Short reads for short attention spans

UK marketing budgets rise again, but growth remains tactical

The latest IPA Q3 2025 Bellwether Report shows UK marketing budgets have increased for the second consecutive quarter, with a net balance of +3.6% reporting growth. Events (+10.9%) and direct marketing (+9.7%) were the biggest gainers, while main-media budgets remain flat (0.0%). Financial optimism has returned at the company level for the first time since mid-2024, although industry-wide confidence is still muted.

Why it matters:

• Marketers are cautiously optimistic, increasing spend but still favouring short-term, activation-led channels over long-term brand investment.
• The uptick in events and direct marketing reflects a push for measurable engagement amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
• There is a massive opportuntity for the brand that decidess to focus on their brand and steal the march on their competition.

Further reading at The IPA:

Q3 2025 Bellwether Report

Amazon challenges rivals with free DSP “face-off” offer

Amazon is offering advertisers and agencies the chance to run free comparative campaigns between its own DSP and rival platforms (e.g. The Trade Desk, DV360). The initiative covers media costs, measurement, and campaign management for the test phase, signalling a major push to grow Amazon’s programmatic market share.

Why it matters:

• Gives advertisers a low-risk way to benchmark Amazon’s DSP performance and transparency.
• Heightens competition in the ad-tech space, expect pricing and service upgrades from rivals.
• Smart marketers should be testing CTV as default.

Further reading at Adweek:

Amazon Offers Free DSP Face-Off for Media Buyers, Leaked Slides Show 

2025 advertising trends: AI, retail media and smarter data

Industry reports from Nielsen and Deloitte Digital show marketers are prioritising AI-driven optimisation, retail-media investment, and unified measurement as 2025’s dominant growth levers. Around 40% of brands already use generative-AI tools, while 75% of consumers say personalised content boosts purchase intent.

Why it matters:

• The marketing mix is shifting fast, retail-media networks and CTV are becoming mainstream investment channels.
• Data integration and automation are now table stakes; siloed planning is no longer sustainable.
• Brands should focus on quality AI for media-decisioning and measurement, not just creative output.

Further reading at Nielsen:

2025 Annual Marketing Report