Liftoff’s 2025 Mobile Ad Creative Index isn’t based on theories. It’s based on 4.7 trillion impressions, 263 billion clicks, and over 1.1 billion installs from January 2023 through May 2025. That’s not a guess—it’s a field test with global reach. And when that much real user data speaks, it’s worth listening. [Read more…]
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has introduced a new Gaming Measurement Framework to address one of the most persistent challenges in digital media: how to measure ad performance inside gaming environments. As the gaming audience expands across all demographics and devices, advertisers have struggled to compare results, select partners, and justify spend. This new initiative is meant to fix that. [Read more…]
Globant has introduced a new AI suite called FUSION, and it’s not just another platform trying to ride the artificial intelligence wave. Unveiled during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, FUSION was built with a single goal: to help marketing teams get real work done, faster and more effectively. [Read more…]
AdRoll’s latest State of Digital Advertising Report for Q2 2025 has put a spotlight on one thing: display prospecting ads are getting cheaper—and fast. Costs dropped 27% year-over-year in Q1. That’s not just a blip. It reflects a growing hesitation among marketers to invest in top-of-funnel campaigns during a period of economic uncertainty.
The steep decline in display prospecting CPMs (cost per thousand impressions) contrasts with a much smaller 8% drop in retargeting CPMs. Brands appear to be doubling down on audiences already expressing interest, opting for marketing tactics with shorter return cycles. It’s a shift driven by caution—and numbers.
AdRoll pulled this data from over 20,000 businesses using its platform. Their findings highlight one thing: performance matters more than presence right now.
Courtney Herb, AdRoll’s senior director of brand marketing, summed it up: “Retargeting gives you immediate ROI. But if you ignore brand-building now, you’ll be invisible when people are ready to spend again.”
Marketers aren’t being paranoid—they’re reacting to measurable change. The U.S. consumer sentiment index fell by over 20 points in the first five months of 2025, reaching its lowest point since 2022. Inflation expectations, meanwhile, hit 6.6%, their highest recorded level.
Though inflation has eased in actual numbers—down to 2.3% in April—the concern is that this drop might reflect weaker demand rather than positive momentum.
Social platforms aren’t immune to this economic climate. TikTok’s ad rates started rebounding in March, reaching near 2024 levels in April. But the recovery is fragile. Ongoing uncertainty about its status in the U.S. has marketers wary, especially with another ban deadline looming in June.
Meanwhile, eMarketer projects that tariff-related slowdowns could slice up to $10 billion from social ad budgets in 2025. If your business is leaning on social for upper-funnel impact, it may be time to rethink that mix.
In a surprising twist, Google has delayed its phase-out of third-party cookies in Chrome. For now, marketers can keep using their existing cookie-based targeting. But no one’s pretending this is a permanent stay of execution. Safari and Firefox already limit cookies, and privacy expectations aren’t shrinking.
AdRoll recommends building campaigns that mix cookies with zero-party data (what users share directly), first-party data (what brands collect themselves), and contextual targeting. That mix is likely to stay relevant longer than any single platform policy.
If your traffic depends on organic search, there’s another storm on the horizon: AI Mode.
Google rolled out this feature nationwide in May. It changes how users interact with search results—transforming them into conversational summaries that answer questions directly without requiring clicks. According to Ahrefs, early tests show click-through rates on organic results dropped more than 30%.
The new format also includes ad placements, meaning advertisers may have to fight harder—and pay more—to stay visible. Organic tactics alone may no longer carry the same weight. Paid visibility within AI-powered experiences is becoming more necessary by the week.
AI Mode and AI Overviews change the structure of how people find and process information. Brands that once relied on keyword rankings are watching their web traffic drop. The advice from AdRoll is clear: diversify. Use a mix of platforms. Explore Connected TV. Build campaigns that reach people across multiple channels at once.
AdRoll’s report calls out Connected TV (CTV) as a high-impact tool right now. When integrated with other media, CTV can lift purchase intent by 11%. It’s one of the few areas showing promise across the entire funnel, from awareness to conversion.
George Castrissiades, general manager of CTV at AdRoll, emphasized the need to break out of platform silos: “To keep up, marketers need integrated strategies that work across paid and organic, mobile and desktop, upper funnel and lower funnel.”
If you’re planning campaigns for the back half of 2025, here’s what matters:
AdRoll’s Q2 data offers a clear takeaway: the brands that win in 2025 will be the ones balancing short-term results with long-term visibility. Chasing quick wins without maintaining a presence is a short-sighted bet. But ignoring performance during a downturn? That’s just as risky.
In a time when every ad dollar matters, the smartest marketers are not spending more—they’re spending smarter.
A new class action lawsuit is moving forward that could impact thousands of businesses and marketers who bought Facebook or Instagram ads between August 15, 2015, and October 27, 2021.
The lawsuit, filed as DZ Reserve, et al. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. (Case No. 3:18-cv-04978), claims that Facebook misrepresented a key advertising metric known as “Potential Reach.” This figure, often used to forecast how many people an ad might reach, allegedly gave a distorted picture by counting accounts, not individual users. In practice, that may have led advertisers to believe their ads would be shown to more people than was possible. [Read more…]
AdCellerant, known in the U.S. for shaking up digital advertising, just made a major move north of the border. The Denver-based company has officially opened shop in Canada, offering its end-to-end digital marketing platform to media companies, agencies, and advertisers across the country. This isn’t a soft entry. AdCellerant is launching with full capabilities—automated campaign execution, analytics in real-time, privacy-compliant solutions, and a platform built for local media. Canadian businesses can now access tools that were previously only available to AdCellerant’s U.S. partners. [Read more…]
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has published a long-awaited overhaul of its standard General Terms for Digital Advertising Agreements, launching a 60-day public comment window through July 21, 2025. The release follows more than a year of collaboration with hundreds of agencies, brands, publishers, adtech platforms, and legal advisors. [Read more…]
Adwave, an advertising platform built for speed and simplicity, officially opened to the public on May 15, 2025. The service allows small businesses to create and launch a TV commercial in under two minutes, without hiring an ad agency or production team. Prices start at just $50.
The product had been in private beta, where it gained traction among small business owners and solo entrepreneurs. Now it’s open to everyone. [Read more…]
Integral Ad Science (IAS), a global media measurement and optimization company, has announced a new collaboration with Nextdoor, the neighborhood-focused social platform. This agreement positions IAS as the first provider of pre-bid Brand Safety and Suitability Optimization for Nextdoor, bringing a stronger layer of assurance to advertisers. [Read more…]
Zefr, a major player in AI-based brand safety, has announced a new tool designed to help advertisers manage where their ads appear across Google’s Search Partner Network (SPN). Called the Pre-Screen Exclusion List Solution, this product allows advertisers to screen and exclude specific domains before any ad impressions are served, adding a strong layer of confidence to their campaigns. [Read more…]
The U.S. digital economy has officially entered heavyweight territory. According to new research released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), internet-driven business now contributes $4.9 trillion to the national economy. That’s nearly one-fifth of total U.S. GDP. [Read more…]
QR codes aren’t new—but their potential for modern marketing is bigger than ever. Whether you’re tracking results, driving website traffic, or connecting offline and online campaigns, QR codes offer a low-cost, high-impact way to engage customers. Here’s why marketers everywhere are leaning into the QR trend—and how to use them wisely. [Read more…]
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released its latest report, painting a vivid picture of where television and video advertising dollars are heading in 2025. Digital video is expected to capture nearly 60% of all TV and video ad spending next year, with Connected TV (CTV) leading the charge after a strong rebound in 2024. [Read more…]
Inductees into the Class of 2025 AAF Advertising Hall of Fame (Photo credit: Akintayo Adewole for DRKR PXLS)
Over 1,000 advertising professionals, clients, and industry stakeholders gathered at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City to witness a celebration decades in the making. The American Advertising Federation (AAF) inducted eight individual trailblazers and one standout corporation into the 2025 AAF Advertising Hall of Fame, marking what the industry calls its biggest night of the year. [Read more…]
The digital advertising market in the United States showed remarkable momentum in 2024. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) new “Internet Advertising Revenue Report,” industry revenues climbed 14.9% year-over-year, reaching $258.6 billion. This marks the strongest growth since 2021 and demonstrates the digital sector’s ability to thrive even under pressure. [Read more…]
In a major move for home services businesses like HVAC contractors, electricians, and plumbers, Scorpion and ServiceTitan announced the launch of Capacity Marketing Engine. This new AI-driven solution is built to fix a familiar headache: wasting money on ads when the schedule is already full, or scrambling for jobs during slow spells. [Read more…]
Sovrn, a tech platform for publishers and content creators, has launched a new advertising product called Commerce Audiences. The goal: let advertisers reach people who are actively shopping—and do it with greater accuracy and speed than traditional methods. [Read more…]
New research from CreativeX is sending a clear message to advertisers: your creative quality might be quietly draining your media budget. [Read more…]
Getting consumers to pay attention is hard. Getting them to click is even harder. But the brands featured in InMarket’s 2025 “Breakthrough Moments” report figured it out—and they didn’t just get clicks. They got serious sales. [Read more…]
Constructor has rolled out a new Retail Media Suite. That might sound dry, but the changes are anything but. The real news? Sponsored Listings now actually work the way shoppers expect. They show up in search results, category pages, and recommendations—but only if they help, not annoy. It’s the first time anyone has figured out how to blend organic and paid listings without making a mess. And if the early numbers from companies like home24 are any clue, it’s going to mean serious money. [Read more…]
A new report from IAB just put the advertising industry on notice. It shows AI is racing ahead, but most brands, agencies, and publishers are still fumbling with the basics.
The report, State of Data 2025: The Now, The Near, and The Next Evolution of AI for Media Campaigns, is based on surveys from over 500 experts across the ad landscape. It looks at how AI is being used now, what’s slowing people down, and what needs to happen before full adoption takes hold. [Read more…]
Marketing has never been more complicated. Digital ads, traditional media, programmatic buying—it’s a mess for businesses trying to get the most out of their budgets. That’s exactly why Media Force Advisors was created. [Read more…]
TikTok’s future in the U.S. is looking shakier by the day, and advertisers aren’t waiting around to see how it plays out. According to AdRoll’s latest State of Digital Advertising Report, brands are slashing their TikTok ad spend, causing an 80% drop in cost per mille (CPM) over the past year. [Read more…]
Small businesses are putting more money into digital ads, but their budgets are tight. That creates a challenge for marketing resellers trying to offer effective solutions at scale. [Read more…]
Retail media has been the golden child of digital advertising, but 2025 is shaping up to be a make-or-break year. Brands have been pouring money into retail media networks (RMNs), but now they want proof that these investments are driving real business results. If the numbers don’t add up, budgets will shrink fast. [Read more…]
Tiger Pistol has released five industry benchmark reports demonstrating how franchise and multi-location brands in the restaurant, home service, education, beauty and wellness, and fitness industries achieve stronger engagement and cost efficiencies with localized social advertising. These reports provide industry-specific insights and performance trends, helping brands optimize their advertising strategies and outperform Facebook’s national benchmarks.
Big brands are learning a hard truth: throwing money at national ad campaigns isn’t enough to bring customers through the door. A new batch of reports from Tiger Pistol shows that brands using local social ads are getting better engagement and spending less per click. [Read more…]
Legal advertising just hit a new milestone, and it’s hard to miss—literally. ADSQUIRE, a digital marketing firm specializing in law firm advertising, has shattered the world record for the most law firms featured on a single billboard. [Read more…]
Bitly, one of the most popular URL-shortening services, is making a significant change to how its free users’ links and QR codes function. In an email sent to users today, the company announced that it will begin displaying preview pages—potentially including advertising—before redirecting users to their intended destinations. [Read more…]
Online advertising is a high-stakes game. A well-placed ad can boost engagement and sales. A poorly placed ad, though? It can damage a brand’s reputation in seconds. [Read more…]
Big brands spend big money on ads. But what happens when those ads appear next to the wrong content? Advertisers face a growing challenge—ensuring their messages don’t get lost in a sea of unsuitable content. That’s where Integral Ad Science (IAS) steps in. [Read more…]
AI-driven software giant Appier has announced a $38.7 million acquisition of AdCreative.ai, a Paris-based startup specializing in generative AI for ad creation. The deal, which includes a $27.3 million base, marks Appier’s fifth major acquisition since 2018 and strengthens its position in the fast-moving world of AI-powered marketing. [Read more…]
A new report from adMarketplace is making waves in the advertising world, revealing that Americans are searching for information in ways that look very different from just five years ago. The study, “The State of Search in 2025,” found that 55% of consumers have changed how they search for products and brands, shifting away from traditional search engines like Google and embracing native search experiences. [Read more…]
Women’s sports aren’t just having a moment—they’re taking over. From record-smashing crowds to multi-million-dollar endorsement deals, this market is hotter than ever. And brands that get in now? They’re setting themselves up for massive returns. [Read more…]
A new Nielsen report shows that Black consumers are shaping digital culture—and their spending habits prove it. Yet, many brands are still missing the mark when it comes to meaningful engagement. [Read more…]
A new study from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) sheds light on an age-old debate: can privacy and personalization coexist? According to the findings, most Americans believe the answer is a resounding yes. [Read more…]
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released a revealing report, painting an optimistic picture for the digital advertising landscape in 2025. The “2025 Outlook: A Snapshot into Ad Spend, Opportunities, and Strategies for Growth” gives industry insiders a sneak peek at where their dollars will be heading in the year ahead. [Read more…]
Digital advertising is evolving at breakneck speed, and AdCellerant is here to guide businesses through these transformations. With the rapid rise of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), Connected TV (CTV), and commerce media, brands are finding new ways to engage with audiences. However, these advancements also bring challenges, including market fragmentation and growing privacy concerns. [Read more…]
AdCreative.ai, a frontrunner in the world of AI-powered advertising, has unveiled an ambitious initiative poised to redefine the marketing landscape. The company’s Agency Partnership Program aims to provide marketing and advertising agencies with the tools, knowledge, and support needed to fully integrate artificial intelligence into their daily operations. By doing so, agencies can not only scale their operations but also deliver superior outcomes for their clients and significantly boost profitability. [Read more…]
The American Advertising Federation (AAF) has unveiled its 2025 Advertising Hall of Fame inductees, honoring eight trailblazing individuals and one powerhouse corporation for their groundbreaking contributions to advertising and marketing. [Read more…]
Attorney General Ken Paxton is turning up the heat on advertising industry heavyweights. Paxton’s office has launched an investigation into claims that the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and its affiliated group, the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), might be orchestrating a boycott of certain social media platforms. The potential goal? To suppress competition and enforce selective “Brand Safety Standards.” [Read more…]