Consumers (68%) and senior marketers (75%) expressed an increasingly positive outlook on the possibilities of generative AI this year, according to a September report from Kantar.
Nationwide Financial announced a $1.5 billion investment in technology through 2028, including $300 million for AI initiatives. The company aims to simplify business interactions and advance its data protection capabilities. A massive technical overhaul is a strategic choice and a yearslong commitment sponsored by the C-suite and endorsed by the board of directors. AI is a tool rather than a strategy. And without intent, telematics, analytics, automation, and copilots are just words.
ChatGPT now handles more than 2 billion queries daily from 190 million users, per MarTech. The chatbot has transcended novelty and become a decision-stage search companion. Nearly 80% of US ChatGPT users treat it like a search engine, per a new Adobe survey. Influence now hinges on how brands appear within genAI—not just in Google Search results or on social media. This adds another layer of complexity for brand managers while unlocking opportunities for real-time content optimization and risk monitoring.
StackAdapt is overhauling programmatic out-of-home advertising with tools that let buyers see exactly where their ads will appear. The new platform experience includes real-world map views, screen previews, and venue-level pricing, solving one of OOH’s biggest pain points: visibility. VP of Inventory Development Gregory Joseph said the update responds directly to advertiser demand for proof of placement and transparency. As agencies push for unified reporting across CTV, mobile, and OOH, StackAdapt’s approach gives digital buyers the data and validation they expect. For advertisers, it marks a turning point—OOH can finally be planned, measured, and optimized alongside digital media.
Reddit COO Jen Wong told EMARKETER that the platform has evolved from explaining itself to advertisers to proving it can deliver results. “We’ve shown Reddit can drive real business outcomes,” she said, noting that nine of fifteen verticals grew ad spend by at least 50% YoY. Wong emphasized discovery as Reddit’s next frontier—especially in underexposed sectors like parenting and sports—and said product improvements will make communities easier to find. With ad revenues projected to climb 46.6% in two years, Reddit’s opportunity is one of scale and visibility, driven by authenticity and high-intent engagement.
Capital One will issue T-Mobile’s first credit card, according to Bloomberg—but it won’t run on Capital One’s recently acquired Discover network. Whether T-Mobile snubbed Discover or Capital One wasn’t ready to integrate its credit card products with the newly acquired network, the optics of running a new card on Visa aren’t great. But Visa and Mastercard shouldn’t exactly call this a win. While Discover's total volume is still an order of magnitude lower than that of Mastercard or Visa, incremental gains will lead to real lost volume opportunities for the duopoly.
From Ulta Beauty’s new marketplace to Gap’s creator platform, here’s what the eight most interesting retailers from October have been up to, as ranked on our “Behind the Numbers” podcast.
Tomorrow’s grocery shoppers will expect AI tools that anticipate their needs, faster checkouts, and consistent pricing across channels. In this new era, convenience and technology will shape behavior, but value and trust will remain the deciding factors.
The Trump administration agreed to use emergency funds to partly fund SNAP benefits. But it could take “a few weeks to up to several months” before consumers begin seeing that money due to “procedural difficulties, a USDA official said in a court filing. The loss of SNAP funding will be painful not only for households that rely on that money for essential supplies, but also for the many retailers that depend on that spending.
Amazon appears to be rethinking its mass-market grocery ambitions as it closes Amazon Fresh stores and doubles down on Whole Foods and same-day delivery. CEO Andy Jassy hinted that the company is shifting toward a more efficient model centered on expanding grocery delivery to 2,300 locations by late 2025. While this may concede physical dominance to Walmart, Amazon aims to capture grocery share by integrating perishables into its vast online network. The strategy could transform consumer habits, reducing in-store trips and strengthening Amazon’s position as a leading online grocer while keeping its costs in check.
Kimberly-Clark has agreed to buy consumer health company Kenvue for more than $40 billion. The acquisition significantly expands Kimberly-Clark’s presence in the over-the-counter (OTC) consumer health market, and gives it an entry into the lucrative beauty and skincare category. The acquisition will allow the company to stay relevant with shoppers who are prioritizing health and wellness purchases—even while cutting back on other spending. But in order to extract maximum value from Kenvue, Kimberly-Clark will have to take a leaf from competitor Procter & Gamble and rely on innovation and marketing to revitalize sales.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the big 3 questions surrounding Netflix in Q3 and beyond: expectations for its ad business, the impact of Netflix House, a new deal with Spotify, or something else? Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Analyst, Ross Benes, and Senior Editor of Briefings, Daniel Konstantinovic. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Disney channels, including ESPN and ABC, have officially been removed from leading pay TV platform YouTube TV after Disney and Google failed to resolve a distribution dispute. Even as YouTube TV gives subscribers access to a large number of non-Disney channels, its ad effectiveness could be harmed without as broad of a sports portfolio—necessitating cautious investment.
OpenAI signed a seven-year, $38 billion cloud compute deal with Amazon Web Services (AWS), its first partnership with the cloud market leader. The development effectively ended the startup’s exclusive reliance on Microsoft, its primary backer, per CNBC. OpenAI will use existing AWS data centers, and Amazon will build dedicated infrastructure for OpenAI as part of the ChatGPT maker’s expansion. While hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft, and Google race to secure workloads, costs for training and inference are expected to decline. For brands, this means reduced outage risks and increased options for deploying AI-driven creative, analytics, and automation systems at scale.
Gen Z’s financial strain is deepening as unemployment rises and wage growth slows, leaving many unable to cover basic needs. With joblessness among 20- to 24-year-olds hitting 9.2% and student loan relief tightening, younger consumers are cutting back—especially on dining out. Chipotle and Shake Shack both report declining sales from this demographic, though each is fighting back with loyalty perks and in-app promotions. Retailers like Urban Outfitters are also adapting through lower-cost private labels and localized assortments. Overall, younger shoppers’ pullback may pressure retail and restaurant sales through the holiday season.
AI is reshaping the future of work at agencies, from reducing junior roles to cutting down on hiring altogether. Nearly all (91%) of US senior agency leaders expect AI to reduce agency headcounts, per Sunup’s AI’s Effect on the Marketing Industry report. Over half (57%) of agencies have slowed or paused entry-level hiring. To maintain value in the AI era, agencies should protect and cultivate talent pipelines and use AI to deepen offerings like audience insights and personalized campaign plans, which automation alone can’t replicate.
When it comes to AI investment, Google CEO Sundar Pichai's mantra that the risk is underspending, not overspending, seems to be holding true at Meta. It forecast roughly $600 billion on AI-related capital expenditure over the next three years, but investors are questioning whether that philosophy has limits. Meta’s heavy focus on AI could aid its ad offerings, especially personalization options and its AI-powered ad suite. At the same time, overspending could lead to uneven focus that leaves other ventures—including its cash-burning Reality Labs and plateauing interest in Facebook—vulnerable.
Meta, Google, and Microsoft are spending at historic rates in the race to secure AI dominance. Each posted record quarterly earnings last week—and warned that even higher capital expenditures are an imperative for growth, per Wired. For marketers, the AI buildout presents both an opportunity and a cautionary tale. As Big Tech chases scale, brands must chase substance—using AI not for hype, but for measurable value today, not in the future. AI’s future isn’t guaranteed by capital—it’s earned through trust, differentiation, and adaptability. Brands that master those traits will thrive no matter how the infrastructure race unfolds.
One-third of US adults say prices are noticeably higher on certain products due to tariffs or shipping/import changes, according to a July survey from Omnisend and Cint.