Publicis tackles fragmented NIL market with Travis Kelce, 3 Arts Sports

A new joint venture called Tekta seeks to streamline marketing activations with student athletes and make them more measurable for clients.

By Peter Adams • Aug. 24, 2026

Microdrama advertising surges as downloads soar: Report

The category has the highest density of advertising creative, with active advertisers on microdrama apps rising by 132% during the first half of the year.

By Sara Karlovitch • Aug. 24, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Marketing Dive

From the continued rise of artificial intelligence to the emergence of new digital channels, here's a look at key trends driving marketing in 2026.

By Marketing Dive staff

Drop the hysteria. Paid search is here to stay.

Paid search isn't dead. The data shows top brands still invest, outperform and win with search today.

By Bradley Keefer, CRO, Keen Decision Systems • Aug. 24, 2026

Why smarter DOOH campaigns start with the audience

High-traffic screens are only part of the story. Audience data shows which screens matter most.

Aug. 24, 2026

Creator fit beats follower count for brands: Here’s what the numbers say

The creator economy is expected to hit nearly half a trillion dollars next year, but the disconnect between creators and brands persists.

By Sara Karlovitch • Aug. 21, 2026

Today’s marketing data is too saturated to be oil — it’s uranium

An overabundance of data can do damage if marketers don’t figure out how to turn it into better decisions, writes Steve Kennedy, CMO at Marco's Pizza. 

By Steve Kennedy • Aug. 20, 2026

IAB revisits AI disclosure in ads as legal requirements multiply

With a string of new legislation creating a patchwork of rules, the group is attempting to establish an industry baseline, but implementation remains murky.

By Sara Karlovitch • Aug. 19, 2026

ANA cautions marketers against overreliance on retail media data

The trade body follows the IAB in trying to establish shared metrics and vocabulary for a high-growth channel that remains opaque and fragmented.  

By Peter Adams • Aug. 18, 2026

Amazon, Nike reign supreme with Gen Alpha teens: report

Parents still hold sway over teen brand preferences, with moms in particular being more influential than any “social media platform, creator or celebrity.”

By Sara Karlovitch • Updated Aug. 17, 2026

WPP’s streamlined strategy secures new business as revenue declines narrow

While WPP sees opportunities with AI, CEO Cindy Rose noted that the technology could lead to deflationary impacts on agency pricing.

By Peter Adams • Aug. 10, 2026

Nielsen acquires DoubleVerify to link ad verification, audience measurement

The $2.15 billion deal follows other platforms valued for their independence getting acquired, which has stoked advertiser concern.

By Peter Adams • Aug. 7, 2026

Behind Reddit and YouTube’s roles in AI visibility

Investing in high-quality and informative user-generated content is crucial, but not all platforms are created equal. 

By Sara Karlovitch • Aug. 7, 2026

As AI reshapes brand visibility, IAB attempts to clean up measurement

The trade group wants to bring a shared vocabulary and standards to the industry as measurement tools with little consistency proliferate. 

By Peter Adams • Aug. 3, 2026

Marketers’ latest AI conundrum: An environmental footprint left unmeasured

While the lion’s share of marketers surveyed by 51toCarbonZero believe AI is increasing emissions, just 36% are tracking their full impact.

By Peter Adams • July 24, 2026

Consumers warm up to streaming ads: Here’s what the numbers say

Two-thirds of viewers say they don’t mind watching ads as much as they used to, according to data from Hub Entertainment Research.

By Sara Karlovitch • July 24, 2026

World Cup advertising numbers reflect diversifying sports marketplace

Despite massive increases in advertising spend from Kalshi and Polymarket, online betting accounted for just 2% of ad impressions during the World Cup.

By Sara Karlovitch • July 23, 2026

Publicis addresses LiveRamp deal, lagging Sapient arm as it raises outlook

Clients are viewing the $2.2 billion acquisition, which has raised questions around LiveRamp’s neutrality, as a “non-event,” executives said.

By Peter Adams • July 16, 2026

Skechers shifts big chunk of global media biz to Horizon Global

The international market has become the “primary growth engine” for the brand, which wants to build out its omnichannel capabilities.

By Peter Adams • Updated July 17, 2026

AI is accelerating the accountability gap. Here’s how CMOs can close it.

InMarket CMO Natalie Bastian lays out what marketers are missing as AI moves from the pilot phase to production at wider scale.

By Natalie Bastian • July 15, 2026

Advertisers don’t trust CTV inventory despite climbing spend: IAB

Just 41% of buyers are confident in commerce and retail media networks for CTV buying amid a convergence between the channels.

By Peter Adams • July 14, 2026

Measurement investments haven’t simplified advertising decisions: report

Despite a wider set of tools available to the marketing industry, many still struggle to leverage insights to influence budgetary decisions. 

By Peter Adams • July 13, 2026

In customer service, third-party gen AI tools are beating brand chatbots

While use of third-party generative AI tools has doubled in the past year, company-provided chatbot usage hasn’t statistically increased since 2022.

By Kristen Doerer • July 13, 2026

Why unpaid media is now essential to AI visibility

Earned media and community discussion generate the authority signals that determine whether a brand gets recommended by AI, writes Abigail Niziankiewicz of Mediassociates.

By Abigail Niziankiewicz • July 9, 2026

Marketing’s data breakdown: H1 by the numbers

Artificial intelligence continues to demand significant investments this year, but the payoff for marketers is still unclear.

By Sara Karlovitch • July 7, 2026

How brands can improve chances of showing up in AI search overviews

How a query is worded greatly impacts if a brand will show up in AI search results, with category searches being the most favorable to brands.

By Sara Karlovitch • July 1, 2026