AI-fueled gains kept Google, Meta, and Amazon atop Q2’s ad market, but slowing engagement, murky ROI, and macro risks leave the triopoly’s future growth story more complex than the headlines suggest.

The news: Publicis Groupe has won PayPal’s global media business, building on the holding company’s winning streak and proving to rivals that its momentum in securing major accounts shows no signs of slowing. WPP Media previously handled PayPal’s media account but resigned the account in April, citing the need to “pursue other opportunities,” per Ad Age. Our take: Publicis’ win of PayPal’s global media business underscores a growing advertiser shift toward integrated partnerships, where creative, media, and retail strategies merge to unlock greater performance and monetization potential.

Alphabet posted strong Q2 results, with Search ad revenue up 12% YoY and YouTube ad revenue climbing 13%. But analysts and advertisers are asking tougher questions as the company shifts toward AI-led formats like AI Overviews and Gemini. Google declined to provide clear data on ROI, clickthroughs, or user engagement, fueling concerns about monetization in a no-click world. Licensing costs for LLM training, brand safety, and competition from ChatGPT and Perplexity are all in focus. While YouTube continues to lead in streaming ad growth, the future of Google’s ad engine may hinge on transparency, AI accountability, and performance parity.

The news: Magnite and Dentsu are expanding their partnership in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region to streamline video and connected TV (CTV) capabilities, per a press release. The agreement will use Magnite’s SpringServe video platform across markets like the UK and Spain to support Dentsu’s programmatic CTV offering, Total TV. Our take: Magnite and Dentsu’s partnership marks a critical expansion, giving advertisers a better opportunity to deliver impactful, precise, and measurable video and CTV experiences at scale across key markets.

The news: When asked where they’re seeing the most return on their AI investments, 68% of Canadian banks cited a back-office implementation, while just 32% cited a customer-facing capability, per GFT’s 2025 Banking Disruption Index Report. Our take: Prevention is an obvious area for AI investment, given the rising costs of cybersecurity and fraud incidents. But it’s a good sign that banks are also investing in enhanced customer-facing capabilities that could help them attract and retain customers. They should prioritize these investments going forward, particularly with agentic AI on the rise. Customer-experience improvements are essential even if their value isn’t immediately quantifiable: Over half of Canadian banking customers say they would leave their bank due to a poor customer experience.

B2B marketers are under pressure to prove event ROI. B2B events are a key channel for driving engagement and building pipeline—but the pressure to prove ROI is increasing. Event participation must be strategic and aligned with clear business outcomes. This report reveals 10 data-backed best practices to help sponsors and exhibitors boost engagement, generate pipeline, and turn event participation into measurable business results.

Cannes Lions, an annual opportunity for advertisers to score accolades for their creativity, is refining its agenda to acknowledge how that work drives business.

“There are lots of shiny new pennies in marketing, so it's very easy to get distracted,” said Nicklaus Hasselberg, VP of growth marketing and ecommerce at Every Man Jack, at The Lead Summit in New York City last week. “It’s about ‘What do we reasonably believe will have the biggest impact on our business?' And let’s do it as well as we can."

On this special edition podcast, we examine practical ways to track commerce media ROI—covering KPI selection, attribution, and cross channel measurement. EMARKETER Principal Analyst, Sky Canaves talks with Maev’s Michael Campi, PepsiCo’s Mike Glaser, and LiveRamp’s Christine Grammier in this panel from the May 9th EMARKETER virtual summit, Commerce Media Trends 2025. Listen everywhere you find podcasts, or watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Omnicom expands Creo into a global brand: The agency will unify creator strategy across markets, blending AI tools, media partnerships, and performance goals.

YouTube Shorts views get redefined: Starting March 31, every play counts as a view—but only “engaged views” will determine monetization and deeper insight.

CMOs are under increasing pressure to drive measurable business growth. Success requires more than marketing expertise—it takes strategic leadership to build AI-powered ecosystems, align data and technology, and improve consumer experiences for better marketing ROI.

Nostalgia meets innovation: Super Bowl advertisers mix legacy campaigns and tech-focused storytelling to connect with diverse demographics.

Organizations will prioritize governance in 2025 as they ramp up genAI investments in pursuit of business transformation.

The advertising industry craves standardization in a fragmented landscape shaped by rising privacy expectations and demands for actionable insights. To move beyond aggregate campaign analytics, businesses need user-level insights without adding legal, technical, or governance hurdles.

The top B2B marketing trends in 2025 include AI-driven insights, first-party data strategies, and balancing automation with authenticity. In this report, marketers and agencies can learn how to embrace these evolving strategies in order to boost engagement, trust, and ROI.

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.

B2B marketers are embracing genAI-powered tools to enhance the effectiveness of their marketing initiatives. Marketing teams can use this technology in six valuable ways to drive better outcomes.

Influencer marketing is a core part of many brands’ strategies. Sponsored content spend on social media will total $8.14 billion in 2024, nearing the $10 billion mark by 2026, according to EMARKETER’s March 2024 forecast.

Affiliate marketing reaches $10 billion milestone: Brands increase budgets as ecommerce and Gen Z engagement fuel growth.