Insights on Media Evolution:

Insights on Media Evolution:

**Headline:** Digital Media Consumption and Advertising Trends Dominate 2025 Landscape, According to Industry Experts

The Future of Media conference, held at Kings Place in London on 8-9 October, brought together senior media professionals to discuss the latest trends in digital media consumption and advertising spend. The conference, powered by The Media Leader, addressed concerns about cross-media measurement and the dominance of video content and digital channels in the media landscape.

**Video Content and Digital Channels Dominate**

According to industry data, video is the primary driver of digital content consumption, expected to account for 82% of all internet traffic by 2025. Audiences prefer short-form, mobile-friendly video on social platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Video viewing is increasingly mobile-centric and demands concise, engaging formats from the start.

Social media users have reached nearly 5.24 billion globally, surpassing TV viewers with social users predicted to be around 235 million vs. 230 million TV viewers by 2025. Average daily social media usage is about 2.5 hours, constituting over a third of total time spent online.

**Advertising Spend Trends**

Global advertising revenue is projected to reach $1.08 trillion in 2025, with a growth rate of 6.1% forecast for 2026. Digital advertising continues to dominate, making up 73.2% of global ad revenue in 2025, rising to 81.6% when including digital extensions like streaming TV and digital out-of-home (DOOH).

Retail media is one of the fastest-growing segments, expected to hit $169.6 billion in 2025 and grow to $252.1 billion by 2030. User-generated content (UGC) advertising revenue, primarily from platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, will exceed half of content-driven advertising, with creator revenue reaching $184.9 billion in 2025 and expected to more than double by 2030.

Streaming TV ad spend is growing, projected at $41.8 billion in 2025, increasing to $71.9 billion by 2030. Traditional TV is growing modestly (1% increase), while print advertising declines sharply (-3.1% in 2025). Digital Out-of-Home advertising comprises 41% of the $52 billion OOH market in 2025.

**Cross-Media Measurement Concerns**

Despite the growth in digital advertising, concerns about cross-media measurement were top of mind at the conference. Brands and agencies expressed the need to look beyond traditional metrics and reevaluate their reliance on reach-centric media planning. Speakers such as Croud's Avinash Kaushik proposed prioritizing frequency-centric media planning and researching how many times an ad should be presented to a consumer over a certain period before allocating one's budget.

**Data Sharing Challenges**

Twinings' Head of Strategy and Insight Adam Smith mentioned that the brand invests in various media channels but can't use the data from these investments for measurement due to media owners' reluctance to share. This issue was highlighted by Adidas Director of Media Measurement and Learning Gordon Black, who spoke about the difficulties around measuring the impact of one campaign activity in the current media space.

**Growth Concentration**

The majority of the growth is driven by ad spend going to the pockets of only three companies: Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta. This concentration of power in the digital advertising market has raised concerns about competition and fairness.

**Summary**

In essence, video content and digital channels dominate consumer attention and advertising budgets in 2025, with user-generated content and retail media emerging as especially strong growth areas. However, digital ad spend growth is expected to gradually slow down over the next several years due to market maturity and economic factors. The conference highlighted the need for improved cross-media measurement and data sharing to better serve advertisers and brands.

[1] eMarketer. (2022). Video Ad Spending Worldwide. Retrieved from

1. The digital landscape in 2025 is predominantly ruled by video content and digital channels, responsible for 82% of all internet traffic.
2. Social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn are preferred for short-form, mobile-friendly video content, with users expected to surpass TV viewers.
3. Globally, digital advertising is projected to make up 73.2% of total ad revenue in 2025, with retail media and user-generated content advertising emergent growth sectors.
4. Addressing concerns about cross-media measurement, industry experts suggest prioritizing frequency-centric media planning and researching the optimal ad presentation times for consumers.
5. The digital advertising market is experiencing a concentration of power among three companies: Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta, raising concerns about fair competition.

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