The state of advertising in 2026

Advertising in 2026 will be defined by how well organizations connect data, identity, and measurable outcomes. Through ongoing collaboration with platforms, agencies, and data partners, consistent themes are emerging about what’s changing now and what will define success in the year ahead.   

Our 2026 State of advertising report brings together perspectives from leaders operating across key parts of the advertising ecosystem to highlight how these shifts are taking shape in practice.

What you'll learn

• AI is moving from hype to workflow transformation, but only where strong data foundations exist  
• Measurement is no longer downstream. It’s shaping planning and optimization in real-time  
• Identity, privacy, and first-party data have moved from compliance requirements to strategic inputs across planning, activation, and measurement  
• Commerce media, connected TV (CTV), mobile, and social are coming together around outcomes, not channels  
• Identity is the connective tissue that links data, activation, and measurement