AI’s spending surge is moving from ambition to accountability. Rising AI costs, agentic commerce, Apple’s assistant strategy, and consumer trust issues are changing the marketing landscape.

Wearables are shifting from fitness trackers to connected healthcare platforms. The value of AI, clinician access, and health data integration is expanding, as high costs risk excluding consumers who need these tools the most.

US programmatic advertising is consolidating around video, CTV, walled gardens, retail media, and agentic AI. Marketers need to balance signal, scale, transparency, and control as automated buying enters its next phase.

Reaching patients through insurers and providers could unlock wearable adoption among higher-need cohorts and strengthen long-term loyalty.

In June 2026, we analyzed 4,010 ChatGPT recommendations across 13 categories in the tech hardware and devices industry to compile the AI Visibility Index.

In May 2026, we analyzed 5,600 ChatGPT responses across nine financial services categories to compile the AI Visibility Index.

Oura's smart ring adds blood pressure signals, health records, and clinician chat—further blurring the line between wellness tools and healthcare tools.

In April 2026, we analyzed 5,600 ChatGPT responses across nine financial services categories to compile the AI Visibility Index.

LinkedIn taps Amazon for CTV: B2B marketers can target by job title on streaming TV, blending brand reach with pro data.

In Q1 2026, we analyzed 5,600 ChatGPT responses across nine financial services categories to compile the AI Visibility Index.

Samsung's Amazon Ads integration and AI targeting bring shoppable, full-funnel capabilities to Samsung TV Plus.

The retailer is betting that a first-party model will help it avoid Temu’s mistakes—and make inroads against Amazon.

The tech company faces an uphill battle stealing share from Apple and Google.

AI was everywhere at CES 2026, from robots to toilets and toys. The race to define the next computing interface is on, agentic ad tech is emerging, and health wearables are pushing further into physiological data. Best in show: Lego’s Smart Brick.

TikTok Shop's low prices came with shaky trust, but the budget retailer is maturing into a serious marketplace and attracting partnerships.

In 2026, AI will reshape advertiser workflows and behaviors, while rising video consumption will boost CTV and YouTube.

Samsung is reportedly in advanced talks with Barclays to develop a co-branded Visa credit card, per the Wall Street Journal. The card’s cash-back rewards would funnel back into cardholders’ Samsung accounts to encourage spending on Samsung products and services. To accelerate users’ adoption of the card, tech companies with payment ambitions should build a flywheel to lock in new consumer spending patterns. By centering rewards and device upgrades to the same credit card and wallet, consumers can find both the products, services, and financing they desire all in one place.

The Trade Desk’s connected TV (CTV) operating system, Ventura, is entering a crowded market dominated by giant tech players like Amazon—but TTD views the operating system as a yearslong bet on increasing transparency in the CTV market, senior vice president of Ventura Matthew Henick told EMARKETER. Big Tech’s hold on the CTV operating system space will persist for some time, but Ventura hints at trends that could disrupt that dominance. TTD’s push to improve transparency and addressability for both publishers and advertisers taps into a growing discontentment with the Big Tech status quo.

Spotify is launching a free ad-supported TV (FAST) channel in partnership with Samsung TV Plus, per a Thursday announcement. Marketers now have the opportunity to combine the effectiveness and precision of CTV advertising with the authenticity of podcast advertising to convert passive listeners into active customers.