The Media Reactions 2025 study by Kantar highlights a persistent misalignment between what consumers expect from advertising platforms and where marketers choose to invest their budgets. Based on over 21,000 consumer interviews and insights from nearly 1,000 senior marketers, the report provides both global and local perspectives – with Romania showing its own unique dynamics.
Amazon’s global dominance
Consumers rank Amazon as the number one advertising platform, with Twitch and Prime Video also in the global top five. Alongside Snapchat and TikTok, these platforms are perceived as engaging, trustworthy, and less intrusive than traditional advertising. Yet marketers continue to prioritise YouTube, Instagram, Google, Netflix, and Spotify – a clear sign that industry decisions do not always reflect consumer sentiment.
Romania’s local champion: eMAG
In Romania, Amazon was excluded from the survey due to its lack of local presence. Instead, eMAG takes the crown as the most preferred advertising brand among Romanian consumers, followed by Pinterest, Kiss FM, Europa FM, and Google. This proves the importance of strong local players that can capture consumer trust and attention in ways global platforms cannot always replicate.
Consumers are more open to advertising
For the first time, more than half of global respondents (57%) say they are receptive to advertising, a significant increase from 47% last year. This rising openness represents an opportunity for brands, provided they align media choices with consumer trust rather than marketer convention.
AI: concern and opportunity
The report also tracks growing concerns about AI in advertising: 44% of consumers are annoyed by AI-generated ads, while 57% worry about fake AI-driven content. At the same time, both consumers and marketers are becoming more positive toward Generative AI overall. Most marketers use AI for efficiency (70%) rather than creativity (53%). Still, the real value lies in adopting AI as a creative partner, enabling faster testing, smarter decisions, and campaigns that resonate authentically.
Strategic implications for 2026
For marketers planning, the lessons are clear:
- Invest where consumers place their trust, not just where scale feels comfortable.
- Recognise and leverage local market champions, such as eMAG, in Romania.
- Build authentic collaborations with creators, avoiding forced placements.
- Use AI not only as a tool for speed, but as a creative accelerator.
At TUYA Digital, we see Kantar’s findings reinforcing what GEO and AEO strategies have already revealed: media success is not just about chasing visibility, but about capturing consumer attention in trusted environments. Brands that bridge the gap between consumer expectations and marketer decisions will define the winners of 2026.