80% of Gen Z and 79% of millennial digital audio listeners tune in on smartphones, making it the top device across every generation, according to a March 2026 survey from The Harris Poll and EMARKETER.
"If nobody sees it, it doesn't exist," said David Van Veen, managing director of beauty branding agency MSLK, summing up what may become the defining challenge for beauty brands in the AI era. As consumers lean on ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews to narrow their options, brands get fewer chances to make an impression. AI doesn't return pages of search results. It surfaces a handful of recommendations, favoring brands that appear most consistently across trusted sources on the web.
"AI can be extremely powerful, but it can also be problematic if you start with that technology," Nick Craig, head of go-to-market at Rokt mParticle, said on a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers." "Start with the use cases, start with the value, then let AI take hold as the enabler to reach it." Downstream AI tools, from creative generation to campaign orchestration, are becoming commoditized and crowded as marketing platforms rush to add AI capabilities. The real competitive advantage lies not in having AI, but in the quality and comprehensiveness of the customer data that trains these AI agents.
In June 2026, we analyzed 1,140 ChatGPT recommendations across five pet care categories to compile the EMARKETER AI Visibility Index.
OpenAI's latest ChatGPT health advice lawsuit could force stronger AI medical guardrails.
ChatGPT ads optimize for conversions: Marketers have a stronger case to test the platform, but should wait for more reliable attribution before scaling.
OpenAI Presence pursues durable enterprise contracts: Managed deployments may protect margins, but brands should preserve model flexibility.
LinkedIn posts are flooding with AI: Generic content risks credibility and attention, making original posts and authentic voices crucial.
Microsoft CEO challenges Anthropic’s Claude Fable: Satya Nadella’s critique favors flexible model access and internal data control.
Google beats Q2 expectations as AI spend accelerates: Marketers should expect Google's ad products to become more automated as AI spending continues.
Agentic retail has moved fast. Twelve months ago, most brands treated it as an experiment worth watching. Today the question is no longer whether AI agents will reshape how consumers discover and buy, but how quickly commerce infrastructure can catch up.
GenAI user penetration is high across Asia-Pacific, but every country has its nuances. Government policy, local AI ecosystems, demographics, and digital infrastructure are creating distinct paths to adoption in China, India, Japan, and South Korea.
EricaAssist gives real-time guidance in under 3 seconds, but customer retention still depends on service.
Chime's investing feature shows the battle now hinges on owning the customer relationship.
Its no-subscription Cirqa band joins a crowded field where AI features, not screens, set products apart.
AI shopping lifts retail media clicks: Marketers may have opportunities to influence shoppers as purchase decisions take shape via retailers’ AI features.
Consumers embrace ad-supported TV: Price outweighs avoiding ads in perceived value, giving marketers more engaged audiences on free streaming platforms.
During Cannes Lions, EMARKETER’s Nate Elliott sat down with Uber Advertising’s Edwin Wong at the Uber Villa to unpack findings from our new survey exploring how AI is changing the way people search, shop, plan, and make decisions.
Interest in podcast advertising outpaces confidence: Marketers need proof of ROI, which requires clear campaign KPIs.
Gen Alpha parents reward safer platforms: Curated apps earn more trust, making brand-safe interactive experiences more appealing than algorithmic feeds.