Executive Summary

The first half of 2025 brought faster, sharper disruption than many expected. From Trump’s tariffs to platform shakeups and a wave of policy and regulatory shifts, change is hitting hard and in different ways than anticipated. Our midyear update revisits our report “Top Trends to Watch in 2025,” highlighting what’s still shaping the market, what’s accelerating, and what’s not. It’s your guide to what matters now—and where to focus next.

This report covers the top nine trends to watch in 2025:

1. GenAI will unlock the potential of predictive AI to supercharge business growth. 
2. Governments will push to curb digital ad giants’ power and protect kids. 
3. China’s ecommerce disruptors will get disrupted. 
4. The triumvirate of retail media, social, and AI will undercut traditional search. 
5. Stablecoins steal the payments spotlight. 
6. Mounting pressure will squeeze the long tail of RMNs. 
7. RMNs will wade into unfamiliar waters to satisfy advertiser demands for incrementality. 
8. YouTube and streamers will take pages from each other’s playbooks. 
9. D2C will become a viable distribution channel for healthcare and pharma companies.