Key stat: US electronics and software brands grew total media ad spending 22.2% in H1 2025, then slowed sharply to just 3.2% growth in H2, according to a January report from MediaRadar.

Beyond the chart:

• Consumer electronics is the most AI-forward purchase category, with 55% of US adults saying AI-powered search partly, mainly, or exclusively helped them make a purchase in electronics, per McKinsey.
• Meanwhile, the software half of the chart is contending with a structural shift. Some 43% of US B2B buyers now use AI during the consideration phase, the highest share across the purchase path, and 58% switched vendors in the prior six months, per Google and NRG.

Use this chart: Drop this in your next electronics or media planning meeting to show the dramatic swing in category ad investment. Use the H1 vs. H2 comparison to benchmark your brand's spending trajectory against the sector, and frame why the back-half slowdown changes the competitive dynamics heading into 2026.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Apple Turns 50 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• How B2B Marketers Can Respond to AI-Accelerated Buying Cycles (EMARKETER subscription required)

We prepared this article with the assistance of generative AI tools and stand behind its accuracy, quality, and originality.