Global Ad Trends: COVID-19 One Year On

This report summarises the latest research from WARC's Data platform, with a focus on the long-term changes and opportunities in advertising and consumption across e-commerce, online video, social media, and gaming and esports. Key findings include:
  • Digital consumption surged and advertising spend followed, with these media buying trends likely to continue into 2021.
  • E-commerce grew 30x quicker than online advertising and 75% of the consumer’s shift to digital groceries will be permanent.
  • Online video is eroding linear TV advertising, while YouTube's consumption shifts to TV and mobile consumption tops 20 hours per month.
  • TikTok was the social winner of 2020 - user consumption doubled and 44% of marketers will spend more this year.
  • Esports sponsorship is forecast to top $600m this year while Twitch is approaching three million monthly viewers.

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