The trend: Healthcare professionals are worried that social media influence promotes unhealthy fad diets, per a new Sermo survey. Our take: Healthcare professionals risk losing credibility with patients, who are turning to more relatable (albeit maybe more unreliable) social media influencers. Doctors and nurses will need to enroll in CME nutrition courses and lean into their medical expertise when patients are in the office to offer guidance on nutrition, without seeming heavyhanded.
The news: Pharma companies can earn a speedier path to approvals for new drugs if they agree to lower US prices to global levels. The takeaway: Pharma companies are on board with faster drug approvals and higher global prices, but they still make the bulk of their profits on US sales. By adopting good faith balanced stances—advocating for fairer pricing, but highlighting innovation—pharma can notch wins with the administration and consumers.
The trend: Investments in AI-powered digital health startups drove an increase in total VC funding for the sector throughout the first half of 2025, according to a recent Rock Health report. The big takeaway: Making AI an essential element of your digital health platform isn’t a differentiating factor anymore—it’s a requirement to draw investor interest and customer adoption. To stand out, healthcare AI players and their marketers should demonstrate the real-world impact of their tech through published research and case studies. And they must be careful not to overstate their AI capabilities, as doing so will drive potential and current customers to a competitor’s solution.
The data: About 2 in 3 people have at some point decided not to fill or refill a prescription medication, according to the M3 MI MARS Consumer Health Study of over 20,000 US adults. The final word: Pharma companies should create informational resources on the reasons side effects occur, while being transparent at the onset about what patients should expect. Drugmakers can also tap into digital channels such as online patient communities and social media platforms like Reddit, where patients regularly discuss their experiences with treatments. This could help brands gather insights that inform future drug development or the creation of new patient support programs.
The news: Dentsu recently launched Robmix, a new business embedding itself in Roblox’s culture and users, per a Dentsu press release. Robmix is a platform created with the goal of “discovering and developing the next generation of creators” on Roblox and focuses on entertainment opportunities related to Roblox users. Our take: Dentsu’s latest move gets ahead of the in-game wave, capitalizing on the future of marketing where creators and advertisers are increasingly turning to gaming as a critical opportunity to reach audiences when they’re most engaged.
The news: NBCUniversal will charge $8 million for 30-second Super Bowl LX spots, per an Adweek report citing those familiar with the matter. Ads for Super Bowl LX were reportedly going for around $7 million for 30 seconds—but that number has been increased due to high demand. Our take: The Super Bowl is likely the most lucrative advertising opportunity for US brands, as football continues dominating live TV—meaning advertisers are willing to invest despite the high cost. Live sports events, especially the Super Bowl, offer a rare combination of scale, immediacy, and viewer engagement.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the growing AI literacy gap, how to tell if your organization is ready for AI, and what not to do when it comes to AI adoption. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Analyst Gadjo Sevilla, and Professor and AI Advisor to the Deans at Rice Business School and Founder and CEO of AI company DemistifAI Kathleen Perley. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
The news: Samsung is exploring innovative new wearable formats, including smart jewelry. Won-joon Choi, Samsung’s COO of mobile experience, told CNN that AI advancements could power a “new wave” of devices beyond the smartphone. “We believe it should be wearable, something (that) you don’t need to carry. … It could be something that you wear: glasses, earrings, watches, rings, and sometimes (a) necklace,” Choi said. Our take: As the shift toward hands-free, voice-first wearables accelerates, companies should start building applications designed for screenless experiences like voice-driven customer service tools, workforce productivity assistants, or sponsored fitness programs.
The news: Meta is refusing to change its “pay or consent“ model in the EU, per Reuters, risking fines to protect its ad-targeting capabilities. The company argues it’s being singled out and that “a user choice between a subscription for no ads service or a free ad-supported service remains a legitimate business model for every company in Europe—except Meta,” per Reuters. Our take: This is a battle for user data, and with the DMA’s prior victories over Meta, it’s one fight that Meta may not win. Marketers should track Meta’s changing compliance stance, prepare for restrictions on user-level data, and consider spending on platforms with fewer regulatory risks.
Measuring creator performance is the top barrier to influencer marketing success (32%) for brand marketers worldwide, per an August 2024 CreatorIQ report.
The news: Samsung leaned heavily on AI functionality at its Unpacked event Wednesday with the Galaxy S25 series, Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 smartphones and Galaxy Watch 8, all featuring enhanced AI capabilities as a core value proposition, per Android Central. Samsung highlighted proprietary Galaxy AI for tasks like on-device photo and video editing, but the bigger news was Samsung’s adoption of Google Gemini across its ecosystem. Our take: For advertisers, the shift toward screen-aware, voice-activated experiences requires them to rethink how brands and campaigns align in an AI-first mobile world. Reframing brand experiences around mobile, voice, and contextual AI features opens opportunities for user engagement.
The news: Jasper’s suite of AI-powered marketing agents are purpose-built to automate core marketing functions. These agents, which start at $49 per user per month, work inside Jasper Canvas, a new intelligent workspace designed to streamline planning, collaboration, content creation, and execution. Our take: Marketers must assess their current pain points. If content quality is inconsistent, execution is slow, or tools don’t talk to each other, an agentic platform like Jasper could drive sharper outcomes. As with most new tools, running pilot programs and benchmarks for speed and brand consistency against your current stack will help determine value and ROI.
The news: PayPal rolled out a dynamic, AI-powered scam alert system to protect consumers against fraud for “Friends and Family” transactions. Our take: Rolling out user-facing AI-powered fraud protection alerts increases PayPal’s visibility as a safe financial provider for more than just online checkout at well-known retailers.
The news: Early Warnings Services’ Zelle submitted a letter in response to the Treasury Department’s request for information on paperless payment services. Our take: Winning this contract would dramatically boost Zelle’s payment volume, but it faces steep competition from incumbents and other structural roadblocks.
The news: American Express rolled out special London-based perks and offerings as a part of its Adventures with Amex series. Our take: Sixty percent of respondents to Amex’s Global Travel Trend Report planned on taking at least one trip for a sporting event this year. Hitching its London adventure rollout to both F1 and Wimbledon can get those travelers to book through Amex’s platform instead of a competitor’s.
YouTube is taking aim at AI-generated "slop" by revising its monetization rules on July 15, drawing a line between authentic content and spammy filler. The update targets low-effort uploads—like synthetic voiceovers over stock footage or AI-mimicked news—but exempts legitimate formats like reaction videos. The shift comes amid growing concern over AI-generated clutter, scams, and identity fakes, as seen in platforms from Spotify to Pinterest. With content volume soaring and faceless creators rising, YouTube’s move reflects a growing push to safeguard viewer trust and advertiser confidence. The platform now faces the challenge of enforcement while reinforcing that originality still matters.
Google is launching a new Gmail feature called Manage Subscriptions, giving users a streamlined way to bulk unsubscribe from newsletters and promotional emails. The tool—rolling out across web, Android, and iOS—centralizes subscription management and ranks senders by frequency, making high-volume emailers easier to flag. With fewer barriers to opt-out, brands risk higher unsubscribe rates if they rely on one-size-fits-all content. Gmail's update reflects a broader trend toward more curated inboxes and less tolerance for irrelevant messaging. Marketers now face heightened pressure to improve targeting, pacing, and value—or risk being silently purged by users looking to clean house fast.
The news: Meta is facing an investigation from the French Competition Authority for allegedly limiting access to ad verification partners and exploiting its ad market dominance. Meta is required to implement interim measures, including the development and disclosure of updated guidelines governing access to and maintenance of “viewability” and “brand safety” partnerships. Our take: While France doesn’t account for a massive portion of Meta’s ad revenues, the company could still be subject to substantial consequences if found guilty. Antitrust fines from the French Competition Authority can be as high as 10% of a company’s global annual turnover.
The news: Over 78% of internet users globally use at least one fintech service monthly, with user penetration expected to surpass 80% by the end of the year, per Coinlaw data. Our take: Traditional financial institutions (FIs) must act now to stay competitive against fintechs’ continued popularity, particularly with younger generations. We’re already seeing fintech checking account openings outpacing those at traditional FIs. The threat will rise further as digital-only competitors start looking increasingly like banks in the products and services they offer and licenses they acquire. Customer-centric journeys are the key to traditional FIs staying relevant.
The news: A recent Equifax report indicates that consumers are struggling with their household financial health and ability to pay mortgages. This will have a negative impact on the home lending market for the foreseeable future. Our take: They’ll need to proactively shift their risk management and lending strategies in anticipation of increased stress on their mortgage portfolios. Meticulously monitoring delinquency rates, enhancing early intervention programs for struggling homeowners, and potentially adjusting underwriting criteria can help mitigate future risks. Banks can also diversify revenue streams beyond traditional mortgage origination to offset potential profitability declines.