Key stat: 58% of US adults stream video via connected TV (CTV), according to ViewNexa.

It’s December, which means marketers should already have plans in place for 2024. The next year will be punctuated by increasing retail media and connected TV (CTV) ad spend, creator economy evolution, and even more AI. Here are five charts to prepare you for what’s ahead.

Dramatic shifts are in the works for 2024, as genAI, changing media norms, and innovative commerce redefine the business landscape. Our top nine trends explore what’s in store.

For Q4 2022 to Q4 2023, YouTube’s costs per thousand (CPMs) ranged from $13.03 to $15.34—a swing of $2.31, according to our forecast.

As ad-supported TV and streaming services become more popular, ad variations are becoming more crucial. Through small, tactical tweaks, a holistic campaign approach, and experimentation with shoppable formats, it doesn’t have to be a costly or daunting endeavor.

The cookie will finally crumble in 2024, forcing advertising stakeholders to embrace privacy-preserving targeting and measurement alternatives.

Connected TV (CTV) ad spend will exceed $30 billion in the US next year, according to our forecast. At a growth rate of 22.4% YoY, that makes CTV one of the fastest-growing ad formats we track. But where those ad dollars are coming from isn’t so simple.

With the holiday shopping season starting earlier than ever, marketers must gather consumer feedback and insights while campaigns are still in flight. Learn why embracing cross-platform campaign measurement in real time is key for success.

More than half (52%) of US adults have either used shoppable commerce (buying a product by clicking a link directly within or next to a video) before or are interested in it, according to an Insider Intelligence survey conducted by Bizrate Insights. The majority of those who have used it, however often, identify as male (23%) and are between ages 18 to 34 (31%).

To keep campaigns new and relevant, Poshmark leans on AI to enhance product images and refresh video assets. The fashion resale platform has also employed AI to help it translate TV ads into different languages to scale campaigns across countries.

Time spent with connected TV (CTV) by US adults will be within 1 hour of linear next year, at 2 hours and 3 minutes (2:03) and 2:48 per day, respectively, according to our June forecast. CTV usage is outpacing ad spend on most platforms, but spend is growing rapidly as Netflix, Disney+, Max, and Amazon Prime Video push more viewers toward ad-supported tiers. As the CTV ad floodgates open, advertisers need to make sure they’re maximizing ad value by thinking of CTV differently, experts suggested at last week’s Advertising Week New York.

Retail media and connected TV (CTV) are like peanut butter and chocolate, Danielle DeLauro, executive vice president at the Video Advertising Bureau, said at Advertising Week New York last week. “Together, there’s nothing better.”

A hurting US ad market is showing signs of recovery. Our forecast predicts 3.8% growth in overalUS media ad spend this year, for a total of $353.86 billion. Magna upped its US ad spend forecast for 2023 YoY growth from 4.2% to 5.2% in September. And in August, the US ad market achieved two consecutive months of growth for the first time since last June.

As ecommerce growth returns to pre-pandemic levels, it will continue to drive total retail sales over the next few years. Retailers looking to drive sales need to focus on a seamless omnichannel experience and use deals to convince consumers to spend. Meanwhile, retail media’s growth shows no signs of slowing, but advertisers and retailers must work together to ensure future success.

The store is no longer the only place where consumers can discover and shop for consumer packaged goods (CPG) products. Younger generations are finding products via search and social media, while Amazon Prime Day offers shoppers the opportunity to stock up on essentials for less.

Spotify wants a share of CTV ad spending: The audio app is partnering with Roku to capitalize on consumers who use their TVs as living room speakers.

YouTube is the most widely used free video service among US internet users of all generations, according to Kagan. Its highest saturation is among Gen Zers (82%) and millennials (78%).

For the past few years, some of the biggest names in ad tech—The Trade Desk, PubMatic, Magnite—have held onto CTV as a shiny growth narrative. Although investors’ enthusiasm seems to have started subsiding, CTV does represent a massive long-term opportunity for ad tech stakeholders. In the near term, a good deal of programmatic CTV ad dollars will transact directly with platforms that are still committed to keeping their content and data behind garden walls.