Threads gets ads in 2025 and rapidly gains on X: Threads user count is soaring as news publishers and celebrities flee Musk’s platform.

From the rise of sophisticated AI-driven tools to new policies reshaping data privacy and competition, 2025 promises to be a year of relentless change. Companies that adapt will thrive, while others risk being left behind in a swiftly moving market.

Like all consumers, for high-income consumers (earning $150,000 or more a year), the physical store is the top source of discovery, according to our US High-Income Consumers’ Path to Purchase 2024 report.

Social commerce is gaining momentum in the UK—with sales set to double by 2028—as major brands join TikTok and as more people shop on social platforms.

Gen Z leads in digital usage by most proportional measures. However, social network use cuts across categories, influencing video viewing and digital buying.

Meta and Roblox show how teen safety has become a priority: A year of heavy scrutiny from regulators has prompted similar platforms to overhaul protections.

After experiencing downturns in recent years, social CPMs are on the rise again in the US, per our forecasts. That’s a sign that brands could invest more in social media ads amid optimism about the economy.

Trump spent less on social media and won anyway: An established political brand and shifting social landscape reduced the need to lean on social platforms.

High-income consumers are more likely to discover new brands or products in-store, but they typically make the final purchase online.

Election spending caused CPMs to surge: Faced with high costs and a noisy environment, brands experimented with new channels.

Meta’s strong earnings have one dark spot: Slow user growth made investors flinch as competition for consumer attention peaks.

How time spent with media, device ownership, and media adoption stack up in Central and Eastern Europe.

The definition of open-source AI now requires transparent training data, giving Meta incentive to clarify what information it feeds Llama.

The 14th annual Global Media Intelligence Report details time spent with media, adoption of emerging formats, and device ownership in key markets around the world.

Gen Z is looking for “besties,” said speakers at ZCON, a conference featuring Gen Z speakers, creators, marketers, and business leaders. Speakers and attendees emphasized connections, personal branding on social media, platforms for networking, and more. Here are four takeaways from the event.

The tool could shift users away from Google and Bing, embedding AI search across Meta’s ecosystem and unlocking fresh ad revenue streams.

By integrating Reuters content, Meta aims to enhance its AI’s credibility and drive ad revenue while carefully reentering the news domain.

The feature aims to boost safety, but Meta’s troubled data practices may have already eroded users’ trust.

Instagram integrates with Spotify: Users can now save songs from Reels directly to their Spotify library.

Millennials outpace Gen Z on eight of the 12 digital platforms EMARKETER tracks.