Research shows that while social media remained a core channel for advertisers in terms of ROI, investment declined as platform fragmentation, creative demands and regulatory uncertainty created real challenges for marketers. 

The 2026 Marketing Investment Framework & Decision Guide from Keen Decision Systems, a next-generation marketing mix SaaS company, analysed data from over 400 brands and more than $42 billion (€35.3bn) of historical marketing investment across a diverse set of verticals to provide an overview of the advertising landscape in 2026.

The report shows that the share of social media spending dropped from 18 per cent to 17 per cent in 2025, with TikTok investment dropping by 8 percentage points after heavy increases in 2024. Meta bounced back to 60 per cent of investment after dropping to 55 per cent in 2024, as ROI improved amid declining costs.

Overall, search maintained the highest share of spending in 2025, accounting for 25 per cent of all investments. Streaming video held steady at 17 per cent, while display saw investment increase by 4 per cent to reach 15 per cent in 2025. Linear TV maintained 19 per cent of spending but saw ROI decline.

“Channel allocations in 2025 reflected marketers’ desire to lean into what’s reliable, whether it was by holding commitments even as returns softened or hesitated on channels that haven’t yet proven at scale,” Justin Jefferson, Vice President, Strategy and Insights, at Keen Decision Systems. “This pattern created efficiency gains in some areas while leaving significant untapped opportunities in others. In 2026, brands should prioritise a mix that balances legacy and emerging channels without losing ROI.”

Other key findings include: 

• Streaming video grows: Streaming video increased as brands shifted budgets from linear TV towards ad-supported streaming apps. CTV accounted for 59 per cent of streaming budgets, while online video made up 41 per cent of spending. Within CTV, Amazon held the largest investment with steady performance, while The Trade Desk faced declining ROI despite heavy investment. Hulu/Disney improved ROI but costs surged significantly. Overall, CTV saw ROI increase from $1.60 to $1.90.
• Top-of-funnel tactics thrive: From 2022 to 2025, there has been a clear shift towards top-of-funnel investment among brands of all sizes. For instance, larger brands ($100 million+) moved steadily from 43 per cent to 58 per cent allocation. Streaming video and social media saw the highest increase in investments among top-of-funnel tactics, while display jumped from 18 per cent to 27 per cent in 2026, the sharpest single-year growth.
• Retail media matures: Retail media has grown from 15 per cent of media budgets in 2022 to 22 per cent in 2025 as brands are expanding beyond pure capture tactics towards more upper-funnel formats.
• Diversifying retail media portfolio: While Amazon remains the dominant retail media network, its share of spend declined from 56 per cent in 2024 to 46 per cent in 2025 as spend shifted to Walmart and mid-sized retailers.

“Based on these findings, we’d advise brands to start making a gradual shift from linear TV to streaming as a top-of-funnel tactic while maintaining proven performers like search where ROI justifies continued investment,” continued Jefferson. “By strategically allocating their investments across the funnel, including retail media, brands of all sizes can experience sustained brand building.”

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Tags: Amazon, Disney, meta, tiktok