Prescription drug prices along with other healthcare costs like hospital services and nursing homes, are growing faster than overall inflation, but slower than consumer costs like housing, food, and coffee, per GoodRx Research’s latest data. Pharma marketers need to use empathy to connect with the growing group of underinsured consumers. They should be transparent about prices and acknowledge the frustration consumers feel around the complexity of the US healthcare and insurance system. Proactively highlight help offered for consumers like financial assistance, savings tools, and patient support programs.
Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill wrote in a post on X that pharma manufacturers should make separate shots for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) instead of the current vaccine, which combines the three. Although people don’t have the option to break out the MMR vaccine into three doses, the administration’s rhetoric could drive more parents to skip or delay a needed treatment for their kids. Vaccine makers and pharma marketers must address criticism that the combined MMR shot is unsafe for children by emphasizing how contagious measles is and the risks of lower vaccination rates when three appointments are required.
Amgen debuted a new direct-to-consumer (D2C) prescription drug platform and cash-pay discounts beginning with heart disease med Repatha. It joins more than half a dozen pharma company D2C launches under pressure from the Trump administration to lower prices through direct sales. Drugmakers need to ensure physicians understand the new D2C platform value beyond price, such as easier access and better adherence for their patients. On the consumer side, messaging should emphasize the value and convenience of online ordering, 24/7 online customer service, and free shipping to home, especially for recurring prescriptions.
At Advertising Week New York 2025, Paramount announced Streaming Fixed Units, an update to its ad offerings for Paramount+ that gives brands premium, fixed ad placements for the debut week of episodes for Paramount series. Brands can leverage Paramount’s newest offering to take advantage of cultural moments, increasing the chances that streaming ads will connect at the right time—but should consider that other platforms with bigger audiences could also tap into this shift more effectively.
Connected TV (CTV) ad spending is a key focus for most marketers, but a substantial confidence gap persists. Over half (52%) of US technology, financial services, retail, and healthcare brands have shifted at least one-quarter of their paid media budgets to CTV in the past three years, per Gracenote. Despite that change, 32% of US brand and agency executives say their CTV advertising is not very effective. By boosting focus on channel-level contextual targeting and integrating metadata, marketers can ensure ads appear alongside relevant programming—like sports events, entertainment genres, or family-friendly shows—improving resonance and reach.
Wells Fargo is focusing on banking for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)—with a strong emphasis on customer experience and satisfaction, per Banking Dive. The problem with small business banking is that it’s about banking. Banks have a worsening record of making these banking relationships commerce-driven, in which they also offer merchant services and therefore struggle to deepen day-to-day propositions.
OpenAI introduced a wide swath of app integrations for ChatGPT, pushing the generative AI (genAI) chatbot toward super app status. Spotify, Booking.com, Zillow, Canva, Figma, and Expedia are now all part of the ChatGPT experience. Brands should start treating ChatGPT like a search engine, app store, and marketplace all in one. Marketers should create and tag their content so it can surface naturally in ChatGPT responses. Generative engine optimization (GEO) strategies include structuring content and product copy with mini headlines and using concrete language over abstract phrasing to boost appearances in output.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating AppLovin’s data-collection methods, per Bloomberg, sending the mobile ad tech company’s stock down 14% Monday and an additional 3% in pre-market trading Tuesday. AppLovin’s SEC outcome could redefine the balance between innovation and accountability, forcing ad tech firms to prove that smarter targeting doesn’t come at the cost of user trust. Brands relying on opaque data streams or third-party targeting tech may face similar scrutiny. For CMOs, it underscores the need to audit data pipelines and vet AI partners for regulatory resilience.
OpenAI is now allowing users to connect to select third-party apps within the ChatGPT interface. The integrations expand the chatbot’s utility while encouraging users to spend more time within the platform. Consumers may not yet be willing to make transactions within ChatGPT, but they are open to its recommendations. ChatGPT’s integrations with Expedia and Booking.com could transform how people approach trip planning, all while siphoning more traffic from Google—and familiarizing users with the idea of making more purchasing decisions with the help of AI.
United Airlines teamed up with Instacart to give its loyalty program members sweetened perks like free grocery delivery and bonus miles. The $0 delivery fee—what United calls a first for an airline—applies on orders placed just before, during, or shortly after a domestic flight. Loyalty program participants can also earn miles for setting up new Instacart+ memberships and for linking their United and Instacart accounts.The United-Instacart collaboration is more than just a marketing tie-up. It shows how companies are responding to the desire for more flexible loyalty programs and sets the stage for more cross-industry ties among retailers, travel companies, and other industries.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the moving target that is consumers’ perception of using AI in advertising, how marketers feel about the technology, and the share of ad buying that is likely to be delegated to AI. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Analyst, Marisa Jones, and Senior Analyst, Gadjo Sevilla. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Nearly half (49%) of middle-income US holiday shoppers are concerned that gifts will be more expensive this year, according to July 2025 data from Bankrate.
PayPal will make its Pay Monthly installment loans available in-store in the US ahead of the holiday season. For competing BNPL providers, PayPal’s rewards structure now far outstrips what most of them offer. Competitors should consider more strategic partnerships with desirable Gen Z and millennial brands to strike directly at the root of where young consumers are shopping, and cut deals with those merchants for more favorable cash back rewards.
To modernize its image, Cracker Barrel swapped its heritage-rich logo for a sleek, simplified wordmark. The change sparked immediate backlash, forcing the company to reverse course days later. The rebrand faltered for several reasons, chief among them a failure to understand its core audience.
TikTok is increasing subscription revenue shares for US and Canadian creators, now offering these creators as much as 90% of subscription earnings, per a company announcement. Advertisers should maintain strong partnerships with TikTok creators for their ability to connect with large, engaged audiences, but continue exploring other short-form opportunities in the event that the US-exclusive TikTok app causes an audience exodus or has other unforeseen problems.
Adobe Analytics projects US holiday ecommerce sales to grow 5.3% year over year to $253.4 billion, marking a sharp slowdown from last season’s 8.7% gain as higher prices and cautious consumer sentiment curb spending. Retailers are expected to mirror last year’s steep discounts, using strategic markdowns to entice shoppers toward higher-value purchases. At the same time, AI-powered shopping and social commerce are transforming buying behavior, with AI-driven traffic forecast to jump 520% and social sales up 51%, reshaping how consumers discover and decide what to buy.
DoorDash rolled out a series of updates to make it easier for advertisers to purchase inventory and measure campaigns. Intermediaries like DoorDash are benefiting from advertisers’ frustrations around walled gardens and measurement challenges. We expect US commerce intermediary media network ad spending to jump 20.2% this year to $2.74 billion—nearly 40% higher than the combined retail media revenues of Target, eBay, and Etsy.
Walmart’s OnePay will reportedly offer crypto trading and custody through its banking app, per CNBC. Major retailers like Walmart and Amazon can save substantial margin on each transaction if they can get consumers to use their own crypto instead of traditional payment rails. While the ramp up to stablecoin issuance would take time, more operationally ready ventures like crypto-powered remittances stand as easier plays to execute.
American Express debuted Amex Ads, a new digital advertising platform that allows brands to connect with its 34 million customers, per a press release. Amex Ads will go live on AmexTravel.com before spreading to other Amex platforms. Amex has the power to link advertisers with high-spending consumers, which are driving the bulk of US spending during a period of economic uncertainty—and Amex’s earnings. By granting access to consumers who already are interested in prestige travel and dining experiences, advertisers can attach themselves to Amex’s strong brand halo for luxury experiences, delivering strong ROI for ad spend.