PayPal merchants will now be discoverable within Perplexity, per a press release—right in time for Cyber Five. PayPal merchants stand to benefit from the rising tide of genAI adopters who are reinventing the research, product recommendation, and deal-seeking status quo. Merchants that cater to Gen Z should push to be early adopters of the new update: 47% of Gen Zers already have found a new brand or product through AI, per an Adobe survey. Early mover merchants could get a boost from genAI holiday volume this season.
Pinterest is pushing further into search to maintain growth, especially among Gen Z. Two-thirds of Pinterest’s interactions involve search, CEO Bill Ready told Business Insider. The platform has 80 billion monthly search queries, according to Pinterest. That’s comparable to ChatGPT’s 75 billion queries per month. Pinterest’s high-intent audience, paired with shoppable pins, presents an ideal platform for brand messaging. As more users weed out genAI images, legitimate ads will stand out and minimize fears of scams.
A new report from ANA and Harris Poll indicates that future marketing success will require delivering offline experiences. Brands will need to recalibrate budgets to accommodate this hybrid landscape of high-touch engagement blended with AI-driven discovery. Brands should use AI to handle low-touch decisions, then reinvest the time and trust gained into high-touch offline experiences and brand activations like pop-up shops or store takeovers. Those events create meaning that will help brands stay visible and valued.
France’s government is pushing for a three-month suspension of Shein’s entire site after authorities discovered illegal firearms and sex toys for sale on its marketplace, per Reuters. It is also being sued for up to €3 billion ($3.25 billion) in damages by a consortium of French retailers and retail associations for allegedly using fake promotions to attract shoppers and failing to comply with regulatory standards. Political considerations are contributing to the crackdown on Shein as governments seek ways to protect local retailers from ultra low-cost rivals, but the company hasn’t helped its case.
45% of B2B marketers worldwide are prioritizing investment in AI-powered marketing tools for 2026, according to an August 2025 report from Content Marketing Institute.
Kohl’s topped Q3 expectations and raised its outlook, crediting stronger product assortments, better value through promotions, and improved in-store and digital experiences for helping it win back customers. The company also named interim CEO Michael Bender to the job permanently. Bender, the third person to hold that role in roughly three years, plans to sharpen Kohl's product assortment, offer more proprietary clothing and home goods, and make stores easier to shop to appeal to customers who are “increasingly savvy and are seeking more value.” Kohl’s was upbeat that its recovery is gaining momentum, but it has more work to do to turn sales declines into gains.
Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 drug semaglutide failed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in new study results, dashing hopes that GLP-1s might one day be approved to treat the condition. Novo’s Alzheimer’s results underscore the boundary of how far GLP-1s can stretch beyond metabolic diseases.
Spending significantly less time with social media can reduce young people’s symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia, according to a study recently published in JAMA Open Network. As with questions about nutrition, substance use, and other issues that affect a person’s health, clinicians should ask patients during appointments about their social media use and use the responses to deliver guidance on the risks of excessive time online. Healthcare marketers at provider organizations can also create resources for doctors to share with patients showing how too much social media and phone time can harm overall health.
43% of primary care physicians in the US report feeling burned out, the highest share among 10 countries surveyed by the Commonwealth Fund. As primary care doctors and nurses continue to face heavy administrative burdens and burnout, even as new loan limits make medical education less affordable, the clinician shortage will likely worsen.
Nielsen and Lionsgate are broadening their partnership to incorporate measurement of MovieSphere, Lionsgate’s free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel, and its digital network MovieSphere Gold. Understanding the overlap and unique reach of FAST and OTA helps advertisers optimize media strategies and gain a more complete view of campaign performance.
Nine in 10 US consumers are open to watching TikTok-style vertical clips on publisher sites, according to a new survey from Media.net, pointing the way to how audiences consume content and where brands can meet them. Clips shorter than 60 seconds deliver roughly 2.5x higher engagement, per Media.net. By offering targeted vertical video on their websites and mobile apps, publishers can ramp up engagement and time spent. Brands integrating in-stream ads and links on these websites and apps could open up a new funnel for engagement.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what makes Dollar General Media Network unique, how it's approaching measurement, and what it’s focusing on for next year. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Principal Analyst Sarah Marzano, and Vice President and General Manager of DG Media Network, Austin Leonard. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
As AI increasingly powers everything from holiday ads to product recommendations, retailers face a critical balancing act between efficiency and authenticity. "The question isn't if retailers will use AI, it's how they'll keep using it and maintain the human touch along the way," said host Suzy Davidkhanian on a recent episode of “Behind the Numbers.”
China’s Singles’ Day has lost much of its hype and enthusiasm. As the curtain falls on this year’s festival, now a five-week event, value-driven consumers and global ambitions have redefined the world’s largest online shopping event.
As more brands build retail media networks (RMNs) to connect advertisers with shoppers, the once experimental channel has grown pivotal to marketers. US retail media search ad spending alone is projected to rake in $38.42 billion this year, according to our March 2025 forecast.
Consumer concerns over AI scams are rising, as three-quarters of UK adults believe AI advancements have made online scams more difficult to identify, per Barclays. Just 36% of UK consumers are confident they could spot an AI scam. As consumers wade through scams to find legitimate retail sites, ecommerce marketers should review brand search results, monitor social mentions, earn trust through About and FAQ pages, and advertise with caution on social media sites.
New Apple research points to the iPhone company pairing large language models (LLMs) with traditional sensors to build a more precise understanding of what a user is doing in real time. It’s likely to show up in sensor-enabled smartphones, computers, and smart home hubs hinged on ambient intelligence. Brands should explore how to design for moments, not messages. Build content and promotions that surface organically depending on a user’s activity, be it cooking, commuting, or exercising—so brands show up when it matters most.
The Omnicom-IPG merger has cleared its last obstacle after the European Commission—the last market whose approval was needed—officially granted greenlit the acquisition. Omnicom and IPG overcoming the final barrier to merge offers the potential for more comprehensive and efficient services—but also introduces new risks related to talent retention and creative diversity.
Google has officially begun showing ads in its AI Mode search engine after announcing a rollout earlier this year. Google’s early testing of ads in AI Mode suggests that AI-driven search placements are beginning to take shape and may ultimately unlock new revenue potential. But with performance still unproven, advertisers should track developments closely while resisting the urge to invest heavily before the format demonstrates clear value.