight declines in effectiveness, Adelaide’s findings prove that CTV is relatively unmatched in capturing audience interest, cementing its position as a key touchpoint for brands looking to connect with broad audiences.
Saks Global is in talks to sell a 49% stake in luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman for about $1 billion, per The Wall Street Journal. Selling nearly half of Bergdorf Goodman to an outside investor could ease Saks Global’s liquidity pressures, but it doesn’t address the bigger challenge: The retailer lacks a compelling strategy for growth. The company has not articulated how it will differentiate its department store banners so that they do not compete directly, which is the case in about a dozen markets.
Shoppers will be able to buy the much-hyped Nike-Skims collaboration starting Friday, seven months after the partnership was announced. While an unusual pairing on paper, the collaboration between Nike and Skims plays to both companies’ strengths, and positions the new brand to become an athletic powerhouse. The collection’s versatility and innovation are likely to appeal to consumers who want both performance and style from their clothing—as well as those who lean more heavily toward either.
X has updated its NFL Portal for the 2025-26 season as sports discussions gain momentum on the Elon Musk-owned platform, with features aiming to get advertisers reinvested. X’s enhanced NFL Portal is a calculated effort to double down on one of its strongest differentiators to keep users engaged and advertisers invested: Real-time sports conversations.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss our ‘very specific, but highly unlikely’ predictions for the end of 2025 and start of 2026. Whether Snap’s Spectacles will gain traction faster than Meta’s Ray-Bans have, if Netflix will start showing users shoppable product placement ads, and if TikTok will introduce a GenAI assistant to the app with commercial intent. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Director of Reports Editing, Rahul Chadha, Senior Analyst, Max Willens, and Principal Analyst, Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Shoppers are using AI tools at a high rate but are split on brands’ use of AI-generated content and whether companies are delivering on customer experience promises. Half (52%) of consumers are excited by the idea of having an AI agent shop on their behalf, per VML. Nearly two-thirds (63%) say AI-powered personalization helps them discover new products, but 45% think brands are still failing to tailor recommendations effectively. Brands can keep shoppers engaged by demonstrating AI’s value in tangible ways—like smarter recommendations and smoother checkout—rather than relying on broad claims of AI integration.
Brands and agencies are embracing generative AI (genAI) to create highly localized and personalized campaigns at scale. At a recent Automattic event, marketing leaders highlighted how new technology makes previously cost-prohibitive efforts feasible. The advertising industry has shifted from fear to fluency—recognizing that AI fills gaps and scales output but that people decide what resonates. While agencies two years ago feared AI would displace creative jobs, today, they see human craft as the element that gives AI-generated work meaning. For marketers, the strategy is to invest in AI tools but prioritize upskilling teams to direct them.
President Donald Trump is continuing his immigration crackdown with a signed proclamation that adds a $100,000 fee to all new applications for H-1B visas, potentially complicating and clamping down on the market for AI-skilled workers in the US. While intended to spur domestic hiring, the reality is that the US lacks sufficient AI training infrastructure to meet current demand. With a pre-existing lack of employer investment in workforce development to grow US employees’ AI skills, the policy risks shrinking the AI talent pool even more and slowing innovation.
EMARKETER recently published, “From guesswork to greatness: How marketers are redefining effective creative at scale in digital advertising.” The report, created in partnership with TripleLift, analyzes findings from a June 2025 survey of 164 US marketing professionals about their approaches to creative effectiveness in programmatic advertising. This FAQ explores some key questions addressed by the report.
While dynamic pricing has been around for decades, Delta Airlines has recently come under fire for announcing that it would increase its use of generative AI for flight pricing from 3% to 20% of domestic flights by year-end.
EMARKETER recently published, “Influencer Marketing Budgets Are Growing, But Brand Safety Measures Are Falling Behind.” The report, created in partnership with Viral Nation, analyzes survey responses from 117 US marketers and reveals gaps between influencer marketing investment and brand safety practices. This FAQ explores some key questions addressed by the report.
Early Warning Services, the company behind Zelle and Paze, submitted a five-point plan to US financial regulators to combat fraud. While a multi-sector approach could be a good idea in theory, it may also deflect from each financial player’s responsibility to secure every transaction. If FIs want customers to trust that their money is safe with them, they can’t blame their partners for fraudulent transactions that customers use their mobile banking apps to make. But clearly, the traditional siloed approach to combating fraud isn’t working against sophisticated criminal rings that operate across multiple platforms.
SoFi recently reported that its AI chatbot, Konecta, has helped make significant operational and customer service improvements since its 2023 launch, per Yahoo Finance. Banking customers have been experiencing chatbot fatigue when glitches and errors prevent them from getting meaningful solutions to their problems—or when they can’t reach a human. But the more empathetic, human models could undo some of the negative perception of these bots. By demonstrating tangible benefits, like faster service and fewer dropped chats, SoFi is directly addressing these customer pain points. This approach improves efficiency and builds a foundation of trust—particularly with self-service-leaning Gen Zers.
Despite economic uncertainty, 77% of consumers plan to spend the same or more this holiday season, but their shopping timelines and behaviors are shifting. Klaviyo’s 2025 BFCM Forecast shows why brands must rethink peak-season campaigns with omnichannel and AI-driven personalization.