The main finding of the report is that global advertising spend continues to show sustained growth despite ongoing political and macroeconomic uncertainty. dentsu expects global advertising spend to surpass the USD 1 trillion mark for the first time in 2026. As a result, advertising investment is forecast to grow faster (+5.1%) than the global economy (+3.1%). This growth is expected to continue in the years that follow (2027: 5.1%, 2028: 5.2%).
Within this intense advertising landscape, where algorithms increasingly determine what people see, like and buy, brands must find new ways to stand out or risk disappearing from consumers’ view. To do so, they need the right media visibility. Media act as the connecting system between brands and consumers, creating relevance, creativity and value at scale. Every touchpoint between the two is an opportunity to connect, shop, share, experiment and belong.
Will Swayne, Global Practice President, Media and Integrated Solutions at dentsu, comments:
“In the algorithmic era, the winning brands will be those that understand how discovery and decision-making are influenced by algorithms and that use media as a strategic engine to capture attention and build long-term competitive advantage. 2026 will reward marketers who innovate with purpose, design for outcomes and reach people at the moments that matter.”
The report also takes a closer look at growth by region. In Europe, growth is forecast at 4.2% in 2026, with the Netherlands and Belgium also expected to align with this projected growth. The Americas region is expected to grow by 5.2%, while Asia-Pacific is forecast to grow by 5.4%.
Spending on digital advertising is expected to increase by 6.7% in 2026, accounting for 68.7% of total advertising investment. Retail media remains the fastest-growing digital channel, with growth of 14.1%, followed by online video, driven in particular by the expansion of connected TV, at 11.5%, and social media at 11.4%. Traditional channels are also expected to show moderate growth, with increases of 2.4% for television, 4.1% for out-of-home advertising and 2.2% for cinema advertising. Print is expected to decline by 3.0% in 2026.
The latest dentsu Global Ad Spend Forecasts report can be downloaded here.
