Walmart + OpenAI commerce push, luxury rebounds, & Netflix + Spotify deal

This week on the WPP Media Intelligence Podcast, Kate Scott-Dawkins, Nidhi Shah, and Jeff Foster are diving into the big stories shaping media, marketing, and the economy right now.

The IMF has bumped up its global growth forecast, China’s trade numbers are surprising everyone, and luxury brands like LVMH are showing early signs of recovery. Banks are riding high on AI investments, IPO activity is picking up, and connected TV continues to gain traction with advertisers.

We also get into some fascinating moves in the AI and commerce space — Walmart teaming up with OpenAI for conversational shopping, Perplexity hitting pause on ads, and Netflix joining forces with Spotify to bring video podcasts to streaming audiences.

And with US midterms on the horizon, political ad spend is already looking like it could smash records. Whether you’re in media, marketing, finance, or tech, this episode is packed with insights on where growth is coming from, what’s changing fast, and how brands can stay ahead.

00:00-Introduction & Global Economic Outlook
02:59-China’s Trade Data and Luxury Sector Recovery
06:08-Bank Earnings, AI Investments, and Advertising Trends
11:41-Perplexity AI Pauses Ads & Future of AI Search
16:13-Walmart Partners with OpenAI for Conversational Commerce
23:17-Netflix and Spotify Video Podcast Partnership
27:13-Political Advertising Trends & Closing Remarks