Go Figure is a monthly column by Marketing Dive staff which examines recent data points from across the marketing and advertising industry that are noteworthy and pertinent to CMOs and other executives.
The marketing space saw some significant developments in March. As the industry faces upheaval, signs are pointing toward a potential slowdown. Major players are facing slumps, there is increased scrutiny on the utility of artificial intelligence platforms and the ongoing energy crisis continues to make an impact. Below, Marking Dive highlights a few of last month's notable data points.
10
The percentage points Instagram’s ad revenue could drop next year.
The growth rate for advertising revenue on select Meta platforms could take a major dip in the near future, according to WARC and Omdia’s recent forecast of the energy crisis’ impact on the global ad market. While ad revenue on Instagram is expected to grow nearly 27% year-over-year to $101.6 billion in 2026, by 2027 YoY growth is expected to slip to 15.5%, a drop of more than 10 percentage points. This would mark the first time the social media platform sees growth slip below 20%.
Facebook could fare even worse. The platform’s ad revenue is predicted to reach $137.8 billion this year, a 19.2% YoY increase. However, such momentum is expected to be short-lived, with 2027 gains predicted to be a little under 10%.
A tapering off in the hype around AI could contribute to the spending slowdown, according to WARC data insights. However, some social media platforms are expected to thrive in the coming years. Reddit’s ad business is expected to hit $4.1 billion in 2027, nearly double what it was in 2025. This is largely due to gains being made outside of the U.S. market, with spending by U.K. brands expected to grow nearly 87% in 2026.
Informa, which owns a controlling stake in Informa TechTarget, the publisher behind Marketing Dive, is also invested in WARC and Omdia. Informa has no influence over Marketing Dive’s coverage.
$22M
The amount of money Papa Johns plans to invest in supplemental marketing and franchise materials this year.
The pizza brand has reinstituted its marketing co-ops in 50 U.S. markets, including in priority areas. The initiative will allow for more localized marketing efforts and easier campaign collaboration. Additionally, it builds off of a $21 million incremental marketing spend in 2025. In December, the brand appointed Leo Chicago its agency of record.
Papa Johns is currently trying to turn around an extended period of slumping sales. The brand saw North American comparable sales decline 5% in Q4 of 2025, marking seven quarters of negative sales growth in two fiscal years.
$847M
The Trade Desk’s Q4 revenue amid growth slip.
The Trade Desk saw a 14% YoY revenue increase in Q4 of 2025, down from the 22% increase it experienced during the same period in 2024. Full-year revenue increases followed a similar trend. In 2025, the company saw a full-year revenue of approximately $2.9 billion, an 18% YoY increase. In 2024, full-year revenue increased by 26%, with a company revenue of $2.45 billion.
The slowdown comes as the company faces increased scrutiny over its fees, with Omnicom launching a third-party audit in late March. A few days before the announcement of the audit, Alexander Kayyal, former Trade Desk CFO, resigned from the company’s board of directors. Additionally, Reddit CFO Andrew Vollero will join both the board and audit committee.
Marketing Dive staff contributed to this report.
