Media Buying

Expect to hear quite a bit more about retail media networks in the coming years: The trend is far from over, according to our new visual report, “The Great Realignment.”

Fitbit’s last days: Google is requiring Fitbit customers to transition to Google accounts starting next year. This could solidify Google’s wearables ecosystem and increase market share but risks alienating Fitbit fans.

The ad industry is slowing down, but political spending isn’t: Advertising ahead of the elections is skyrocketing, despite 2022 not being a presidential election year.

For the marketing and retail sectors, it’s not all bad news: despite inflation and uncertainty, a number of positive signs suggest marketers would be wise to not overcorrect.

Meta and Google are laying off staff in a curious manner: It’s not en masse, and it’s quieter than usual—but it’s still happening.

Major advertising categories are pulling ad spending: August saw ad spend decrease for the third month in a row as the industry struggles to adapt to new standards.

The US travel industry is well on its way to a full recovery from 2020’s pandemic-driven nadir, and with this recovery has come a return to ad spending. Travel industry players upped their digital ad budgets by 42.7% last year, and we forecast a 22.5% boost for this year. Next year, travel will grow its outlays faster than any vertical we track.

Streaming’s next big act may be consolidation: Disney looks to gain full ownership of Hulu by early 2024, and other deals could be in the offing.

Watch the on-demand replay of our webinar, The Great Realignment, as our analysts showcase how ecommerce, social media, fintech, and more are being transformed amid the market turmoil of 2022.

TikTok swoops in to fill the addressability drought: D2C brand spending increased 231%, but its lead won’t last forever.

While advertisers have been scrambling to figure out what they’ll do when Google phases out third-party cookies, a larger threat has come into play: privacy regulations.

Social media faces a great realignment: Gen Z, TikTok, and influencer marketing are major components of what's to come.

YouTube tests user patience: Some viewers are being treated to as many as 10 consecutive ads that can’t be skipped.

Acast banks on layoffs to speed path to profitability: Podcast hosting service to let go 15% of staff to cut costs in softening ad market.

Digital trust is the confidence people have that a platform will protect their information and provide a safe environment for them to create and engage with content. Our sixth annual benchmark survey of US social media users reveals that trust in social media platforms has declined substantially this year in key areas including privacy, safety, and ad relevance.

For the first time, Insider Intelligence forecasts digital advertising spending for five industries in France: retail, consumer packaged goods (CPG), auto, financial services, and travel. Digital ad spending is growing strongly in France this year. This Analyst Take gives a closer look at these inaugural forecasts.

As political ads boom, so do transparency concerns: The growing impact of CTV and programmatic advertising calls for transparency—but it’s not an easy problem to solve.

Influencer marketing and local advertising collide in college sports: Changes to name, image, and likeness rules have helped brands reach brand new markets.

On today's episode, we discuss what to note about TikTok's ascent, how much time on social media is spent watching video, and the discrepancy between TV and connected TV ad spend. "In Other News," we talk about how Instagram Reels' engagement stacks up against TikTok's and whether ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) ad spending can overtake traditional TV ad spend by 2025. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jasmine Enberg and Paul Verna.

Apple to introduce new ads to App Store by holidays: No word yet on where spots will go, but developers are urged to buy.