YouTube has expanded its affiliate shopping capabilities and eligibility for the YouTube Partner Program in order to maintain the strength of its creator relationships. But livestream commerce may factor more into YouTube’s future.

On today's episode, we discuss what Google's Q2 ad growth is telling us, what to make of YouTube's recent performance, and how Google will fair in the second half of the year. "In Other News," we talk about Google rolling out the first step of third-party cookie replacement and what Microsoft is betting on for the future. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf.

With the rise of TikTok and all its copycats, there’s a lot to keep track of in terms of paid advertising. Creators frequent TikTok, Reels, Shorts, and Spotlight in some capacity, but the ad ops on each platform vary. Here’s a quick guide to what’s available on each platform.

Meta accounts for 19.5% of US digital ad spend, despite US adults spending only 7.6% of their time with digital media on the platform, according to our forecasts.

YouTube has a head start in CTV ad spending: Viewers and media companies are pivoting to digital, but spending shows YouTube is well in the lead.

Meta is one of the two most successful ad publishers in history (along with its duopoly rival, Google), but its ad dominance does not come in tandem with an equally dominant hold over consumers’ time. In fact, Meta’s share of ad revenues is surprisingly out of step with how much time people actually spend on its platforms, particularly when compared with competitors like YouTube and TikTok

Over one-third (37.7%) of US consumers’ time spent with TV is with streaming services, per Nielsen. Cable is not far behind, with a 30.6% share of consumers’ TV time.

Netflix will remain on top despite a shaky 2023. Estimates for Hulu and the other sub OTT services were not affected by the writers strike.TikTok and YouTube are in a close fight for short- and medium-length video viewing time.

Most consumers use online marketplaces to find products, but the number who are browsing in-store or on social media is growing. Retailer websites are where customers go for product research. And when it comes to purchasing, price and delivery options are the most important factors.

YouTube’s ad business has posted losses for the past three quarters—an unprecedented slide following years of double-digit gains. This underperformance has forced the video giant to sharpen its focus in the two areas where it has the best shot at attracting ad spending and restoring growth: connected TV (CTV) and short-form video.

Following three consecutive quarters of ad revenue losses, YouTube faces an urgent need to restore growth. This could present marketers using YouTube with opportunities to target audiences on both connected TVs and smartphones.

The US ad market grew for the first time in 11 months this May, according to Standard Media’s US Ad Market Tracker. Now the question is if expansion can continue. June and the start of July brought a host of ad updates that could help continued growth, including ad tools enhancements from Google and Microsoft, retail media opportunities from Roku and Uber, and more. Here’s a breakdown of what’s new.

This first-of-its-kind report compares and contrasts our US ad spending forecast with our US time spent with media forecast. It identifies unexpected incongruities between how marketers are spending ad dollars and where consumers are spending their time.

Ad spend across digital channels has been mixed so far this year, with spend on social networks slowing and connected TV spend boosted by new ad-supported subscription tiers. Meanwhile, retail media is diversifying at a rapid rate as nonendemic retailers get in the game

LinkedIn is the social platform most commonly used by B2B marketers and their clients worldwide, according to a LinkedIn survey conducted by Ipsos. YouTube takes second place, followed by Facebook and Instagram.

US adults will spend 1 minute less with media this year than in 2022, although the longer-term topline trend is stable. Among formats and platforms, CTV is grabbing share, mobile is approaching a plateau, and Netflix and TikTok reign supreme.

Gen Z shoppers diverge from the general population in terms of where they find and buy products, consumers are still into influencer-driven ads, and live shopping hasn’t taken off yet. Here are five charts to help elevate your social commerce strategy.

Google continues to lose ground to Amazon: Amazon is holding steady as shoppers’ search engine of choice for products, even as TikTok and other social platforms attract Gen Z consumers.

Fighting ad blockers to preserve revenues: YouTube’s global trial restricting video playback for ad-blocker users also nudges them toward YouTube Premium.

The B2B social media landscape is rapidly evolving thanks to younger buyers and AI. To adapt, marketers need to lean into influencer marketing, have a multichannel approach, and embrace generative AI.