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.
Ready to connect with our team?
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.
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Cross-screen marketing tech firm, Tapad, drove unified campaign; partnered with Statiq to measure cross-screen impact on in-store visits LONDON, March 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ – Carat North completed the UK's most comprehensive digital campaign with Tapad, the leader in cross-device marketing technology and now a part of Experian. Coupled with location-based audience data from Statiq, this marks the first time a UK-company has measured the impact of unified, cross-screen campaign on in-store visits. Carat North served display and video ads to grocery shoppers for the leading retailer ASDA from August through October. During the campaign, Tapad utilized Statiq's audience data to measure which users visited a store after being exposed* to the campaign's ad on multiple devices. The digital campaign demonstrated a lift of 59% for in-store visits when users were exposed to ads on three devices over people who were shown an ad only on onescreen. Those who engaged with the ad were also 411% more likely to visit an ASDA store. Of those who were exposed to an ad, 248% were more likely to visit a store. Impressions served to mobile devices saw the highest success rate with an in-store visit lift of 67%. The campaign leveraged Tapad's proprietary technology, The Device Graph™, which Nielsen confirmed Tapad's cross device accuracy to be 91.2%, to serve ads sequentially on connected devices belonging to the same user. CARAT NORTH: "The ability to know which devices belong to our customer, coupled with the ability to deliver the right ad, and right message, wherever they are and on whatever device they're using, has been something this industry has long needed," said Steve Thornton, Digital Account Manager, Carat North. "We're impressed with the results that have come from the work with Tapad and Statiq for this media-first, and look forward to continuing to offer these solutions to clients like ASDA. Matching unified cross-device capabilities with real insights on campaign performance is an invaluable advantage in the marketing world." TAPAD: "This campaign is a perfect example of the capabilities of cross-device advertising," said Are Traasdahl, Founder and CEO, Tapad. "In addition to reaching users across devices, we're able to analyze campaign results and determine how different combinations of ad exposure, creative type or view frequency affected their decision to visit a location." STATIQ: "As a location data specialist, Tapad is our ideal partner – they are an industry leader and by working with them we are able to determine the impact unified messaging has on real world consumer behaviours," said Dean Cussell, Co-Founder of Statiq. "We believe this type of analysis will significantly aid brands in optimising future ad spend." About Carat North Carat North is a leading independent media planning & buying specialist in digital and non-traditional media solutions. Owned by global media group Dentsu Aegis Network, the Carat network is more than 6,700 people in 130 countries worldwide across 170 cities. Carat defined the sector when established as the world's first media independent in 1968 and is now Europe's largest media network, a position held for more than 15 years. For more information visit www.carat.co.uk About Tapad Tapad Inc. is a marketing technology firm renowned for its breakthrough, unified, cross-device solutions. With 91.2% data accuracy confirmed by Nielsen, the company offers the largest in-market opportunity for marketers and technologies to address the ever-evolving reality of media consumption on smartphones, tablets, home computers and smart TVs. Deployed by agency trading desks, publishers and numerous Fortune 500 brands, Tapad provides an accurate, unified approach to connecting with consumers across screens. In 2015, Tapad began aggressively licensing its identity management solution, 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 Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit,Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Toronto. TechCrunch called the powerhouse Tapad team "a hell of a list of entrepreneurs who created some of the most valuable online advertising companies of the last decade." Among Tapad's numerous awards: EY Entrepreneur of The Year (East Coast) 2014, among Forbes' Most Promising Companies two year's running, Deloitte's Technology Fast 500, Crain's Fast 50, Entrepreneur 360, Digiday Signal Award, iMedia ASPY Award, and a MarCom Gold Award. Read the full release here. *Tapad utilized Statiq's audience data to measure which users visited a store during, or within one month of, being exposed to the campaign's ad on multiple devices. Contact us today
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It seems that every time I go into a store today, I am offered a loyalty card. From one of my favorite local restaurants to my shoe store VIP program, I feel like I am getting a host of emails and points at every turn. Statistics support my theory: according to a recent Experian Data Quality study, 91 percent of organizations use loyalty programs. Why did they become so prevalent? Today’s consumer is more empowered than ever before and driving major change within business. In the era of Yelp, digital channels and a 24/7 shopping cycle, organizations have less control. Just look at the shoe market, which you can tell I pay attention to. It used to be that you would purchase whatever your local department store or brick-and-mortar retail had to offer, which might be 50 different options. Now, you can go online, read reviews and browse hundreds of different choices based on style and color. In fact, last night I went online and searched for black boots and scrolled through six pages of different options! Loyalty programs are a counter balance to that choice and empowered customer behavior. They make sure that while I am shopping for shoes, I am probably doing it through my preferred store and earning reward points for free merchandise. And through the loyalty process, companies are collecting a lot of data. Customers usually need to provide more than three types of information to sign up, the most popular being email, followed by name and phone number. However, collecting this information accurately isn’t always easy, which is why poor data collection is one of the leading problems for loyalty programs. Eighty-one percent of companies face challenges related to these programs, the two biggest being not enough customers signing up and poor contact data. Inaccurate data means that a customer has signed up, but the marketer is unable to communicate with them in the desired channels. This clear drop in communication and a potentially bad customer experience could be by improved data collection. Sixty-four percent of respondents say this is a needed improvement. Let’s go back to my shoe retailer example. If they had collected my email wrong, I wouldn’t get my email confirmations or offers around upcoming sales. If they got my address wrong, I wouldn’t be receiving my shoes. Considering how much money I spend on shoes annually, which I am ashamed to admit, if any of those items went wrong, I might switch to a competitor. That can equate to a lot of money annually, especially when you look at it across a large number of clients. When a customer chooses to sign up for a loyalty program, they are making a commitment to the company and expecting something in return, be it points, free shipping, coupons or just company updates. However, if bad contact information is collected, then the consumer often never receives the benefits, resulting in a bad customer experience. In the next year, marketers need to data validation in place to ensure information is accurate upon collection. This type of software can be implemented across all channels where information is collected and ensure data is accurate while the consumer is still engaged. If information is accurate when it is collected, then loyalty programs have a better chance at engaging consumers and actually seeing the benefit that a loyalty program can provide. To learn more about loyalty programs and the research mentioned above, please read our new white paper, Driving customer loyalty. Contact us today