At A Glance
In 2026, marketing activation and measurement will operate as a single, connected system. Identity allows insights to guide decisions while campaigns run, not after they end. Experian helps marketers unify planning, activation, and outcome validation so performance signals inform action in real time and business impact stays visible throughout the campaign lifecycle.For years, marketers have worked around a familiar disconnect. Campaigns go live first. Measurement follows later. Insights arrive after audiences are reached, and budgets are committed.
That gap has slowed decisions, blurred performance signals, and limited marketers’ ability to respond when it counts.
In 2026, that model changes. Activation and measurement no longer operate as separate steps. They function as a single system, where insight informs action as campaigns unfold. Consistency across identity, data, and decision-making sits at the center of this shift, connecting the full campaign lifecycle from planning through outcomes.
How is marketing measurement shifting from post-campaign reporting to in-flight intelligence in 2026?
Marketing measurement in 2026 is moving from retrospective reporting to real-time input that shapes campaigns while they run. Instead of explaining performance after delivery, measurement now guides creative, audience, and channel decisions as verified outcomes appear.
Historically, measurement worked like a post-mortem. Dashboards showed what happened after campaigns ended, or weeks after impressions were delivered. Those insights supported long-term planning but rarely influenced performance in the moment.
That dynamic has changed.
Today, marketers embed measurement directly into activation. Campaigns adapt while they run. Creative evolves based on engagement quality. Audience strategies adjust as verified outcomes come into view. Channel investments respond to performance signals, not assumptions.
Connected ecosystems make this possible. Experian helps marketers plan, activate, and measure within a single framework by linking audiences, identity, and outcomes. When planning and performance live in the same environment, insight becomes actionable in the moment.
Why is identity the connective layer between activation and measurement?
Identity provides the consistent thread that links planning, activation, and outcomes into a unified system. Without it, marketers rely on proxy signals and disconnected views of performance.
For years, fragmented identity frameworks made it difficult to connect media exposure to real-world outcomes. Without a consistent way to recognize audiences across planning, activation, and measurement, marketers relied on proxy metrics and modeled assumptions.
That’s changing as identity becomes interoperable across the ecosystem.
Experian’s Digital and Offline Graphs help marketers onboard and resolve their data into a clean, connected foundation that supports everything that follows. From building audiences enriched with behavioral, demographic, and lifestyle insights, to activating those audiences across channels like connected TV (CTV), social, and programmatic through direct integrations with more than 200 platforms.
When identity stays consistent from the first impression through final outcome, marketers gain a clearer view of what drives performance and where to act next.
Our 2026 Digital trends and predictions report is available now and reveals five trends that will define 2026. From curation becoming the standard in programmatic to AI moving from hype to implementation, each trend reflects a shift toward more connected, data-driven marketing. The interplay between them will define how marketers will lead in 2026.
How does closed-loop measurement become standard in 2026?
Closed-loop measurement is becoming the default as activation and measurement come together. Marketers now tie exposure directly to verified business outcomes instead of relying on inferred signals.
In partnership with MMGY Global, we helped Windstar Cruises connect digital impressions directly to bookings. The result was more than 6,500 verified bookings and $20 million in revenue tied back to campaign exposure. That translated to a 13:1 return on ad spend.
This level of accountability changes how marketers optimize. Instead of relying on clicks or inferred intent, teams can measure outcomes that reflect business impact. Store visits. Purchases. Site activity. These signals now guide decisions while campaigns are live.
Through curated private marketplace deals and supply-path optimization, Experian also helps reduce cost, and improve reach and performance. With Experian and Audigent operating as one, marketers gain access to scalable, privacy-conscious data solutions that support both addressability and accountability across the supply chain.
What should marketers plan for as activation and measurement connect in 2026?
Marketing teams should prepare for an operating model built around continuous feedback, unified systems, and verified outcomes. This shift changes how success is defined and managed.
Marketers should plan for:
Whether you’re activating your own data or reaching new audiences, Experian connects every stage of the campaign. From early planners to last-minute buyers, we help you show up in the moments that matter and prove what is working.
The takeaway
Marketing’s next chapter centers on connection.
As data systems unify, activation and measurement operate as one. Insight flows directly into action. Decisions are guided by intelligence, not delayed reporting.
With Experian, marketers 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.
To explore this trend and the others shaping marketing in 2026, download our 2026 Digital trends and predictions report.
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About the author
Ali Mack
VP, AdTech Sales, Experian
Ali Mack leads Experian’s AdTech business, overseeing global revenue across the company’s expansive tech and media portfolio. With over a decade of experience in digital and TV advertising, Ali drives strategic growth by aligning sales, customer success, and solutions teams to deliver impactful outcomes for clients and partners.
She has successfully guided teams through two major acquisitions, integrating sales organizations and product portfolios into unified go-to-market strategies. Under her leadership, Experian has consistently exceeded revenue targets while fostering collaborative, results-driven teams and mentoring emerging leaders. Working closely with finance, product, and marketing, Ali develops strategies that support a diverse ecosystem of publishers, brands, and technology partners, positioning Experian at the forefront of data-driven advertising and identity resolution.
FAQS
Marketing measurement in 2026 is moving from retrospective reporting to real-time input that shapes campaigns while they run. Instead of explaining performance after delivery, measurement now guides creative, audience, and channel decisions as verified outcomes appear. Connected ecosystems make this possible. Experian helps marketers plan, activate, and measure within a single framework by linking audiences, identity, and outcomes. When planning and performance live in the same environment, insight becomes actionable in the moment.
Identity provides the consistent thread that links planning, activation, and outcomes into a unified system. Without it, marketers rely on proxy signals and disconnected views of performance. Experian’s Digital and Offline Graphs help marketers onboard and resolve their data into a clean, connected foundation that supports everything that follows. From building audiences enriched with behavioral, demographic, and lifestyle insights, to activating those audiences across channels like connected TV (CTV), social, and programmatic through direct integrations with more than 200 platforms.
Closed-loop measurement is becoming the default as activation and measurement come together. Marketers now tie exposure directly to verified business outcomes instead of relying on inferred signals. In partnership with MMGY Global, we helped Windstar Cruises connect digital impressions directly to bookings. The result was more than 6,500 verified bookings and $20 million in revenue tied back to campaign exposure. That translated to a 13:1 return on ad spend.
Marketers should plan for: always-on feedback loops, unified planning, activation, and outcome validation, outcome-based performance signals, and greater use of first-party data. Whether you’re activating your own data or reaching new audiences, Experian connects every stage of the campaign. From early planners to last-minute buyers, we help you show up in the moments that matter and prove what is working.
Latest posts
Third-party cookies have been a crucial component in people-based advertising and digital identity. With Google's recent announcement of delaying third-party cookie deprecation to 2024, the industry has more time to rethink how to effectively identify and communicate with consumers when the time comes. Preparing for cookie deprecation Solving for the post-cookie world is mission critical, particularly as consumer expectation for a relevant digital experience is heightened. We’ve seen a number of industry participants, including brands, publishers, data providers and technology platforms, work around the clock to find an alternative to third-party cookies—one that amasses the same scale and reach but also maintains consumer privacy. In fact, industry insights echo that sentiment. According to a white paper from Winterberry Group, Collaborative Data Solutions: The Evolution of Identity in a Privacy-First, Post-Cookie World, sponsored in part by Experian, one of the most frequently heard comments was the urgency for the industry to develop post-cookie, privacy compliant solutions that work in a more integrated manner. And if there was one overarching position regarding the research into the future of identity, it’s that collaboration is key. Participants in the white paper expressed that with the elimination of third-party cookies, there will be a surge in collaborative solutions across and within companies to accommodate changes in the digital marketplace. Collaborative data solutions must move beyond new post-cookie identity replacements and encompass more holistic approaches, including first-party data. First-party data sharing Currently, 64.3 percent of organizations in the US collaborate with other organizations to share first-party data for insights, activation, measurement or attribution, and 16.7 percent in the U.S. have plans to. Virtually all US companies surveyed were aware of the option to collaborate with other organizations and expressed openness to discussions around sharing first-party data. What is the solution to third-party cookie deprecation? The deprecation of third-party cookies is creating a shock in the marketing and advertising world because there has been an over-dependence on one type of identifier. Therefore, the solution to identify consumers across the digital ecosystem will not come from a single replacement for third-party cookies. Instead, it will rely on a combination of solutions, including collaborative data between organizations and implementation of proprietary first-party data strategies, as well as a framework that can connect all these touchpoints together. Experian can help you navigate the cookieless future Experian is focused on building a more effective advertising ecosystem that promotes the interoperability of digital touchpoints while enabling and fostering new innovations in a privacy forward way. Contact us today and get started with building connected identity in the ever-changing data landscape. To learn more, watch the recording of our webinar with The Vitamin Shoppe where we discuss identity and how you can drive more addressable audience strategies amidst diminishing data signals. Get in touch
As today’s digital landscape gets more and more complicated there are more ways for brands to connect with users and drive purchases and more ways for ad tech to target and measure those touch points. As in-person shopping picks up steam due to the re-normalization of society post-COVID 19; the connection between digital ads and in-person purchases needs to be made once again. With the rise of Connected TV throughout the pandemic there are even more digital opportunities to target a user. But how do you make sure that those brand engagements are captured and correctly attributed to offline purchases and conversions? The answer lies in a holistic identity resolution strategy. Cross-device identity resolution with The Tapad Graph connects the identifiers and devices of individuals within a household to each other; enabling targeting, frequency capping, extension, segmentation and measurement or attribution between devices; including Connected TV and hashed (privacy-protected) email addresses along with Cookies, Mobile Ad Ids and IP Address. Brands can join their first-party data to The Tapad Graph to execute strategies that connect online and offline data for pre, mid and post-campaign efficiencies. Let’s imagine a scenario in which an outdoor retail brand is targeting users watching specific content on a Connected TV device. Powered by identity resolution, they start with a general ad on CTV and continue targeting down individual paths with each user. When one of them converts in store and makes a purchase; the outdoor retailer can connect that action through location and in-store traffic data with the cross-device identity resolution used to execute the digital campaign. Now the actions of the user online and offline are resolved for more accurate measurement and attribution after the campaign ends. But it doesn’t stop there– the brand's CRM data can be reactivated for the next digital campaign and leveraged to capitalize on the most effective media mix for the user who made the purchase previously. These combined insights can be invaluable in shaping up future campaign strategies with geo-contextual ads, recommended additional products and personalization to help drive more conversions and purchases in-store or online. As in-person shopping picks back up and marketers are tasked once again with balancing online and in-store KPIs, the right identity resolution strategy can unlock necessary efficiencies for retailers, ad tech vendors and agencies tasked with supporting these initiatives. Get in touch
Experian Marketing Services and Data Quality President Genevieve Juillard recently sat down with Zach Rodgers, host of the AdExchanger Talks podcast to discuss the future of identity, the importance of data transparency and privacy, and our recent acquisition of Tapad. Genevieve focused on the opportunity for our industry to reimagine an advertising ecosystem that is resilient and adaptable; one that takes advantage of emerging data and prioritizes data transparency and consumer privacy. She also discussed the importance of advertising strategies that put consumers at the heart of every decision and give them more control over their data. Genevieve shared with AdExchanger that Experian’s acquisition of Tapad, a global leader in digital identity resolution, was a natural fit for our company. Tapad’s approach and role in the ecosystem is very much aligned with Experian’s, which is to develop solutions that are resilient to industry and consumer changes. The combination of our capabilities supports interoperability across all types of identifiers, both online and offline, and will position us to help our clients navigate the post-third-party cookie world. To learn more about Experian’s plans to support an effective advertising ecosystem that will evolve with our dynamic industry, listen to the full podcast Embracing ‘Healthy Fragmentation’ In Ad Tech, With Genevieve Juillard. Get in touch