Data/Analytics
As AI and automation become increasingly central to marketing, the issue of data accuracy can no longer be ignored. This article points out that the era of competing on scale is over; the true competitive advantage lies in data accuracy, validation, and usability, and proposes a new direction for the industry toward data trustworthiness.
The latest consumer sentiment survey from EY-Parthenon shows that nearly two-thirds of U.S. consumers believe a recession is likely, with financial confidence down 12% from six months ago. Consumers are adjusting budgets and reducing discretionary spending, making competition among brands more intense. Experts suggest that brands should focus on existing customers, reactivate dormant customers, and win the market through authentic value delivery.
With the widespread use of AI in advertising creativity, regulatory bodies in various countries have successively introduced AI disclosure requirements. Research conducted by MediaScience in collaboration with MediaPet and the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute shows that AI disclosure labels do not have a negative impact on ad performance. The study tested four labeling methods and found that continuous text labels performed best in AI recognition rate (49%), while the AI icon method, although preferred by consumers, had the worst actual recognition effect (38%).
OpenAI announced a partnership with data collaboration platform LiveRamp to provide ChatGPT advertisers with a conversion API (CAPI Hub) based on server-to-server connections, responding to lost browser tracking signals and enhancing ad measurement capabilities. This move marks OpenAI's latest development in advertising infrastructure, following previous partners such as Criteo.
Gartner's CMO spending survey shows that in 2026, 62.6% of media spending will go toward customer conversion and awareness, up 10% from 2024; labor costs will account for 24.5% of marketing budgets, up from 21.9% in 2025. Spending on loyalty and retention will account for less than 15%, down 29% from the same period. The survey also finds that under pressure from AI adoption, digital channel spending is increasing, but an excessive focus on short-term optimization may harm AI readiness.
New research from Gale agency indicates that with the proliferation of AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, consumers are delegating brand preference settings to chatbots and even entrusting AI agents with shopping. 56% of respondents have accepted fully communicating with brands through AI, and nearly one-third have instructed AI assistants to prioritize specific brands. The report warns that brand loyalty faces the impact of 'AI disintermediation,' and marketers need to strengthen community insights, optimize experiences, and continuously invest in loyalty programs.
Digital advertising once championed the idea that 'exposure equals growth,' but today's consumers are more wary, privacy-conscious, and increasingly resistant to interruptive ads. Amid signal loss, rising customer acquisition costs, and an overflow of AI-generated content, attention is no longer commercial media's most valuable asset—trust has taken its place. This article analyzes the strategic value of the Transaction Moment, pointing out that in trust-based industries such as payments, fintech, and e-commerce, brands must leverage AI for real-time contextual recommendations to strike a balance between monetization and experience. The Afterpay-Rokt partnership demonstrates that relevant, timely post-purchase recommendations can drive incremental revenue while reinforcing customer trust. The future winners in commercial media will be those who integrate trust into their growth strategies rather than treating it as a separate concern.
May marketing industry data reveals: Netflix's advertising footprint expanded to 27 countries, Kraft Heinz's marketing strategy drove an 8-percentage-point increase in advertising return on investment, while 56% of CMOs stated that budgets are insufficient to support 2026 strategies. AI remains a focal point of the industry, but budget allocation and infrastructure still pose challenges.