Media Buying Trends: 2024 Recap and Predictions for the Year Ahead

Welcome to the first 2025 edition of Jun Group’s Media Buying Trends. I’m Lindsey Rand, Director of Media Strategy, and I’m excited to explore the tactics and strategies that shaped 2024, as well as our outlook for the year ahead.

Our analysis is derived from the brand and agency requests we see at Jun Group, but remember, it’s always best to combine this with your own knowledge and other sources to shape your media strategies.

Targeting: Privacy, trust, and performance

📅 What happened in 2024?

• The cookie scare: Demand for zero- and first-party data doubled year-over-year, driven by the ongoing threat of cookie deprecation.
• Back to basics: Advertisers refocused on the fundamentals — demographics, location, and context — reflecting the importance of tried-and-true strategies in an uncertain data landscape. 
  
• Competition in healthcare: The pharma vertical saw a notable surge in competitive conquesting strategies, fueled by an influx of new treatments entering the market.

🔍 What we’re expecting in 2025: 

• Trust is the new currency: Demand for zero- and first-party data will grow, alongside classic time and place targeting. With privacy top-of-mind, advertisers will prioritize transparent data practices and well-timed, relevant placements to build trust with consumers.
  
• The rise of the machine: As user-level targeting phases out, AI-driven modeling will evolve. Rather than targeting people or characteristics, models will be trained to predict who is most likely to take action or make a purchase. This creates a privacy-safe environment with stronger ad performance.

KPIs: No dollar wasted

📅 What happened in 2024? 

• Full funnel planning: While awareness remained a cornerstone, mid- and low-funnel KPIs gained significant traction in 2024. By Q2, mid-funnel goals like on-site engagement were present in 95% of media buying requests.
• Show me the money: By Q3, ROAS KPIs surged 4x, and brand sales KPIs rose by an impressive 260%. Likewise, shopper marketing campaigns saw a 72% increase in purchase KPIs, highlighting the importance of measurement and quantifiable results.
  
• Audience is everything: In the pharma space, audience quality emerged as the dominant metric, present in 78% of media buying requests.

🔍 What we’re expecting in 2025:

• Incrementality is the new buzzword: Privacy regulations will make deterministic attribution more difficult. We anticipate a shift toward matched market or control vs. exposed measurement that tests incremental impact on sales and other metrics without the need for pixels, personal data, or cookies.
• Every dollar counts: Both brands and CPG marketers will be laser-focused on ensuring every dollar spent is tracked and attributed to a clear, real-world goal.

Creative: CTV and audio break through

📅 What happened in 2024? 

• CTV took off: While display remained a staple, video emerged as the fastest-growing creative type, fueled by the rise of CTV. From Q1 to Q2, requests for CTV placements surged nearly 3x.
  
• Audio made noise: Compared to 2023, audio saw an 82% increase in placement requests, highlighting the format’s expanding capabilities and a rapidly growing consumer audience.

🔍 What we’re expecting in 2025:

• CTV’s staying power: CTV has become firmly established. To sustain, the industry will need to address challenges like fraud and transparency. In the interim, direct-to-publisher relationships will take precedence because the open market still faces quality and transparency issues.
• The year of podcasting: NYU Professor and Author Scott Galloway dubs podcasting the “Media of the Year” for 2025, and we couldn’t agree more. Podcast and audio networks are responding to advertiser needs with more robust targeting and measurement solutions while making inventory more accessible.

And that wraps up our Q1 2025 update. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the year. 

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