GroupM's mid-year advertising forecast for 2022 indicates that global ad revenue for pure-play digital platforms is expected to grow by 12.9%, slower than the 32% pace observed in 2021. The growth in e-commerce related advertising is expected to slow down, as in-person activities resume and pandemic-related lockdowns and supply chain bottlenecks contribute to a drag on growth in the first half of 2022. However, large brands with well-diversified media plans may allocate half of their budget to digital media. Despite rising inflation, increased wages, mounting regulatory pressure on Big Tech, and an overall effort by consumers and marketers to find their footing in a world increasingly used to living with COVID-19, the relative degree of deceleration in the digital advertising category of advertisers is likely significant.
