The WARC Podcast Global Ad Trends: navigating media's 'new normal'
Jan 8, 2026
Kate Scott-Dawkins, Global President of Business Intelligence at WPP Media, and James McDonald, Director of Data Intelligence at WARC, dive into the evolving ad landscape. They explore how ad spending is rising despite economic detachment, powered by AI and significant events like the FIFA World Cup. Kate discusses the shifting impact of tariffs and the concentration of growth among tech giants. The duo also highlights retail's ad boom, the K-shaped economy's effects, and the tensions between commerce media and traditional platforms, painting a complex picture of the future.
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Upgraded Growth Driven By AI And Tariff Shifts
- Global ad growth was upgraded to 8.8% driven partly by reduced tariff impacts and AI-related tech advances.
- The upgrade reflects shifting effects rather than a uniform industry pullback, Kate Scott-Dawkins said.
Tech Platforms Create An Advertising Flywheel
- High single-digit growth is now structural, averaging roughly high 8% post-pandemic versus ~3% pre-pandemic.
- Growth concentrates in large tech platforms, creating a flywheel as they reinvest heavily in R&D, James McDonald said.
The K‑Shaped Consumer Reality
- Consumer spending is increasingly K-shaped: the top 10% now account for ~50% of U.S. spending, changing advertiser strategies.
- Brands pursue premiumization for affluent customers and value messaging for others, Kate Scott-Dawkins said.