The “Media Reactions 2025” study, prepared by Kantar from a global survey to more than 21,000 consumers and about 1,000 marketing professionals, highlights an increasingly pronounced gap between the advertising platforms preferred by consumers and those in which brands are investing more intensity.
Tiktok and Snapchat are valued for their ability to entertain and capture attention
Three of the five favorite platforms of consumers belong to the Amazon ecosystem, which leads the ranking thanks to advertisements perceived as useful and relevant, followed by Twitch – which stands out for being the channel where the ads generate more confidence – and prime video. They complete the Top Five Tiktok and Snapchat, valued for their ability to entertain and capture attention. However, none of these platforms appears in the top five of the advertisers, which reflects a disconnection between consumer experience and advertising investment decisions.
On the part of the marketing professionals, the preferred channels to advertise are still YouTube, Instagram, Google, Netflix and Spotify, in line with what was observed in 2024. “Brands need to fight to capture people’s attention, but Marketers do not always reflect the advertising preferences of the consumer”said Gonca Bubani, global media director at Kantar. “Twitch is a good example: consumers trust their ads more than those of any other platform, but many advertisers continue to consider that their audience is too niche.”
Increase advertising receptivity
A relevant fact of the study is that for the first time more than 50% of consumers (57%) declare themselves receptive towards advertising, which represents a jump against 47% of the previous year. In addition, the perception of advertising integration in campaigns has improved in the last decade – 58% to 66% – although the confidence of advertisers in their ability to correctly integrate messages between channels has decreased from 89% in 2017 to 64% in 2025.
Despite the growing interest in new formats, open television remains the most effective channel to generate brand impact, while digital platforms gain ground due to their capacity for segmentation and budget efficiency.
The difference between affinity and advertising is more visible in the case of Tiktok, which is not among the favorite platforms of advertisers, but will be increased by the investment by 64% of professionals in 2026. YouTube and Instagram will also continue to receive upward investments. In parallel, 61% of advertisers plan to increase content spending with creators and influencers, and 53% in Social Commerce, reflecting a strategy aimed at new collection and engagement channels.
On the opposite side is X (formerly Twitter), which has been classified as the least reliable channel for the third consecutive year. According to the report, 29% of advertisers plan to reduce their investment in the platform in 2026, and almost one in eight will completely eliminate it from their media plans.
57% of consumers express concern about the false ads generated with AI
The report also includes the advancement of generative artificial intelligence in creative and planning processes: 70% of marketing professionals already use it to improve their efficiency, while 53% use it to enhance their creativity. However, 57% of consumers express concern about the false ads generated with AI, and 44% are upset by this type of content, which puts the need to generate confidence in this new advertising environment.
GONCA BUBANI Underlines that “The AI will be valuable only if it also embraces as a creative partner. The opportunity is huge, but it will only be achieved with a curious mentality, not fearful.”
As the fragmentation of the media ecosystem grows, the report emphasizes that it is not enough to know where to invest: the brands that integrate their campaigns in a coherent way between platforms, adapting the message to each environment and audience, will be those that really capitalize on the advertising receptivity that the market offers.
