Media Buying

TikTok steps up its PR in the US capital: It’s hard for a Chinese company to make friends on the Hill, but it won’t be for lack of trying.

Search ads and retail media to aid Western Europe advertisers: Economic uncertainty to bolster use of ad channels that can deliver solid returns in 2023.

Twitter's advertiser revolt makes it need India more than before: The company gets flak for caving to censorship demands.

Nearly 80% of the world’s internet users are on social media. This landscape is still dominated by Meta in most markets, but use and ad spend is shifting away from Facebook and toward TikTok. Here are five charts capturing the worldwide state of social.

Could iffy payouts cause creators to leave TikTok? The platform’s much-hyped revenue-sharing program is giving shockingly low payouts, but strong viewer growth makes a migration unlikely.

US ad spending fell 12.1% in December 2022, the sixth consecutive month in which total spending has declined, according to revised data from Standard Media Index’s US Ad Market Tracker. To no one’s surprise, inflation continues to take its toll. But things may not be as bad as we thought.

B2B marketers became more focused on data during the pandemic when in-person events—a classic way of collecting first-party leads—ceased to be an option, and they shifted more resources toward digital. Despite a drop in growth in 2023, data spending will hit $3.91 billion by 2024.

Google and Microsoft’s game-changing developments: US seeks to break up search giant’s online business, and software heavyweight ups the AI ante as profit falls.

Disney to bring Hulu ad targeting to its streaming properties: Move should bring efficiencies as Netflix looks to bulk up its ad tier.

The workers building the metaverse don’t believe in its potential: Nearly half of game developers think the immersive space won’t pan out, and advertiser interest could slow.

Walmart’s fledgling retail media business made big gains in Q4: Ad spending on the platform rose 31% YoY thanks in part to the ads’ growing effectiveness.

The kids’ ad dollars are all right: While some sectors have seen slower ad growth, that’s not the case when it comes to childrens’ programming.

Google leans into outsourcing to improve profits: In addition to layoffs, the search giant is now referring even big advertisers to its reseller network.

Mobile app install ad spending is on the rise, and more video content on social media means an increase in time spent on platforms. Plus, click and collect remains a popular option for grocery buyers. Our forecasters laid out some good news for advertisers.

Retail media was the fastest-growing digital ad channel worldwidein Q3 2022, with retail media spend increasing 45% versus a year ago, according to Skai. It also gave advertisers more bang for their buck with impressions up 61% and costs per click down 12% year over year.

TikTok’s recommendation oversight could usher in a new era for social media: The embattled app promised regulators access to its algorithm, which could mean similar changes for competitors.

Netflix’s upfront debut could be bumpy for advertisers: In a significant media power shift, streaming’s upfront takeover could drive CPMs even higher.

Despite uncertainty, marketing budgets could be on the rise: Thanks to digital and social challenges, print might benefit more than you’d think.

DirecTV’s layoffs are a bad sign for pay TV: The long-dominant format is entering a very long goodbye as power shifts toward digital channels.