The battle against TikTok took center stage at this week’s NewFronts, as Meta, Snapchat, and YouTube unveiled new ad products tied to short-form video. While none of them can compete with TikTok’s lock on the youth market or the enormous amount of time its users spend on the app, these new ad products are an attempt to bring Reels, Spotlight, and Shorts into greater parity with TikTok’s ad formats.

TikTok is going all-in on in-app purchases; Meta is focused on shoppable ads; and YouTube hopes to gain a competitive advantage through its strong creator relationships. All of this is happening as we forecast US retail social commerce sales will grow nearly 30% this year to hit $68.92 billion

Ad spending is looking shaky for many of the legacy formats across digital and traditional. New channels have arrived, however, and there are bright spots. This year could be rough, but 2024 is looking better.

Meta's major monetization of minors mishap: The FTC has proposed to bar the social giant from using children's data for their ad business.

Mobile and video formats will be key to a recovering ad market in the years ahead.

Shoppable media is gaining momentum as brands look for ways to narrow the gap between discovery and purchase. Just this month, Pinterest, NBCUniversal, Meta, and Yahoo announced shoppable media updates. From AI to QR codes, we dive deeper into these developments and why they may give companies an edge.

Australia's creator economy has an authenticity problem: Many influencer campaigns don't include proper disclosures.

On today's episode, we discuss what the new normal looks like at Netflix, why its ad-supported tier isn't helping much, and what the first DVD ever mailed by the company was. "In Other News," we talk about Meta, TikTok, and YouTube facing off at this year's NewFronts and whether instant videos could be the next big AI development. Tune in to the discussion with our director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.

Amazon’s ad business powered the retailer to a better-than-expected Q1: A 21% increase in ad revenues helped offset flat sales growth in its ecommerce business.

As retail media enters its next phase, marketing efforts are moving up the funnel toward new formats like open web, social, and streaming TV. By leveraging partnerships with social media companies, streaming platforms, and publishers, retail media networks can reach consumers earlier in the buying cycle and build brand awareness.

Google’s generative AI is a landmark moment for advertising: Legal issues have slowed generative AI’s use, but the ad duopoly’s support will start a flood.

In March, 37% of US teens called TikTok their favorite social media app, up from 30% the same month two years ago, according to Piper Sandler. Snapchat dropped to second place, falling to 27% from 31% during that period. In the No. 3 spot is Instagram, which 23% of teens named their top choice.

Meta's social VR platform, Horizon Worlds, opens to teens: Lawmakers have concerns, but the Facebook parent is adamant on building its metaverse user base.

With Bedrock, Amazon courts an array of AI startups: The platform offers a smorgasbord of generative AI tools for enterprise. But moves by Databricks and Meta could take model training in-house.

US consumers are increasingly turning to Walmart.com, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to start their online shopping searches, according to Jungle Scout. Amazon, search engines, and Facebook have lost share since Q1 2022.

Amazon sees growth opportunities amid economic challenges: That's CEO Andy Jassy's key message in an optimistic letter to shareholders about navigating difficult terrain. (This article was written with the assistance of ChatGPT.)

The Meta-owned company's determination to overcome regulatory hurdles could signal bigger international ambitions

TikTok eclipsed Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat in US users within just a few years, according to our estimates, and now it’s chasing Instagram. After years of exceptional growth, TikTok will boast more than 100 million US monthly users in 2023—unless lawmakers stand in its way.

Metaverse hype may have died down, but tech companies are still investing in VR. And a crop of new devices will continue to expand audiences—albeit slowly.

Few US merchants are selling goods on TikTok Shop: Many are reluctant to invest time and resources in the platform given the widespread speculation that it will be banned or sold.