SAP

The Drum and SAP host AI marketing clinic with Mark Ritson

The Drum and SAP Experience Cloud will host a LinkedIn Live marketing clinic with Doctor Mark Ritson on July 14, 2026 at 15:00 BST. The hour-long session, hosted by The Drum’s Cameron Clarke, will answer live and pre-submitted questions about preparing brands for peak holiday season in the age of AI. Topics include agentic AI, AI-assisted purchasing, personalization, connected customer data, loyalty and stress on marketing systems during holiday peaks. The session will reference SAP Experience Cloud data and SAP research 'Deck the Carts: AI-driven strategies to engage holiday shoppers.' Viewers are invited to sign up and submit questions in advance.

Companies Sponsor Trump’s Freedom 250 Amid Government Business

A CNBC analysis found 14 companies listed as sponsors of both America250, the congressionally created semiquincentennial nonprofit, and Freedom 250, the Trump-backed public‑private effort running high‑profile 250th anniversary events in Washington. Sponsors named include major defense and technology contractors and corporations with active business before the federal government. Watchdogs and House Democrats raised concerns that tiered sponsorship benefits documented in fundraising materials—ranging from VIP access to private receptions and speaking roles—could create access to the president for companies with regulatory, contracting or merger interests. CNBC found no direct evidence linking sponsorships to government decisions. The article highlights operational problems at the Great American State Fair, sponsorship opacity, and reporting that the Trump-aligned effort has received substantially more 250th‑related funding through grants than America250.

US Dominates Top 100 Companies Ranking with AI

A study by EY published July 3, 2026, finds the AI boom has driven major gains for technology firms: the market capitalization of the world's largest tech companies rose 30% year-to-date to $35.2 trillion, while the total market value of the top 100 companies increased 18% to $61.9 trillion. Nvidia remains the most valuable company ($4.846 trillion), followed by Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon. IPO newcomer SpaceX entered the ranking at sixth with a $2.25 trillion valuation. TSMC is the highest-ranked non‑US company, and only one German firm — Siemens (rank 72, $247.5 billion) — remains in the top 100; SAP fell to rank 114. The report highlights a widening lead for US tech players and structural challenges for European tech scaling.