VEVE, a global leader in performance marketing, has revealed new data showing a remarkable 33% year-over-year increase in browser advertising spend, marking a major shift in digital customer acquisition strategies amid the rise of AI-powered search engines and the decline in social advertising ROI. As third-party cookies are phased out, brands across various industries are turning to browser-based ads such as quick-access icons, banners, and branded doodles displayed on users’ browser start pages to capture consumer attention before they begin online searches.
Retailers are leading this trend with a 64% increase in browser ad budgets in 2025, followed by travel brands boosting their spend by 34% and streaming platforms by 24%. Top streaming services like Amazon Prime, Disney+, and Hulu are prioritizing browser start page placements to highlight films, shows, and offers ahead of users’ typical browsing behavior. Banking and fintech sectors have seen an astonishing 106% rise in investment, while B2B brands, including Walmart B2B and Fiverr, have increased spending by 24%.
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According to Bharat Sharma, VEVE’s co-founder and COO, this change represents a fundamental rewiring of how brands approach online customer acquisition. He explained that browser ads place brands in front of consumers at the very start of their online experience, offering a distraction-free moment before social media, search engines, and endless scrolling dilute their attention. This shift has been fueled by growing challenges in display advertising, including rising CPMs, reduced organic reach due to algorithm changes, widespread use of ad blockers by over 42% of internet users, and strict privacy regulations limiting targeting capabilities.
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Browser environments now reach over 5.1 billion internet users worldwide and serve as the primary internet gateway for more than 60% of the population, creating valuable ad real estate for brand discovery and engagement. VEVE has executed campaigns for over 2,000 brands, including Amazon Prime, Expedia, Nike, Macy’s, and Walmart, leveraging exclusive browser inventory and proprietary ad formats to achieve measurable results. With detailed conversion and engagement dashboards, VEVE enables brands to reach high-intent audiences efficiently and drive performance beyond traditional “walled garden” platforms like Google, Meta, and Amazon, which captured over half of global ad spend in 2024.
As brands prepare for a highly competitive holiday shopping season, Sharma emphasized the importance of connecting with consumers at the very start of their online journey. This emerging advertising frontier signals a substantial opportunity for brands ready to capitalize on the evolving digital landscape by prioritizing browser-based ad strategies that are both scalable and brand-safe.
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