47% of marketers worldwide say better attribution and measurement is the top benefit of integrating martech and adtech systems, according to an August survey from EMARKETER and Zeta Global.
Roku and iSpot integration marks tighter CTV attribution loop: iSpot’s product aims to lessen intermediaries between ad spending and performance data.
Agentic AI is expanding across ad platforms; CES reveals acceleration in autonomous planning and optimization, even as many marketers hesitate to trust full automation.
PayPal rolled out Transaction Graph Insights & Measurement at CES to gives advertisers and merchants a clearer, cross-merchant view of how people actually shop and purchase—and early results suggest meaningful impact.
OpenAI seeks real consumer intent, and a potential Pinterest acquisition would give OpenAI first-party shopping signals and native ad infrastructure to rival Google and Meta.
CTV ad clarity gets a boost: DoubleVerify’s new tool streamlines planning and reporting to fix performance blind spots in streaming. Read online
New APIs let brands blend their own data with supply insights, enabling real-time, customized ad decisioning.
40% of marketers worldwide are using AI for social media management, the top reported use case, according to a September 2025 survey from MiQ and Censuswide.
Next year will bring shifts that redefine how networks operate, how brands show up, and how performance is measured. Here are three predictions for commerce media in 2026.
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.
SoftBank and Alphabet acquire AI infrastructure in anticipation of a compute crunch that could limit access for businesses.
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.
Tech titans invest in each other, accelerating AI buildouts—but the loop may snap under pressure or regulation
On today's podcast episode, we give out our '2025 Retail Awards' for the 'Must-Visit Store of the Year', 'Glow-Up of the Year', 'AI Power Move', 'Collab of the Year', and 'Campaign of the Year'. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, and Analysts Arielle Feger and Rachel Wolff.
On today’s EMARKETER Miniseries—AI-Driven Media Management—we explore the core building blocks of AI innovation, what partnering with Amazon Ads looks like in practice, and advice for leaders or teams who don’t come from technical backgrounds but need to build or use AI systems. EMARKETER Senior Director of Content Jeremy Goldman speaks with Adam Epstein, co-founder and CEO of Gigi. Listen everywhere you find podcasts, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
The Trade Desk is laying off fewer than 1% of its 3,900 employees, a small reduction that nonetheless comes at a pivotal competitive moment. The cuts follow notable departures and last year’s major reorganization, as TTD prepares for an AI-first future centered on Kokai. Agencies say Amazon’s DSP is winning share with lower fees and strong performance, pushing TTD to negotiate pricing and offer service incentives once considered off-limits. At the same time, scrutiny over transparency, reseller accountability, and TTD’s OpenAds wrapper is rising. For marketers, the moves signal a company recalibrating—not retreating—as it works to steady growth heading into 2026.
2025 marked an inflection point for agentic AI—autonomous systems that don’t just assist, but act. The year saw AI shift from text generators to decision-making collaborators embedded across business and creative workflows.
TikTok has agreed to a sweeping US restructuring that creates a majority-American–controlled joint venture, fulfilling bipartisan divestment demands and reducing the threat of an outright ban. Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX will hold 50% ownership, with US-appointed directors overseeing data protection, moderation, and the retraining of TikTok’s recommendation algorithm. ByteDance will retain a minority 19.9% stake and continue managing global operations outside the US. The shift brings long-missing stability for advertisers but also creates operational distance from ByteDance’s global systems, potentially slowing innovation and altering performance patterns. The next year will be a critical recalibration period for brands and creators.