Brazil enters 2026 as the fastest-growing market for advertising investment in the world. According to Dentsu's Global Ad Spend Forecasts, this growth is driven by two structural factors: the FIFA World Cup and the presidential elections. The study projects that global advertising investment will grow by 5,1% this year and exceed US$1 trillion, while Brazil stands out with an expansion of 9,1%.
The main driver of this advancement is digital advertising. Projections indicate a 6,7% growth in 2026, concentrating almost 70% of all global advertising investment. Faced with this structural change, US Media, a company specializing in digital advertising, has mapped the trends that will require brands, as early as 2026, to adopt a less fragmented and more integrated approach encompassing technology, advanced measurement, and creativity.
Below are the 6 main trends highlighted by Bruno Belardo, VP of Sales at US Media.
1) AI is no longer a concept, but has become marketing infrastructure.
After an initial experimentation phase, artificial intelligence is taking center stage in marketing operations. By 2026, it will remain a top priority for the sector, with 45% of CMOs investing in its adoption to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of their strategies.
According to the expert, the impact falls on four fronts:
- Full-scale customization: experiences and journeys that are 100% tailored to each user.
- Advanced predictive modelingIncremental measurement, demand forecasting, and less trial-and-error decision-making.
- Automated and intelligent CXChatbots integrated with CRM, solving end-to-end issues and acting as a natural extension of marketing and sales.
"The maturity of text, image, and video production increases speed and scale, but brings new ethical challenges such as transparency, representativeness, and copyright limits," the executive comments.
2) Retail Media consolidates retail as a media platform.
Retail media is projected to grow 14,1% in 2026, poised to surpass paid search by 2028 and solidify its position as the dominant third digital channel, alongside social media and search. This growth is driven by giants like Amazon, Mercado Libre, and large regional retailers such as Cencosud.
For Belardo, the logic is simple: “The market becomes even more dependent on first-party data for segmentation, measurement, and performance. Retail becomes not just a point of sale, but a complete media platform.”
3) CTV enters the advanced measurement phase.
The migration from linear TV to digital is intensifying, placing connected TVs among the hottest segments for the coming year. By 2026, investment in CTV is expected to grow by 9,5%, driven by increased consumption of ad-supported streaming, according to Dentsu.
For the market, this represents the maturity that was lacking to attract investments previously concentrated in broadcast TV. According to the VP of US Media, the differentiating factor in 2026 will be the ability to measure impact/frequency, innovation in the CTV media plan (using more segmented options like Vevo), and the real contribution of campaigns broadcast in CTV and streaming environments.
4) The new logic of innovation is pragmatic.
The era of "brilliant innovations" is losing relevance. From 2026 onwards, what will gain traction are useful solutions, driven by data and real consumer behavior. Belardo lists three pillars of innovation for the coming year: innovation that solves concrete problems, innovation that transforms data into action, not just reports, and innovation that helps simplify operations, bringing a competitive advantage. "In a complex world, brands that simplify people's lives win," he emphasizes.
5) Automated service evolves into complete experiences.
Automated customer service is maturing and moving beyond mere triage. By 2026, chatbots will integrate: behavioral history, CRM, and end-to-end customer journeys. The challenge, according to Belardo, will be balancing technology and human sensitivity: “The human touch remains essential to building trust. Automation doesn't replace that.”
6) GEO redefines the logic of content in an AI-driven world.
With artificial intelligence taking on a central role in information discovery and recommendation, a new strategic priority emerges: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
GEO guides brands in structuring clear, precise, and reliable content, capable of being referenced by generative models when answering user questions. In a scenario of message saturation and attention fragmentation, visibility depends not only on SEO, but also on the ability to build consistent ecosystems that connect creativity, data, and technology.
“By 2026, GEO will become a competitive differentiator: it is the new frontier for ensuring presence, relevance, and continuity in an environment where AI will increasingly mediate information and consumption journeys,” concludes the executive.
