28% of retail commerce media decision-makers in North America and Europe say they review and approve creatives manually but lack automation or dynamic capabilities, according to November 2025 data from Koddi and Forrester Consulting.
Deepfake scandal clouds enterprise rollout, raising flags on brand safety and buyer trust.
Asia-Pacific ad growth will remain steady in 2026 as momentum shifts to digital, retail media, and CTV. Rising demand for premium video contrasts with uneven expansion across fast-growing and mature markets.
Our analysts (or “bakers”) will compete in a Great British Bake Off–style episode, discussing how new standards will unlock agentic ad buying and selling, and how (and why) YouTube will benefit most from the surge in video podcasts. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analyst Ross Benes and Principal Analyst Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
SoftBank and Alphabet acquire AI infrastructure in anticipation of a compute crunch that could limit access for businesses.
Voice assistants evolve into AI-first interfaces—blending conversation, context, and control across ecosystems.
T-Mobile’s orbit ambitions bring SMS to dead zones, expanding ad reach to highways, oceans, and rural users.
With 95% of gamers active weekly, brands that balance ad quality and compliance can gain lasting recall.
Threads and WhatsApp ads are growing as novelty draws interest, but lasting ad spend hinges on better, platform-native formats.
As audiences show a preference for user-generated content in ads, brands have an opportunity to showcase credibility across social advertising strategies.
Marketers across categories are calling for simpler, more intuitive advertising systems after years of growing fragmentation and technical overload. In interviews with EMARKETER, leaders from Criteo, LiveRamp, Reddit, Vistar Media, StackAdapt, and DoorDash all described a shift toward platforms that reduce effort, unify workflows, and provide clearer decision making. Buyers want fewer interfaces, standardized KPIs, easier activation, and more transparent insight into where ads run. The message is consistent: performance pressure amplifies the value of operational clarity. As the industry moves into 2026, platforms that eliminate friction—rather than add features—will gain share, while marketers who choose simplicity will gain speed and efficiency.
45% of creators say working with a high-quality brand is their top priority when considering a brand deal, according to a July 2025 survey from Ipsos and Publicis Media.
Most viewers pause for 1 to 5 minutes, offering extended periods for non-intrusive ads likely to drive action.
It makes AI central to Search, Android, and Chrome, but integration might invite antitrust scrutiny.
With surging TV screen time and a 15% YoY ad boost, YouTube is pulling ahead of Netflix in the streaming race.
Smart fridges, idle TVs, and gaming consoles are becoming the next frontier in contextual, at-home ad delivery.
In a year marked by platform volatility, AI acceleration, tariff shocks, and shifting consumer behavior, marketers searched for clarity across EMARKETER’s most-read topics. The top 10 themes reflect where advertiser attention truly moved in 2025. These trends captured the forces reshaping performance, discovery, and measurement: AI-driven optimization, creator-centric social ecosystems, commerce-led advertising, and CTV’s rise as the new premium video default. Together, they tell the story of a market recalibrating around efficiency, accountability, and cultural relevance as marketers prepared their 2026 strategies.
From tariffs to AI layoffs, retailers and consumers are flying blind and forced to adapt on the fly.
Advertisers must understand what makes influencer marketing effective and prioritize vetting to combat distrust.
Consumers increase support for brands who stand by LGBTQ+ initiatives, and advertisers who back away face challenges in reaching the next wave of consumers.