Estimated revenue of the ad, PR, and related services industry in the U.S. 2004-2022

In 2022, revenues of the advertising, public relations (PR), and related services sector in the United States reached nearly 171 billion U.S. dollars, up from little more than 153 billion dollars a year earlier – an annual growth of almost 11.5 percent. For comparison, the U.S. ad, PR & media buying sector's expenses increased by 12.5 percent to about 107 billion dollars in 2022.

Ad audiences and where to find them

TV remained the leading offline advertising touchpoint in the U.S. as of December 2023. Almost half of surveyed consumers included the silver screen among the non-digital media where they came across ads throughout the four weeks preceding the data collection. However, the internet quasi ubiquity was undeniable: social media was the online channel with the highest reach in the U.S., mentioned by 44 percent of respondents. Video portals like YouTube and video streaming platforms like Netflix tied for second, each selected by 37 percent.

What Americans want from online ads: less nuisance, more fun

During the same December 2023 study, about 40 percent of U.S. consumers reported feeling annoyed by digital ads. Some 35 percent also disliked receiving online ads based on their search history. A digital format that intends to be less invasive and more conversational is that of influencer marketing. According to that survey, the most popular digital influencer categories in the U.S. were, by far comedy and music, chosen by 42 and 39 percent of responding adults, respectively.