For most B2B marketers, email is how they find new business, but those inboxes are changing fast. AI assistants now summarize and rank messages before a buyer reads a single line, which means a machine forms the first impression of a campaign. "AI-powered inboxes are introducing another layer between B2B marketers and their buyers," said EMARKETER analyst Kelsey Voss. "AI assistants can summarize and prioritize messages before buyers read them, giving marketers less control over how their emails are first encountered and interpreted."

Marketers gain a new way to reach high-intent shoppers, provided ad clutter doesn't erode trust.

Which US retail store had the highest AI mention rate in September 2026?

Connected TV ad buying is shifting toward private programmatic deals as advertisers seek greater control. But fragmented buying paths, limited transparency, and mounting ad tech fees complicate the push for efficiency.

Healthcare and pharma ad budgets are shifting to streaming and social, but TV and search still play a key role. AI-driven search habits and tighter drug ad scrutiny are forcing marketers to rethink where they spend and how they reach consumers.

As consumers use AI to schedule care, providers will need to prioritize visibility beyond traditional search.

Latin America’s media habits are intensely mobile, social, and streaming-driven. Smartphones anchor daily consumption, while connected TV (CTV) extends it to bigger screens, and AI gains ground as a tool for information discovery.

Streaming and creator media dominate South and Southeast Asia, fueled by smartphone-first habits. Print remains unusually resilient, while broadcast TV and dedicated hardware struggle for attention.

Agencies are racing to adopt AI as clients demand faster work at lower costs. But widespread use has delivered few meaningful gains.

Reading about AI and putting it to work are two very different things. As adoption accelerates, hands-on experience is becoming essential for marketers to understand what AI can do, where it falls short, and how to use it effectively.

An update could make ads far more relevant but also push consumers’ privacy limits.

Retail media ad spending keeps climbing, but growth is slowing and the largest networks are tightening their grip. Off-site advertising, CTV, and AI shopping ads offer new revenue opportunities, while smaller networks face mounting pressure to stand out.

In Q4 2026, we analyzed 3,210 ChatGPT and 3,210 Google Gemini recommendations across eight media and entertainment categories to compile the AI Visibility Index.

A 625% jump in video sponsorship revenues shows the value of repeat engagement as search referrals decline.

AI-generated recommendations are reshaping how consumers discover media and entertainment services. Brand visibility remains competitive, but frequent mentions don't always translate into top recommendations.

Marketers are connecting measurement more closely to business decisions as incrementality gains ground, AI use accelerates, and less observable customer journeys challenge traditional attribution.

What Q3 earnings say about the future of advertising

Gemini creates a new ad opportunity where location and user data could power highly relevant brand messaging.

AI is fueling a banner year for global advertising, pushing digital spending to new heights despite economic and geopolitical stresses. Retail media is surging worldwide, while Meta and Amazon gain ground in the battle for ad dollars.

The latest data reveals where US digital markets are headed as ad spending concentrates in a few platforms, genAI search and AI-driven commerce move into the mainstream, and CTV takes over TV budgets.