Asia Pacific’s Media Moment: Where Innovation, Investment and Impact Intersect

We’re well into 2025 and despite a world grappling with tariff wars, inflation upticks and the lingering aftershocks of geopolitical unrest, the global advertising industry remains remarkably resilient - growing at 4.9% against a projected GDP rise of just 2.8%.

But dig a little deeper and the real story isn’t global, it’s regional. More specifically, it's about Asia Pacific. Increasingly so, Asia-Pacific is proving to be the global engine room of advertising growth.

With ad spend set to grow by 6.0% this year, APAC is outpacing the Americas (4.2%) and EMEA (4.5%) and now commands over 36% of global media investment. That’s not just a recovery story, it’s a redirection of momentum. Clearly, brands are discovering that the opportunity of APAC extends well beyond the established traditional APAC powerhouses of Australia, India and China, with sub-regions like Southeast Asia continuing to grow.
And that opportunity is being fuelled by three things: the scale of digital transformation, the rise of platform-native commerce ecosystems and a breed of audiences that are digitally mature, mobile-first and value-driven.

Digital isn’t just dominant – it’s dynamic

In 2025, 68.4% of global ad spend will go to digital channels and APAC is already ahead of the curve. But what's more interesting than volume is how it’s being used.

Programmatic trading now covers more than 70% of digital buys across top APAC markets. Search spend continues to grow (+8.3%) but is evolving quickly, with consumers turning to conversational AI and platforms like TikTok or Instagram for discovery and recommendations. Paid social, meanwhile, is undergoing its own transformation – fuelled by native commerce, video and AI-powered automation.

In Asia, we see the digital future playing out in real time. In India, social commerce is closing the loop from impression to purchase within a single scroll. In Indonesia, retail media and entertainment are blending inside super apps. And in Australia, Connected TV (CTV) has become a full-funnel channel, rivalling traditional television in both reach and effectiveness.

Retail and Commerce Media’s coming of age

Retail media is no longer emerging, it has arrived. Globally, it's the fastest growing channel, clocking 13.9% growth in 2025 and APAC is leading that charge. From Woolworths’ Cartology in Australia to the commerce ecosystems built around Shopee, Flipkart, and Lazada, retail platforms in APAC are rewriting the rules of brand engagement – as they always have. Indeed, APAC has long been an early mover in online marketplaces and digital shopping habits – now with the maturing of technology to support these ad systems, advertising dollars are moving there at pace.

If we zoom out of retail media into the broader realm of commerce media, the growth story becomes even more apparent – as does APAC’s long legacy in this field. APAC is where creator commerce was born, and we’re seeing now that everything is shoppable – from social platforms to the open web, to DOOH and to CTV.

All of this is being driven by ownership of commerce-based data, and the ability to nurture consumers from the first moment of brand discovery to repeat purchase. This is incredibly powerful and explains why advertisers are seeking these opportunities in a fragmented media landscape.

CTV: Television, evolved

Speaking of TV, yes, traditional broadcast continues to decline (down 1.8% globally in 2025), but let’s not confuse that with disengagement. Viewers haven’t left screens; in fact, they are spending more time with screens than ever. It’s how the content is delivered to them that’s changed. Increasingly, audiences are choosing long form content on their own terms and their own schedule, and this has completely changed the game for broadcasters and content owners.

CTV is growing at 10.9% globally and even faster in digital-savvy APAC markets. As streaming services scale their ad-supported models - think Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube, alongside scaled local platforms Viu, WeTV and iQiyi, - the volume of high-quality, brand-safe inventory is exploding. But it’s not just the inventory that’s changing, it’s the format. From dynamic product placements to shoppable overlays and live sports activation, CTV is now a playground for performance media and brand storytelling alike.

AI is Reshaping the How

AI is not just influencing what media we buy; it’s changing how we buy it. At dentsu, we’re helping brands rethink everything from planning and segmentation to creative automation and real-time optimisation. But our advice remains simple: Don’t just chase efficiency. Use AI to improve how you work, how you measure and how you adapt.
In the algorithmic era of media – speed to market, agility and measurability are the key ingredients for success. This is where AI, properly harnessed, can be a genuine superpower for brands who want to move at the speed of culture.

APAC is not one market – it’s a portfolio

One of the biggest mistakes we see global brands make is approaching Asia Pacific as a single entity. It’s not. It’s a portfolio of hyper-diverse, hyper-digital markets at different stages of maturity and transformation.

In Japan, the future of search is AI-led. In India, mobile commerce is exploding. In Southeast Asia, video-first and social-first media strategies are the norm. And in Australia, advanced measurement and CTV are driving a new era of media accountability.

The brands winning in APAC are those with the humility to localise and the ambition to lead. They invest where audiences are moving, not just in terms of platforms, but in terms of behaviour.

So, where should marketers focus for the remainder of 2025?

If you’re a brand navigating media investment in 2025, here’s the cheat sheet:

• Everything is addressable and shoppable: Every moment you spend with a consumer is building your brand and developing shopping intent – treat every touchpoint with precision.
  
• Prioritise Retail and Commerce Media: It’s the only channel that delivers end-to-end visibility and ROI in one ecosystem.
  
• Rethink video: CTV isn’t just for branding, it’s for conversion, engagement and attention.
  
• Use AI thoughtfully: Automate what you can but stay creative where it counts.
  
• Localise relentlessly: A strategy that works in Sydney won’t fly in Seoul or Singapore.
  

In a year where uncertainty looms large, APAC is offering clarity - not just as a growth region, but as a blueprint for the future of media.

For brands willing to lean in, localise and lead with innovation, the reward isn’t just performance - it’s relevance, resilience and real impact.