Media Buying Briefing: Q4 wobbles a bit, and buyers wonder how it will affect 2026 spending

It seems mixed signals are all over the place in the fourth-quarter ad marketplace, with some media buyers reporting a recent drop off in ad spend from a number of categories, while others acknowledge a slowdown but not of any amount that rings alarm bells for 2026. One chief media officer even said he’s seen an uptick in business since the beginning of the quarter.

What’s going on? For one thing, the fact that economic signals are just short of haywire means no advertiser, much less their media agency, can set a clear-cut path forward. Between up-and-down tariffs, the longest U.S. federal government shutdown in history (just concluded but the impact is still being felt) and lingering inflationary worries, things are about as clear as concrete. 

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