This is the Q1 2025 installment of our quarterly “Ad Spending Benchmarks” series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.​

This is the Q1 2025 installment of our quarterly “Ad Spending Benchmarks” series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.​

This is the Q1 2025 installment of our quarterly “Ad Spending Benchmarks” series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.

The 2024 US presidential election ushered in a new normal in brand safety, with prominent social media companies such as X and Meta shifting the burden of content moderation from internal teams and contractors to users.

With TikTok in limbo, Neptune is pitching itself as a mental-health-conscious, creator-first alternative, but it’ll need more than good vibes to scale

The FTC’s challenge to Meta’s deals could fracture the social media giant's empire and signals that no acquisition, no matter its age, is safe from antitrust scrutiny.

BeReal launches its US ad business: The platform is looking to capitalize on TikTok’s uncertain future in the US.

TikTok builds its creator offerings while revenues thrive: While ByteDance is seeing notable growth, the tide could turn with an impending US ban.

TikTok is restructuring its governance and experience team: The move affects marketplace safety within TikTok Shop and may be a response to the platform’s underperformance last year.

What do brands need to know about the next wave of digital growth?

With content quickly buried and inactive users penalized, the platform is reworking search to give creators a longer runway and more consistent reach.

Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs landed harder than expected. Uncertainty remains, given the pause on reciprocal tariffs for countries willing to negotiate with the US—along with an escalating trade war with China. Which markets will take the greatest hits? And how might our US forecasts change?

Last week, Amazon made a last-minute offer to buy TikTok, just days before President Donald Trump postponed enforcement of the sale-or-ban law for another 75 days. Reportedly, the bid isn’t being taken seriously, so it’s unlikely the deal will go through. However, the deal is worth considering because it shows how Amazon is trying to maintain its status as the top retail media network and ecommerce retailer in the US.

If ad dollars shrink, Meta and others may need to ditch risky side projects and focus on scalable, affordable services to survive the slowdown

Meta, TikTok, and X in hot legal water: The platforms are facing suits in the US and EU that could have implications for how advertisers invest.

A popular influencer has recommended drastic changes in daily spending.

The app limits access to just three preset hours, betting on nostalgia, minimalism, and scarcity to counter tech fatigue.

TikTok receives another 75-day extension: As Trump signs a second executive order to keep the app alive, its future remains murky.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a fast-growing and lucrative ecommerce market. To tap into growth in the country, retailers and brands need to understand what motivates consumers.

Amazon and AppLovin make TikTok bids as sales deadline approaches: While a deal has yet to be inked, Trump and TikTok seem to be confident in the app’s future.