AI will soon redefine how people find information. As search engines and generative AI engines converge, the next wave of discovery is emerging—and marketers who invest in AI optimization now will secure an early advantage.

90% or more of consumer goods’ decision-makers are using AI technologies, including generative, predictive, and agentic AI, or plan to use them in the next two years, according to a June 2025 survey from Salesforce.

Pinterest is giving users control over the flood of genAI content on the platform with a new tuner that allows users to control how much genAI content they see in specific categories, per a Thursday announcement. By giving users control over how much genAI content they see, Pinterest is creating a safer environment for advertisers, reducing the risk for brands by ensuring ads don’t appear alongside content that audiences dislike or want to avoid.

“Everything is shoppable,” said Christi Geary, executive vice president and head of agency at Advantage Marketing Partners (AMP), during a session at Advertising Week New York. “It’s no longer negotiable. It’s no longer a question of, should I pay attention here or there? You should pay attention everywhere, and you should do it all at a time, all at once.”

Healthcare marketing faces unique challenges as skeptical consumers find it hard to trust much of the messaging sent their way.

AI is rapidly becoming central to retail operations, with 45% of organizations using AI tools daily and nearly all planning to sustain or increase investments next year, according to an Amperity survey. While fears of mass job losses have yet to materialize, ongoing economic pressures—including weak consumer sentiment, rising inflation, and a softening labor market—are driving a surge in layoffs. As companies turn to AI to boost efficiency and manage costs, the challenge lies in balancing automation with the human expertise needed to navigate uncertain times.

Meta announced updates to its brand safety and suitability capabilities for Threads and Instagram this week as it looks to gain advertiser trust in its platforms amid regulatory scrutiny. The new restrictions are a double-edged sword. On one hand, advertisers will have increased confidence in their ability to appear next to safe content that doesn’t damage brand image. But on the other hand, reaching younger audiences helping drive growth could become more challenging and require nuance.

TiVo DVRs, Microsoft’s Windows 10, and Apple’s short-form video app Clips have all reached the end of the line in recent weeks. Each defined a digital moment—or a glimpse of the future—before succumbing to the same inevitable march of progress. The best brands treat change not as loss but as momentum by moving users, data, and goodwill forward before obsolescence arrives. Every innovation carries its own expiration date. Brands that don’t write their ending risk having it written for them.

United Airlines is forecasting record-breaking Q4 profits as CEO Scott Kirby credits international travel and high-spending passengers for driving growth, with premium cabin and loyalty program revenues up 6% and 9% year over year. The optimism echoes Delta’s positive outlook, but the broader travel market shows strain: only 21% of US adults plan to travel this holiday season, according to Bankrate, down from 27% last year. As costs rise and options shrink, especially for younger travelers, the industry faces a widening divide—prospering at the top while losing price-sensitive consumers it can’t afford to ignore.

Gen X and millennial women are a key force in the personal care and beauty market. They’re outpacing overall market averages across several core product categories, underscoring their importance for brand growth and retailer strategy.

Google is embedding its Gemini AI deeper into Gmail with Help Me Schedule—an assistant that proactively identifies when users are trying to set a meeting and auto-suggests times directly within the message. The recipient just picks a slot, and it’s booked for both. GenAI is now part of the fabric of work—booking meetings, writing copy, summarizing calls. Tools like Gemini and Copilot go beyond boosting output to freeing agencies and creatives from menial tasks, giving them back time to focus on ideas that actually move the brand forward.

DirecTV and Glance will bring AI-powered ads to idle TV screens in 2026, per Digital Trends. Instead of a screensaver, DirecTV’s streaming devices will display personalized AI content, opening doors for shoppable ads, travel ideas, news, and more. Personalization is key for those spots to succeed. Advertisers should focus on demographics and viewing context for placements. If the ads don’t feel relevant or include images that delve into uncanny valley, consumers could turn off the TV and leave the brand altogether.

Foot traffic to indoor malls surged 6.3% YoY in May, outpacing outlet malls (3.5%) and open-air shopping centers (4.7%), according to a September report from Placer.ai.

As Primark celebrates its 10-year anniversary in the US, the European retail giant navigates the challenges of building brand awareness in a competitive American market while staying true to its core value proposition that made it a cultural institution in the UK and Ireland.

Small business customers increasingly expect “best-in-class, highly sophisticated digital capabilities” and integrated experiences, according to a Finovate interview with Shruti Patal, chief product officer for business banking at U.S. Bank. But small businesses have historically been underserved digitally by their financial institutions, especially relative to consumers. U.S. Bank’s moves to modernize its small business banking digital experience are crucial to keeping its offering competitive against nonbank software providers, fintechs, and other banks. Its partnerships and all-in-one model for its business banking platform keep it in the running.

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The FDA sent another batch of warning letters to direct-to-consumer pharma advertisers, adding healthcare professional marketing to its list of complaints. Marketers should prepare for more intense medical and legal review checks, but also expand beyond brand messaging rather than pullback on the key HCP prescriber audience.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how much of a splash ChatGPT’s new ‘Instant Checkout’ is likely to make, what kinds of things people are most likely to use it to buy, and if Amazon and Google can offer compelling alternatives. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and guest host, Marcus Johnson, and Senior Analysts, Carina Lamb (formerly Perkins) and Zak Stambor.

Netflix is making its first big move into the podcast business in a deal with Spotify that will see the popular streaming platform showcase a selection of Spotify video podcasts in 2026. For creators, the partnership will unlock a distribution channel that grants access to a vast and engaged audience—capitalizing on Netflix’s massive user base and the consistent rise in podcast listeners.

Black Friday is set to dominate the 2025 holiday shopping season once again, with Bain forecasting that 55% of US consumers plan to shop the day after Thanksgiving, driving online sales up 5.2% to $12.04 billion. Despite economic uncertainty and waning consumer confidence, value-driven shoppers are expected to flock to early promotions extending into a “Cyber Dozen” period. Retailers like Amazon and Best Buy are likely to continue early deals, while strategic discounting around the Cyber Five will be critical as consumers tighten spending. Retailers' focus should be timing promotions for maximum impact amid cautious holiday sentiment.

OpenAI created an Expert Council on Well-Being and AI—a panel of eight behavioral and mental health specialists tasked to guide how AI tools like ChatGPT and Sora interact with users, per Ars Technica. CEO Sam Altman also announced on X that, “now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases.” OpenAI’s loosening guardrails shift responsibility to brands and users who must now share in the responsibility to define and enforce their own ethical boundaries.

Demand for Korean beauty products is soaring, helping buoy industry sales even as growth slows. US shoppers spent $2 billion on K-beauty products in the 12 months ended July, up 37% YoY, per Nielsen data shared with Business Insider. The Hallyu wave shows no signs of ebbing. Korea’s rising cultural influence is being felt on everything from films to music to food, with global spending on Korean cultural exports expected to nearly double by 2030.

Dollar Tree projected earnings per share to grow up to 15% annually over the next three years, boosted by operational efficiencies and the absence of recent one-off costs. The retailer reaffirmed Q3 guidance for 3.8% comparable-store sales growth and expects a high-teens EPS increase in fiscal 2026. With more affluent shoppers trading down amid inflation, Dollar Tree’s recent Family Dollar divestiture sharpens its focus on the core brand. Its growth strategy emphasizes value, convenience, and an expanded price mix—but long-term success will hinge on elevating the in-store experience for higher-income customers.

Content maintenance is no longer optional if brands want to stay visible in generative engines and chatbot answers. Over 70% of pages cited by ChatGPT were updated within the past 12 months, per AirOps’ The Silent Pipeline Killer report, making content renewal and refreshing a must for relevance in AI outputs. Brands that treat content as an ongoing performance lever, not just a one-time project, will earn sustained visibility and trust in generative AI (genAI) results. For CMOs, that means rethinking content strategy as a living ecosystem, where freshness is the new SEO.