New industry data suggests that social media and streaming video delivered strong ROI for marketers in 2025, even as shifting platform dynamics and budget reallocations reshaped the advertising landscape.
The 2026 Marketing Investment Framework and Decision Guide from Keen Decision Systems analyzed more than $42 billion in historical marketing investment across over 400 brands spanning multiple verticals. The findings provide a detailed snapshot of how marketers allocated budgets in 2025 and where returns were strongest heading into 2026.
According to the report, social media remained a core performance channel, though its overall share of spend declined slightly from 18 percent to 17 percent in 2025. Investment in TikTok dropped by 8 percentage points following significant increases the previous year. Meanwhile, Meta regained momentum, accounting for 60 percent of social investment after falling to 55 percent in 2024, supported by improved ROI and lower costs.
Search continued to command the largest share of total advertising spend at 25 percent. Streaming video held steady at 17 percent of overall investment, while display increased by 4 percent to reach 15 percent. Linear TV maintained a 19 percent share of spending but experienced declining returns, prompting renewed scrutiny of traditional broadcast allocations.
“Channel allocations in 2025 reflected marketers’ desire to lean into what’s reliable, whether it was by holding commitments even as returns softened or hesitated on channels that haven’t yet proven at scale,” said Justin Jefferson, Vice President, Strategy and Insights, at Keen Decision Systems. “This pattern created efficiency gains in some areas while leaving significant untapped opportunities in others. In 2026, brands should prioritize a mix that balances legacy and emerging channels without losing ROI.”
Streaming video showed notable growth as brands redirected budgets from linear television toward ad supported streaming platforms. Connected TV accounted for 59 percent of streaming budgets, while online video represented 41 percent. Within connected TV, Amazon attracted the largest share of investment with steady performance. The Trade Desk faced declining ROI despite substantial spend, while Hulu and Disney improved ROI even as costs increased sharply. Overall, connected TV ROI rose from $1.60 to $1.90.
The data also highlights a shift toward top of funnel tactics. Between 2022 and 2025, larger brands with more than $100 million in revenue increased their top of funnel allocation from 43 percent to 58 percent. Streaming video and social media experienced the largest increases in this category, and display jumped from 18 percent to 27 percent in 2026, marking the sharpest single year rise.
Retail media continued to mature, expanding from 15 percent of budgets in 2022 to 22 percent in 2025. Although Amazon remained the dominant retail media network, its share declined from 56 percent to 46 percent as spending diversified to Walmart and mid sized retailers.
“Based on these findings, we’d advise brands to start making a gradual shift from linear TV to streaming as a top-of-funnel tactic while maintaining proven performers like search where ROI justifies continued investment,” continued Jefferson. “By strategically allocating their investments across the funnel, including retail media, brands of all sizes can experience sustained brand building.”
As marketers prepare for 2026, the data underscores that social media and streaming video delivered strong ROI for marketers in 2025, reinforcing their role as foundational components of modern omnichannel strategies.
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