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As the so-called AI arms race heats up, US site visit data from digital intelligence platform Similarweb reflects early changes in consumer behavior.

Retailers and the tech firms powering some of their RMNs are racing to give ad buyers access to more off-site inventory in formats ranging from CTV to digital out-of-home to in-store. But on-site has plenty of headroom left, as this new data from our forecast shows.

On today's episode, we discuss how concerning Google's drop in search ad revenues is, the likelihood of Google getting broken up by the US Department of Justice, and the main reason YouTube is struggling. "In Other News," we talk about which cookie alternatives are emerging as favorites and the significance of Microsoft adding ChatGPT's AI technology to its search engine, Bing. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Evelyn Mitchell.

Programmatic advertising will account for 91.3% of US digital display ad spend this year, or a total of $157.35 billion, per our December 2023 forecast. Last week, advertisers at Programmatic I/O discussed where those ad dollars are headed and how programmatic advertising is changing. From ad spend waste to the expansion of retail media, here are three big trends discussed at the event.

Google announced late Tuesday that it is delaying the deprecation of third-party cookies once again, extending the deadline that was originally set for 2022. While many marketers were breathing a little easier following the decision, 鈥渢his is NOT a reprieve,鈥� said our analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf. 鈥淭he industry just has more time to reach the finish line. Let鈥檚 not squander it.鈥� Here are four important takeaways from the delay.

Measuring creator marketing is tough. Affiliate links provide direct attribution, but many sales occur after consumers see creator content. Even MrBeast, the biggest individual creator on YouTube, sells his Feastables bars at retailers like Walmart, not just on social media. So how can advertisers using creator marketing measure the efficacy of creator campaigns?

Retail media just got even bigger. We recently updated our US retail media ad spend forecast to show higher growth than previously estimated, culminating in $109.40 billion in spend in 2027.

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.

Traditional financial institutions are losing new business to digital competitors. But banks can still compete.

Amazon muscles in on Google and Meta鈥檚 ad throne: Retail media and Prime Video propelled the company to a blockbuster 2023鈥攁nd 2024 looks even brighter.

Amazon is growing into an advertising titan: The company鈥檚 ad revenues jumped 26% in Q3 thanks to football and a strong hold on retail media.

Calendar context: With the invention of Prime Day, Amazon created an industrywide retail holiday consumers can now count on in the summer each year. Last year, Amazon also launched its Prime Early Access Sale in October. 鈥淲e now have three key tentpoles,鈥� said our analyst Andrew Lipsman on 鈥淏ehind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail,鈥� referring to Prime Day, the Prime Early Access Sale, and Black Friday. But spring remains untapped. 鈥淎 question I get is, 鈥業s Amazon going to do more of these?鈥� And I think the answer is yes, eventually,鈥� said Lipsman.

Prime Day advertising had a higher ROI than last year: Amazon worked out kinks from 2022鈥檚 event that will help it secure relationships with sellers.

Companies like Google and Microsoft are racing to incorporate generative AI into their search engines, while Grammarly and Shopify are using it to round out their offerings. We asked our analysts what generative AI-driven changes we can expect for advertising. 鈥淚 think transparency is one of the bigger issues surrounding generative AI,鈥� said Insider Intelligence analyst Gadjo Sevilla.

2023鈥檚 explosive adoption of AI will be felt in the year ahead, as the technology continues to make an impact on nearly everyone. On top of the AI revolution, immersive media will be made more accessible, connected cars will give rise to new media opportunities, and carbon-efficient advertising will gain priority.

Mobile wallet integration makes checking out more convenient, while composable commerce gives brands the ability to customize and alter their tech stacks to fit their specific needs. Generative AI helps to enhance personalization and product recommendations, and one-click checkout buttons speed up the payment process.

Microsoft reports strong Q4 FY24 results with 19% surge in search and ads: The company鈥檚 next challenge will be to prove its AI investments can fuel continued growth.

鈥淯nderstanding how consumers are spending their time and money is paramount to your business being successful,鈥� our analyst Jeremy Goldman said on 鈥淭he Future of Digital 2024鈥� webinar. Here are three shifts in media consumption, purchasing behavior, and mobile usage, and how each is prompting new advertising strategies in streaming, social search, and gaming.

Which networks should brands be paying attention to as they refine their retail media strategy? From the king of them all to the ones that are just catching up, here are five retail media networks to keep an eye on this year.

Brands were abuzz at eTail West 2023 in Palm Springs this week, talking about tech, loyalty, and integration. Here are our top five takeaways from brands like GNC, Poshmark, and Spanx.

Worldwide ad spend will grow 9.0% this year, according to our March 2024 forecast. Its growth is primarily bolstered by digital ad spend, which will increase 12.2% YoY.

For marketers, 鈥極K, boomer鈥� isn鈥檛 such a bad phrase after all. Baby boomers (ages 60 to 78) make up 20% of the US population yet control $76 trillion鈥�52% of the country鈥檚 net wealth, per the Federal Reserve as reported by The Economist. Despite marketers fixating on Gen Z, boomers wield substantial spending power and have distinct behaviors worth noting.

As the DOJ鈥檚 antitrust trial over Google Search continues, the ad giant could be at real risk of having to alter its search business. 鈥淭he DOJ has a really strong case here,鈥� said our analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf on our 鈥淏ehind the Numbers鈥� podcast. 鈥淚t's not looking great for Google.鈥�