It makes AI central to Search, Android, and Chrome, but integration might invite antitrust scrutiny.
With surging TV screen time and a 15% YoY ad boost, YouTube is pulling ahead of Netflix in the streaming race.
Smart fridges, idle TVs, and gaming consoles are becoming the next frontier in contextual, at-home ad delivery.
In a year marked by platform volatility, AI acceleration, tariff shocks, and shifting consumer behavior, marketers searched for clarity across EMARKETER’s most-read topics. The top 10 themes reflect where advertiser attention truly moved in 2025. These trends captured the forces reshaping performance, discovery, and measurement: AI-driven optimization, creator-centric social ecosystems, commerce-led advertising, and CTV’s rise as the new premium video default. Together, they tell the story of a market recalibrating around efficiency, accountability, and cultural relevance as marketers prepared their 2026 strategies.
From tariffs to AI layoffs, retailers and consumers are flying blind and forced to adapt on the fly.
Advertisers must understand what makes influencer marketing effective and prioritize vetting to combat distrust.
Consumers increase support for brands who stand by LGBTQ+ initiatives, and advertisers who back away face challenges in reaching the next wave of consumers.
Major shifts from aging cohorts to rising media time and uneven AI adoption set the stage for another unpredictable year. Here are five charts to help your business understand these changes and kick-start the new year.
Winning in AI-driven discovery means optimizing for clarity, structure, and machine readability—not just SEO.
Nvidia’s pivot to platform play and sovereign cloud deals made it the control layer for the AI economy in 2025.
AI took over search, ads, and discovery in 2025 as YouTube and CTV became the new centers of gravity for consumers and marketers. Our top 20 stories of the year highlight an evolution toward an AI-first world where attention and advantage move faster than ever.
Tech titans invest in each other, accelerating AI buildouts—but the loop may snap under pressure or regulation
New data shows traditional SEO success no longer guarantees visibility inside generative AI answers. Ahrefs found that fewer than 9% of ChatGPT and Gemini citations come from URLs ranked in Google’s top 10 results—meaning more than 90% of high-ranking organic pages never appear in AI responses. Instead, LLMs lean heavily on community-driven sources like Reddit, YouTube, Wikipedia, Yelp, and TripAdvisor, dramatically reshaping early-stage discovery. With LLM usage exceeding one billion monthly users, brands that do not participate in open forums risk disappearing from AI-mediated journeys. Marketers must treat GEO as a distinct discipline, not an extension of SEO.
The most impactful ads of 2025 stirred debate and dollars: From Sydney Sweeney to Katseye to Coca-Cola.
Pharma’s intangible value drops as others climb: While other sectors gained ground, pharma lost value, driven by individual company setbacks and policy pressures.
Gaming ads offer high engagement in a market that is underutilized relative to its potential.
In 2025, Apple doubled down on AI while refocusing on device, ecosystem, and design differentiation, seeking to stay ahead in a maturing smartphone market and a global regulatory maze.
54% of digital shoppers would choose store credit over a cash refund if they got a bonus, like $105 in credit for a $100 return, according to an August survey from Narvar.
On today's podcast episode, we give out our '2025 Retail Awards' for the 'Must-Visit Store of the Year', 'Glow-Up of the Year', 'AI Power Move', 'Collab of the Year', and 'Campaign of the Year'. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, and Analysts Arielle Feger and Rachel Wolff.
Tailoring marketing to Gen Alpha is proving critical for brands looking to capitalize on their emerging influence.