Mixed results from the Big Four ad firms mark a turbulent period: Concerns about the regulatory landscape and tariffs weigh on spending.

Retail media has transitioned from its 1.0 era, defined by on-site search and sponsored product ads, into the era of retail media 2.0, which consists of a mosaic of ads on-site, in-store, and across other media channels. “The opportunity gets much bigger, but realizing the opportunity also gets a lot more complex,” our analyst Andrew Lipsman said on “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail.”

Omnicom will integrate Google’s generative AI into its ad tech stack: With Omnicom and WPP backing generative AI, the rest of the industry will be swift to follow.

Ad agencies are split on generative AI. Some are diving into the emerging tech with partnerships and acquisitions. Others are wary of the hype. With major ad platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok developing their own AI tools, agencies need to establish a clear approach—or risk irrelevance.

Following a few turbulent years, upfront TV ad spending will maintain momentum from last year.

The pandemic put pressure on media budgets and changed users’ listening behaviors, forcing advertisers to restructure their audio strategies.

Programmatic transactions for digital display account for 86.4% of the market in Canada this year, even though global privacy reform and device tracking protections are making it more challenging to execute.