Findings reveal the growing influence social platforms have on advertising, commerce and news consumption — as brands prioritise transparency, addressability and trust
New Delhi, India, December 16 – DoubleVerify (“DV”) (NYSE: DV), a leading software platform to verify media quality, optimise ad performance and prove campaign outcomes, today released 2025 Global Insights: How Consumers and Marketers Use Walled Gardens, a comprehensive report that includes platform-level insights and examines how social media continues to shape digital advertising, news consumption and commerce.
“The appeal of advertising across social media platforms lies in their ability to blend entertainment, community and personalised experiences across both user-generated content and ads,” said Mark Zagorski, CEO of DV. “As advertisers ramp up investments across these platforms, they’re also demanding campaign effectiveness and accountability. That’s why maximising media quality, efficiency and performance across video-centric walled gardens remains a top priority for DV — evidenced by our recent innovations including DV Authentic AdVantage™. Ultimately, the takeaway from our Global Insights Report is clear: while walled gardens promise scale and performance, sustainable value ultimately depends on transparency and trust.”
For the report, DV surveyed 22,000 consumers in 21 countries to understand how people of all ages engage with these platforms, consume news, interact with influencers and respond to advertising. DV also surveyed 1,970 marketing and advertising decision-makers worldwide to identify the challenges and opportunities within walled gardens.
“India continues to stand out globally for its high-frequency engagement across digital and social ecosystems, and this is directly translating into stronger mid- and lower-funnel performance for advertisers. Our findings show that Indian consumers are not only more likely to act on ads within social environments, but also that they place trust in micro-influencers,” said Samir Karpe, Country Manager for India at DV.
“At the same time, Indian marketers are clear about what they need: transparent measurement, brand suitability, and tools that improve audience addressability across closed digital environments. With DV’s advanced media-quality and performance solutions, we’re helping brands in India drive measurable outcomes with greater confidence across every major consumer touchpoint.”
India takeaways include:
Social Media Will Dominate Time Spent Online: 44% of Indian consumers expect to spend more time on social media over the next 12 months, and 38% plan to increase time spent streaming user-generated content. In comparison, only 23% expect to watch more broadcast TV.
India Audiences Turn to Social for News: When asked how they prefer to get their news, Indian consumers favour online, digitally native video platforms (50%) or social media sites and apps (36%) compared to traditional sources such as TV news channels (42%) or legacy news websites and apps (29%).
Social Media and Micro-Influencers Drive Purchases: 38% of Indian consumers responded that social media is one of their top three pre-purchase research tools. The majority (85%) say social media influencers impact their purchase decisions, and 49% have made a purchase directly through a social platform in the past year. Micro-influencers (71%) exert the strongest impact on Indian consumers’ purchase decisions, surpassing macro-influencers (69%) and mega-influencers (66%). Niche expertise and authenticity remain key drivers.
Walled Gardens Come With Challenges: Reaching the right audience, ensuring content alignment, and managing campaigns across multiple platforms remain marketers’ biggest pain points in closed digital environments.
Indian Marketers Want Quality, Transparency and Control: Media quality measurement, audience reach and verification, and content-alignment controls rank as the top three most valuable tools.
For more insights, download the full 2025 Global Insights: How Consumers and Marketers Use Walled Gardens report or contact sales@doubleverify.com.
About DV
DoubleVerify (“DV”) (NYSE: DV) is the industry’s leading media effectiveness platform that leverages AI to drive superior outcomes for global brands. By powering media efficiency and performance, DV strengthens the online advertising ecosystem, preserving the fair value exchange between buyers and sellers of digital media. Learn more at www.doubleverify.com.