DIGIDAY+ MEMBER EXCLUSIVES
In Graphic Detail: What to expect in media in 2026
Programmatic mix will broaden, while AI investment will both drive ad investment and steal focus from other marketing priorities.
Media
Workforce data, smarter AI integration among greatest workplace priorities in the new year
The growing importance of workforce data is just one of the prognostications people managers are making looking to the year ahead.
WTF is AI citation tracking?
Publishers are tracking AI citations to understand visibility, attribution gaps and referral traffic in these tools and platforms.
As big brands flood the podcast ad space, startups are refining strategies to stand out
While a influx of big advertisers is good news for podcast companies, it also makes it more challenging for small- to mid-sized brands to stand out in the space.
Marketing
Agencies push curation upstream, reclaiming control of the programmatic bidstream
Curation spent much of this year in a fog, loosely defined and inconsistently applied. Agencies say they plan to tighten the screws in 2026.
‘A trader won’t need to leave our platform’: PMG builds its own CTV buying platform
The platform, called Alli Buyer Cloud, sits inside PMG’s broader operating system Alli. It’s currently in alpha testing with three clients.
Why 2026 could be Snap’s biggest year yet – according to one exec
Snap’s senior director of product marketing, Abby Laursen talked to Digiday about its campaign automation plans for 2026.
Future of TV
Future of TV Briefing: The streaming ad upfront trends, programmatic priorities revealed in Q3 2025 earnings reports
This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks at what TV and streaming companies’ latest quarterly earnings report indicate about the state of the streaming ad market.
Future of TV Briefing: The creator economy needs a new currency for brand deals
This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks at why paying creators based on reach misses the mark and what IAB is doing to clear up the creator-brand currency situation.
Future of TV Briefing: WTF is IAB Tech Lab’s device attestation tactic to combat CTV ad fraud?
This week’s Future of TV Briefing breaks down the CTV ad industry’s new tool for fighting device spoofing.
Media Buying
Do AI agents have a place in programmatic advertising?
Agency and ad tech executives explain what tasks in their programmatic advertising workflows they would — and wouldn’t — outsource to AI agents.
Horizon’s Blu AI platform focuses on being a transparent business consultancy
Blu is essentially a connected marketing platform that uses a variety of LLMs to help the independent agency’s clients craft broader business goals through the prism of media
Brands hope for reach, brace for higher CPMs in tug of war over Warner Bros. Discovery
Analysts and media buyers expect ‘upward pressure’ on CPMs, should Netflix win the tussle with Paramount.
Annual research reports
Podcasts
Research
A study shows a surge in executive stress, creating a talent retention emergency
A study shows a surge in executive stress, creating a talent retention emergency
On November 14, Cymbiotika launched four of its hero products in all Target stores and on Target.com. A week prior, it launched its first out-of-home Wellness Tour, which kicked off in Target’s hometown of Minneapolis and has continued with a run club, in partnership with the rapper Gunna. It’s been a busy time for the supplement brand, which launched in 2019.
On November 14, Cymbiotika launched four of its hero products in all Target stores and on Target.com. A week prior, it launched its first out-of-home Wellness Tour, which kicked off in Target’s hometown of Minneapolis and has continued with a run club, in partnership with the rapper Gunna. It’s been a busy time for the supplement brand, which launched in 2019.
BNPL services are being advertised more than ever as shoppers’ holiday buying leans on flexible financing.
BNPL services are being advertised more than ever as shoppers’ holiday buying leans on flexible financing.