On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three big questions surrounding Meta in Q3 and beyond: How will AI-generated social video affect social media? What’s the biggest takeaway regarding Meta using AI chatbot conversations to target ads? And do Meta's new smart glasses really have a future? Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Analyst Emmy Liederman, and Principal Analyst Minda Smiley. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Disney and YouTube TV struck a new carriage agreement late Friday, ending a nearly two-week clash that made more than 20 Disney channels, including ESPN and ABC, unavailable on the pay TV service. The outcome reinforces that YouTube is one of the most powerful forces in digital video, pay TV, and streaming. With a pay TV audience that eclipses its competitors and a viewership that is increasingly moving to digital platforms, YouTube TV is well positioned to capture sports-hungry audiences and the advertisers eager to reach them.
Starbucks unveiled a new holiday drink available exclusively at Target stores. The release of the limited-edition Frozen Peppermint Hot Chocolate marks the first time the two companies have collaborated on a holiday drink. While the holiday exclusive won’t address their deeper challenges, it’s the right note to hit at a time when shoppers need extra motivation to visit a Starbucks or Target store.
Travelers are becoming more comfortable with AI and incorporating it into their trip discovery and planning processes, presenting an opportunity for travel companies to apply the technology for decision-making and customer experiences. However, the travel industry is still in an experimental phase and could be missing user and revenue gains. To capitalize on travelers’ use of and confidence in AI, travel companies need to move from testing the technology to fully integrating it. That includes building traveler trust through transparency, investing in data infrastructure, and exploring consumer-facing AI agents.
Agency and digital marketers are adopting AI en masse, but notable confidence and training gaps could hinder execution and ROI. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of agency and brand marketers worldwide plan to use AI next year, per MIQ. However, less than half (45%) are confident in their ability to use it to drive operational efficiencies. CMOs need to treat upskilling as a core investment so employees can help support pilots and work independently on AI-driven projects. Leaders should develop role-specific training paths, establish AI leads to answer project questions, and offer prompt libraries to safely practice engaging with AI.
OpenAI's GPT-5.1, a notable model upgrade with improved prompt comprehension over the poorly received GPT-5, is now equipped with seven personality options. Marketers should test how GPT 5.1 and the chatbot’s personalities align with specific tasks and brand tone and voice. Agencies working with numerous brands can use the chatbot’s personalities to meet the various requirements of clients, such as Professional for more serious product campaigns—for example, a pharma or financial company—and Friendly or Quirky for Christmas campaigns from fashion brands.
Google is expanding its AI-powered travel planning and booking tools, introducing Canvas itineraries and broader agentic booking features directly within AI Mode in Search. The update brings real-time flight and hotel data, personalized recommendations, and streamlined reservations across major platforms, with full flight and hotel bookings coming soon. Google is also rolling out its Flight Deals tool globally. The shift toward surfacing these capabilities in Search should boost adoption and intensify pressure on travel companies that lag in AI-driven decision-making.
While 45% of US adults expect free shipping on any order, 16% of those consumers will not make a purchase if they have to pay for shipping, revealed August 2025 data from Radial and Dynata.
According to a PYMNTS study sponsored by Block, 42% of scam victims consider changing to a new bank, and 19% have done so. That may be nearly 10 percentage points higher than bank switching in the general population. The financial losses FIs face from compensating customers for fraud and chasing down lost funds may eclipse their loss of business from customers who have been scammed. FIs’ brand value may also fall when they fail to put in place the right protections.
Walmart and Target will both transition to new CEOs on February 1, but the circumstances behind the changes diverge sharply. Walmart is handing John Furner a business with strong momentum, expanding ecommerce capabilities, rising membership adoption, and continued innovation, including its partnership with OpenAI. Target, by contrast, is passing leadership to Michael Fiddelke as sales soften, traffic slows, and its digital efforts lag behind key rivals. The continuity approach aligns with Walmart’s stable trajectory, but Target’s persistent challenges suggest it would benefit from broader strategic shifts to regain competitiveness.
Google offered remedies to settle an antitrust case in the European Union following a nearly €3 billion ($3.5 billion) fine arguing that Google abuses its dominance in digital advertising. The EU’s tough stance signals that the global regulatory environment is intensifying.
A Snapchat, Publicis Media, and Ipsos study revealed creator preferences for brand collaborations, outlining the path ahead for brands who increasingly rely on influencer marketing. Accounting for creator preferences is key to striking influencer partnerships that last and make a tangible impact.
Chinese sellers are facing intensifying pressure as the EU fast-tracks the closure of its de minimis loophole amid a rapid rise in low-value parcel imports, complicating efforts by platforms like Shein and Temu already contending with poor reception, legal scrutiny, and safety violations in Europe. With Chinese regulators also tightening oversight by demanding detailed sales data, sellers built around rock-bottom pricing are encountering diminishing returns. The environment is pushing brands to pivot toward stronger compliance and higher product quality, a shift that mirrors the success of players like Anker and is becoming increasingly necessary as global rules harden.
Amazon quietly introduced agentic shopping capabilities to its Rufus chatbot last week. Customers can now ask Rufus to monitor products and make a purchase when an item reaches a target price or discount level. Amazon’s “Auto Buy” feature could make Rufus more useful for deal-seeking shoppers this holiday season—provided they know the option exists and trust the chatbot’s accuracy. Over the long term, adding more agentic features to Rufus—which has been used by 250 million active customers this year alone—could enable Amazon to satisfy shoppers’ desire for AI assistance without ceding ground to platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Some Capital One debit cardholders feel dissatisfied with the shift from Mastercard to the Discover network, per The Wall Street Journal. Taking a slow, comprehensive approach to changing card products is critical to maintaining cardholder trust and loyalty. Consumers need assurance that their card will be accepted wherever they shop. Competing issuers can flex their cards’ stability through the Mastercard-Visa duopoly or emphasize their broadening acceptance internationally, like American Express. As travel becomes a tentpole feature of premium rewards, emphasizing acceptance in far-flung locales can entice high-spending wealthy consumers to stick with issuers on major network providers, instead of using a smaller competitor.
Global Payments released a modular, countertop point-of-sale (POS) platform for Genius to serve merchants of all sizes, per a press release. The platform can run as a countertop device, customer-facing display or kiosk, or a wall mount. Launching flexible devices could help lure back merchants looking for value, especially SMBs hoping to slowly build out their POS base platform as they grow. However, economic uncertainty is tamping down consumer spending—and hitting hardest the small- and medium-sized businesses that are most likely to seek out modular solutions. Pairing AI software solutions with customizable POS platforms could help entice merchants that want to automate the busywork from their businesses and reclaim time for critical tasks.
Circle reported $740 million in total revenues and reserve income for Q3 2025, up 66% growth YoY. Circle additionally wants to build a platform around USDC to encourage adoption by financial institutions, remittances players, and fintechs. To break into consumer-facing payments, stablecoin issuers need to make it easy for partners to integrate their coins into their cross-border payment systems. By offering remittance senders lower fees is already part of crypto’s appeal. Stablecoin issuers can take that a step further by offering recipients yield-bearing accounts to store their funds to compete with incumbent rivals that have more established reputations and brand recognition.
“To say that anybody has an emotional response to any marketing expression is the highest praise one might receive,” said Nicolas Chidiac, chief strategy officer at Razorfish. “But the reality is it’s a significantly harder reality to materialize.” The gap between belief and consumer behavior is wider than many realize.