Dentsu Revises 2026 Downward, Cites Macroeconomics, 'Algorithmic Era'

Revising its previous global ad spending forecast down nearly a point, Dentsu this morning nonetheless issued a new forecast projecting the global ad economy will surpass $1 trillion for the firs time, based on its benchmarks.

The forecast, which has become an annual tradition for the Tokyo-based agency holding company, marks the first in what has historically been a series of similar year-end updates issued by several other major holding companies, but following the demise of Interpublic's, the deprecation of Publicis', that leaves only WPP Media poised to issue a year-end outlook for the ad economy, which is expected to be released Monday morning during the opening ad panel of UBS annual communications and media conference in New York City.

For the U.S., Dentsu has shaved just three-tenths of a point off last year's forecast, and now projects U.S. ad spending will expand 5.0% to $415 billion, accounting for nearly 40% of its projected $1.039 trillion global advertising estimate for 2026.

And while Dentsu has tempered its longer-term ad growth estimates for global ad economy, it actually nudged the U.S. up slightly for 2027 and projects it will expand 5.2% in 2028.