With watch time up 50%, brands can tap devoted audiences through creator deals and natural product placements.

Commerce media is entering a new phase, one defined less by rapid expansion and more by operational maturity, EMARKETER analysts and industry leaders say. Commerce media ad spending will reach $83.71 billion in the US this year, accounting for 20.5% of all digital ad spending, according to EMARKETER's June 2026 forecast. As the channel becomes a core part of marketers' media strategies, the conversation is shifting from whether to invest to how to make those investments deliver measurable business results. In a new EMARKETER guide titled "Commerce media outlook: What industry leaders see ahead," our analysts and industry leaders give their thoughts about the capabilities brands should prioritize today, the consumer behaviors that will shape tomorrow, and what it will take to succeed as commerce media becomes a permanent pillar of the media mix. Max Willens, a principal analyst at EMARKETER covering social media and the creator economy, told us about how creators are taking a bigger role in retail media and where off-site spending can be used in the marketing funnel.

71% of fans find recurring brand mentions more genuine, making long-term partnerships vital to credibility.

As FAST audiences expand, brands can connect social and streaming campaigns to reach ad-receptive viewers.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how not to over-engineer your marketing with too much data, what retail media brings to social and creator marketing (and vice versa), and where retail media data can genuinely make marketing better—and where we may be asking too much of it. Tune in for a conversation featuring Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sarah Marzano, and Vice President of Commerce & Retail Media at the IAB, Collin Colburn.

Episodic tools extend its CTV play, giving marketers more creator-led inventory for living rooms.

Their broad reach makes authentic partnerships and product-focused content vital for brands.

Retail media networks (RMNs) have built out social and creator offerings, but advertisers have not widely adopted them. To attract spend, RMNs must prove that their offer of better targeting and measurement outweighs the added cost and complexity.

X may have a captive audience with creators, but it still has to sell them on keeping deposits in its super app.

Stronger creator influence helps drive affiliate sales, pushing marketers to rethink how they measure performance.

Brand demands test creator authenticity: Greater creative freedom and natural influencer fit can protect audience trust and partnership value.

YouTube is reportedly offering exclusive content deals, limiting creator reach and challenging cross-platform campaigns.

TikTok’s next challenge is convincing its users that the platform is safe for payments.

YouTube makes creator content look more like TV: Creator-led shows give CTV advertisers another reason to make YouTube core media.

Facebook tries to close its creator gap: AI Creator Studio tackles weak creator tools as its US influencer spending share keeps slipping.

YouTube is becoming TV. As its viewing shifts to TV screens and ad budgets blur across channels, marketers need to rethink where TV ends and digital video begins.

Social networks still command attention, but time spent growth is slowing. As video reaches its limits and scrutiny intensifies on multiple fronts, platforms are chasing new ways to keep users engaged.

Gen Z’s digital world no longer fits into neat categories. Entertainment, commerce, and AI now overlap, while trust is harder to earn. Shifting discovery, media habits, and decision-making are reshaping consumer engagement.

TikTok is back on a growth path in Canada as advertiser confidence returns. But potential of new youth safety rules could limit audience growth, even as ad and commerce opportunities expand.

Albertsons is partnering with Procter & Gamble on "Rico's Tacos," a micro-drama series that marks a strategic shift in retail media from traditional item-and-price advertising to upper-funnel content marketing.