At A Glance
CES 2026 showed that AdTech in 2026 will depend on strong data foundations, intentional media buying, and measurable outcomes. Agentic AI systems that can act, optimize, and transact on behalf of marketers emerged as a defining force, but only where data is accurate and privacy-first. Curation is becoming a standard buying approach as AI-powered systems prioritize quality and control. And activation and measurement are finally aligning through identity, allowing AI-driven decisions to be evaluated against real business results.Year after year, CES signals where marketing is headed next. In 2026, the message was clear. Progress comes from connecting data, intelligence, and outcomes with discipline, not spectacle. Across AI, programmatic media, and measurement, the same priorities surfaced again and again.
Under the bright lights of Las Vegas, three themes cutthrough,and each one pointed to a future where data, intelligence, and outcomes move in lockstep.
Here are the three themes that defined CES 2026.
1. Agentic AI proved that it’s only as good as its data inputs
AI was once again the star of the show. At CES 2026, marketers focused less on demos and more on proof that AI improves decisions, reduces friction, and drives outcomes. Every credible use case traced back to accurate, privacy-first data.
What changed at CES was how that intelligence is being applied. Agentic AI systems designed to act autonomously are moving beyond insights and into execution. From media buying to optimization, these agents are increasingly expected to make decisions at speed and scale. That shift raises the stakes for data quality. When AI is operating campaigns, not just informing them, accuracy and privacy are non-negotiable.
“This year’s CES made agency priorities crystal clear. Efficiency, differentiation, and outcomes. As agentic AI takes on more responsibility across planning, activation, and measurement, Experian gives agencies a robust data and identity foundation they can trust to own the outcome for every client.”
ExperianGreg Williams, Chief Operating Officer
Without accurate, privacy-compliant data, AI agents struggle to reflect real behavior or support responsible personalization. A reliable, privacy-first data foundation is what turns AI from an interesting experiment into an operational advantage.
That advantage gets even stronger when it’s anchored in an identity graph that understands people and households across channels. When identity and intelligence move together, AI becomes more accurate, accountable, and effective at driving outcomes.
In an AI first world, the strongest signal isn’t scale. It’s data quality.
2. Curation goes mainstream
Curation is no longer experimental. At CES, it showed up as a mandated capability for buyers and sellers navigating fragmented signals and complex supply paths. Marketers want intentional media buys they can explain, defend, and repeat.
AI is accelerating this shift. As AI systems take on more responsibility for planning, packaging, and optimization, curation provides the guardrails. It defines what “good” looks like (premium supply, trusted data, and clear performance goals), and allows AI to operate within those constraints driving the optimal outcomes for marketers.
“Our sell-side clients walked into CES asking how to stand out in a crowded landscape. The answer kept coming back to data-driven curation. With Experian Audiences and Curated Deals, SSPs and publishers can improve targeting within PMPs, package inventory more intelligently, and prove value with confidence. As we head into 2026, data is no longer a supporting input. It needs to be at the center of every conversation.”
ExperianChris Meredith, Head of Sell-Side
Rather than maximizing inventory access, curation prioritizes control, transparency, and performance. Buyers want premium supply aligned to specific goals. Sellers want clearer paths to demand. They can play the odds or own the outcome. When data leads, they own it. When curation is powered by high-fidelity audiences and a connected identity framework, it becomes even stronger. That’s what allows curated deals to deliver clarity, confidence, and repeatable performance.
This shift reflects a broader move away from probability-based buying toward outcome ownership, where AI-driven systems are measured not on activity, but on results.
3. Activation and measurement finally shared the same stage
Activation and measurement are now coming together around shared data and identity. CES 2026 marked a turning point where closing the loop felt achievable, not aspirational. Both the buy-side and sell-side face pressure to show that media investment drives outcomes.
Agentic AI was a quiet driver of this optimism. As AI agents increasingly manage activation decisions in real time, marketers need measurement systems that can keep up. That requires a shared data and identity foundation. One that allows AI-driven actions to be evaluated against outcomes consistently, across channels and partners.
In healthcare, accuracy is everything. Our clients need to reach patients and healthcare professionals in ways that respect privacy while driving meaningful outcomes. CES underscored that privacy, identity, and measurement must work in harmony. That’s how health marketers reduce risk and increase the likelihood that every message leads to better care.
ExperianSheila Wirick, Sales Director, Health
Achieving that requires a consistent identity spine that connects planning, activation, and outcomes across channels. And that spine is strongest when it’s built on accurate, privacy-first data and audiences that understand people and households. That connection allows marketers to move beyond proxy metrics and evaluate performance based on tangible results. When campaigns and measurement rely on the same data foundation, AI-driven platforms can optimize toward outcomes such as new customers, account growth, or in-store activity, not just delivery metrics.
That’s the connective layer that turns disconnected touch points into a measurable, outcomes-based system.
Three takeaways from CES 2026
- AI is maturing, but only for teams withaccurate, connected, privacy-first data that AI agents can act on responsibly.
- Curation is scaling, giving both humans and AI systems clearer paths to quality, control, and differentiation.
- Activation and measurement are aligning, allowing AI-driven decisions to be judged on outcomes, not assumptions.
We’re building for that world today. One where agentic AI operates on a trusted data and identity foundation, curation defines the rules, and outcomes determine success. With the right foundation and the deep data inputs, you can move faster, reduce risk, and let intelligence (human and artificial) work together to deliver results that last long after the neon lights fade.
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FAQs
The biggest shift was the move from hype to accountability. Marketers focused on data quality, intentional media buying, and outcome-based measurement rather than experimental technology.
Privacy-first data supports accuracy, compliance, and trust. AI models built on unreliable or opaque data struggle to reflect real consumer behavior and create risk for brands. At Experian, privacy and compliance are built in. Every data signal, attribute, audience, and partner goes through our rigorous review process to meet federal, state, and local consumer privacy laws. With decades of experience in highly regulated industries, we’ve built processes that emphasize risk mitigation, transparency, and accountability.
Curation simplifies buying by pairing premium inventory with specific audience and performance goals. This approach reduces waste and creates clearer, more repeatable buying paths. With the acquisition of Audigent, Experian is now more than just a premier data provider. We’re also a full-service curation partner. Together, we deliver end-to-end programmatic curation across data, inventory, and optimization, helping brands and publishers unlock smarter, more scalable media strategies.
It means using the same identity and data foundation to plan campaigns and evaluate results. This alignment allows marketers to measure success based on business outcomes, not just delivery metrics. With Experian, marketers can plan, reach, and measure in a connected cycle. Every impression is measurable. Every audience is accurate. Every decision is powered by data ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset.
Identity connects data across channels and stages of the customer journey. It enables accurate AI, effective curation, and consistent measurement within one system. Experian delivers identity resolution at the scale, accuracy, and compliance required by the world’s largest enterprises. Our solutions are:
– Built on trust: Backed by 40+ years as a regulated data steward and rated #1 in data accuracy by Truthset, so you can act with confidence.
– Powered by our proprietary AI-enhanced identity graph: Combining breadth, accuracy, and recency across four billion identifiers, continuously refined by machine learning for maximum accuracy.
– Seamlessly connected: Pre-built data integration with leading CDPs, DSPs, and MarTech platforms for faster time to value.
– Always up to date: Frequent enrichment and near-real-time identity resolution through Activity Feed for timely personalization and more responsive customer engagement.
– Privacy-first by design: Compliance with GLBA, FCRA, and emerging state regulations baked in at every step, supported by rigorous partner vetting.
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The Tapad Device Graph™ Will Expand Sizmek’s Cross-Device Reach and Improve the Efficiency and Precision of Digital Advertising NEW YORK, November 16, 2017 – Tapad, part of Experian and a leader in cross-device marketing technology, today announced a new global partnership with Sizmek, the largest independent buy-side advertising platform delivering impressions that inspire. By integrating the Tapad Device Graph™, Sizmek will enhance its AI-powered predictive capabilities to deliver accurate, cross-device messaging at global scale in a privacy-safe environment. Combined with Sizmek’s existing data enablement, creative optimization and media execution capabilities, the proprietary Tapad Device Graph improves the efficiency and precision of digital advertising by accurately matching people and devices. This enables advertisers to get a clear view of individual customer journeys, achieve scale without compromising on efficiency, and uncover new opportunities for conversion. Sizmek’s customers will have access to Tapad’s globally compliant and privacy-safe datasets across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. With deeper knowledge of consumer preferences, purchase intent and conversion behaviors, Sizmek and its customers are able to enhance advertising strategies including cross-device audience identification and more. “Tapad is known for their strong cross-device capabilities, and their offering is an excellent addition to our growing program for best-of-breed data and measurement partners" says Mike Caprio, Sizmek’s Chief Growth Officer. “For our customers, this partnership will add further people-based marketing precision and reach to our comprehensive offerings around creative optimization, data enablement and media execution." “Sizmek’s adoption of industry-leading AI and machine learning campaigns will be a great complement for the Device Graph,” said Chris Feo, SVP, strategy & global partnerships at Tapad. “Our ability to create smaller, more customized segments in conjunction with Sizmek’s AI modeling will deliver efficiency, effectiveness and increased ROI for marketers worldwide.” This partnership comes at a time of a massive shift in the marketing technology industry. Companies like Tapad and Telenor, as well as Rocket Fuel and Sizmek, are joining forces to adopt those technologies that are most efficient and accurate at reaching consumers at scale in a personalized and non-intrusive way. The combination of Tapad and Sizmek’s offerings will provide international marketers with exceptional resources to lead a more cost effective and results driven campaign. Contact us today
The Tapad Device Graph™ increases Throtle’s amplification by 475 percent. NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ – Tapad, now a part of Experian, the leader in cross-device marketing technology, today announced a partnership with Throtle, a leading data onboarding company. The Tapad Device Graph™ will enhance Throtle's best-in-class onboarding capabilities by providing accurate and privacy-safe cross-device reach as well as precise audiences at scale. In partnership with Tapad, Throtle will deterministically link its services to a corroborated individual with hundreds of targeting attributes. This linkage allows Throtle to offer true cross-device identity management and identity resolution services to accompany its robust onboarding capabilities. Throtle will also work with Tapad to validate its device graph, building larger, more comprehensive audience segments. To date, the Tapad Device Graph™ has connected 61 percent of Throtle IDs to related ones in the graph, with an average amplification rate of 475 percent for Throtle's IDs, or 4.8 new IDs per each of Throtle's. Throtle has also seen its overall match rates involving Tapad's identity insights rise an average of 15 percent since the inception of the partnership. More specifically, Tapad's mobile advertising IDs (MAIDs) have increased Throtle's in-app identity inventory by 35 percent. "Tapad has proven to be a trusted source for cross-device matching and has a tremendous reputation in the advertising and marketing technology industries for delivering superior precision and scale with the utmost dedication to privacy," says Paul Chachko, CEO, Throtle. "Since we first began our test phase, and continuing through to this day, Tapad has met and exceeded our expectations for what a partner should be." With Tapad's strong commitment to precision and accuracy, Throtle was confident that this partnership would prove to be the right choice for the strategic expansion of its platform. Not only does Tapad deliver in-depth insights, parsing deterministic from probabilistic linkages, but its pool of device-level touchpoints enables Throtle to increase scale without seeing a decline in precision. "Accuracy and precision are core characteristics of our proprietary Device Graph," explains Chris Feo, SVP, Strategy & Global Partnerships, Tapad. "When Throtle approached our team, we knew we would be the right partner to assist their leading onboarding technology. We're excited to work with Throtle to achieve cross-device reach, audience scale and precise deterministic and probabilistic linkages for its clients." For more information about the Tapad Device Graph™, or to request a demo, visit https://www.experian.com/marketing/consumer-sync About TapadTapad Inc. is a marketing technology company renowned for its breakthrough, unified, cross-device solutions. The company's signature Tapad Device Graph™ connects millions of consumers across billions of devices. The world's largest brands and most effective marketers entrust Tapad to provide an accurate, privacy-conscious, and unified approach to connecting with consumers across screens. In 2015, Tapad began licensing the Tapad Device Graph™ and swiftly became the established gold-standard throughout the ad tech ecosystem. Tapad is based in New York and has offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Oslo, San Francisco, Singapore, and Tokyo. Tapad's numerous awards include: Forbes' Most Promising Companies, Deloitte's Technology Fast 500, Crain's Fast 50, TMCnet Tech Culture Award, and Global Startup Award's "Startup Founder of the Year". In 2016, Tapad was acquired by the Telenor Group, one of the world's largest mobile operators. About ThrotleThrotle is a data onboarding company focused on deterministic matching and identity resolution, empowering brands with true individual-based marketing. Our data centric onboarding approach guarantees the highest level of accuracy, scale, and responsiveness for our clients. For more information on Throtle, please visit, throtle.io. Contact us today
Autotrader leverages The Tapad Device GraphTM to achieve higher performance and reach new audiences across all devices New York, NY – September 6, 2017 – Tapad, the leader in cross-device marketing technology and now a part of Experian, today revealed findings from a campaign conducted with Autotrader which connects with more actual car buyers than any other third-party listing site.* Autotrader’s premium audience, combined with the Tapad Device GraphTM, delivered significant audience extension across desktop, mobile, and tablet to drive awareness and maximize both reach and delivery across screens. To help analyze shopping behaviors across multiple devices, the global automotive brand for this campaign turned to Autotrader and Tapad, who created a cross-device pre-roll video strategy with a focus on viewability, concentrating on potential customers already searching for vehicles. By using a one-to-one connection, instead of look-alike modeling, Tapad also ensured that the automotive brand discovered only new consumers across all of their devices. This approach discovered a new potential audience of more than 14 million consumers, eliminated communication waste and the risk of duplicates, increased overall performance, and ensured more of their campaign dollars reached meaningful audiences. Overall, this case study represents a leap forward in terms of audience-based targeting and the highly-sought after multi-touch attribution modeling. “We really enjoy working with the team at Tapad to help execute our Audience Extension campaigns”, said Lynne Green, product manager at Autotrader. “Their ability to meet the demands of an ever-changing industry, as well as their dependable customer service has allowed us to confidently deliver against our unique in-market automotive audience and provide our clients ongoing messaging opportunities to our audience beyond Autotrader.com.” “How identity relates to conversion behavior is a complex part of any advertising campaign,” said Jeff Kelosky, RVP and head of global automotive at Tapad. “After identifying auto consumer’s behavioral patterns and device usage while shopping for vehicles, we knew we could successfully help Autotrader and its automotive brand clients maximize campaign viewability and drive results.” To learn more about using Audience Extension with Autotrader, click here. For more about the Tapad Device GraphTM, or to request a demo, visit https://www.experian.com/marketing/consumer-sync Contact us today