Kantar, the global leader in marketing data and analytics, has released the sixth edition of Media Reactions 2025, a comprehensive study surveying 21,000+ consumers and ~1,000 senior marketers worldwide. The report benchmarks media platforms annually, offering insights into consumer receptivity and marketers’ strategic priorities for ad campaigns.
In the US, The New York Times, Amazon, Apple TV, and Netflix emerged as the top media brands where consumers are most receptive to advertising, underscoring the growing appeal of streaming platforms as high-value ad environments. Overall consumer receptivity rose to 58% in 2025 from 47% in 2024, signaling an increased openness to advertising—yet marketers remain cautious. Fewer than one in three feel confident their organizations consistently tailor ads for each channel.
Context Matters for Creative Impact
Nicole Jones, Chief Media Commercial Officer at Kantar, emphasizes the importance of media-contextual creativity: “Creative that is adapted to media context creates stronger campaign lift and better long-term results.” Ads designed with platform-specific formats, tone, and audience in mind outperform generic campaigns and unlock new engagement opportunities.
However, discrepancies persist between consumer preferences and marketer plans. While consumers favor OOH, sponsorships, and online publications, over half of marketers plan to increase budgets for podcasts, video streaming, and other targeted digital channels in 2026.
Demographic Insights
Hispanic consumers show unique preferences, with high receptivity to Online Video and Social Media Stories but lower engagement with Influencer Content and Music Streaming ads. Younger audiences (Gen Y and Gen Z) and males are also more open to innovative ad formats, including AI-driven creatives.
AI in Advertising: Opportunity and Trust Gap
Kantar’s study highlights AI’s growing role: over 70% of marketers embrace generative AI for ad creativity, and 40% prioritize it among top initiatives for 2025. Yet consumer trust lags—over 60% worry AI could produce misleading ads, though roughly half enjoy AI-generated visuals. Hispanic consumers are notably more receptive, with only one-third expressing distrust versus over half of the general US population.
Rachelle Minnis, Chief Media Solutions Officer at Kantar, notes: “AI is no longer just a buzzword—it’s reshaping how audiences engage with media. Platforms leveraging AI to personalize content are seeing stronger ad equity and deeper trust. Marketers must understand not just where audiences are, but how technology shifts expectations.”
With campaigns achieving up to seven times more impact among receptive audiences, the study reinforces a critical growth imperative: align ad strategies with consumer preferences, leverage AI responsibly, and invest in context-aware creativity.
