$

A

HowConsumers

A

$

andMarketersUseWalledGardens

2025GlobalInsights

TheStateofWalledGardensandSocialMediaUsage

2025GlobalInsights

Whilewalledgardensofferscale,engagementandrichcontextualplacements,these

opportunitiesintroducenewcomplexities:

fragmentation,shiftingaudiencebehaviorsandaconstanttradeoffbetween

performance,protectionandefficiency.

54%ofconsumers

saysocialinfluencersimpacttheirpurchasedecisions.

Thecostofcompromise?Missedaudiences,wastedspendandpotentialbrandrisk.

Thequestionisnolongerwhethertoinvestinwalledgardens,buthowtomaximizeeverydollar—withoutcompromise.Asmarketersnavigatethislandscape,trustedpartnersplayapivotalroleinturningcomplexityintoclarity.Whatifyoucouldhaveitall—scale,suitabilityandmeasurableoutcomes?Thisreportexploreshow.

Scroll,pause,bounce;consumerattentionisacommodityingreatdemand.Asitwaxesandwanesonvariousplatforms,marketersdemandtangibleoutcomesfromtheirmediabuys;notjustexposureopportunities,butcontextsthatofferqualityadenvironments,audienceprecisionandgenerationofnetnewbusiness.

Ofthe3.5hoursofleisuretimeconsumersspendperdayconsumingdigitalmedia,walledgardensaretakingthelion’sshareofattention.Accordingly,marketersarespendingrecordbudgets.

FacebookandInstagramalonecommand$192billioninglobaladspendin2025

—andthat’sjusttwoplatformswithinthe“Meta-verse.”ThisiscloselyfollowedbyTikTok,rakingin$34billioninglobaladspend.Withtwointhreeconsumersinfluencedbysocial

contentintheirpurchasedecisions,thestakesforgettingcontextandplacementrighthaveneverbeenhigher.

Whatifyoucouldhaveitall—scale,suitabilityandmeasurableoutcomes?

$$$

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens2

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens3

Foreword,byDoubleVerifyCEO,MarkZagorski

Marketerstodayfaceadefiningmoment.Thedigitaladvertisingecosystemhasneverbeenmoreimpactful—ormorecomplex.Attentionissplinteredacrossplatforms,AIengagementsarechangingthemarketer-consumerdynamic,dataislockedbehindwallsandthepathfrominvestmenttooutcomehasgrownhardertosee.Yet,amidthiscomplexity,liesopportunity.

Thebrandsthatwinwillbethosethatbringdisciplineandclaritytoeverystageofthemedia

journey:verifyingthequalityoftheirmedia;optimizingperformancethroughdata,AIand

automation;andprovingoutcomeswithindependent,trustedmeasurement.Thesearenotjustbestpractices,they’retheprinciplesthatdefinethefutureofeffectivemarketing.

Drawingoninsightsfrom22,000consumersand1,970marketingandadvertisingdecision-makersworldwide,thisreportexploreshowpeopleandbrandsengageacrosstoday’smostinfluentialdigitalenvironments.Themessageweuncoveredisclear:whilewalledgardensdeliverscale,sustainableperformancedependsontransparencyandtrust.

Inanerawhereeveryimpressioncounts,clarityisnotaluxury,it’sacompetitiveadvantage.Bycombiningmediaqualityverification,performanceoptimizationandoutcomesvalidation,

marketerscanturncomplexityintoconfidence,attentionintoactionandmediainvestmentintomeasurableimpact.

MarkZagorski

lDV2025GlobalInsights

MarkZagorski

CEO,DV

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens4

TableofContents

lDV2025GlobalInsights

TheStateofWalledGardensandSocialMediaUsage

2

Foreword,byDoubleVerifyCEOMarkZagorski

3

ConsumerTrends:HowConsumersScroll,TapandShop

5

PlatformBehaviorandDemographics

6

SocialasaNewsChannel

8

InfluencerImpactandSocialCommerce

10

ConsumerPerceptionofAdvertising

13

MarketerTrends:WalledGardenChallengesandOpportunities

14

HowMarketersAdvertiseWithinWalledGardens

14

UnpackingMarketerConcerns

15

DespiteChallenges,MarketerConfidenceIsGrowing

17

LookingAhead:LessPlatformDisparity,MoreInterconnectedness

19

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens5

2025GlobalInsights

DVSurveyed22,000Consumers

ConsumerTrends:

HowConsumers

Scroll,TapandShop

Theappealofwalledgardens

liesintheirblendofendless

entertainment,vibrantcommunityandhyper-personalizedexperiences.

Across21Countries

Wherevertherearescreens,thereareeyes—andwhereverthereareeyes,thereareopportunitiesformarketerstomakeanimpact.It’sthisever-

presentyetfleetingattentionthat

Oursurveyfindingsreveal:

makesconsumerbehaviorthemost

powerful,dynamicandvolatileengine,drivingmarketinginvestmentdecisions.Theappealofwalledgardensliesintheirblendofendlessentertainment,vibrantcommunityand

Consumerperceptionofadsandimpactonpurchasingdecisions

Influencerimpacton

purchasingdecisionsandsocialcommercepatterns

Platformandcontentconsumptionpatternsbydemographic

Newsconsumptionpatternsbydemographic

hyper-personalizedexperiences—acrossbothuser-generatedcontentandads—drivenbysophisticatedalgorithms.Forconsumers,everyscrollbringssomethingnew,relevantandengaging,makingtheseplatformsadailydigitaldestination.

Todecodethesebehaviors,DVsurveyed22,000consumersacross21countries,

uncoveringhowpeopleofallagesengagewithplatforms,consumenews,interactwithinfluencersandrespondtoadvertisingwithinwalledgardens.

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens6

lDV2025GlobalInsights

PlatformBehaviorandDemographics

ASnapshot:ConsumersSpendtheirTimeOnline

Ofsurveyedconsumers,28%expectto

spendmoretimeonsocialmediaplatformsinthenextyear.YouTubeiscapturingthemajorityofuserattention,closelyfollowedbyFacebook,InstagramandTikTok.

Evidently,YouTube’sbroadappealand

highusagefrequencymakeitanappealing

28%ofconsumers

expecttospendmoretimeonsocialmediainthecomingyear.

andfoundationalmarketingchannelformassreach.However,thefragmentationofpreferences—especiallyamongyoungerandolderdemographics—needstobekeptinmindwhendevisingmulti-channelstrategies.

WhereConsumersIntendtoSpendMoreTimeintheNextYear

28%

Usingsocialmedia

22%

Streamingmusic

18%

Playingvideoormobilegames

15%

WatchingbroadcastTVshows

22%

Streaminguser-generatedcontent

19%

Readingorwatchingonlinenewsstories

16%

Usinggroupmessagingplatforms

14%

Listeningtopodcasts

YouTube

Facebook

Instagram

TikTok

X(Twitter)

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Snapchat

Reddit

Twitch

Line

Zalo

Tumblr

Kwai

SocialMediaPlatformUsageAmongConsumersin2025

72%

69%

54%

45%

28%

19%

19%

16%

9%

8%

7%

4%

3%

2%

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens7

DifferentPlatformsforDifferentDemographics

Facebook’sdominanceamongolderandfemaleuserscontrastswiththeyoungercohort’spreferenceforvisuallydriven,video-firstplatformslikeYouTube,InstagramandTikTok.

Top5SocialPlatformsbyAge

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram

TikTok

X(Twitter)

Ages

Ages

Ages

Ages

Ages

Ages

18–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–64

65+

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

2025GlobalInsights

SignificantDifferencesinPlatformUsagebyGender

71%

ofwomenuseFacebook

75%

ofmenuseYouTube

Platformpreferencesareundoubtedlyinfluencedbydemographics.Whiletheuser

baseandengagementareconsistentwitholderdemographics,thesevariablestendtofluctuatemoreamongyoungerusers.Emergingplatformscandivertattentionaway,oryoungerusersmight“ageout”ofplatforms—justasFacebook’suserbasehas

experiencedademographicshiftovertheyears.

SocialMediaUsagebyRegion

GlobalAPACEMEALATAMNorthAmerica

YouTube

72%

78%

63%

86%

66%

Facebook

69%

69%

63%

80%

71%

Instagram

54%

54%

51%

74%

40%

TikTok

45%

48%

38%

65%

36%

X(Twitter)

28%

33%

24%

33%

20%

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens8

lDV2025GlobalInsights

SocialasaNewsChannel

CatchtheMorningNewsonYourFeed

Youngerconsumers(18–44)todayturntosocialmediaandvideoplatformsastheirprimarynewssource.Thisisparticularlytrueforconsumersages18–24and25–34,withover40%ofrespondentsinbothbracketscitingsocialmediaandYouTube/

othervideoplatformsasthetopwaytheyconsumenewscontent.Olderconsumers(45+)stillrelyontraditionalTVnewschannels,withusagerisingsharplywithage

(from38%at35–44to71%at65+).

Newswebsites/appsmaintainsteadyrelevanceacrossallagegroups,butneversurpasssocialorTVasthetopsources.

Top3WaysConsumersGetNewsContent

42%

YouTubeorothervideoplatforms

40%

SocialMediaPlatforms

34%

TVNewsChannels

Age18-44

59%

TVNewsChannels

37%

NewsWebsitesorApps

29%

YouTubeorothervideoplatforms

Age45-65+

PrimaryWaysConsumersConsumeNews-RelatedContent

71%

58%

43%

42%

42%

47%

40%

38%

38%

39%

37%

42%

31%

36%

35%

28%

27%

33%

28%

15%

25%

11%

18-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465+

●TVNewsChannels

●Newswebsitesorapps

●SocialMediaPlatforms

●YouTubeorothervideoplatforms

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens9

RegionalDifferencesinNewsConsumptionChannels

Naturally,newsconsumptionpatternsvarybasedonregions.InAPACandLATAM,socialmediaandYouTube/videoplatformsareasimportantasTVnewschannelsfornews

consumption(39–46%foreachchannel).

InEMEAandNorthAmerica,TVnewschannelsremaintheleadingsource,butsocialmediaandnewswebsites/appsarealsosignificant.

>40%

ofrespondents

inboth18–24and25–34bracketscitedsocialmediaandYouTube/othervideoplatformsasthetopwaytheyconsumenewscontent.

2025GlobalInsights

PrimaryNewsSourcesbyRegion

47%

43%

44%

39%

35%

32%

24%24%

APAC

EMEA

46%

45%

45%

42%

36%

31%

26%26%

LATAM

NorthAmerica

TVNewsChannels

Newswebsitesorapps

YouTubeorothervideoplatformsSocialmediaplatforms

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens10

lDV2025GlobalInsights

InfluencerImpactandSocialCommerce

SocialMediaasSocialProofforProducts

Whileconsumersaremostlikelytoturntoonlinereviews(45%)andsearchengines

(41%)beforemakingapurchase,socialmediaisontherise;27%ofconsumersrevealedthatsocialmediaand26%saidthatvideoreviewsortutorials(suchasonYouTube

andothervideoplatforms)wereoneoftheirtopthreepre-purchaseresearchtools,underscoringthegrowingroleofsocialinproductresearch.

Theappealislikelyduetothepersonalizationandalgorithmiccurationthatsocialfeedshave,surfacinghighlyrelevantcontenttailoredtoindividualinterests.

WhereConsumersResearchProductsPre-Purchase

OnlineReviews

SearchEngines VisitingPhysicalStoresProductComparisonWebsites

SocialMedia

FriendsorFamilyRecommendationsWatchingVideoReviewsorTutorialsInfluencerRecommendations

45%

41%

33%

28%

27%

26%

26%

11%

Influencers:TheMicro,MacroandMega

Over58%ofsurveyedconsumersstated

thattheyinteract(follow,like,share,

comment)withinfluencers,especiallymicroinfluencers(24%).Thelower-funnelstrengthoftheseinteractionsisalsohigh—54%

ofconsumersreportedthatsocialmedia

influencersimpacttheirpurchasedecisions.

54%ofconsumers

reportedthatsocialmediainfluencersimpacttheirpurchasedecisions.

Bakedintotheinfluenceraudiencesishighengagement;manybuildtheirdedicated

followingsthroughhelpful,emotionallyresonantorentertainingcontent.Inthe

marketingworld,thistranslatestogreaterinfluenceoverpurchasingdecisions—makinginfluencercontentaneffectivecontextforadvertisingcampaignsthatrequirebothscaleandcredibility.

SocialMediaUsagebyRegion

Total

APAC

EMEA

LATAM

NorthAmerica

Consumersimpactedbyanytypeofinfluencer

54%

64%

44%

66%

43%

Consumerssignificantlyimpactedbyanytypeofinfluencer

31%

37%

24%

38%

25%

Consumerswhopurchasedaproductbasedonpositivecommentsaboutitunderaninfluencer’spost

23%

30%

16%

29%

15%

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens11

lDV2025GlobalInsights

Globally,influencersappeartohavethestrongestimpactonconsumersinAPACandLATAM.Bothregionsreportedthehighestoverallimpactfromanytypeofinfluencers.

Thisislikelyduetobothoftheseregionsbeingmobile-centricmarkets,withahigh

prevalenceofinternetbrowsingandsocialcommerceonmobile.Foranin-depthanalysisofmediatrendsperregion,lookto

DV’sGlobalInsightsReportsforAPACandLATAM.

31%

ofconsumersclaimsocialmedia

influencerssignificantlyimpacttheirdecisiontopurchaseaproduct.

23%

ofconsumershavepurchaseda

productbasedonapositivecommentaboutitunderaninfluencer’spost.

TheTypesofInfluencersConsumersInteractwiththeMostonSocialMedia

29%

24%

13%

23%

11%

●MegaInfluencers●MacroInfluencers

●MicroInfluencers●NoneoftheAbove

●IDon'tKnow

Note:

MicroInfluencers:Individualswith1,000to100,000followerswhohavehighengagementandfocusonnichetopics

MacroInfluencers:Individualswith100,000to1millionfollowerswhoareseenasexpertsandhaveabroadreach

MegaInfluencers:Individualswithover1millionfollowers,oftencelebrities,whohavevastinfluencebutlowerdirectengagement

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens12

lDV2025GlobalInsights

SocialCommercePenetrationbyRegion

ShoppingIsaSocialActivity

Socialcommerceisontherise,with30%ofconsumersmakingapurchasedirectly

26%

UnitedKingdom

throughasocialplatforminthepastyear,especiallyinmobile-firstmarketslikeAPAC.Ofallregions,APAChasthehighestnumberofconsumersengaginginsocialcommerce(40%).ThisislargelydrivenbyVietnam,Indonesia,Thailand,IndiaandthePhilippines.

ThoughYouTubehasahighervisitrate,Facebookleadsinad-drivenactionsoverall,likelyduetoitsearlieradoptionoffeatureslikeFacebookMarketplace.Youngerconsumers

9%.

France

—8%

26%

(18-24)however,aremorelikelytotakeactiononplatformslikeTikTok(50%)andInstagram(53%).

Japan

UnitedStates

●

50%

49%

India

52%

Philippines

WhereConsumersMadeaPurchaseintheLast12Months

41%

27%

UAE

Onlinemarketplaces

In-storeshopping

Retailwebsitesorapps

Brandwebsitesorapps

Socialmedia

58%

Mexico

57%

Indonesia

41%

30%

33%

Global

30%

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens13

lDV2025GlobalInsights

ConsumerPerceptionofAdvertising

AdAdjacencyMatters

Perceptionofadvertisingonwalled

gardensreflectsbroadacceptance,with16%ofconsumersconsideringthese

platformsgenerallyunsuitableforbrandstoadvertiseon.However,thecontextsinwhichadsareplacedhaveasignificantimpactonconsumerperception;ina

previousDVstudy,whenanadwas

32%ofconsumers

considersocialcontentinsomecategoriesunsuitablewhenanadjacentadisshown.

placednexttocontentforsomecontenttypes,theproportionthatconsideredthecontentunsuitablewastwiceashigh.Thisunderscorestheimportanceofcontextandcarefuladplacement,asthepresenceofadscanquicklytransformneutralorpositiveperceptionsintoconcernsaboutbrandsuitability.

HowAdAdjacencyImpactsConsumerPerception

PercentofConsumerswhoAnswered“Unsuitable”

Howsuitabledoyouthinkthesocialplatforms*areforbrandstorunads

**Howsuitableisitforthiscontenttohaveanyadnexttoit?

**Howsuitableisitforthiscontenttohavethisadnexttoit(withaddisplayed)

16%

24%

32%

*SocialPlatformsincludedYouTube,MetaandTiktok

**FromDVSocialBrandSuitability2024.

ConsumerTrends:HowConsumersScroll,TapandShop

KeyTakeaways

Consumers’ageandgenderhelpdeterminetheirplatform

preferences.Thisfragmentationunderscorestheneedfortailored,multi-platformmarketingstrategies.

Personalizedsocialfeedswithreal-timecommunityengagementareanindispensableresearchtool.Microandmacroinfluencersplayanespeciallypivotalroleinshapingyoungerconsumers’

purchasedecisions.

Socialcommerceisacceleratingworldwide,particularlywithinmobile-firstmarketsinAPAC.

Thepresenceofanadnexttospecificcontentcanmakeconsumersmorecriticalofthecontent’sbrandsuitability.Carefuladplacementwithongoingmeasurementiskey.

Atrustedpartnercanhelpmarketersmaximizereachand

relevancewithinwalledgardenswithoutcompromisingbrandsuitabilityoreffectiveness.

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens14

MarketerTrends:

WalledGardenChallengesandOpportunities

Withinwalledgardens,thepotentialforaudiencereachandengagementisvast.Yet,operatingwithinthebarriersandconstraintsoftheseenvironmentsdoesn’talways

comewiththeluxuryoftimeandalimitlessbudget.Instead,marketersmustfollow

thedatacrumbsthroughagrowingmazeofchannels,platformsandecosystems,

navigatingcomplexitiesanduncoveringsolutionsastheyprogressthroughachangingdigitallandscape.

DVsurveyed1,970globalmarketerstoexplore:

Themainchallengesmarketersencounterwhenadvertising

withinwalledgardens.

Marketers’concernsregardingbrandsuitabilityandcontentadjacencyin

walledgardenenvironments,especiallygiventhesurgeofAI-generatedcontentanditspotentialimpactonconsumers’perceptionoftheirbrand.

2025GlobalInsights

HowMarketersAdvertiseWithinWalledGardens

DifferentPlatformsforDifferentObjectives

Eighty-eightpercentofmarketerssurveyedusesocialmediaforadvertising,althoughtheirapproachvariesdependingonthestageofthemarketingfunnel.Marketerscommonly

turntopopularsocialmediaplatformslikeInstagram,Facebook,YouTubeandTikTokforupper-funnelcampaignobjectives.Incontrast,smallerplatformswithlowerpenetrationamongconsumersandmarketers—likeZalo,Reddit,andTwitch—areoftenthechannelsofchoiceformid-tolower-funnelcampaignobjectives.

HowMarketersPrioritizeAdvertisingObjectiveswithinEachPlatform

UpperFunnelMidFunnelLowerFunnelLoyalty/Advocacy%UsageforMarketer

InstagramFacebook YouTube TikTokX(Twitter) LinkedIn LinePinterest ZaloSnapchat

Reddit

Twitch

Tumblr

Kwai

48%

25%

14%

13%

44%

27%

16%

12%

50%

23%

13%

14%

46%

25%

16%

13%

35%32%

20%

13%

32%31%

20%

16%

31%32%

28%

9%

30%33%

22%

15%

16%29%

42%

14%

28%32%

25%

15%

22%34%

28%

17%

25%32%

28%

15%

21%32%

32%

15%

25%34%

26%

15%

96%

96%

94%

88%

81%

79%

71%

71%

67%

66%

63%

63%

57%

56%

HowConsumersandMarketersUseWalledGardens15

lDV2025GlobalInsights

UnpackingMarketerConcerns

TopMarketerChallenge:AudienceReach

Formarketers,connectingwiththeirtargetaudiencestillfeelsjustoutofreach.Infact,46%ofmarketersidentifiedaudiencereachastheirbiggestchallenge,especiallyin

thealgorithm-drivenenvironmentsofwalledgardenswhereaudiencerestrictionsarecommon.Followingcloselybehind,38%ofmarketersfinditchallengingtokeepupwithcontenttrends.

TopChallengesMarketersFaceWhenAdvertisingonSocialMedia

Abilitytoreachtargetaudience

KeepingupwithcontenttrendsManagingcampai