OpenAI introduced a wide swath of app integrations for ChatGPT, pushing the generative AI (genAI) chatbot toward super app status. Spotify, Booking.com, Zillow, Canva, Figma, and Expedia are now all part of the ChatGPT experience. Brands should start treating ChatGPT like a search engine, app store, and marketplace all in one. Marketers should create and tag their content so it can surface naturally in ChatGPT responses. Generative engine optimization (GEO) strategies include structuring content and product copy with mini headlines and using concrete language over abstract phrasing to boost appearances in output.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating AppLovin’s data-collection methods, per Bloomberg, sending the mobile ad tech company’s stock down 14% Monday and an additional 3% in pre-market trading Tuesday. AppLovin’s SEC outcome could redefine the balance between innovation and accountability, forcing ad tech firms to prove that smarter targeting doesn’t come at the cost of user trust. Brands relying on opaque data streams or third-party targeting tech may face similar scrutiny. For CMOs, it underscores the need to audit data pipelines and vet AI partners for regulatory resilience.
OpenAI is now allowing users to connect to select third-party apps within the ChatGPT interface. The integrations expand the chatbot’s utility while encouraging users to spend more time within the platform. Consumers may not yet be willing to make transactions within ChatGPT, but they are open to its recommendations. ChatGPT’s integrations with Expedia and Booking.com could transform how people approach trip planning, all while siphoning more traffic from Google—and familiarizing users with the idea of making more purchasing decisions with the help of AI.
United Airlines teamed up with Instacart to give its loyalty program members sweetened perks like free grocery delivery and bonus miles. The $0 delivery fee—what United calls a first for an airline—applies on orders placed just before, during, or shortly after a domestic flight. Loyalty program participants can also earn miles for setting up new Instacart+ memberships and for linking their United and Instacart accounts.The United-Instacart collaboration is more than just a marketing tie-up. It shows how companies are responding to the desire for more flexible loyalty programs and sets the stage for more cross-industry ties among retailers, travel companies, and other industries.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the moving target that is consumers’ perception of using AI in advertising, how marketers feel about the technology, and the share of ad buying that is likely to be delegated to AI. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Analyst, Marisa Jones, and Senior Analyst, Gadjo Sevilla. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Nearly half (49%) of middle-income US holiday shoppers are concerned that gifts will be more expensive this year, according to July 2025 data from Bankrate.
PayPal will make its Pay Monthly installment loans available in-store in the US ahead of the holiday season. For competing BNPL providers, PayPal’s rewards structure now far outstrips what most of them offer. Competitors should consider more strategic partnerships with desirable Gen Z and millennial brands to strike directly at the root of where young consumers are shopping, and cut deals with those merchants for more favorable cash back rewards.
To modernize its image, Cracker Barrel swapped its heritage-rich logo for a sleek, simplified wordmark. The change sparked immediate backlash, forcing the company to reverse course days later. The rebrand faltered for several reasons, chief among them a failure to understand its core audience.
TikTok is increasing subscription revenue shares for US and Canadian creators, now offering these creators as much as 90% of subscription earnings, per a company announcement. Advertisers should maintain strong partnerships with TikTok creators for their ability to connect with large, engaged audiences, but continue exploring other short-form opportunities in the event that the US-exclusive TikTok app causes an audience exodus or has other unforeseen problems.
Adobe Analytics projects US holiday ecommerce sales to grow 5.3% year over year to $253.4 billion, marking a sharp slowdown from last season’s 8.7% gain as higher prices and cautious consumer sentiment curb spending. Retailers are expected to mirror last year’s steep discounts, using strategic markdowns to entice shoppers toward higher-value purchases. At the same time, AI-powered shopping and social commerce are transforming buying behavior, with AI-driven traffic forecast to jump 520% and social sales up 51%, reshaping how consumers discover and decide what to buy.
DoorDash rolled out a series of updates to make it easier for advertisers to purchase inventory and measure campaigns. Intermediaries like DoorDash are benefiting from advertisers’ frustrations around walled gardens and measurement challenges. We expect US commerce intermediary media network ad spending to jump 20.2% this year to $2.74 billion—nearly 40% higher than the combined retail media revenues of Target, eBay, and Etsy.
Walmart’s OnePay will reportedly offer crypto trading and custody through its banking app, per CNBC. Major retailers like Walmart and Amazon can save substantial margin on each transaction if they can get consumers to use their own crypto instead of traditional payment rails. While the ramp up to stablecoin issuance would take time, more operationally ready ventures like crypto-powered remittances stand as easier plays to execute.
American Express debuted Amex Ads, a new digital advertising platform that allows brands to connect with its 34 million customers, per a press release. Amex Ads will go live on AmexTravel.com before spreading to other Amex platforms. Amex has the power to link advertisers with high-spending consumers, which are driving the bulk of US spending during a period of economic uncertainty—and Amex’s earnings. By granting access to consumers who already are interested in prestige travel and dining experiences, advertisers can attach themselves to Amex’s strong brand halo for luxury experiences, delivering strong ROI for ad spend.
Brazil-based Nubank applied to the OCC for a national bank charter to expand into a country with an adult population of over 250 million and a substantial Latino demographic, particularly in the Southwest.Acquiring a national bank charter doesn’t mean opening a bank for the sake of deposits and lending—payment services without a bank partner may be the goal, at least for now. That would connect Latin Americans with counterparts in the US, competing with remittance services. But a splashy entrance into the US would mean a fight against megabanks for higher-income customers and behemoths like Chime for customers underserved by traditional financial institutions.
Starbucks and Target tapped into the buzz around the release of Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” to help fuel their turnaround. The stakes are high for both companies as they struggle to get customers excited about their offerings. At the same time, the question for both Starbucks and Target is whether they can turn the short-term bump into lasting growth.
Drone delivery is finally taking flight in the US, with major quick-service chains launching pilot programs to test airborne burrito and chicken deliveries. Uber Eats and Flytrex plan drone pilots by late 2025, while Dave’s Hot Chicken, Chipotle, and GoTo Foods are running tests across California and Texas with partners like Matternet, Zipline, and Wing. Looser regulations and better tech are driving momentum, though most efforts remain small-scale. Still, even if drone delivery doesn’t revolutionize logistics, the buzz positions these brands as forward-thinking innovators gaining valuable PR lift.
Novo Nordisk is partnering with Costco to offer the retailer’s members Ozempic and Wegovy for $499 per month, or about half off what the medications cost patients without insurance. Novo tapping into Costco’s customer base of over 100 million US cardholders is a savvy play, especially considering that Costco members skew toward higher-income compared with shoppers generally. Novo and Costco can specifically market to new mothers and families broadly who may be struggling with weight gain due to their busy lives.
Paramount is betting on creator credibility to rebuild trust in mainstream news. The company’s $150 million acquisition of The Free Press brings its founder, Bari Weiss, to CBS News as editor-in-chief—an unprecedented crossover between creator-led media and legacy broadcasting. Weiss’s Substack-born outlet, with 1.5 million subscribers, will remain independent while lending its audience trust to Paramount’s broader news portfolio. The move reflects a growing convergence between individual-led journalism and traditional networks struggling to regain public confidence. Success will hinge on whether CBS and The Free Press can balance editorial independence with corporate oversight while preserving the authenticity audiences value most.
OpenAI’s Sora app surged to the top of the iPhone App Store’s free app chart despite its invite-only status, marking consumer demand for AI-heavy social experiences. It surpassed both OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, the latter of which recently topped App Store charts with its social media-friendly Nano Banana AI image-editing feature. This is a new creative playground, where brands can test community-driven campaigns with a highly engaged audience. Marketers should experiment with various types of content to see what goes viral in an AI-first social environment to prepare for a new social media landscape and capitalize on emerging platforms.