Apple is scrapping plans for a next-gen Vision Pro in favor of developing its own smart glasses to compete with Ray-Ban Meta and others. The glasses will “rely heavily” on voice interaction and AI, per Bloomberg—two areas where Apple has been slow to innovate. With Meta already pushing smart glasses, brands that delay adapting risk falling behind in this emerging medium. As input shifts from screen tapping or gestures to voice, marketers need to ensure their brands sound natural in conversational AI environments and that website data is optimized for voice SEO and consistent brand tone.
To promote its new NextGen Acela fleet, Amtrak invited students from New York School of Design to compete in a competition to produce “Trak Suits” in two categories: one couture look and one ready-to-wear for consumer purchase.
Retailers are rethinking old tech choices as the channel matures. Mirakl Ads’ Anne Hallock joins EMARKETER’s Sarah Marzano to discuss how AI and a commerce-first approach can reduce friction, capture new ad dollars, and drive growth.
Citi mandated AI prompt training for most of its employees, per the American Banker. Citi’s head of technology noted that so far this year, Citi employees have input more than 6.5 million prompts and reduced time spent on some tasks by orders of magnitude. Fourteen percent of financial services companies worldwide have already benefited from their investments in generative AI, per Broadridge, and another 54% expect payback in no more than 1-2 years. The banking industry’s pivot over the past three years from fear of the unknown to seeking benefits will pay dividends in the long run.
Cleaning brand Bissell revealed at Contentsquare’s CX Circle this week how a mobile-first testing culture, powered by personalization and rapid A/B testing, drove double- and triple-digit gains in engagement and conversions. Bissell’s case shows that conversion breakthroughs rarely come from big redesigns—they come from a culture of disciplined, mobile-focused testing. Small screens magnify every friction point, and users often defy expectations. Assumptions need to be tested, adjusted, and retested. The lesson: Make experimentation part of everyday workflows, follow the data, and double down on what works.
In this podcast episode, we discuss rebrands: how much consumers notice them, how important of an ingredient nostalgia is, and how to successfully execute one. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and guest host, Suzy Davidkhanian, Senior Analyst, Zak Stambor, and Analyst, Rachel Wolff.
TikTok now reaches audiences and moments that traditional TV can’t. For brands, it’s become an essential platform to stay culturally relevant and capture attention where people are most engaged.
Ikea is proceeding with its $2.2 billion US expansion, undeterred by new tariffs on lumber, kitchen cabinets, and other furniture. The company is confident that its reputation for affordable furniture and home goods will help it thrive, even in a challenging housing market. However, expanding Ikea’s share of the market is contingent on the company expanding its brick-and-mortar presence.
Gen Zers and millennials will lead the charge in shopping with AI agents, but not without guardrails. Nearly half of Gen Zers (47%) and millennials (48%) say they are at least somewhat likely to let AI agents buy things for them, per a YouGov survey. Among likely AI agent adopters, 53% would require approval before letting AI buy anything under $100. For brands, deploying responsible AI agents is key. That means constantly monitoring customer-facing products for hallucinations, keeping humans in the loop to establish accountability and accuracy, and ensuring customers are getting the experiences they want.
The US is facing a worsening cost-of-living crisis as wages fail to keep pace with rising expenses in groceries, housing, and energy, leaving 67% of Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck. Consumer confidence has dropped to recession-era levels, while credit card debt and student loan burdens intensify financial strain across income groups, even among affluent households. With spending shifting toward essentials, retailers and brands are under pressure to emphasize value through private-label products, aggressive discounts, and loyalty programs. Companies that adapt to consumers’ value-conscious mindset will be best positioned to weather the downturn.
Mastercard launched a commerce media network. Unlike rival networks, Mastercard already has a set of anchor partnerships, including Citi, WPP, American Airlines, and Microsoft. Mastercard will remain the biggest fish in the commerce network media pond—barring Visa’s entrance into the space. Until then, Mastercard has a chance to set the standard for how payment networks can monetize their first-party data.
Conagra beat Q1 earnings and sales expectations, but ongoing headwinds from tariffs, inflation, and shifting consumer behavior weighed on results. Net sales fell 5.8% year-over-year to $2.63 billion, while adjusted EPS dropped 26.4% to 39 cents, still ahead of forecasts. Snack sales showed mixed performance, with Slim Jim and David sunflower seeds gaining but Boomchickapop and Duncan Hines slipping due to promotion timing and higher cocoa costs. With consumers trading down to store brands, Conagra faces pressure to balance price hikes with value-driven strategies that reinforce loyalty and protect market share.
The majority (70%) of US adults do not trust health information coming from President Donald Trump, according to June 2025 data from Ipsos and Axios.
The news: The latest actress generating buzz across Hollywood isn’t real. “Tilly Norwood,” an AI-generated persona created by Particle6, drew sharp critiques from Hollywood personalities and unions. Our take: Consumers still report a deep distrust of AI influencers. For now, partnering with corporeal influencers is the safer path for most brands.
Spotify announced updates to its advertising offerings on Wednesday, expanding access to its inventory and enhancing its addressability capabilities for programmatic buyers through several new partnerships via Spotify Ad Exchange (SAX). Spotify’s new features are showing the company’s dedication to improvement, warranting experimentation for brands who are hesitant to leverage evolving resources.
Amazon is expanding its Prime Video live sports push through major deals with the National Basketball Association (NBA). For advertisers, the betting landscape, combined with mounting options to advertise in live sports, offers opportunities to connect with highly engaged and passionate audiences as platforms expand.
Ralph Lauren is expanding its hospitality empire, with plans to open a new Polo Bar restaurant in London in 2028. That outpost will join others in New York, Milan, Chicago, Chengdu, and Paris. With luxury sales under pressure as aspirational customers pull back, hospitality concepts are an opportunity for brands to keep shoppers engaged and maintain heat. By deliberately courting social media attention, and using tactics like exclusive merchandise to build excitement, brands can create more opportunities for customers to spend time (and money) on their properties.
Meta will begin using conversations with its AI assistant to personalize ads and feeds across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp starting December 16. The change represents Meta’s most aggressive AI monetization effort to date, moving beyond likes and follows to conversational intent—a richer, real-time signal of consumer interest. Regulators are already raising alarms about surveillance and privacy. With 98% of Meta’s revenues tied to ads, even small gains could shift billions.
The smart home wars are shifting from hardware and voice assistants to AI strategy. In back-to-back announcements this week, Google and Amazon introduced the next phase of connected devices with AI front and center. Both companies are racing to turn smart speakers and displays into AI hubs and ad ecosystems. Marketers should start testing conversational ads, commerce integrations, and context-driven experiences on both platforms as usage scales and the next dominant household gatekeeper takes shape.