A trade war with the US will hinder economic performance in Canada this year. Ad spending overall is expected to lose the momentum gained in 2024. But many digital formats will benefit from the emphasis on return on ad spending.

TikTok extends its partnership with MLS: The move is part of a broader trend of brands investing in sports.

This is the Q1 2025 installment of our quarterly “Ad Spending Benchmarks” series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.​

This is the Q1 2025 installment of our quarterly “Ad Spending Benchmarks” series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.

The 2024 US presidential election ushered in a new normal in brand safety, with prominent social media companies such as X and Meta shifting the burden of content moderation from internal teams and contractors to users.

Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs landed harder than expected. Uncertainty remains, given the pause on reciprocal tariffs for countries willing to negotiate with the US—along with an escalating trade war with China. Which markets will take the greatest hits? And how might our US forecasts change?

If ad dollars shrink, Meta and others may need to ditch risky side projects and focus on scalable, affordable services to survive the slowdown

Inside the Meta and UFC partnership: The deal—both strategic and political—makes Meta UFC’s “official fan technology partner.”

Zuckerberg wants Trump to slow the EU’s advertising crackdown: Meta is pressuring the administration to fight back against EU fines.

YouTube has more users than Facebook, Netflix, or Spotify. But its advertising revenues do not match its vast reach. This report contextualizes the opportunities and scope for growth in various media spheres.

Last month, Instagram rolled out its Testimonials feature, an ad format that allows brands to pay creators for sponsored content that includes comments.

The EC weighs soft enforcement on Apple and Meta to sidestep tensions with Trump, risking weakened regulatory leverage.

As feature parity becomes strategy, Meta chases engagement and relevance.

Positivity pays on Pinterest: A new study determined that platforms deemed “positive” can significantly boost ad performance.

TikTok Shop expands in Europe as US fate remains uncertain: Launch in France, Germany, and Italy underscores push for growth amid pressure to boost sales.

Meta may consider ad-free subscription offer for the UK: While the company settled a suit with a UK citizen, a similar offering in the EU has faced pushback.

Influencer marketing is maturing and diversifying. While the turmoil at TikTok and the escalating trade war are causing temporary uncertainty, the industry will remain resilient as momentum around influencer marketing grows.

Last week, Best Buy Ads launched Social+, an offering that allows brands and agencies to leverage Best Buy’s first-party data for social media campaigns. The tool is currently only available for Meta campaigns on Facebook and Instagram, but will expand to other social media networks in the future, per a press release.

Meta introduces new AI ad capabilities: The changes include more investments in Andromeda, new tools for Advantage+, and more genAI use cases.

While handy for creators and multilingual users, bot-written comments might alienate users in Meta’s already delicate social ecosystem.