The news: Influencer marketing spending is increasing steadily in the US and worldwide, representing a key area of growth as audiences turn to the creators they trust for purchase decisions. In a conversation with EMARKTER, Arthur Leopold, head of the creator content ad platform Agentio, discussed why audiences are turning to influencers, how technology is changing the game, and where influencer marketing is heading. Our take: Influencer marketing continues to be a core focus for advertisers in a consumer landscape dominated by social media—but as more brands invest in influencers, advertisers need to keep key considerations in mind.

The news: Linear ad impressions declined 4.25% YoY in Q1, falling from about 92% of impressions in early 2023 to around 86% in March 2025, per iSpot’s Q1 TV Ad Transparency Report. But despite the decline, linear ad spend grew 4% in Q1, reaching $12.34 billion—indicating that while audience preferences are shifting, advertiser interest in linear remains steady. Our take: The most effective ad strategies will strike a balance between sustaining investment in linear to capitalize on its scale and reliability, and steadily increasing investment in streaming to align with evolving viewer behavior and future-proof campaign performance.

The news: Small- and medium-size businesses (SMBs) are increasingly relying on social media as a key marketing tool—but over half are struggling to keep up with the rapidly evolving landscape. Over three-quarters of small business leaders state that using social media has made a positive impact on their business—but 56% find it difficult to prioritize social media use, and 54% struggle to produce enough content to support multiple social media channels. Our take: Keeping up with social media’s future requires SMBs to integrate it as a core business function rather than viewing social media as an afterthought.

The news: Spotify’s Partner Program has opened new monetization paths for video podcasters, enabling MP4 uploads and revenue through ads and subscriptions. Creators like Ryth report earning over $55,000 per month, surpassing YouTube earnings. However, the model doesn’t support dynamic ads for premium subscribers, prompting networks to hold back. Why it matters: Nearly half of all digital media time is spent on video, and Spotify is betting big on that trend—especially among Gen Z, who increasingly prefer video-first podcast formats. Our take: Spotify’s approach may alienate ad-heavy networks for now, but video’s growth and creator enthusiasm suggest its long-term strategy is sound.

Google AI Overviews could face aggressive regulatory measures in UK: A CMA investigation adds to a slew of regulatory challenges that are chipping away at Google’s dominance in search and advertising.

The news: Connected TV (CTV) commands higher attention metrics (AU) than online video (OLV) and display advertising thanks in part to its wide variety of interactive ad formats, per industry KPI data provided by Adelaide. Our take: CTV's growing attention metrics reflects its shift toward becoming a performance marketing channel

The news: Brands are increasingly engaging with nano-, micro-, and mid-tier influencers—creators with up to 10,000, 50,000, 500,000 followers, respectively—and shifting away from macro- and mega-influencers with larger followings. Nano-influencers maintain the highest engagement rate across influencer categories on Instagram at 6.23%. On Instagram, there’s a notable trend of engagement rates decreasing as follower count increases. Our take: Partnering with nano-, micro-, and mid-tier influencers enables brands to tap into deeper authenticity and niche audiences, translating to more meaningful engagement and higher ROI than broader, but less personal, macro-influencer campaigns.

The news: The FTC has conditionally approved Omnicom’s $13.5 billion acquisition of IPG, but with a historic behavioral restriction: the merged ad giant is barred from coordinating ad placements based on political or ideological content. This addresses rising concerns over informal industry efforts to blacklist partisan publishers, especially those on the right. Our take: The ruling sends a clear warning that media buying behavior is under federal scrutiny. While brands can still control where their ads appear, holding companies must now walk a tighter line. The age of unregulated middlemen in ad placement may be ending.

The news: While brands invest heavily in social media giants like Instagram and Facebook, smaller platforms are showing steady growth—indicating a future where ad opportunities go beyond the big players. While the Meta platforms make up an enormous 72.5% of US social network ad spending, smaller social media platforms are holding their own, experiencing growth at a similar rate to Meta. Our take: While advertisers shouldn’t discount the massive reach Meta offers, smaller players are increasingly valuable for driving results, especially as competition intensifies on larger platforms.

The news: The 2025 NBA Finals drew just 10.2 million viewers on average, among the weakest results in two decades—yet Game 7 peaked at 19.3 million, the highest since 2019. Traditional ratings miss the full picture, though: social views on NBA Finals content soared 215% year over year to 5 billion. Our take: Gen Z sports fans are watching differently—via highlights, short clips, and mobile-first formats on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. TV still matters, but leagues like the NBA must master new distribution models. With streaming growth and a massive $76B media deal in place, the future is already digital.

The news: The FTC has conditionally approved Omnicom’s $13.5 billion acquisition of IPG, but with a historic behavioral restriction: the merged ad giant is barred from coordinating ad placements based on political or ideological content. This addresses rising concerns over informal industry efforts to blacklist partisan publishers, especially those on the right. Our take: The ruling sends a clear warning that media buying behavior is under federal scrutiny. While brands can still control where their ads appear, holding companies must now walk a tighter line. The age of unregulated middlemen in ad placement may be ending.

The trend: At Cannes Lions 2025, Meta, TikTok, Google, and others made clear that AI-powered ad automation is no longer an experiment—it’s the plan. The news: Meta and TikTok each emphasized agency relationships, but both platforms expanded generative AI tools that let brands generate and manage campaigns without intermediaries. Amazon, Comcast, and Google are doing the same, pushing toward platform-native, self-serve ad models. Our take: As automation replaces traditional support services, agencies face existential pressure. To stay relevant, holding companies will need to prove they offer value that AI can’t replace—fast.

The news: Women’s sports is continuing to grow in relevance, reaching new milestones in 2024, per research from the charity Women’s Sport Trust. Leagues like the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) grew significantly across social media in the 2024 season, reaching a single-season record of nearly 2 billion video views across WNBA social media platforms—more than quadruple the previous season. Our take: As more brands invest in women’s sports and viewership spikes, advertisers must recognize women’s sports not as a niche category only relevant for select moments, but as a critical part of a comprehensive sports marketing campaign.

The news: At Cannes Lions 2025, Netflix announced it has added Yahoo’s DSP to its growing list of programmatic partners, joining Google, The Trade Desk, and Microsoft. The expansion boosts flexibility for advertisers targeting Netflix’s 94 million monthly ad-tier users across 12 countries, with new capabilities for first-party data and interest-based buying. Our take: With its Ads Suite now live globally, Netflix is done crawling—it’s competing directly with YouTube and social platforms for CTV budgets. As its per-user ad revenues rebound and its content ecosystem broadens, Netflix is evolving into a full-funnel marketing platform poised to reshape premium video monetization.

The news: Cannes Lions 2025 marked a shift in retail media strategy, with platforms like Pinterest and Reddit forging deeper ties with retailers. CVS announced a clean room data partnership with Reddit to allow targeting based on shared first-party data, launching a Sensodyne and Advil campaign this fall. Pinterest partnered with Instacart to enable shopping from pins and connect ad exposure to sales via closed-loop attribution. Our take: Social platforms are becoming full-funnel retail media environments. By fusing community context with purchase signals, these integrations aim to blend discovery and commerce in real time—paving the way for more data-rich, measurable campaigns.

The news: The Trade Desk has partnered with Rembrand to bring AI-generated in-content product placements to its Kokai platform. Advertisers can now programmatically insert branded elements like packaging or signage into videos across the open internet and connected TV. Rembrand claims these placements increase unaided awareness by 1.5x and boost brand recall by up to 31%. TTD also added three AI creative partners: Nova, Spaceback, and Bunny Studio. Our take: This marks a shift toward immersive, scalable ad formats that don’t disrupt the viewer experience. The move strengthens TTD’s AI credentials while giving brands new ways to be seen—without being skipped.

The news: Podcasts are becoming a popular way for brands to reach engaged audiences, with viewership mounting and new platforms throwing their hats in the ring. Podcast viewership is thriving, reaching over 140 million US listeners in 2025, according to our forecast. Listeners will surpass 150 million by 2027. Our take: Podcasts are shaping up to become a strong contender in media consumption, with nearly 70% of US adults ages 18 to 24 listening at least one per month, per our forecast. As platforms battle to be the leading home for podcasts, advertisers need to pay attention and tailor strategies.

The trend: Instagram is gaining momentum across Asia-Pacific, fueled by India’s 2020 TikTok ban and a projected 10% user growth in that market for 2025. Japan’s forecast has also climbed, with 44.4 million users expected next year. Our take: Instagram’s rise isn’t just reactive—it’s a sign of strong localization and feature depth. With TikTok facing stricter laws in Australia and Southeast Asia, Instagram’s Reels and group-channel tools position it as the more stable, advertiser-friendly option. Brands targeting APAC should reevaluate platform strategies as Instagram captures more of the region’s fast-changing digital attention.

The news: At Cannes Lions 2025, Meta introduced 11 new generative AI ad features—ranging from dynamic image-to-video tools to brand-safe creative automation—and confirmed a $14–$15 billion investment in Scale AI, securing a 49% stake. These new Advantage+ tools aim to help advertisers, particularly SMBs, generate personalized, performance-optimized content at scale. Our take: Meta’s Cannes push underscores its dual strategy: democratizing high-impact creative through automation while investing in foundational AI infrastructure. The tools offer clear short-term ROAS gains, but Meta must still walk a fine line—scaling ad personalization without overwhelming users or alienating agency partners that still prioritize creative control.

Netflix House shows the power of brand marketing: The streamer’s retail play capitalizes on cheap real estate and consumer demand for experiences.