As media consumption fragments across connected TV (CTV) platforms, age brackets alone fail to capture consumer motivation. For years, CTV advertising has operated on a foundational assumption: demographic cohorts such as age, gender, and income are the best proxy for consumer intent. That assumption still shapes buying today: nearly 30% of US marketers prioritize demographic targeting for CTV ads, almost three times more than contextual approaches, per a July 2025 Gracenote survey.
Retailers are solidifying their market lead as digital ad spending approaches $150 billion. US retail advertisers have increased total spending, largely due to a concentration on digital.
Automakers' TV ad reach among 25- to 34-year-olds grew 12.38% YoY in June, the fastest of any age group, according to a June survey from Samba TV.
EMARKETER's Unofficial Monthly Retailer Awards recognize brands that stood out in September across three categories: most impactful campaign, best in-real-life initiative, and greatest under-the-radar move.
Commerce media has spent years riding a wave of new advertising dollars. But soon, the industry will need to prepare for a future in which growth comes at someone else's expense. According to EMARKETER's forecast, annual incremental commerce media ad spending will peak at approximately $17 billion in 2027 before declining through 2030. The money isn't drying up. But the pool of new spending that has helped fuel commerce media's expansion is approaching its peak, while more new players are lining up for a piece of it. “The opportunity to simply compete for new spend is getting smaller, and meanwhile, the pressure to generate and create new demands is increasing,” said our analyst Sarah Marzano during a "The Next Era of Commerce Media" presentation held during Advertising Week New York. For commerce media networks, the next opportunity lies in budgets that already have a home. Social media, paid search, and connected TV (CTV) command substantial portions of advertisers' media plans, and winning a share of that spending will require more than offering another way to buy ads on those channels.
Universal Standard’s latest collection shows strong demand for larger sizes even as other apparel brands cut back.
Walmart and Amazon move high-demand seller inventory closer to shoppers, improving speed and potentially margins.
The retailer denies cooperating with ICE, but the dispute risks distracting from improving sales and store investments.
Their mix of TV, social, and AI habits calls for targeting by life stage rather than age alone.
Users are bypassing traditional discovery channels and switching brands, making top rankings less relevant.
Exclusive dining can lift payment volume while giving consumers a reason to seek out eligible cards.
China dragged on Q3 results as shoppers favored hard luxury and US spending showed signs of cooling.
Its airport lounges could build brand recall, though limited physical exposure may blunt its impact.
Google tests pharma ads in AI Mode and Overviews, bringing drugmakers closer to consumers' treatment decisions while testing AI search’s readiness for regulated advertising.
Key stat: NCAA football collected 37.9% of its season's linear TV ad spending in November alone, according to an August EMARKETER analysis of iSpot data.
In today’s podcast episode, we discuss what would happen if an extended MLB lockout led to a death spiral for regional sports networks (RSNs), the BBC started carrying advertising, and Meta’s Muse flopped. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Analyst Ross Benes, and Principal Analysts Bill Fisher and Max Willens. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube or Spotify.
The strategy could put ChatGPT in annual media plans, provided advertisers see measurable returns.
By adding clearer website access instructions, brands can push AI crawlers to high-value content.
Organic engagement rates on brand YouTube channels fell between 26% and 38% YoY in all seven video categories tracked, according to a June report from Pixability.
As more healthcare orgs restrict drug rep access, pharma marketers must adopt more targeted, data-driven outreach to sustain their influence on doctors.