The Refresh News: April 14 – Google’s AI Mode, Walmart’s Retail Media Pressure, and Economic Headwinds

In this episode of The Refresh by Marketecture, Kait breaks down a whirlwind of developments: from Google’s search experience to Walmart’s aggressive retail media push and the economic signals impacting advertising decisions.

This week’s highlights:

• Google’s AI Mode & Multimodal Search – Search continues to evolve with multimodal inputs like image, video, and text now available through Google’s experimental AI Mode. This shift signals a SERP-less future, pushing advertisers to rethink how their content and brands remain discoverable in an increasingly chat-based, multimodal environment.

• Walmart’s Retail Media Demands – Despite lackluster performance, Walmart is pressuring brands to increase ad spend across its retail media network—up to 75% in some cases. With threats of shelf visibility on the line, brands are stuck deciding between playing the game or protecting their budgets.

• Tariffs & Market Instability – A new wave of global tariffs—particularly on Chinese goods and potentially retaliatory actions from the EU—could create ripple effects for tech and ad companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon. With economic volatility rising, advertisers are urged to stay steady, focus on proven strategies, and avoid overreacting to the noise.

• Consumer Spending Shifts – Spending is increasingly concentrated among top earners, while discretionary budgets shrink and savings rates decline. Brands are adjusting investments, leaning into performance and programmatic channels and pulling back from less measurable environments.

• AI, Automation & Efficiency – With AI maturing and becoming more accessible, brands are adopting tools to reduce costs, improve targeting, and navigate an unpredictable media environment more effectively.

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