US digital ad spend will cross $300 billion for the first time this year, per our March 2024 forecast. That’s good news for advertisers, but it also means it’s harder to stand out. While exposing consumers to a brand multiple times across channels is vital to brand awareness, hitting consumers with the same creative over and over again or bombarding them with emails and text messages can hurt marketing impact. Here are five key stats on marketing fatigue across connected TV (CTV), email, and messaging.

Consumers are more ready for shoppable TV than ever. “The opportunity around shoppable TV is changing due to significant advancements in technology and shifts in consumer behavior,” said David Cohen, CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), in its recent Retail Media Goes to the Movies report.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss why social media platforms are less equipped to stop toxic content, the main ways AI will heighten brand safety concerns, and steps marketers can take to mitigate risk. "In Other News," we talk about whether brands repurposing vertical video ads for TVs can work and what Hulu adding its content to Disney+ means for the streaming universe. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of content Paul Verna.

Generative AI search engine Perplexity will launch ads in the next few quarters. But while advertisers probably don’t need to form Perplexity ad strategies just yet, they should keep an eye on how the search engine is approaching monetization for clues into what Google (and other emerging search competitors) could do in the future.

Amazon is ditching Just Walk Out in favor of Dash Carts. Not only will the move satisfy customers’ desire for familiar technology, but it’s also creating more ad inventory. Walmart Connect also emphasized its in-store retail media potential last week, with a focus on expanding familiar strategies like sampling and TV screens. This back-to-basics approach might spark more in-store retail media ad spend.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss what finding products online will look like in 2025, if Target's new membership program can stack up against Amazon Prime and Walmart+, how ads on chatbots will change advertising, how to make stores more fun places to shop, what the world's first "ketchup insurance" offers, how Americans use dating apps, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf and Carina Perkins.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the main takeaways from this year's Super Bowl; which ads had the biggest impact; how Fox, ESPN, and Warner Bros. Discovery's (WBD's) new giant sports streaming service announcement changes the game; some unbelievable facts about trees; and more. Tune in to the discussion with our forecasting writer Ethan Cramer-Flood, director of forecasting Oscar Orozco, and analyst Max Willens.

On today's episode, we discuss the appeal of Prime Video with ads, why we might see more honest and transparent advertising, the inevitability of face computers, Netflix's chances of becoming a significant gaming hub, how the average retirement age is changing and more. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Ross Benes, Blake Droesch, and Max Willens.

Super Bowl LVIII is less than two weeks away. Not every ad has been announced, but we’ve kept watch on the teasers. This year’s Super Bowl will be defined by a potential Taylor Swift appearance, possible Paramount+ complications, and some big swings from brands. Ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers’ big night, here are five trends we’re watching.

Amazon Prime Video ads launched today, defaulting Amazon’s 163.3 million US viewers into its ad-supported tier unless they pay a premium to opt out. This is good news for Amazon’s $44.26 billion dollar retail US media business. But who could this move hurt?

TikTok’s US growth is slowing: That trend correlates with the launch of TikTok Shop, which some feel degraded the app’s experience.

It’s a new year, which means new predictions. Our analysts have already made a number of big predictions for 2024, but here are a few more from our newsletter team. We’re keeping an eye on generative AI, attention metrics, and Gen Alpha—and we expect to see more ads in more places along the way. Here’s what we’re watching.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss whether X (formerly Twitter) can recover from its latest debacle, if folks will start buying cars on Amazon, whether ad-free social networks are inevitable, companies potentially ruining "buy one, get one free" deals, United Airlines weighing using passenger data to target ads on planes, how people feel about tipping in the US, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti and analysts Ross Benes and Bill Fisher.

This Banking & Payments Show episode explores new cash-back credit card features and their appeal. We discuss a CNBC article on merchant rewards, highlight a feature 58% of consumers find extremely valuable, and debate the merits of these features versus more cash-back rewards.

It’s been a year since Netflix launched its “Basic With Ads” tier, joining an increasingly cluttered landscape of ad-supported streaming platforms. Netflix leveraged a year of solid connected TV (CTV) ad spend growth, cost-conscious consumers, and Hollywood strikes that emphasized the value of a deep existing catalog to grow its ad supported plan to 15 million global monthly active users, according to a company post. Here’s a look at what’s new, what’s working, and what needs more attention at Netflix.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the likelihood that news influencers will replace traditional media, whether in-store sampling can make a comeback, how many ads are enough ads, what the science says about social media being addictive, why more brands don't encourage consumers to recycle, where daylight savings time actually comes from, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Bill Fisher and Carina Perkins.

Even as TikTok ad revenues tick up, Meta will still account for 75.0% US ad dollars spent on social media this year, according to our forecast.

Though marketing budgets are under scrutiny in this tight economy, it might make sense to consider integrating audio advertising into your marketing mix. That’s because listener growth is picking up for podcasts and audio formats overall. Audio ad formats also have unique features to help marketers.

Key stat: Nearly 60% of TikTok viewers are more likely to trust a brand after hearing about it from a creator compared with hearing about it from a standard, in-feed ad, said Sam Kimmel, global creator partnerships lead at TikTok, during a CreatorIQ webinar.

On today's episode, we discuss whether Amazon can keep expenses down while also keeping customers happy, where the company will place its bets on grocery, and how its advertising arm has performed of late. "In Other News," we talk about why most retailers site searches aren't working and how many streaming viewers will watch ads to save a few bucks. Tune in to the discussion with our director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman and analyst Zak Stambor.