Mid-Year Check-In: Are 2025 Media Execution Trends Living Up to the Hype?
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Pathlabs Marketing |
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August 12, 2025 |
At the start of the year, we released our 2025 Media Execution Trends Report with three core predictions:
Connected TV (CTV) would evolve into a full-funnel, always-on performance channel.
Retail Media Networks (RMNs) would grow, driven by first-party data and rising commerce integration.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) would reshape how agencies execute media through optimization, targeting, and creative automation.
Now, eight months in, it’s time for a pulse check. Budgets have shifted. Platforms are evolving faster than most teams can keep up. Client expectations have evolved. So, what’s playing out as expected? What’s falling short? And more importantly, how should independent agencies adjust heading into the rest of the year?
This isn’t just a status check. It’s a strategic reset for independent agencies that want to move from trend-aware to trend-ready.
Prediction #1: CTV Becomes an Always-On Channel
What We Predicted:
Connected TV (CTV) would evolve into a full-funnel, always-on performance channel.
The Reality:
CTV ad spend is tracking toward $26.6 billion in the U.S. this year, fueled by ongoing linear decline and surging demand for streaming inventory, and, with streaming now accounting for 46% of total TV viewership, the audience is in place for further growth. Most relevant to agencies, 85% of CTV buys are now performed programmatically, giving agencies the tools to optimize in real time.
However, 83% of buyers say human involvement from the sell-side is often needed to activate or customize programmatic CTV deals. That’s a clear signal: technology may scale the opportunity, but relationships still unlock the value.
Takeaway:
CTV is no longer a future channel; it’s the now. But agencies need more than platform access. The right expertise can turn CTV from a line item into a performance driver that scales full-funnel campaigns with confidence.
Prediction #2: Retail Media Networks (RMNs) Transform Advertising
What We Predicted:
Retail Media Networks (RMNs) would grow, driven by first-party data and rising commerce integration.
The Reality:
Retail media is expected to reach up to $61 billion in U.S. ad spend in 2025. Platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Target have made RMNs a cornerstone of modern media plans.
But complexity has grown alongside investment. Every platform operates with its own data taxonomy, campaign rules, and creative specs. Managing multiple RMNs has become difficult for many teams due to incompatible reporting formats and platform-specific requirements.
In fact, a 2025 study of 126 decision-makers from Fortune 1000 brands and agencies found that over 50% of respondents thought that buying retail media is more difficult due to the fragmentation of players in the market.
Takeaway:
Retail media is table stakes in 2025, but scaling it requires untangling the complexity. Independent agencies need flexible execution models that streamline cross-platform RMN buys, unified reporting, and eliminate inefficiencies.
Prediction #3: AI Reshapes Media Execution
What We Predicted:
AI would enhance campaign optimization, audience targeting, and creative development.
The Reality:
46% of marketing teams say they’re running initial AI projects.
However, most independent agencies haven’t fully operationalized AI across campaign execution. Many are still figuring out how to integrate it with campaign workflows, price it into client retainers, or balance automation with quality control. In fact, only 34% of agencies have fully scaled it across media planning, activation, and analysis.
Takeaway:
AI isn’t optional, it’s expected. But success hinges on more than experimentation. Agencies need structured execution frameworks, clear pricing models, and human oversight to ensure AI scales with both speed and control.
Conclusion: 2025's Innovation is Real. So Is The Chaos.
The opportunities in today’s media landscape are exciting. CTV is an always-on strategy, RMNs are a commerce-driving powerhouse, and AI is unlocking levels of automation we only dreamed about five years ago.
But with that innovation comes increasing chaos.
Every platform has its own rules, reporting is more fragmented than ever, and AI adoption is outpacing most teams' ability to operationalize it. Independent agencies aren’t struggling because the tools aren’t powerful; they’re struggling because the execution infrastructure to manage it all isn’t in place.
That’s where Pathlabs comes in. We help independent agencies cut through the noise and execute with clarity. Whether it’s omnichannel campaign management, creative optimization, or real-time reporting, we help you bring control back to your media strategy.
