Jimmy Kimmel Live has been pulled off the air after FCC chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, threatened Disney and ABC over the host’s political monologue. Carr called Kimmel “talentless” and suggested the FCC could leverage broadcast license renewals to punish Disney, a move critics see as regulatory overreach. The standoff highlights the growing risk of political retaliation in broadcast media. Advertisers and networks now face new uncertainty: satire has long defined late-night programming, yet even the suggestion of FCC intervention could pressure networks to self-censor and brands to reconsider ad placements.
Olive Garden is testing lower-priced entrées with smaller portion sizes, parent Darden said, to woo consumers who are price-conscious as well as those on weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Darden’s investments in pricing are helping it win spending from value-conscious consumers, who are looking to get more bang for their buck—and a clear idea of what a night out will cost them. While keeping prices low may hurt short-term profits, the company is confident that its value focus will position it to boost sales and take share.
Amazon sellers using sponsored product ads now have access to Amazon’s Marketing Cloud clean room. Amazon’s expanded access to its clean room solution will enable SMBs to measure and optimize campaigns with the same sophistication as enterprise advertisers while allowing the ad giant to accelerate its push against larger rivals.
Meta is making its boldest play yet for wearable computing, unveiling $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses with a lens display, onboard Meta AI, and a neural wristband for gesture control. Meta won’t stand alone in the field for long if it can prove smart glasses are more than a novelty. Apple, Google, Amazon, and Snap will follow, each layering AR into their ecosystems and competing to define the next advertising frontier. For brands, this means new hooks—ads woven into navigation, translation, and real-world interactions—that feel less like interruptions and more like an extension of everyday life.
While social media drives discovery, it serves primarily as a path to purchase—not as the final destination. Over three-quarters (78%) of US consumers say their purchases are influenced by brands on social media, per Clutch’s From Scroll to Sale report. However, only 15% use social media platforms or apps to make direct purchases. The opportunity in social media commerce lies not just in driving discovery, but closing the gap between interest and action. Brands can earn trust by setting up mechanics like secure checkout to promote cybersecurity and maintaining consistency between marketing voice and website appearance to avoid confusing customers.
As AI fundamentally changes how consumers find products and services, experts continue to explore what marketers must do to adapt. "The most surprising thing, the most pressing thing about AI adoption isn't just that people are starting to use it. It's that they're trusting it, it's that they're using it within their shopping journeys," said EMARKETER analyst Nate Elliott during last week's Future of Digital Summit.
The vast majority (89%) of US adults use generative AI (genAI), per a Centerfield GenAI Consumer Survey commissioned by Search Engine Land. But not everyone uses it the same way. Eighty-seven percent read AI summaries in search results, and the same percentage have used AI for shopping, but only 41% click on a source link after reading a summary. Training and education are top next steps. Keyword research will become less important as competitor analysis ramps up. SEO/GEO specialists need to understand specific user needs and the companies surfacing in AI results to adopt their methods.
Amazon Ads has unveiled an agentic AI tool inside Creative Studio, designed to serve as a real-time creative partner for advertisers. Through a conversational interface, brands can brainstorm, storyboard, and generate professional-quality video and display ads in hours instead of weeks—at no extra cost. Powered by AWS models like Amazon Nova and Anthropic Claude, the system combines retail insights with automation to democratize high-quality ad creation once limited to big-budget brands. Early testers, including Nestlé Health Science, praised its ability to surface new insights and scale campaigns, underscoring how platforms like Amazon, Meta, and Google are redefining advertising.
YouTube is piloting Edit with AI, a remixing tool that turns raw smartphone footage into draft Shorts. The system automatically selects highlights, adds transitions, suggests music, and even generates voiceovers in English or Hindi. The goal is to give creators a starting point for Shorts rather than making them edit from scratch, per TechCrunch. For advertisers, this creates a twofold opportunity: more ad inventory and a larger, more engaged audience than on TikTok. Marketers should prioritize Shorts in their media mix now. Test campaigns to remain competitive and build creative strategies that balance AI efficiency with human authenticity.
Almost all US adults (95%) have heard of AI, and 88% are at least somewhat concerned about it, per a Pew Research Center survey. Most (73%) are willing to let AI help them in daily tasks at least a little, per the survey. Three-quarters (77%) of adults ages 19 to 29 would agree to AI assistance. Although US consumers are concerned about AI, they’re willing to use it in some scenarios. AI that simplifies their lives without taking away their creativity will fare the best. Personalization, product recommendations, and search assistants will help consumers speed up their shopping journeys.
One in three Gen Zers and one in four millennials prefer to go to generative AI (genAI) platforms—not search, social media, or influencers—when deciding what to buy, per a new Future Commerce survey of consumers from Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the US. Trust in AI is a key driver, with these users viewing platforms as trusted companions, not just tools. Brands that design campaigns to build discovery and trust within AI-driven journeys will amplify their reach and relevance as AI-assisted shopping scales.
Amazon has unveiled an upgraded AI-powered Seller Assistant designed to streamline operations for third-party sellers by automating product listings, ad creation, inventory management, and strategic planning. The tool, showcased at the Amazon Accelerate conference, shifts sellers from handling every task themselves to collaborating with an intelligent assistant that acts like an expert team. Already embraced by over 1.3 million sellers, it has boosted ad performance and improved listing quality, leading to higher conversions. Our view is that by lowering barriers and equipping even small businesses with sophisticated tools, Amazon strengthens its marketplace efficiency while enhancing customer choice and shopping experiences.
Nearly 9 in 10 US adults (88%) are stressed about grocery prices—including 53% who say food costs are a major source of stress—according to a July AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey. This news comes as food prices continue to go up. The US Consumer Price Index for food increased 0.5% in August MoM. Grocery prices, as measured by the food-at-home index, rose 0.6% from July and were up 2.7% YoY. Grocery stores may be the most visible flashpoint for consumers’ financial stress, but the ripple effects extend far beyond food. The financial strain is prompting fundamental shifts in how people shop, which all retailers will need to watch closely in the back half of the year.
Beauty companies are rapidly diversifying beyond traditional sales channels to adapt to changing consumer behaviors and seize opportunities made possible by ecommerce, social platforms, and digital tools. This push is designed to forge closer, more direct connections with shoppers. Selling through multiple channels is no longer a choice in beauty. Consumers now shop across apps, websites, social media and stores, and brands that don’t meet them where they are will lose out. Still, distribution alone won’t set brands apart. Beauty companies that win will offer technology like AR try-ons, use their physical stores as hubs where people can gather for makeup classes and to sample products, and sell through external retailers while also beefing up their own direct channels.
A new study shows that Eli Lilly's oral weight loss drug is more effective than Novo Nordisk's oral diabetes drug for type 2 patients. Novo also touted its own clinical study for its higher-dose 25-mg pill, currently under FDA review as “Wegovy pill,” which resulted in average 16.6% weight loss among patients. That’s on par with Wegovy’s injectable version. We think the key to success will come down to pricing. Consumers and payers are balking at current $500 to $1,000 per month injectable drug costs. With lower effectiveness rates, and cheaper upfront manufacturing, pills will likely be priced lower—but just how low will determine market success. A low-cost pill, paired with clear value messaging for distinct audience segments, will drive broader adoption and fuel sales growth.
Snap introduced Snap OS 2.0, the software powering its AR Spectacles on Monday. The update brings a native browser with WebXR support with a customizable home screen and widgets, bookmarks, and multitasking features like window resizing. For marketers, the release signals that vertical, immersive formats will move off the phone and into ambient spaces. Brands should test AR-ready creative now, as early adopters of wearable platforms will shape consumer expectations when Snap, Meta, and Amazon push glasses into the mainstream.
Target is expanding next-day delivery service to 35 US markets by the end of next month as it prepares for the holidays and looks to better compete with Amazon and Walmart. Markets that will gain next-day delivery include San Diego; Orlando and Tampa, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Cleveland. In stepping up its next-day delivery, Target recognizes that the competitive stakes in retail are escalating. Its recent sales softness suggests it may be at risk of falling off shoppers’ radar as speed, selection, and convenience become critical retail differentiators.
In this podcast episode, we discuss the backlash to Delta’s decision to use personalized AI pricing, how consumers feel about dynamic pricing, and if there is a way for retailers to implement it without losing shopper trust. Listen to the discussion with Analyst and guest host, Rachel Wolff, Vice President of Content, Suzy Davidkhanian, and Senior Analyst, Zak Stambor.