Video investments are moving across platforms, but the data needed to understand performance often remains fragmented. As CTV becomes more connected to the broader media mix, marketers need infrastructure that can bring those signals together.

Brands and retailers both drive revenue by serving and engaging customers, yet separate teams within each organization serve different functions and reach customers through different channels. Commerce media experts who spoke at a recent conversation hosted by Mars United Commerce described ways to bring these competing interests closer. Commerce media combines two traditionally separate areas: the channels brands use to communicate with customers, and the touchpoints and data retailers use to engage shoppers and drive purchases. When brands align internally around commerce media strategies, they bring these teams together and move the organization closer to shared revenue goals.

"If you do not have a gaming strategy, it's clearly too big to ignore now," Charles Hambro, CEO and co-founder of GEEIQ, said at EMARKETER's Future of Digital summit last week. "But you should not get bamboozled by 'Oh my god, we're gonna build unbelievable worlds.' Be very, very self-disciplined with regards to what are my CPMs for this audience." Nearly 60% of US consumers will be digital gamers this year, according to EMARKETER's forecast, yet only 2.4% of total digital ad spend in 2026 will go to gaming. It's a delta that represents both a significant opportunity and a cautionary tale for marketers who rush in without proper measurement frameworks.

Small advertisers are flooding connected TV (CTV). Media data shows brands spending under $1 million per year on CTV platforms are increasing, opening TV advertising to buyers who could never afford it. That shift is reshaping performance marketing as AI disrupts traditional channels like search and social media. "The environment is perfectly tailor-made for exactly this to happen," said Matt Collins, vice president of product marketing at MNTN, during EMARKETER's Future of Digital summit this week. "Digital infrastructure allows for precision of audience targeting and measurement, to be able to give advertisers a very clear read for budgets that are very deliberate."

Agentic commerce has moved from buzzword to balance sheet, and the numbers prove it. AI-driven commerce is projected to grow from under $50 billion this year to nearly $300 billion by 2030, rising from roughly 3% to 15% of total US e-commerce sales.

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. Sarah Marzano, a vice president and principal analyst at EMARKETER covering retail and commerce media, told us about the biggest misconceptions of the channel and where marketers are most confident in it.

Advertisers and agencies are shifting budgets to independent mobile partners, choosing transparency over the reach of “walled garden” tech giants. Nearly two-thirds (63.9%) of marketers at brands and agencies said they reallocated mobile advertising budgets from walled garden giants to independent partners in the past 12 months, according to a new survey conducted by EMARKETER in collaboration with Datum Intelligence. The independents are gaining share in a market that is still expanding. US in-app mobile ad spend is expected to grow 12.0% in 2026 and reach $235.10 billion next year, per EMARKETER’s forecast.

In today’s podcast episode, we discuss the evolving definition of affiliate marketing, the most interesting areas of the space today, and how improvements in measurement have helped position affiliate as a channel that marketers can confidently invest in. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Principal Analyst Max Willens, AWIN President of North America Adam Weiss, and Higher Dose Chief Marketing and Commercialization Officer Ingrid Milman Cordy. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube or Spotify.

B2B buyers rely on experts, customers, and peers to evaluate vendors. This report examines how trusted voices shape buyer research and AI-driven discovery and whether paid social investment and influencer programs are keeping pace with buyer behavior.

TikTok advertising works differently than the platforms it competes with: its impact builds slowly, peaks late, and persists after campaigns end. Combined with TikTok Shop's commerce engine and new event-driven surfaces, the platform rewards advertisers who plan for demand-building rather than instant conversion. This FAQ covers TikTok's ad effectiveness evidence, the ownership-transition trust question, and how to buy the platform well in 2026.

Profound brings AI search ads into focus: New visibility and relevance metrics could help marketers size up rivals as AI search remains tough to measure.

While most marketing leaders know AI-driven discovery is reshaping how consumers find brands, almost none of them have built the infrastructure for it. They know a partner is driving discovery. Their systems cannot pay for it. From a partner's perspective, those two positions look identical.

AI is adding a new layer to brand discovery before buyers reach a website. As citations and synthesized answers gain importance, marketers face pressure to invest despite shaky measurement and evolving best practices.

This FAQ covers what ad fraud is, where the waste concentrates, and the practical defenses advertisers are using in 2026.

Commerce media is entering a new phase. Growth is no longer enough; networks must prove distinct value as advertisers demand stronger measurement, buying capabilities, and outcomes beyond the retail media playbook.

TikTok Shop is settling into a new phase as uncertainty about its future fades. Social commerce is maturing fast, but rising competition, shifting consumer habits, and tighter expectations are raising the stakes for brands.

Media mix modeling is evolving from a reporting tool into a decision engine, but most marketers aren’t ready. AI, data, and new measurement frameworks are creating a gap between insight and action, making it hard to improve marketing effectiveness.

AI search is changing how B2B buyers discover and compare vendors. Visibility depends on strong SEO fundamentals, clearer differentiation, and content governance that support faster evaluation and more consistent brand information.

The systems measuring behavior record steady progression, but people don’t always move in straight lines. As customer activity becomes more fragmented, the gap between measured growth and reality is getting harder to ignore.

NBCU accused the ratings firm of undercounting TV after a delayed update favored streaming and rattled marketers.