Survey: AI Central to Advertising Strategy Amid Fragmented Systems.

Mediaocean, an advertising software and artificial intelligence company, has released its 2026 Advertising Outlook Report, finding that marketers are entering the year with renewed confidence in digital media investment while facing mounting pressure to translate enthusiasm for artificial intelligence into practical execution.

The biannual report, based on insights from hundreds of marketers, shows artificial intelligence evolving from an experimental capability into a central force shaping modern advertising. At the same time, it identifies persistent gaps in how marketing systems, data, and workflows are connected, limiting the ability to scale AI-driven strategies effectively.

For the third consecutive reporting period, generative AI ranked as the most important consumer trend, cited by 70% of marketers. The finding reflects its growing influence on how consumers discover content, engage with brands, and make purchasing decisions. Despite strong interest in AI, the report found uneven adoption across marketing functions. While 43% of marketers reported using AI for data analysis and an equal share for market research, usage declined as applications moved closer to execution, with 33% using AI for creative development and 19% for campaign orchestration.

The report also highlighted increasing challenges around cross-channel orchestration as media channels multiply and AI becomes more embedded in marketing workflows. Although 86% of marketers said cross-channel orchestration is important, only 10% reported having fully unified advertising technology systems. The lack of integration is creating obstacles not only for scaling AI, but also for coordinating planning, activation, measurement, and optimization across complex media environments.

According to the report, media investment is rebounding selectively, with planned spending increases focused on connected television and digital video, social platforms, and AI-driven media and advertising on AI agents, while traditional channels such as print and linear television continue to face pressure. Marketers also reported that data quality or access issues and difficulty connecting AI insights across systems are the biggest barriers to advancing AI maturity. Many respondents said they are shifting priorities away from channel-level optimization toward system-level intelligence, signaling a move toward more connected and adaptive marketing infrastructures.

“As AI becomes more deeply woven into the media lifecycle, the advantage won’t come from adopting even more tools — it will come from orchestrating them,” Aaron Goldman, CMO, Mediaocean, says in a news release. “This research shows marketers are ready to move from experimentation to execution, but fragmented systems are slowing progress. Smarter, more connected foundations are what turn AI insights into action at scale.”

The 2026 Advertising Outlook is the ninth installment in Mediaocean’s biannual research series and draws on insights from more than 6,100 respondents overall. The latest findings are based on surveys conducted in November 2025 among brands, agencies, media companies, and technology providers. The full report is available for download on Mediaocean’s website.

Mediaocean will also host a webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, from noon to 1pm (ET) to discuss the findings.