Executive Summary

What’s important to watch for in 2023? A lot. We expect the year ahead to usher in changes in ad spending, audience, and commerce that will create a new crop of digital leaders. Will your business be ready to take a bigger share of people’s time, attention, and money?

Ad spending shifts are finally being felt—with a consumer caveat.

• Digital ad businesses are being built within retail and streaming platforms and are gaining share quickly.
• Competitors to the duopoly of Meta and Google are now poised to make a meaningful play for the tens of billions of dollars in digital ad budgets up for grabs.

Audiences’ expectations and concerns are changing as Gen Z hits adulthood.

• Millennials were the first to be dubbed “digital natives,” but Gen Z is the generation that will demand changes to the status quo. These new adults are already looking for alternatives to the giants they grew up with and experimenting with newcomers in the social space.
• At the same time, consumers are warier of digital businesses exploiting their privacy and abusing their loyalty.

The pandemic accelerated ecommerce sales, and where and how consumers shop is continuing to change.

• Social media options and connected devices are changing where people buy. Understanding where to reach buyers, as well as the opportunities presented by these channels, will be even more crucial during a tough economy.