Dear ROGER,

Welcome to the June 2025 issue of Key Notes - Marketing Keys' monthly newsletter! As students close their books and celebrate the end of the school year, we hope your business is also turning the page on a successful first half of 2025. Key Notes is an informative, quick-read newsletter to get you caught up on all things media and marketing. Our goal is for you to be informed and entertained with the latest media and marketing happenings quickly and efficiently. 

It might feel early to think about the holidays, but for many moms across the U.S., shopping for gifts begins as soon as July. Considering that mothers influence $1.6 trillion in spending each year, it’s no surprise they call the shots when it comes to holiday purchases. A recent survey of 500 moms across the country shows that this year’s shopping season may look a little different, with many already adjusting their spending strategies in response to economic pressure.

More than 80% of moms said they’re worried about how tariffs will impact their family budgets, especially when it comes to food, clothing, and big-ticket holiday items like toys and electronics. Specifically, 7 in 10 moms voiced concern over the potential impact of tariffs on toys, citing fears about rising prices, fewer options, and hot items vanishing from shelves—or never making it to shelves at all.

So how are moms adapting? Many plan to dial back the number of toys they buy, with nearly half saying they’re leaning toward giving experiences instead. Others are embracing budget-conscious, sustainable strategies like reselling old toys, shopping secondhand, and turning to trusted recommendations from fellow moms and social media to track down the best deals.

If brands want to win this season, they’ll need to think like moms: value-conscious, resourceful, and community-driven. Consider bundling products, hosting toy trade-in events, or teaming up with budget-savvy mom influencers. A little planning now can go a long way toward capturing moms’ attention—and their spending—this holiday season.

Today’s audiences are carrying a heavy emotional load. Between climate anxiety, economic uncertainty, and constant digital noise, people are mentally maxed out. But despite this, many marketers are still relying on outdated tactics—thinking a high number of impressions or clicks means their message landed. The truth? In today’s emotionally overloaded environment, just getting seen isn’t enough. Brands need to genuinely connect, not just count views.

That’s where biometric insights come in. By using tools like facial recognition, eye tracking, and brainwave monitoring, marketers can better understand how audiences react on a subconscious level. These tools reveal real-time emotional responses—insights traditional focus groups and surveys can’t capture. When creative ideas are tested with this emotional data, brands are better equipped to deliver content that actually resonates, especially in culturally sensitive or emotionally charged settings.

To really move the needle, creative and media planning need to work hand in hand from the beginning. Too often, media strategy is brought in after the creative is already locked. But when teams collaborate early and are guided by emotional intelligence—not just performance metrics—they create campaigns that are more meaningful and effective. The future of marketing isn’t just smarter—it’s more human. And in a world that feels increasingly chaotic, empathy might be the most powerful strategy of all.

YouTube is pulling further ahead as the top streaming platform on U.S. television screens. As of April 2025, the platform made up 24% of all connected TV (CTV) viewing time across the country. When factoring in YouTube TV — the subscription-based service that offers live TV channels — that number climbs to a commanding 28%. That’s nearly double Netflix’s 15% share for the same month. In total, YouTube viewers streamed 340 billion minutes in April, with 288 billion coming from the main platform and the rest from YouTube TV.

The shift represents a major change from a few years ago when Netflix held the top position. Back in 2020, Netflix accounted for over a quarter of all streaming minutes, but the rise of YouTube on the TV screen has flipped that dynamic. YouTube’s growth shows no signs of slowing, especially as the platform continues to invest in its AI tools and creator programs. Connected TV is now the main way audiences experience YouTube, and it remains a key area for growth. YouTube Shorts — its TikTok-style short videos — have become a big part of that push, with daily views expected to reach 108 billion this year and rise again next year.

On the business side, YouTube’s momentum is just as strong. Analysts expect the platform to generate over $40 billion in ad revenue in 2025, with that figure growing steadily to $49 billion by 2027. That growth is being fueled not only by massive viewership but also by the success of its top creators, like Mr. Beast, who alone has nearly 400 million followers. With YouTube leading in both screen time and content creation, it’s clearly setting the pace for what the future of streaming looks like.

A recent report sheds light on a growing trend: nearly two-thirds of young men in the U.S., U.K., and Australia say they’re regularly watching and listening to online masculinity influencers. These creators often promise to help men improve their fitness, boost their bank accounts, and succeed in relationships. While many viewers feel inspired by what they see, the overall impact is murky. The same young men who reported feeling hopeful also admitted to pushing their bodies too hard, ignoring mental health needs, and even turning to substances like steroids. Much of this seems rooted in a repeated message that real men don’t show emotion—and that struggling means weakness.

The effects aren’t just personal. The study found that those who followed these influencers were more likely to hold narrow views about women and what they bring to relationships. They also seemed to prioritize things like ambition, wealth, and popularity in their male friendships over traits like honesty or empathy. It raises a tough question: Why are so many young men looking to influencers for advice on how to live and who to be? And what’s the cost of taking guidance from someone whose main qualification is having a large social media following?

Part of the answer lies in how our definition of role models has shifted. It used to be that we looked up to people we actually knew—parents, teachers, community leaders. Now, social media gives the loudest voices the biggest platforms. Many of today’s influencers are more focused on building their audience than offering thoughtful guidance. That means they cater to what gets clicks, even if it means promoting harmful ideas. And because these influencers don’t personally know the people watching them, they’re not accountable for the fallout. The result? A generation of young men following advice that’s more about performance than personal growth.

A new poll shows that when it comes to trust, Americans rank The Weather Channel highest among news sources. It received a net trust score of +49, far ahead of other outlets like the BBC (+26), PBS (+25), and ESPN (+24). These scores reflect the difference between how many people see each outlet as trustworthy versus untrustworthy. Trust levels for these leading sources have stayed about the same since last year.

Traditional broadcast networks saw more modest ratings. NBC and CBS tied with net trust scores of +16, while ABC came in slightly lower at +13. Cable news saw some gains, with CNN and MSNBC both rising by six points, landing at +8 and +6, respectively. Fox News and Newsmax both scored a neutral +0, but that still marked a significant improvement from last year’s numbers. One America News (OAN) was the only outlet to finish in the negative, with a trust score of -2.

Overall, trust in media is on the rise, with the average net trust score across all types of outlets—TV, digital, and print—doubling to +8 compared to last year’s +4. Still, political views play a big role in shaping public opinion. Democrats expressed trust in 85% of the 52 news organizations surveyed, especially favoring PBS, BBC, and NBC. In contrast, Republicans trusted 40% of the outlets, naming Fox News, Fox Business, and Newsmax as their most reliable sources.

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