How Top Advertisers Are Spending in 2025 — And Why It’s Working
Mobile continues to dominate consumer attention — accounting for 65.3% of global digital ad spend in 2024, up from 52.7% in 2019. But top advertisers are going far beyond "spend more on mobile."
They’re evolving how budgets are structured, not just shifting money into new formats, but rethinking the strategy behind every dollar. Their approach is built around three ideas: respond to behavior, optimize for context, and build across screens. These shifts are delivering better outcomes and redefining what smart mobile investment looks like.
Budgets Follow Behavior Now
Gone are the days of static funnel allocations. Top advertisers are moving media dollars dynamically, based on real-time consumer behaviors. As McKinsey explains, personalization based on current intent and context is reshaping how brands connect with audiences.
They’re doubling down on:
- High-intent moments: store visits, product interaction, or location triggers signal readiness to act.
- Live signals: time of day, app usage, or content engagement that indicate curiosity or early interest.
- Exploratory discovery: when audiences aren’t yet familiar, advertisers lead with story-driven formats like mobile video or CTV.
This approach helps advertisers extract more value from fewer impressions, making each one context-aware and action-ready.
Context is Now a Strategy
And it’s not just theory. Contextually relevant ads outperform others by tapping into the mindset and surroundings of the consumer. As noted by DoubleVerify, advertisers using contextual targeting are seeing stronger engagement and more efficient performance — all without relying on cookies or identifiers.
Top advertisers are unlocking performance by planning around:
- The environment (What’s the app or content type?)
- The setting (Where is the user? What time is it? What’s happening around them?)
- The signal (Are they commuting? Waiting? Walking into a retail zone?)
Campaigns that react to the moment, instead of assuming a fixed user journey, are consistently outperforming static audience lists.
One Story, Many Screens
Cross-screen storytelling is proving its value. In 2025, the highest-performing campaigns aren’t split between mobile, CTV, and DOOH; they’re sequenced across them.
Leading brands are:
- Building narrative with CTV and mobile video
- Reinforcing with personalized mobile creative based on intent or location
- Converting offline with DOOH placements near key destinations
This approach mirrors how consumers naturally move — and ensures your brand story doesn’t just reach them, it follows them.
Performance = What Happens Next
Top advertisers know that tracking results means more than counting clicks. They’re using a mix of on-the-ground signals and creative insights to get a clearer picture of what’s working, and why.
Their measurement frameworks include:
- Foot traffic, dwell time, and engagement metrics to show real-world impact across formats
- Creative performance feedback loops that help adjust messaging and placement mid-flight
This mirrors the approach MobileFuse uses to drive measurable outcomes, as shown in real campaign results highlighted in this report.
What Makes It Work
The brands winning in 2025 are spending differently, not just more. They’re:
- Responding to live behavior and environmental signals
- Prioritizing context as a performance tool
- Sequencing their story across screens
- Measuring what matters — and adjusting fast
This is exactly the kind of signal-driven, performance-focused approach that MobileFuse helps leading brands activate every day. It connects strategy with outcomes, and it’s why the smartest advertisers aren’t just spending more, they’re spending right.
Join the brands already spending smarter in 2025. Talk to our team about what’s working now.
