Marketing in 2026 Will Be Won by Those Who Adapt First
Creative Diversity is a Requirement
Meta’s algorithm is forcing advertisers to rethink how ads are built and scaled
What’s the News:
Meta announced that creative diversification is now a “foundational best practice,” explicitly stating that advertisers should upload ads that are truly distinct in visuals, messaging, and formats to give its delivery system more ways to reach different audiences.
Key data point: Meta reports that advertisers running more diversified creative portfolios see stronger performance as the system dynamically matches ads to audience signals.
Why It Matters:
Creative diversity is no longer a performance enhancer, it’s table stakes. Advertisers relying on a handful of ads or minor variations are increasingly constrained by Meta’s delivery system, limiting scale, learning, and efficiency. The algorithm now expects variety to unlock reach.
Marketers should:
Build creative systems, not one-off ads
Diversify messaging, visuals, and formats simultaneously — not sequentially
Invest in upfront creative strategy to fuel long-term performance
Treat creative as a scalable input to the algorithm, not a static asset
Get ahead of competitors who are still running 2023 Meta playbooks
ChatGPT Is Moving Closer to Google—One Local Search at a Time
ChatGPT Knowledge panels signal a shift toward transactional and “near me” intent
What’s the News:
ChatGPT has begun rolling out local knowledge panels within search results, similar to Google Business Profiles—allowing users to quickly access directions, phone numbers, and business details directly in-chat.
Why It Matters:
ChatGPT usage surged throughout 2025, but has historically skewed informational. This update signals a clear move toward local and high-intent queries, shrinking the gap between research and action, and reducing the need to ever visit a website.
Marketers should:
Treat ChatGPT as an emerging SEO surface, not a novelty
Ensure Google Business Profiles are accurate and fully optimized
Monitor brand visibility in AI-generated knowledge panels
Prepare for fewer website visits, and more zero-click interactions
Think beyond rankings toward presence across AI search experiences
Digital Video Is Becoming the Center of Digital Advertising
Ad spend is finally catching up to how people actually spend their time
What’s the News:
According to eMarketer, digital video is the final major growth driver of digital advertising. By 2026, video will account for over 40% of total digital ad spend, as consumer time spent with video reaches 50% of all digital media consumption.
Key data point: The gap between video time spent and video ad spend will shrink to ~10 percentage points in 2026, down from nearly 15 points in 2022.
Why It Matters:
Video is no longer over-indexed on attention. Advertisers are finally investing at scale. As streaming inventory expands and CPMs normalize, video is becoming more accessible, measurable, and performance-oriented than ever before.
Marketers should:
Diversify video investments across social and streaming environments
Re-enter streaming now that inventory is up and CPMs are down
Pair video scale with incrementality testing to prove real impact
Use geo-based testing to measure lift beyond last-click attribution
Plan video as a core growth lever heading into 2026 — not just a test channel
We’re reinventing performance marketing because everything changed while you were reading this.
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