UK digital bank Starling is exploring an acquisition of another UK lender, per the Financial Times—in addition to a US bank. The move could help it expand quickly into corporate lending. Starling is not the only foreign neobank with US plans. Revolut, which competes with Starling globally, has held talks with investment bankers about buying a bank to secure a US license. Brazil’s Nubank applied for a US bank charter in October. But barriers to entry are rising as US challenger banks mature. Given the challenges ahead, quickly growing its loan book will be crucial to Starling’s profit plans.

Marketing leaders are reallocating spending toward social, prioritizing user engagement, and reducing focus on traditional SEO tactics. The shift reflects marketers’ desire for speed, flexibility, and clear ROI signals. But it also shows the growing need to balance long-term brand building with short-term, engagement-driven wins. Brands should rebalance—not replace—channel mix by defining engagement benchmarks and KPIs that tie directly to brand lift, evaluating influencer impact beyond vanity metrics, and protecting core SEO efforts that support long-term discoverability.

Hims & Hers is officially bringing its subscription weight loss program to the UK. But rising prices of some GLP-1 medications in the UK may lower the incentive for consumers to sign up for a membership with a telehealth company offering prescriptions.

Affirm expanded its partnership with Shopify, bringing Shop Pay installments to the UK, per a press release. PayPal and Klarna’s deep entrenchment in the UK will make it difficult for other BNPL contenders to make advances. Powering Shop Pay installments could help Affirm accelerate its foray into the country thanks to Shopify’s established network of merchants and brand recognition.

McDonald’s has pulled an AI-generated Christmas ad after a wave of online backlash. Upon removal, McDonald’s said to BBC News that the ad was “an important learning” for the company’s understanding of “the effective use of AI.” McDonald’s teaches a valuable lesson: Consumers aren’t yet ready for ad creative that is built entirely on AI. But advertisers still face a landscape where not using AI is a detriment to staying ahead. Balance is now a competitive differentiator.

The EU’s regulatory environment will hinder investment in AI-generated ads and agentic commerce in 2026. But TikTok Shop’s expansion will be a catalyst for live commerce.

Revolut launched “street mode,” a security feature designed to thwart transfer mugging, per a press release. Revolut users can set up “trusted locations” within their banking apps where they can transfer funds without additional security measures. Protecting users’ money should be top-of-mind for payment providers and banks. But there are key security features that banks still fail to offer—despite strong consumer demand. Twenty-eight percent of consumers in our benchmark said that blocking contactless payments was “extremely valuable,” but just one bank—Truist—delivered. Similarly, alerts for SSN breaches were the most-demanded feature (53%), but only Chase and Capital One offer it.

TikTok is rolling out an optional “Nearby” feed that lets users share their locations and helps them find things like a new restaurant close to home or discover places to explore while on a trip, per TikTok. The feature is available now in the UK, France, Italy, and Germany for users 18 and older. The Nearby feed opens up opportunities for brands to attract new customers through social discovery, without relying solely on “For You” feeds or ad placements. Brands could see increased organic exposure—especially from users engaging with search-friendly content.

WPP, once the top advertising group globally, will be retired from the FTSE 100 after almost 30 years as its market value has fallen dramatically in recent years. Removal from the FTSE 100 and a plummeting market value indicates that WPP’s struggles are deep-rooted and unlikely to vanish in the near future. For advertisers, the current imperative is to rethink partnerships, explore alternatives, and increase diligence.