The news: Klarna and Afterpay will not share the majority of their consumers’ loan information with credit bureaus until they can receive confirmation that their customers will not be penalized for seeking buy now, pay later (BNPL) plans. Our take: Affirm’s early plunge into credit reporting has been blunted against its competitors’ refusal to participate in the system, but it still takes the reputational lead in terms of being a “trustworthy” provider.
The news: Advertisers are increasing investment in up-and-coming digital advertising channels as the shift away from traditional continues, per a DoubleVerify study. Social media maintains the highest level of investment among North American marketers. Seventy-nine percent are already investing, while 19% have plans to. Our take: High-performing traditional ad formats are being overlooked because they’re harder to measure—but optimizing for attribution over outcomes could come at a cost.
The news: More than one-third of Pinterest’s 570 million global users are men (30.4% in the US), driven largely by Gen Z, per the company’s first Pinterest Men’s Trend Report. Their searches—spanning fitness, grooming, parenting, and finance—upend stereotypes and signal new ad opportunities. Our take: Advertisers have an opportunity to plug into Pinterest’s male-centric expansion with the following strategies. Launch campaigns via the “Pinterest Man” hub and align creative with top categories (fitness, skincare, parenting). Partner with male creators to boost authenticity, engagement, and time spent. Use Pinterest’s gender-specific analytics and trend reports to optimize ad timing and targeting.
In an EMARKETER interview, Reddit COO Jen Wong shared optimism following the platform’s strong Q2, highlighting its focus on delivering ad outcomes over increasing ad load. Despite capturing just over 1% of US social ad spend, Reddit is growing ARPU through investments in machine learning, creative tools like Memorable AI, and advertiser infrastructure. Wong emphasized Reddit’s auction model supports full-funnel goals, while global expansion is underway through localized insights and self-serve adoption. She spotlighted Reddit Community Intelligence as a milestone, enabling brands to tap into decades of authentic discussion data. The company’s long-term bet: authenticity will outperform algorithms.
The result: Mercado Libre’s ad business is gaining speed—and shows no signs of slowing. Retail media revenues jumped 59% YoY on a currency-neutral basis in Q2. Our take: Mercado Libre’s retail media engine is firing on all cylinders, providing high-margin fuel to support key growth levers like free shipping and brand marketing. But while advertising can help offset those costs, it can’t carry the full weight—especially as broader profitability shows signs of strain. “Mercado Libre’s first-mover advantage laid the foundation for its retail media dominance in Latin America, but its real edge lies in continued ad innovation,” said EMARKETER principal analyst Matteo Ceurvels, pointing to new offsite offerings like the Display Extended Network and a deeper push into CTV.
China is taking more decisive steps to encourage domestic consumption and rein in price wars that are fueling deflation and straining trade relations. Beijing said it would allocate an additional RMB 69 billion ($9.6 billion) to its consumer goods trade-in program starting in October, bringing the total funds issued this year to RMB 300 billion ($41.87 billion). At the same time, the government plans to “address disorderly competition among enterprises” and more closely scrutinize overcapacity in key industries, according to a Politburo statement. Addressing both issues—domestic consumption and damaging price wars—are key to China’s ability to weather higher tariffs and expand its influence on a global stage. But that’s easier said than done.
The news: Google is gearing up for a wide release of ads in AI Mode search as advertisers grapple with concerns over brand safety and performance erosion in AI-curated environments. Our take: Even as concerns over Google’s ad dominance linger and advertisers consider competitors, cutting spend on Google entirely remains highly unlikely—but the dominoes are stacking up against Google. Ads in AI mode shows the search giant is taking steps to protect itself in an increasingly competitive ecosystem.
The news: Yum Brands Q2 earnings and revenues fell short of analysts’ expectations. Our take: Despite Yum Brands’ efforts to sharpen its value proposition, economic uncertainty still took a bite out of its performance. Consumers are thinking twice about where and when they eat out amid growing concerns over tariffs and a weakening labor market. That caution is hitting nearly every quick-service chain, from Chipotle to McDonald’s, and Yum Brands isn’t immune.
The news: President Trump said to CNBC on Tuesday that forthcoming tariffs on pharma products imported to the US could reach 250%. It’s the highest rate on pharma tariffs that Trump has mentioned to date. Our take: 250% is an enormous number, but it’s more of a threat than an end result that will impair the sector. Such a high levy rate will likely spur further manufacturing commitments, which is something Big Pharma is prepared for—especially if they’re given 18 months to move more production to the US.
The news: A California court ruled Meta’s collection of menstrual health data violated state privacy laws, per TechCrunch. The takeaway: The Meta case puts tech companies that use health data for ad targeting and marketing on notice. Explicit consent and absolute transparency is not only legally critical around healthcare data, but also key to building trust with consumers.
The trend: Consumers are less satisfied with chain drugstores than with mail-order pharmacies, mass market merchandisers, and supermarket pharmacies, according to JD Power’s US Pharmacy Study. Our take: We expect consumers to increasingly explore different channels for getting their prescriptions, both in-person and online—especially folks in areas affected by drugstore closures. CVS and Walgreens have a built-in advantage of established pharmacy customers, but will lose more of them if they don’t address long lines at the counter and improve their online and in-app capabilities.
The news: Noom is now selling microdoses of compounded GLP-1 semaglutide for weight loss with a lower price tag and fewer side effects. Our take: GLP-1 microdosing is booming on social media trend and although weight loss drugmakers Novo and Lilly have neither studied nor endorsed mini doses, it’s another tactic for telehealth providers like Noom to stay in the weight loss game. We expect GLP-1 microdosing to gain marketing steam among telehealths this year.
Over half of Gen Z, millennial, and Gen X consumers open to pause ads say the ability to save offers/reminders would make the ads better, according to April 2025 data from MAGNA Media Trials and DIRECTV Advertising. Nearly as many (46%) baby boomers say the same.
The news: Roku launched Howdy, a streaming service for just $2.99 per month. It will initially be available through the Roku platform, with further rollout on mobile and beyond in the works.Our take: With 2.5% of all TV watch time—more than any other FAST provider—Roku has the audience to promote Howdy effectively. It must ensure that Howdy feels essential, not disposable, and that its content delivers real value. Still, with price sensitivity increasing and tolerance for ads shrinking, Howdy has clear appeal—especially among users seeking affordable streaming without sacrificing experience. If Roku executes on distribution and content strategy, Howdy could quietly scale into a meaningful revenue stream. Our take: With 2.5% of all TV watch time—more than any other FAST provider—Roku has the audience to promote Howdy effectively. It must ensure that Howdy feels essential, not disposable, and that its content delivers real value. Still, with price sensitivity increasing and tolerance for ads shrinking, Howdy has clear appeal—especially among users seeking affordable streaming without sacrificing experience. If Roku executes on distribution and content strategy, Howdy could quietly scale into a meaningful revenue stream. Our take: With 2.5% of all TV watch time—more than any other FAST provider—Roku has the audience to promote Howdy effectively. It must ensure that Howdy feels essential, not disposable, and that its content delivers real value. Still, with price sensitivity increasing and tolerance for ads shrinking, Howdy has clear appeal—especially among users seeking affordable streaming without sacrificing experience. If Roku executes on distribution and content strategy, Howdy could quietly scale into a meaningful revenue stream.
The news: Big Tech’s Q2 2025 earnings reveal Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), Meta, and Amazon are expected to spend up to $364 billion to $400 billion collectively on capital expenditures in their 2025 fiscal years, with the vast majority targeted toward AI-related infrastructure, per The Wall Street Journal. Our first take: Big Tech is doubling down on generative AI (genAI) as its next growth engine. This massive buildout is already squeezing cloud margins, straining data center capacity and igniting a talent arms race.
Coach plans to open more than 20 of its Coach Coffee Shops in retail and outlet stores this year, per Business of Fashion. There’s a reason so many luxury brands are turning to hospitality concepts: They are an excellent way to get shoppers through the door, and to keep them spending—even if it’s just on a cup of coffee or branded baseball cap.
The news: Disney and the NFL struck a landmark deal late last week that gives the entertainment giant access to a suite of high-profile NFL content in exchange for an undisclosed equity stake in ESPN that is “potentially worth billions,” per The Athletic. Our take: It won’t be long before the lines of power in the sports streaming world are reexamined once more, and the Disney-NFL deal foreshadows that ESPN may get marquee NFL rights next time around. YouTube’s Sunday Ticket contract with the NFL expires in 2030, with Amazon’s Thursday Night Football agreement ending three years later.
The news: Direct messages (DMs) are becoming a key channel to reach consumers as follower growth, once the gold standard for social media success, declines. The average number of shares for brands on TikTok increased 60% quarter over quarter in Q1, per Dash Social’s 2025 Social Media Trends report, showing a pivot toward private content distribution. At the same time, average monthly follower growth for brands on TikTok dropped 27% YoY. Our take: The rise of DMs as a preferred engagement channel signals a deeper shift in social media strategy—from public broadcasting to private conversation—that requires brands to prioritize intimacy to maintain trust and drive meaningful outcomes.
Kroger has consolidated its retail media, consumer insights, and loyalty marketing capabilities under the Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM) brand.