From YouTube to Retail Media: Where Ad Dollars Are Really Going in 2025
8.8%
Global advertising spending in 2025 is now expected to grow 8.8%, higher than earlier projections, as AI tools and resilient consumer spending boost marketing investments. This growth trajectory suggests brands are increasingly allocating budget toward digital and performance channels.
84%
A new U.S. social media usage report shows 84% of U.S. adults use YouTube, reinforcing its primacy for marketers when planning ad spend and content strategies. Facebook still leads at 71%, but YouTube’s broad reach means campaigns there continue to drive significant audience engagement and advertising ROI.
42B
During the 2025 Black Friday and Cyber Monday period, the top 50 U.S. retailers sent nearly 42 billion marketing emails, many with embedded trackers. This massive volume underscores how aggressively brands used email to engage holiday shoppers and collect behavioral data for campaign targeting.
326.7M
The number of social media users in the U.S. is expected to reach 326.7 million by 2029, indicating continued expansion of digital audiences and opportunity for marketers to leverage social platforms for long-term growth.
600M
Pinterest reaches 600 million monthly active users, providing advertisers with a massive, intent-rich audience. With its acquisition of tvScientific, Pinterest aims to extend performance advertising into connected TV, letting marketers measure TV campaign performance with the precision of digital metrics. This expansion could reshape how brands allocate budgets across screens.
16.3%
Telecom leads U.S. digital ad spending growth in 2025 with an expected 16.3% increase, outpacing retail, travel, and auto. This trend highlights how industries with evolving connectivity and content offerings are increasing digital investment faster than traditional advertisers.
11.3%
Retail media is projected to overtake TV advertising revenue for the first time in 2025, growing 11.3% to $174.2 billion, while TV (traditional and streaming) grows only 0.6%. This reflects shifting ad investments toward data-driven retail channels that deliver measurable performance.