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Mobile and video formats will be key to a recovering ad market in the years ahead.

Retail media ad spend will make up over one-fifth of total US ad spending by 2027, per our forecast.

US digital media consumption and consumer spending growth are at a standstill. 鈥淚t's just getting really competitive to reach today's consumers,鈥� our analyst Jeremy Goldman said on an episode of the 鈥淏ehind the Numbers: Daily鈥� podcast. Here鈥檚 what advertisers need to know about the latest trends in digital, including fierce competition for ad dollars to ecommerce having room to grow.

鈥淚f you want to dominate the digital landscape, you鈥檝e got to win or be a clear leader on the three core pillars: media, advertising, and commerce,鈥� our analyst Andrew Lipsman said during our recent 鈥淎ttention!鈥� summit.

Retail media鈥檚 rise in popularity is being boosted by increasing ecommerce sales, a wide variety of ad formats, and established retailer-brand relationships. But an increasingly crowded space may have advertisers feeling overwhelmed, which could put a bit of strain on retail media鈥檚 growth.

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.

Prime Day 2024 shatters records yet again as consumers stock up on essentials: Shoppers spent $14.2 billion online, spurred by significant discounts and the chance to get a head start on back-to-school needs.

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.

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.

To take on retail media giants like Amazon and Walmart Connect, smaller networks need to constantly show what sets them apart and step up their media game.

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.

Coupons play a bigger role in purchasing decisions as consumers become increasingly value-conscious. More than a quarter (26%) of US adults are using more coupons this year because of the state of the economy, according to July 2024 data by Prosper Insights & Analytics and the National Retail Federation. Here are five stats to better understand how and where consumers are seeking savings.

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�

The influencer landscape is more crowded than ever, even as creator funding dries up. Leveraging smaller influencers will help your brand focus a limited budget toward a targeted audience. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had sleeper hits [with] micro-influencers,鈥� said Fernish CMO Evelyn Krasnow, speaking at eTail West 2023 in March. Finding the right influencers is 鈥済oing to be trial and error,鈥� said Krasnow. Here are tips for finding smaller influencers who can reach niche, targeted audiences.