It’s not too late to register for our virtual summit on commerce media trends, taking place tomorrow, May 9. Join us to learn about the trends, strategies, and innovations shaping this fast-growing space—straight from the experts. |
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MAY 8, 2025 |
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What percentage of US adults believe ads should always have some sort of marking or label when AI is used to make it? |
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A) 40% B) 50% C) 60% D) 70% |
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TOP STORY |
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Despite small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) accounting for 44% of US GDP according to the US Small Business Administration, many marketers aren't allocating sufficient resources to reach this powerful segment. |
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"SMBs make decisions quickly, are open to new solutions, and often prefer digital-first, self-serve buying experiences," said our analyst Kelsey Voss. "While individual deal sizes may be smaller, the opportunity adds up. Marketers who build credibility early can earn long-term loyalty." |
Here are five key takeaways for marketers to tap into the SMB market, based on a recent survey of 456 US marketing professionals commissioned by Intuit SMB MediaLabs in partnership with EMARKETER. |
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IN THE NEWS |
Disney+ grows to 126 million subscribers, ARPU rises to $8.06. Disney’s push to recalibrate its streaming offerings is happening at a time when inflation, shifting ad budgets, and global economic volatility are pressing media firms to rein in production budgets and reassure advertisers. Read online |
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Other headlines: |
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WPP to rebrand GroupM as WPP Media as it looks to bounce back from losses. Consolidating creates clearer market positioning, minimizes confusion about the relationship between WPP and its media division. Read online
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AppLovin exits gaming to go all-in on mobile advertising. AppLovin beat expectations in Q1 2025, riding a wave of mobile advertising growth while formally exiting the gaming business. Read online
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Creative services are a top retail media priority. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of US sell-side retail media decision-makers rank creative services as one of the most important retail media services/solutions . Read online | | | |
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ANALYSIS |
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On April 17, 2025, Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Google illegally monopolized the advertising technology market. Given Google’s integral role in programmatic display—and in digital advertising more broadly—the ruling has profound implications for ad stakeholders. |
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What did the judge say in her ruling? |
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Google has monopolies in 2 out of 3 markets: The Department of Justice (DOJ) argued that Google had illegal monopolies in three distinct markets in the open web display ecosystem: publisher ad servers, ad exchanges, and advertiser ad networks. The court found that: |
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Google maintains a monopoly in the publisher ad server market. Google’s publisher ad server, DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP), has enjoyed a consistently high (roughly 90%) market share despite implementing changes its publisher customers didn’t like. High barriers to both entry and expansion in the publisher ad server market have resulted in a lack of meaningful alternatives, which has protected Google’s dominant position.
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Google maintains a monopoly in the ad exchange market. Google’s ad exchange, AdX, has a market share about nine times the size of its next largest competitor. It has sustained its dominance despite its take rate of 20% being roughly double that of major competitors, a figure even Google employees acknowledged is more than it’s worth. Google’s policies and technical integrations make it more difficult for publishers and advertisers to switch exchanges, contributing to high barriers to both entry and expansion in the ad exchange market.
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There is no relevant market for “advertiser ad networks.” Not only is that phrase uncommon in the industry, but the DOJ’s proposed market definition also fails to acknowledge ad networks’ publisher-facing components and advertisers’ “reasonably interchangeable” alternatives to open web ads. |
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