Retail media networks (RMNs) have built out social and creator offerings, but advertisers have not widely adopted them. To attract spend, RMNs must prove that their offer of better targeting and measurement outweighs the added cost and complexity.

Multimedia replies give brands richer consumer insights, but engagement quality is more important than volume.

Millennials are entering their peak earning years with deep digital fluency, but adulthood is changing their habits. AI is becoming a practical tool, digital fatigue is reshaping social media use, and family life is influencing media and shopping.

AI is reshaping contextual advertising across CTV, audio, retail media, and the open web. It’s advancing semantic understanding, agentic planning, and real-time targeting while exposing persistent measurement and infrastructure gaps.

US ecommerce is poised to enter a phase of mature and stable growth, but AI remains a wild card that could significantly alter the trajectory of retail’s online shift.

Facebook’s massive reach still attracts ad dollars even as its usage growth stalls. Commerce, video, and automated advertising offer fresh opportunities, but it has weak appeal among creators and younger users.

TikTok brings Out of Phone to more markets: Wider DOOH access lets brands extend effective user-generated content offline.

This benchmark covers how ad buyers can calibrate their digital ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how publishers and solution providers can assess whether their ad revenues align with industry trends.​

This benchmark covers how ad buyers can calibrate their social media ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how publishers and solution providers can assess whether their ad revenues align with industry trends.​

Thailand's digital market continues to evolve as ad investment grows, AI adoption accelerates, ecommerce expands, and consumers embrace digital-first shopping and media habits.

TikTok’s next challenge is convincing its users that the platform is safe for payments.

Insurance advisors must earn trust by explaining tradeoffs before myths derail smart policy purchases.

Audio and video options can extend sessions and ad inventory, but a TikTok-like feel could weaken its appeal.

Three of the least likely scenarios in social media would also be the most disruptive: a regulatory ban on addictive feed design, a Facebook revival, and an AI chatbot building a $100 billion ad business. None of them is likely. Each one exposes a tension already at work, from how regulators treat engagement mechanics to how much advertising a chatbot can actually carry. "If the EU were to ban infinite scrolling, it seems pretty clear that that would significantly curtail the amount of time people spend watching these kinds of videos," said our analyst Max Willens on a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers." Willens and two other analysts walked through three "what if" predictions on the episode.

Last November, we identified 11 trends we expected to shape the business landscape in 2026. Our Trends 2026 update reveals where expectations are holding, where surprises have emerged, and what businesses should watch through year-end.

UK advertisers aren’t just chasing attention, they’re looking for measurable outcomes. Some channels thus attract oversized ad investments, while others remain undervalued. That’s not to say spending is perfectly aligned with time spent with media.

70% of US social buyers have made a purchase on TikTok in the past 12 months, more than on any other social platform, according to an April survey from Bazaarvoice and EMARKETER.

Spending on social remains very strong, thanks largely to automation tools. And with social video continuing to pull in ad dollars, the platforms make a push for live video.

TikTok advertising works differently than the platforms it competes with: its impact builds slowly, peaks late, and persists after campaigns end. Combined with TikTok Shop's commerce engine and new event-driven surfaces, the platform rewards advertisers who plan for demand-building rather than instant conversion. This FAQ covers TikTok's ad effectiveness evidence, the ownership-transition trust question, and how to buy the platform well in 2026.

AI is transforming Latin America's digital economy, changing how consumers discover products, make purchases, and engage with businesses. Companies that adapt their commerce and customer experience strategies will be better positioned to compete.