Browser Advertising Surges as Brands Adapt to AI and Privacy Changes
VEVE, a global performance marketing leader, has released new data showing brands are accelerating investments in browser-based advertising, with year-over-year spending up 33%. The shift comes as AI-powered search engines rise, social ad ROI declines, and third-party cookies are phased out, prompting marketers to rethink customer acquisition strategies.
Browser ads—quick-access icons, banners, or branded doodles appearing on users’ browser start pages—allow brands to engage audiences before they even begin browsing. Streaming platforms like Disney+, Amazon Prime, and Hulu are using browser start pages to spotlight new shows and promotions, while retailers and travel brands are also redirecting budgets to this high-intent environment.
“This isn’t just a shift—it’s a complete rewiring of how brands approach online acquisition,” said Bharat Sharma, VEVE co-founder and COO. “Browser advertising puts brands in front of consumers at the exact moment they open their online world, before social feeds and search distractions dilute intent.”
VEVE’s data shows sector-specific growth in browser advertising for 2025:
- Retail: Macy’s, Nike, Walmart up 64% YOY
- Travel & Tourism: Booking.com, Expedia, TUI up 34% YOY
- Entertainment & Streaming: Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu up 24% YOY
- Banking & Fintech: Experian, Credit Karma up 106% YOY
- B2B: Walmart B2B, Fiverr, QuickBooks up 24% YOY
With conversational AI tools changing how users search and more than 42% of Internet users employing ad blockers, browser start pages offer a brand-safe, high-intent environment that bypasses many of the limitations of traditional display and social ads. VEVE’s proprietary ad formats, exclusive inventory, and performance dashboards allow brands to directly engage users at the earliest point of their online journey, driving measurable results.
“The battlefield has moved,” Sharma added. “Brands that meet customers at the very start of their online journey—on the browser start page—will win this holiday season and beyond.”
