Despite strong return-to-office mandates from major firms like Amazon and JPMorgan, many chief financial officers are resistant to these calls. They are leveraging new technologies to enable remote work setups, with some even having contracts that specify remote work arrangements. This trend varies by industry, with tech and West Coast companies being more open to flexible work setups compared to traditional sectors like manufacturing.
Data and analytics have become central to the modern CFO role, with 76% of surveyed CFOs having ownership or co-ownership of enterprise data and analytics, according to a Gartner survey. The shift underscores the importance of leveraging data-driven insights for making informed business decisions and enhancing profitability. CFOs must collaborate with IT and data science teams to build cohesive data strategies that align with organizational goals.
Fake users account for at least 40% of online traffic, and leading ad verification firms still struggle to identify non-human traffic -- a problem that will worsen with the growth of AI systems that scan online data, a report from Adalytics indicates. Limitations in receiving necessary data from ad-buying platforms mean verification systems often miss bots, even when they declare themselves, complicating brands' efforts to reach human audiences, the report says.
US consumers are spending an average of $69 per month on streaming services, a 13% increase from last year with nearly half of the respondents feeling that they are overpaying, says a Deloitte report. The survey also reveals that Generation Z and millennials increasingly prefer creator-driven content on social media over traditional TV and movies.
YouTube will become the leading media company by revenue in 2025, surpassing Disney, analysts at MoffettNathanson predict. The firm values YouTube as a standalone business at $550 billion, citing its dominance in TV viewing time.
Media budget size plays a major role in influencing the allocation between digital and traditional channels, Nielsen reports. Retailers and automotive companies with budgets exceeding $100 million still heavily invest in traditional media, with retailers allocating 46% and automakers 70%. Smaller advertisers mirror this trend, while medium-sized advertisers lean more toward digital.
Brendan Carr, chair of the FCC, has started probing Disney's diversity, equity and inclusion practices. A Disney representative says the company is "reviewing the Federal Communications Commission’s letter, and we look forward to engaging with the commission to answer its questions."
CFO optimism declined in the first quarter amid concerns about tariffs and uncertainty related to trade policies, according to the CFO Survey from the Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond and Atlanta and Duke University. Nearly one-third of CFOs are concerned about the long-term impact of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, with roughly one-quarter of respondents saying tariffs have impacted hiring and capital expenditure plans. Nearly half of CFOs reported adjusted input and supply sourcing.
