How CTV advertising prepped for next-gen reinvention at NewFronts

Samsung, Comcast and Tubi rolled out measurement and AI innovations, plus deals with Amazon, at the IAB’s annual showcase for brands and agencies.

By Chris Kelly • March 25, 2026

Apple rolls out ads for Maps as advertising revenue grows

As ad revenue’s importance grows for the tech giant, it will enable brands to target consumers using Maps’ search function and via Suggested Places.

By Sara Karlovitch • March 25, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

AI and Marketing Data

Top stories that underscore the key role of artificial intelligence, generative and otherwise, for many CMOs looking to better manage troves of data. 

By Marketing Dive staff

Walmart, Vizio outline strategy for tying CTV ads to retail outcomes

At their first unified NewFronts presentation, the companies underscored their ability to engage audiences not reached by linear TV buys.

By Peter Adams • March 24, 2026

Martin Sorrell’s outlook on AI, media transparency and agency upheaval

The S4 Capital founder and executive chairman sounds off on the Publicis-Trade Desk spat, the “brutality” of Omnicom’s IPG takeover and more.

By Peter Adams • March 23, 2026

Beverage marketer sees cost savings with agentic media-buying test

Completed with PubMatic and Butler/Till, the campaign’s fully automated media buying and optimization process reduced buy-side costs by 5.5x.

By Sara Karlovitch • March 17, 2026

PMG eyes expansion with AI-focused repositioning, Freewheel partnership

The independent agency is piloting an AI agent infrastructure from Freewheel designed to streamline premium video transactions.

By Jessica Hammers • March 16, 2026

Horizon Media pilots AI solution to detect cultural shifts mid-campaign

The tool developed by Sightly and Vurvey Labs helps brands quickly respond to news developments that could affect perceptions of campaign messaging.

By Jessica Hammers • March 9, 2026

Netflix enriches ad-targeting prowess with Amazon, Yahoo audience data

Deeper integrations with the companies’ demand-side platforms and a new Conversion API tool land ahead of the key upfronts season. 

By Peter Adams • March 6, 2026

Retail and grocery brands dominate ChatGPT ads

Since OpenAI began running ads four weeks ago, data tracked by Sensor Tower showed more than 100 individual brand promotions.

By Andrew Hutchinson • March 6, 2026

CMOs face risks locking brands into agency AI platforms: Gartner

The researcher predicts that half of agencies’ proprietary AI platforms will become obsolete by 2029 and emphasized the value of human talent.

By Peter Adams • March 4, 2026

Trade Desk ups bid to improve CTV advertising value with Ventura Ecosystem

The new industry collaboration is meant to deliver a more transparent marketplace and includes initial partners Nexxen and TV operating system V.

By Jessica Hammers • March 2, 2026

Kantar Media enters new era as Fifty5Blue following $1B sale

Along with aesthetic changes, including a new visual identity, the rebranded measurement firm is stepping up investment in artificial intelligence. 

By Peter Adams • March 2, 2026

WPP abandons holding company model in major strategic overhaul

The Elevate28 plan creates a single company with four units and introduces a talent framework meant to foster a “high-performance culture.”

By Peter Adams • Feb. 26, 2026

Walmart raked in $6.4B from ads last year. Execs see plenty runway ahead.

Marketplace offerings and Vizio provide additional U.S. growth opportunities while recent structural changes are meant to support global expansion.

By Peter Adams • Feb. 20, 2026

Roku says it’s growing video advertising faster than broader OTT market

The platform’s Ads Manager expects to see a boost from AI tools while a major partnership with Amazon Ads is still only in the “early innings.”

By Peter Adams • Feb. 13, 2026

Why brands need to optimize their mobile apps and websites for AI

Brands have built their digital experiences on Google’s search algorithm, but that needs to change as consumer behavior evolves, experts say.

By Michael Brady • Feb. 13, 2026

Target to test contextual ads in ChatGPT, including through Roundel

Bringing Roundel brands to ChatGPT suggests retail media networks could be a bridge for larger AI chatbot advertising adoption. 

By Peter Adams • Feb. 11, 2026

Amazon enables communication between ads platform and AI agents

The Amazon Ads MCP Server acts as a translation layer between AI agents and the Amazon Ads API to turn simple prompts into structured campaigns. 

By Aaron Baar • Feb. 9, 2026

Amazon’s annual ad revenue passes $68B, boosted by full-funnel strategy

The company realized about $12 billion in incremental revenue last year as services like Prime Video contributed meaningfully to growth.

By Peter Adams • Feb. 6, 2026

YouTube annual revenue tops $60B as Google’s focus expands beyond ads

Traction for subscriptions like YouTube Premium is growing in a way that could hurt ad revenue but boost the overall business, executives said.

By Peter Adams • Feb. 5, 2026

Publicis wants to be an AI marketing MVP. Now comes the hard part.

Despite AI’s promise in media and creative, executives acknowledged the tech is difficult to scale and fails to deliver measurable value in most cases.

By Peter Adams • Feb. 3, 2026

IAB seeks to standardize interoperable media measurement

Artificial intelligence risks reinforcing the black-box decisions that marketers are forced to make with current measurement systems, per a new IAB report.

By Aaron Baar • Feb. 2, 2026

New consumer TV viewing habits create opportunities for CPG brands

For decades, “watching TV” meant sitting on the couch and catching a favorite weekly show, or viewing.

Feb. 2, 2026

3 advertising stats from Meta’s record holiday ‘25 period

AI-driven improvements to ads ranking and learning models boosted clicks and conversions during the key Q4 window, which drew record demand. 

By Peter Adams • Jan. 29, 2026

Unpacking the marketing industry trends forecast for 2026

Marketers must remain resilient as they navigate ongoing challenges, including an uncertain economic backdrop and the advancement of AI.

By Marketing Dive staff • Jan. 29, 2026