Contextual ads, streaming trends, and TikTok’s engagement edge

A lot happens in a week, so every Friday we're going to analyze all the new data and provide you with some of the key takeaways. Welcome to Friday 5.

This week, marketers lean on AI for creative campaigns, connected TV (CTV) audiences take action on ads, and TikTok maintains the most active audience across social platforms.

Key stat: Consumers don’t want ads to feel so personal. Some 94% of consumers across the US, UK, and Canada prefer contextual ads over identity-based ads based on browsing history, per GumGum survey data.

• Almost 80% are more likely to engage with ads that match the content they are viewing, per the survey.

Key stat: CTV viewers would rather opt for ads than higher subscription prices; 56% of new streaming subscribers choose ad-supported plans, according to Samba TV’s US "State of Viewership" report.

• 91% of ads reach just half of linear TV households, according to the report. Higher-income households (those who make between $100K and $200K a year) receive 12 to 15 fewer ads per day than lower-income households, creating ad waste for advertisers.

Key stat: Marketers are leaning on AI for more than productivity. In fact, 77% of marketers who have adopted generative AI (genAI) have used it for creative tasks, according to a Gartner survey.

• This demand stems from marketing campaign challenges—87% of CMOs have reported campaign issues in the last 12 months. And 45% have sometimes, often, or always had occasion to terminate campaigns early due to poor performance, according to the survey.

Key stat: CTV ads are encouraging consumers to shop. Some 56% of consumers say they search online for products they see advertised while streaming TV, up from 53% in 2024, according to a Kantar report.

• Disney+ subscribers are particularly inclined to take action on ads. 63% with the ad-supported model say they search for products while streaming, according to the report.

Key stat: TikTok has the most engaged audience out of all social platforms, according to a Social Insider survey.

• While impressions on Instagram have grown 13% YoY, engagement has dropped 28%, Social Insider found.
• TikTok users frequent the like button—the average number of likes per post on TikTok is about 3,092, while Instagram posts receive approximately 395 likes on average, according to the study.
• Brands still turn to Instagram more than TikTok, posting an average of five times per week versus two times per week on TikTok, according to the study.