蘑菇AV

RFK Jr.鈥檚 pharmaceutical ad ban could affect $22 billion in ad spending: A business-friendly Trump administration could hamper RFK鈥檚 plans to cut D2C advertising.

Digital ad spend in Latin America is set to reach 56.4% of total ad spend in 2025, per 蘑菇AV鈥檚 forecast. As the region鈥檚 digital landscape matures, media quality, and performance are becoming top priorities for advertisers.

Meta is still the top dog in social media, but smaller platforms like Snap and Pinterest are focusing on augmented reality and ecommerce, respectively, to stand out in a crowded field. Meta鈥檚 ad revenues surged as AI investment intensified. Meta delivered a standout Q4, with revenues climbing 21% YoY to $48.38 billion.

Even an influx of new RMNs will not chip away at the share of ad spending allocated to the top two powerhouses. Amazon and Walmart combined will gobble up more than 84% of all retail media ad spending in 2025, representing a pervasive and unyielding dominance within the channel. The share of ad spending allocated to all other RMNs increased by less than 1 percentage point between 2019 and 2024.

Our take: Even if retail media makes up a small overall portion of some retailers鈥� business, the potential to capture millions in ad spending and rapidly drive revenue growth is making it a crucial sector for the next generation of advertising talent and leadership.

Escalating US tariffs on Chinese imports and the likely closure of the de minimis loophole could significantly impact social platforms like Meta and TikTok鈥攚hich rely heavily on ad dollars from fast-growing Chinese ecommerce companies such as Shein and Temu.

Key stat: 70% of US consumers feel 鈥渆motionally manipulated鈥� by AI shopping assistants, per Chadix. What retailers may define as personalization, consumers could think of as manipulation, the data shows. 60% of consumers make frequent impulse purchases based on AI suggestions, per Chadix. Key stat: 1 in 3 people who click on an automated message make a purchase, according to Omnisend.

However, if retail media networks want to keep the ad dollars flowing, they鈥檒l need a more standardized approach without compromising transparency or ad effectiveness. Some networks have teamed up directly with streamers for more accurate, seamless CTV measurement. Walmart Connect has partnerships with NBCUniversal, Roku, and Disney Advertising to enhance targeting and measurement capabilities.

Shopping websites, on the other hand, were ranked as the top choice, which gives retailers a natural advantage. Companies whose customers aren鈥檛 in a shopping mindset will have to work even harder to ensure the ads they feature are relevant, engaging, and, crucially, not disruptive. What will it take to carve out success in a crowded commerce media landscape?

TMN ad spending will represent a fraction of total digital ad spending. TMN ad spending as a share of digital ad spending is set to increase modestly, from 0.7% in 2024 to 0.8% in 2026. While commerce media will continue to be dominated by ad spending on RMNs, TMNs make up a distant second tier, ahead of ad spending within the still-nascent financial media network (FMN) cohort.

Retail media networks (RMNs) are expanding beyond retailers' websites and apps, pushing into connected TV (CTV) and in-store displays. As the industry matures, experts predict 2025 will be marked by significant growth in these off-site channels, with new technologies and partnerships reshaping how brands reach consumers throughout their shopping journey.

Amazon鈥檚 ad business expands: Ad sales were up 18% YoY to $17.28 billion, fueled by retail media and Prime Video ads.

颁丑颈苍补鈥檚 ecommerce disruptors will get disrupted. Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop face a reckoning following breakneck worldwide expansion. The crop of mobile-first ecommerce players with roots in China have taken off with consumers around the world.

Overall, we expect off-site RMN ad spending to grow 42.1% YoY in 2025. Attracting non-endemic brands is crucial for long-term growth. As the retail media industry matures and spending from existing advertisers plateaus, RMNs are looking to non-endemic brands as a growth opportunity.

work with are already so dependent on the results of those ad spending pieces.

Ad spending will rebound in 2024, as mobile formats continue to dominate and areas like connected TV and retail media drive renewed growth.

The year started with a flurry of commerce media news, from Meijer Media expanding into off-site channels to Microsoft鈥檚 new ad capabilities.

2025 will bring significant change to the retail industry: Several of the main trends dominating retail鈥攇enAI, RMNs, and 颁丑颈苍补鈥檚 ecommerce disrupters鈥攚ill look very different this time next year.

An increasingly fragmented retail media ecosystem has made it difficult for advertisers to track campaign performance across multiple retail media networks (RMNs), said Liz Roche, vice president of measurement and media at Albertsons Media Collective.

In March, Meta rolled out new carousel ads that drive both ecommerce and in-store purchases, with early tests showing a 21% higher incremental return on ad spend compared to ecommerce-only formats, Meta鈥檚 group lead for retail and ecommerce Karin Tracy told Adweek. Why it matters: Meta is chasing retail media, a fast-growing category with US spending projected to rise 18% in 2025 and 16.8% in 2026.

While Argentina is opening its economy to foreign businesses, Brazil and Mexico are taking steps to curb the growing popularity of Asia-based ecommerce platforms like Shopee, AliExpress, Shein, and Temu. Argentina eliminated tariffs on international ecommerce purchases up to $400 for personal use and raised the tax-exempt purchase limit from $1,000 to $3,000 in December 2024.

Much of this ad spend comes from Chinese ecommerce brands marketing directly to US consumers, especially in categories like apparel, home goods, and electronics. Higher import costs may reduce these brands' US ambitions鈥攁nd their reliance on Meta鈥檚 performance-driven ad tools. Our take: Legal risks and shifting economics could weaken Meta鈥檚 influence.