The digital advertising world is entering uncertain territory. With the US government ramping up antitrust action against Google and Meta, fashion brands could soon face a transformed marketing landscape — again.

Following a court ruling that Google operates an illegal monopoly in ad tech and a potential forced breakup of Meta and Instagram, marketers are bracing for impact. If regulators succeed, it could drastically reshape how and where brands run their digital campaigns.

A History of Disruption

Fashion marketers still remember the ripple effects of Apple’s iOS 14 update in 2021, which limited ad tracking and changed targeting strategies overnight. The current legal challenges, however, could lead to even more drastic consequences — fragmenting audiences and pushing up costs as brands scramble to diversify their ad spend.

Even platforms like TikTok, considered a fast-growing competitor to Meta, face an uncertain future amid threats of a US ban. Meanwhile, Chinese players like Shein and Temu are pulling back on ad spend as geopolitical tensions rise, reducing ad costs in the short term but raising long-term questions about stability.

Where Should Brands Look Now?

Pinterest, Snapchat, and smaller networks offer alternatives, but their reach is far smaller. Retail marketplaces like Amazon, Target, and Walmart are becoming popular ad destinations, but they come at a cost: ad budgets on top of marketplace commissions.

The key, experts say, is to focus on content that resonates across multiple platforms — not just the dominant ones.

“A real moat that brands can build is content distribution,” says James Nord, founder of Fohr. “How do you get your brand story into all the nooks and crannies of the internet?”

Takeaway

As antitrust battles and economic pressures reshape digital advertising, fashion brands need to rethink their dependence on major players — and start investing in smarter, more flexible, and diversified marketing strategies.

Source: Business of Fashion