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The platforms鈥� short-video craze will cool. Reels is now revenue-neutral, but reports hint that Meta is struggling to convince advertisers that Reels can drive performance.

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鈥攐r risk irrelevance.

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鈥� time. In fact, Meta鈥檚 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

This year, we forecast that Walmart鈥檚 digital ad revenue growth will outpace Google, Meta, and even Amazon. This success is driven by updates made to Walmart鈥檚 retail media platform as well as partnerships to help advertisers activate across channels like social and connected TV. 鈥淵ou know [how they say] crawl, walk, run? We鈥檙e getting to that walk/run phase now where our platform is maturing,鈥� said Rich Lehrfeld, senior vice president and general manager at Walmart Connect.

Last month, Meta said it would use generative AI in ad creation by the end of the year. Not long after, Google announced generative AI ad plans of its own in the form of tools that will 鈥渞emix鈥� ads based on client goals. Neither company has released details of what these AI updates will look like, but the changes are big news for advertisers, agencies, and everyone in between.

Amazon announces Big Spring Sale as consumers show signs of spending fatigue: The retailer is counting on the event to jolt sales and give its ad business an edge over Meta and Google.

On today's episode, we discuss how Meta was able to snap its negative ad revenue growth streak, how Reels is helping Instagram grow time spent on the platform, and what Meta's metaverse plans are at this point. "In Other News," we talk about what Americans actually want in a social media platform and whether BeReal's new "Bonus" feature can help keep its momentum going. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Debra Aho Williamson.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss whether YouTube Shorts are cannibalizing long-form content, Instagram and Facebook users potentially being able to pay to avoid ads in Europe, how Netflix's password crackdown is getting on, whether serving multiple ads at once is a good idea, the impact of the Digital Services Act's arrival, how long it would take you to drive around every road in the US, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our forecasting writer Ethan Cramer-Flood, analyst Bill Fisher, and forecasting analyst Zach Goldner.

TikTok is competing with just about everyone, according to our analyst Jasmine Enberg. Its lower costs per thousand are helping it pull ad share away from platforms like Meta, while its appeal to Gen Z consumers is pulling search dollars away from Google and Amazon. But it can play nice too, a strategy the platform has had to adopt in Washington to avoid a total US ban.

The pandemic gave advertisers in Germany a taste for digital. Digital advertising will see record levels of growth for the next three years鈥攚ith retail media as the main driver鈥攆ar ahead of spending on traditional media.

On today's episode, we discuss what happens now that Montana has approved a ban on TikTok, what Amazon's AI chatbot might look like, why Meta got a record fine from the EU, what space advertising looks like, a Supreme Court ruling on an infamous internet law, how good humans are at multitasking, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman, analyst Evelyn Mitchell, and vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti.

TikTok Shop became available across the US last week. The social video platform has a lot to gain in retail and ad revenues, but it risks facing the same challenges Meta has had with social commerce on Instagram鈥攗sers' reluctance to actually complete purchases in app. But with sister app Douyin setting the blueprint for TikTok鈥檚 social commerce endeavors, the platform isn鈥檛 starting from scratch. Here鈥檚 a look at TikTok鈥檚 social commerce strategy and potential in five charts.

Facebook and YouTube will still be the top US social media platforms for buying ads or monetizing content this year, though their dominance is eroding, according to October 2022 polling by Integral Ad Science.

Snapchat champions positivity as Meta faces teen safety challenges: Snap's platform aims to balance user well-being with ad revenue growth.

In a recent meta analysis, Grocery TV discovered that consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands averaged a 14% increase in incremental sales when advertising through its in-store retail media network.

On today's episode, we discuss why some folks think digital ads are getting worse, whether things are looking up for Uber, TikTok鈥檚 parent company ByteDance challenging Meta on VR, why Warner Bros. Discovery will continue Discovery+, the Grammys rebounding from the pandemic's effect on viewership, the surprising most littered plastic item in the US, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti and analysts Suzy Davidkhanian and Max Willens.

TikTok is taking the lead on social commerce: But Meta, Pinterest, and Snap are trying to take back the spotlight by partnering with Amazon and focusing on shoppable ads.

TikTok and Meta continue to diverge on social commerce strategies, Pinterest teams up with Wayfair on a data clean room test, and YouTube introduces unskippable ads.

The old Google-Meta duopoly will claim less than 47% of digital ad spending this year. Adding Amazon brings the share above 60%. Every other digital ad publisher pales in comparison, including seemingly major players like Microsoft and TikTok.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the details and regulatory headaches surrounding Microsoft鈥檚 attempts to acquire the video game company Activision Blizzard. "In Other News," we talk about how Meta is allowing EU users to turn off their algorithms, and YouTube鈥檚 current issues around violating children鈥檚 privacy through tracking-based advertising on "made-for-kids" content. Tune in to the discussion with our guest host Bill Fisher and analysts Daniel Konstantinovic and Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf.

TikTok Shop, for example, boasts live and short-video commerce, an in-app marketplace, a logistics arm, checkout, Shop ads, and an affiliate arm for creators. And as of 2024, Meta and Pinterest require merchants to use their in-house checkout solutions. This gives sellers access to commerce tools that can help them manage their product catalogs, set up online shops, and view sales activity.

Meta followed its shocking 1.3% decline in ad revenues two years ago with a 13.7% increase in 2023, and we project a slight acceleration to 13.8% in 2024. That means a $7.85 billion ad revenue increase for Meta this year, a figure that only Amazon will exceed ($8.31 billion).