Short on time? Get the Top 10 takeaways
Short on time? Get the Top 10 takeaways
Short on time? Get the Top 10 takeaways
Short on time? Get the Top 10 takeaways
2026 Annual Marketing Report
Navigating the AI era: Accuracy, outcomes, & shifting trends
Nearly 90% of marketers now use AI. Three chapters on why accuracy comes first, how brands prove outcomes, and where everyday attention is going.
Media intelligence for today’s marketers
Chapter 1
From adoption to accuracy
Global marketers in their AI era
A third of marketers fully trust AI recommendations, no human check needed. Now the pressure is on the accuracy behind them.
Chapter 2
Brand awareness, bottom line
Strategic focus and how to measure a win
Brand awareness tops marketers’ goals, but proving ROI is harder than ever. Here’s how brands are connecting visibility to results.
Chapter 3
Trends to watch
Where everyday attention is going
41% of consumers call any video “TV.” Here’s how creators, co-viewing, and sports are changing where attention goes.
Chapter 1
AI trust is high, but conditional.
AI is already part of nearly every marketer’s day, and marketers want proof that the systems behind those decisions are accurate.
Inside this chapter:
- AI is the advertising norm
- Trust in AI is conditional on the measurement behind it
- AI-powered media intelligence
- Navigating the new consumer gatekeeper
18K
ad creatives mentioned AI in one month
Nielsen Ad Intel, U.S., 2026
55%
of marketers trust AI recommendations but require
human review
Nielsen Annual Marketing Survey, 2026
2x
increase in marketers prioritizing accuracy in measurement year over year
Nielsen Annual Marketing Survey, 2026
Chapter 2
The full-funnel strategy for ROI
Brand leaders face the complex task of driving awareness and proving business impact across more, and more disjointed, media channels than ever.
Inside this chapter:
- Building and growing brands in the AI era
- Bridging the gap in a fragmented media landscape
- Brand visibility essentials & ROI
- Brand safety’s new—and old—blind spots
- Case Study: Visibility, precision and outcomes with Nielsen Media Intelligence
49%
use ‘hybrid’ or full-funnel metrics to measure combined impact
Nielsen Annual Marketing Survey, 2026
+10
point increase in incongruent datasets as a challenge year over year
Nielsen Annual Marketing Survey, 2026; 2025
29%
of marketers are prioritizing brand lift metrics over the next year
Nielsen Annual Marketing Survey, 2026
Chapter 3
Where consumer attention is driving budgets
Capturing consumer attention across algorithms, devices and platforms requires strategies beyond tracking traditional channels and demographics.
Inside the chapter:
- More channels than ever
- “TV” isn’t just a device
- The creator imperative
- The watch party
- A new sports playbook
41%
of consumers view video content as “TV” no matter the platform
Nielsen Scarborough USA+, 2026
58%
of marketers have dedicated and growing budgets for creator partnerships
Nielsen Annual Marketing Survey, 2026
43%
of marketers view sports as a testing ground for new audiences or markets
Nielsen Annual Marketing Survey, 2026
Quick read
Top 10 signals shaping marketing budgets in 2026
10 market-by-market signals on budgets, creators, sports, and AI from 1,200 marketers across six markets
