Digital media spending was stronger during the holiday season as marketers sought to reach homebound shoppers and reverse declines brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Merkle now reports signs of that activity among Google, Amazon and social media platforms returning to pre-pandemic levels. Brick-and-mortar retailers and travel-related businesses that bore the brunt of the pandemic signal recovery, though store visits and ad spending for travel were still lower at the end of 2020 than in the prior year.
