The news: Up to 75% of US buy-side leaders say core ad measurement approaches such as attribution analysis, incrementality tests, and marketing mix models (MMM) underperform, according to the IAB’s State of Data 2026.

This gap creates a critical disconnect: Investment decisions are based on outdated models that ignore where consumers actually are. For instance:

• 77% of marketers concede that the gaming segment is underrepresented in their MMM.
• About half say commerce media and the creator economy are overlooked. 
• 41% believe connected TV (CTV) is getting missed in their models.

This disparity between measurement and reality leads to billions in misallocated spend and strategies that don’t match consumer behavior. Measurement systems failing to evolve with marketing innovation is leaving money on the table and making it harder to justify ad budgets.

Why it’s worth watching: Marketers are turning to AI to rebuild measurement from the ground up. The technology is projected to unlock $26.3 billion in media investment by delivering insights faster and making them more strategic, per IAB.

• Teams are moving from annual model updates to weekly or real-time feedback loops, making them more nimble and reactive to trends. 
• AI is democratizing advanced techniques like multi-touch attribution, putting sophisticated analysis within reach. 
• Already, about 50% of buy-side marketers are scaling AI in measurement, with 69% of analytics teams leading adoption. 

However, trust is a barrier, with half of marketers anticipating legal or accuracy challenges, driving 37% to include AI governance clauses in vendor contracts.

Recommendations for marketers: Internally, formalize human oversight for AI-driven solutions. Break down measurement silos and employ AI to cross-check outputs from attribution analysis, incrementality tests, and MMM to find a unified truth. 

Finally, rebuild your model inputs. Prioritize incorporating historically underrepresented but critical channels like connected TV (CTV), retail media, and gaming. Future-proof your strategy by building a new measurement framework centered on adaptability, strategic insight, and verified trust.

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