A hit on Middle East data hubs could ripple through payments, logins, and ecommerce worldwide.
78% of US marketers admit to wasted spend from weak measurement, even as they boost budgets.
Consumers buy more from brands that deliver tailored video, but weak data can stall personalized content at scale.
Visa curbs and waning foreign interest in US jobs risk a wider talent gap and give Beijing and Bangalore an edge.
The path to purchase describes how consumers move from initial awareness to buying a product or service. In 2026, that journey looks nothing like the linear funnel marketers once relied on. Generative AI (genAI) tools, social commerce platforms, and compressed decision cycles are creating new routes to conversion that bypass traditional search-and-browse patterns. This FAQ examines what is driving these shifts and how marketers can adapt.
Google, Microsoft, and others will collaborate to find AI vulnerabilities in software, boosting safety across apps and ecosystems.
A new LLM powers its apps with shopping-led discovery but keeps brands dependent on Meta’s closed ecosystem.
Consumers are increasingly making decisions inside AI conversations, before traditional signals ever appear. That shift is creating a new visibility gap between brands that can access early intent and those that can’t.
Content marketing is at an inflection point. AI tools have made it faster and cheaper to produce content at scale, but the resulting flood of material creates challenges on marketers' highest-earning channels.
Millennials are more likely than Gen Z to use a second screen during 2026 World Cup matches. Some 78% are at least somewhat likely to split their attention during games, according to a July 2025 survey from ThinkNow Research.
AI has already overhauled how retailers think about the beginning of consumers' purchasing journey. How AI can help in the middle of that funnel, as consumers deciding what and where to purchase, is starting to take shape.
This FAQ covers what agentic commerce is, who the key players are, and what brands and advertisers should do about it.
Google's AI Max drives up to 80% sales gains, but trust concerns linger as conversational ads test user confidence.
HubSpot connects CRM lifecycle data to TikTok ads, pitching itself as the control layer for performance media.
A 1TW semiconductor factory could restore Intel’s AI stature as Musk grows infrastructure pipelines for SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI.
Rising AI adoption among younger consumers for mental health and emotional support makes safe chatbot design table stakes, especially as lawsuits mount.
63% of US adults say having ads in AI search results would make them trust those results less, according to a January survey from Ipsos.
Trust in AI has room to grow as banks look to it to offer financial information and advice.