Media Buying Briefing: Brands push toward retail and social while buyers ponder storm clouds

Advertisers funneling media dollars into social platforms, video and retail media channels in the final months of 2026 are boosting year-on-year media spending — but buyers and clients have their guards up for political shocks that could knock confidence during the run-in to Christmas. At a glance, the ad industry has entered the year’s final quarter in relatively healthy condition. Agency holdcos like Omnicom, Havas and Publicis — among the largest employers in the ad sector — have each reported positive growth in Q3; WPP and Dentsu have yet to report their Q3 performance. This is a member-exclusive article from Digiday. Continue reading it…

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