Wondercraft, the Y Combinator-backed AI content studio, has announced Wonda: the first AI agent built for content creation – enabling users to create, edit, and refine professional audio and video by simple conversation. Wonda marks a radical shift in how marketers and creative teams make content: not with timelines, recording software and traditional editing tools that have been dominating the market, but with natural, human, intuitive conversation. According to a recent research report by Wondercraft, more than 80% of global creators now incorporate AI into their workflows—and nearly 40% use AI end-to-end, from ideation to production. Wonda is the first AI agent built to match that ambition.
New research from Twilio (NYSE: TWLO), the customer engagement platform, has revealed more than one-third of UK workers (36%) demand formally-scheduled “digital silence” from their workplace. With the “always on” culture, more workers are craving periods free from notifications and emails, warning that constant online distractions and the expectation to respond are harming productivity. Conducted in partnership with YouGov, Twilio surveyed more than 1,200 UK-based workers over the age of 18. The research uncovered a powerful workplace shift: nearly half (47%) now prioritise protected time to work distraction-free. 38% of workers feel pressured to be constantly online – such as being immediately responsive to messages and emails – during work hours. This figure is at its highest (47%) among those typically earlier in their careers (26-30 year olds), and those who are generally mid-way through their careers (41-45 year olds), at 46%. 40% report that email and chat notifications actively disrupt their ability to get work done, with this figure highest among those workers aged 51-55 years old (50%).
Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, has launched a new loyalty program designed for the modern traveler, making earning rewards seamless while planning a trip. Tripadvisor Rewards is a free, app-first program that gives travelers value back – 5% in Trip Cash on every eligible booking, redeemable dollar-for-dollar with no blackout dates, no confusing tiers, and no hidden rules. Tripadvisor is the first major travel platform to design a rewards program around how people actually plan trips including hotels, restaurants, and experiences in one program, with instant earnings and redemption of cash back made simple. Travelers are automatically enrolled and will start earning right away.
Amid rising operating costs, increased tax burdens, and consumers demanding more value, speed, and convenience from every purchase, new findings from Shopify’s Global Business Pulse Survey reveal that UK retailers are responding with sharper digital strategies. According to the research, which surveyed over 500 UK retail decision-makers, 52% say operating their own ecommerce website gives them the greatest level of control over operations, significantly ahead of those favouring marketplaces (35%) or social platforms (13%). For many, owning the customer experience is no longer optional; it’s essential. Indeed, UK business leaders are placing increased value on owned digital infrastructure. 63% strongly agree that having their own online store helps build an emotional connection with customers, more so than any other country surveyed. Meanwhile, more than half (57%) strongly agree that their own site allows for personalised marketing that isn’t possible via marketplaces or social media.
In its debut year, the ATP’s Safe Sport initiative has scanned more than 3.1 million social media comments targeted at 245 players, flagging over 162,000 as “severe” and hiding abusive comments as they are detected, in a bid to shield the leading ATP players from harmful digital content. Developed in partnership with Tennis Data Innovations (TDI), sports technology company Sportradar, and Arwen AI, Safe Sport uses real-time AI to detect and hide abusive content across players’ social media accounts. The service launched in July 2024 and is available to Group 1 players (top 250 singles and top 50 doubles). The initiative also covers ATP’s own social media channels, providing comprehensive protection for players and fans more broadly.
YFM Equity Partners (YFM) has made a major investment in MurphyCobb & Associates (MCA), the global advertising production consultancy. This landmark backing represents the most significant growth capital investment in the production consulting space in recent years — a powerful vote of confidence in MCA’s global impact, innovative platform, and strong growth trajectory. Headquartered in London and operating across 38 countries, MCA partners with global names like Reckitt, Mars, Coty, and Toyota to streamline complex production ecosystems, maximise clients’ investments & significantly reduce carbon emissions.
New data from the 2025 Talent Trends report by Michael Page reveals that marketing professionals worldwide are placing a greater emphasis on wellbeing, purpose, and culture. Among these, work-life balance is the top priority for marketers, ranking higher than in sectors such as HR, legal, finance, engineering and manufacturing, and technology. The study highlights that marketers are prioritising clarity from prospective employers, giving businesses a valuable opportunity to stand out and attract top talent by transparently communicating the policies that matter most to today’s job seekers. The report reveals that 55% of global and 44% of UK marketing professionals are actively job hunting, driven by priorities such as wellbeing and work-life balance. However, many candidates are holding out for the right opportunity; one that aligns perfectly with these priorities. the right role.
Freemans.com, the digital department store, has unveiled a new partnership with Mirakl, the Ecommerce software solutions provider, to help modernise and scale its dropship capabilities. Freemans.com’s digital department store ambitions require a mix of own bought product, some designed in-house and others sourced via its parent Otto. To complement this the Freemans team is onboarding a curation of well known third party retail brands. The partnership allows Freemans to replatform elements of its dropship strategy to Mirakl’s market-leading solution in order to accelerate supplier onboarding, empower merchandising teams, and unlock new product categories.
Storyblok, the headless content management system (CMS), has announced the launch of the VWO plugin for content teams to run A/B tests directly inside the Storyblok Visual Editor. With the new VWO plugin in Storyblok, marketers can test headlines, images, calls-to-action, and more right inside Storyblok’s Visual Editor, where they are already building content. VWO handles the experiment setup and analysis so teams can launch and learn faster. The result is pages optimised to engage and convert without the bottlenecks.
Despite economic pressures, lifestyle spending remains a core part of UK consumer behaviour. A new study by Aqua reveals that 80% of Brits agree that their lifestyle spending reflects their personal values or identity. The study, which surveyed 2,000 UK adults, also uncovers the nation’s lifestyle spending habits, the powerful role of social media in driving financial decisions, and how many of these purchases ultimately lead to regret. At the top of the list is eating out at restaurants, with 56% of Brits spending money in this category over the past 12 months. This is closely followed by travel and holidays (51%), suggesting that despite ongoing economic pressures, dining experiences and time away remain central to the way Brits choose to reward themselves. Takeaways (41%) and beauty (39%) also rank highly, reflecting a growing appetite for convenience and self-care, while physical self-care services (38%), such as hairdressers and manicures, further suggest the importance placed on personal presentation and wellness.
Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, has launched a new loyalty program designed for the modern traveler, making earning rewards seamless while planning a trip. Tripadvisor Rewards is a free, app-first program that gives travelers real value back – 5% in Trip Cash on every eligible booking, redeemable dollar-for-dollar with no blackout dates, no confusing tiers, and no hidden rules making it easy to earn rewards. Best of all, the brand is not just rewarding the people who book trips, but also the reviewers, planners and researchers, who bring travel to life. Tripadvisor is the first major travel platform to design a rewards program around how people actually plan trips including hotels, restaurants, and experiences in one program, with instant earnings and redemption of cash back made simple. Travelers are automatically enrolled and will start earning right away.
Foxit, a leading provider of innovative PDF and eSignature products and services, helping knowledge workers to increase their productivity and do more with documents, today announced the launch of Foxit PDF Editor v2025.2, delivering industry-first innovations that redefine how users engage with documents through AI and automation. The release introduces two transformative capabilities: MCP Host integration, enabling real-time, cross-platform workflows with tools like Gmail, Salesforce, and Jira; and two AI-powered audio tools – Smart Podcast and Read Summary – that extend Foxit’s AI Assistant and reshape how knowledge is absorbed from documents.
New research has revealed disparities in customer service experiences across the UK. The largest proportion of people receiving poor customer service are in Northern Ireland, while the highest percentage of consumers who’ve experienced ‘amazing’ customer service are from London. The research, from Trustpilot, found inconsistencies in the levels of service standards received across the UK, as consumers increasingly value the ability to speak to a human over the ever-increasing availability of chatbots. Nearly half (47%) of consumers nationwide have had a poor customer service experience in the past year. In addition, one in six (15%), equivalent to over eight million people*, believe that customer service standards have declined during the same period. However, regional variations exist. Those in London are most likely (73%) to say that they’ve received ‘amazing’ customer service in the last year, followed by those in Wales (69%), and the North West (64%). On the other hand, those in Northern Ireland are most likely to have had a ‘poor’ customer service experience, with nearly seven in ten (69%) reporting this, while Londoners are also likely to have received poor service (58%).
System1, the ‘Creative Effectiveness Platform’ that uses emotion to predict the commercial success of advertising, branding, and innovation, has announced the formation of a dedicated Innovation team, a strategic move aimed at strengthening the company’s innovation offering and supporting a major revamp of its innovation testing suite. The new team is led by Tristan Findlay, Managing Director, Innovation, who joined System1 in January 2025. With nearly 20 years of experience at leading research and tech companies including Toluna, MMR, Zappi, and Nielsen, Findlay is driving the next chapter of System1’s innovation capabilities, building on the current portfolio to deliver even greater value and impact to clients.
Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), the global financial technology platform, has announced the release of the Mailchimp report Holiday Shopping Unwrapped: Marketing Strategies for the Moments That Matter, prepared in conjunction with Canvas8 and Marketoonist. Marketers can turn to this report for seasonal shopping cycles, enhanced insights into consumer behaviour, and tailored marketing strategies for the duration of the festive season – all drawing from expert commentary and a survey of 9,356 respondents across Australia, Benelux (Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands), Canada, Italy, Spain, Germany, Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), the United Kingdom, and the United States. With an eye on the end-of-year sales rush, Holiday Shopping Unwrapped identifies a series of 7 phases that define the modern Christmas shopping experience, each driven by its own set of emotional cues and purchasing habits.
