mrge, the intelligent platform for commerce advertising, has released its biannual 2025 commerce advertising report, revealing that despite a turbulent first half of 2025 marked by declining consumer confidence, economic uncertainty, and the impact of Google updates, the commerce advertising industry continues to remain optimistic for the second half of the year. According to the survey of publishers, advertisers, agencies, and network/tech providers, more than 80% of respondents expressed a positive outlook for the rest of 2025. Respondents also noted that trust and authentic partnerships are increasingly valuable assets in an increasingly AI-driven environment.

“While the first half of the year posed challenges for our industry, there’s a sense of optimism heading into Q3 and Q4. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas remain the industry’s most significant opportunities, and businesses are gearing up to make the most of them,” said Dave Reed, CEO of mrge. “The findings also demonstrate that this industry thrives under pressure and during times of change. In the age of AI, the appetite for reinvention is growing, especially around authentic partnerships, more quality, and an emphasis on trustworthy content."

Other key insights from the survey include:

• Responding to Google Updates with More Quality, Better UX: Ongoing changes to Google’s algorithm have led more than one-third of respondents to estimate that at least 10% of their business is at risk. Yet the response has been largely constructive, leading to a renewed emphasis on content quality, user experience, and credibility — a welcome shift toward long-term sustainability.
• Authenticity Is Still Valued Despite AI Infiltration: AI has firmly embedded itself into operations, with over 90% of respondents estimating that they will use it as a supporting tool or an active contributor within the next 12 to 18 months. However, while concerns over editorial quality, loss of creativity, and job displacement remain strong, the current level of hype is widely viewed as overblown.
• Trust Is Everything: There is growing automation fatigue, which demonstrates the value of authentic voices and credible marketing partnerships in the age of AI. At the heart of commerce advertising lies a single, decisive factor: trust. A resounding 73.8% of industry participants say readers’ trust is either extremely important or very important to success in commerce advertising.
• Commerce Advertising Is Now a Major Sales Driver: Over 62% of participants report that commerce advertising generates more than 20% of their total sales, highlighting its growing role as a core revenue stream.
• Partnerships Trump AI as Growth Engine: For more than 60% of industry players, increasing investment in partnerships is seen as the top growth opportunity. Expanding the partner base ranks second, further underscoring a strategic shift toward collaborative ecosystems and their growing importance in commerce advertising.

The consensus is clear: real growth lies at the intersection of technology, trust, and thoughtful collaboration.

To download the report, click here.

About mrge

mrge, the intelligent platform for commerce advertising, connects over 5,500 publishers, 80,000 advertisers, and 200 networks across more than 160 countries. By integrating smart tools, technologies, and formats, mrge brings campaign messages closer to content, creating value for publishers, advertisers, and users alike. Mrge combines the strengths of five market-leading companies: digidip, focusing on premium publishers with high traffic; MaxBounty, a network specializing in direct partnerships; shopping24, offering product recommendation solutions; SourceKnowledge, established as a CPC platform; and Yieldkit, providing high reach and performance. Supported by the private equity investment group Waterland as the majority owner, mrge is led by CEO Dave Reed, CTO Nils Grabbert, CFO Michael Schambach, and CRO Justin Kuykendall. With offices in Hamburg and Berlin (Germany) as well as Montreal and Ottawa (Canada), mrge employs over 160 professionals. mrge is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Learn more at: mrge.com.

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