Morning Consult vs Oxford Economics

Amex Partners with Harry Styles for Fan Experiences

American Express is expanding its music fandom strategy by partnering with Harry Styles on his 'Together, Together' tour and album, offering card members exclusive presale tickets, merchandise, album release events, and a global sweepstakes. The partnership includes album pop-ups across 16 cities and aligns with Styles' 30-show residency at Madison Square Garden. Amex has previously worked with artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish, aiming to deepen emotional connections with card members by leveraging fandom. Research cited shows 92% of music fans want deeper artist connections, and over 70% of engagement comes from Gen Z and millennials. The strategy focuses on authentic collaborations with artists' teams rather than simple logo placements.

• American Express partners with Harry Styles for his 'Together, Together' tour and album, offering card members exclusive presale tickets, merchandise, and pop-up events across 16 cities.
• The partnership includes a global sweepstakes across 26 countries to win tickets and a trip to see Harry Styles on tour.
• Amex's music fandom strategy previously included artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie Abrams, Billie Eilish, Kacey Musgraves, and Tate McRae.

Charting the Growth in Sports Betting

New article from Morning Consult on sports betting statistics.

How Brands Are Putting Morning Consult’s AI Connector to Work

Telstra launches Perth-Sydney Aura Network route

Telstra has activated the Perth-Sydney route of its Aura Network, a next-generation intercity dark fibre network, strengthening Australia's east-west digital corridor. This new route connects Western Australia's major hubs to eastern states and international subsea cables, providing high-capacity connectivity and resilience for cloud, AI, and data centre providers. The Aura Network, part of Telstra's $1.8 billion digital infrastructure investment, now spans 9,000km of a planned 14,000km, offering up to 35 times more fibre capacity per path than conventional routes. Microsoft and Google have already secured capacity on the network. The launch is supported by Oxford Economics research projecting Western Australia's digital economy could grow from $16.8 billion in FY25 to $89.1 billion by FY40 under accelerated digital adoption.

• Telstra launches Perth-Sydney route of its Aura Network.
• The Aura Network now spans 9,000km of a planned 14,000km.
• Route offers up to 35 times more fibre capacity per path than conventional routes.

Synchrony and Oxford Economics: Trust Key for AI Shopping

A new study by Synchrony and Oxford Economics reveals that consumer trust is the primary factor driving adoption of AI-powered shopping and agentic commerce. The research, based on a survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers and interviews with industry leaders, found that data security (82%) and transparency (77%) matter more to consumers than convenience (58%). Fraud protection is a major adoption driver, with 67% of consumers willing to use AI more if it includes such safeguards. Consumers are comfortable delegating low-risk purchases under $50 to AI, but 46% would not use AI for purchases of $5,000 or more. The study highlights the need for businesses to build trust through protection, transparency, and control, and Synchrony is developing capabilities to help partners prepare for agentic commerce.

• Synchrony and Oxford Economics conducted a study of 2,000 U.S. consumers, fielded in May 2026.
• 82% of consumers say keeping data secure is important for AI shopping; 77% value transparency.
• 67% of consumers would use AI more for shopping if it included fraud protection.

UK Junk Food Ad Ban Tweak Could Cost £1 Billion

The UK advertising industry is assessing the potential financial impact of proposed government changes to the rules banning advertisements for less healthy food and drink products (LHFs). Current regulations, effective January 2026, restrict TV ads before the 9pm watershed and block online ads. The government is considering updating the nutrient profiling model (NPM) from the 2004 version to a stricter 2018 version, which would expand the range of products covered by the ban. Research by Oxford Economics, commissioned by the Advertising Association, estimates that applying the 2018 NPM in 2025 would have affected an additional £300-£400 million in ad spend, potentially bringing the total impacted expenditure to £1 billion. The industry, including broadcasters like ITV (which lost £20M in H1 revenue) and trade groups, warns of significant investment loss and calls for scrutiny before extending restrictions, fearing disruption to adapted campaigns and harm to the creative industries.

• Current UK rules ban TV ads for less healthy food and drink before 9pm and block online ads.
• Government plans to update the nutrient profiling model from 2004 to a stricter 2018 version.
• Oxford Economics estimates an additional £300-400 million of ad spend would be affected by the tweak.