Marketers move from AI hype to real-world execution
June 16, 2026
Mediaocean, the software and AI partner for omnichannel advertising, has released its 2026 H2 Market Report, revealing a significant shift in how marketers are approaching AI. While it remains the most important trend marketers are watching, the industry is increasingly moving beyond AI experimentation and toward practical implementation across media, creative, measurement, and operational workflows
According to the report, 75 per cent of marketers identified AI as the most important consumer trend to watch, making it the top-ranked trend for the fourth consecutive reporting period. At the same time, marketers are increasingly applying AI to real-world business challenges. Adoption for data analysis reached 50 per cent, while usage for creative development and personalisation increased more than 50 per cent year over year.
The findings suggest that AI has entered a new phase of maturity. Rather than viewing AI as a transformational force on its own, marketers are focusing on specific use cases that improve efficiency, enhance performance, and support decision-making. In fact, the share of marketers who believe AI is causing a major transformation in workflows declined from 28 per cent to 19 per cent, reflecting a more pragmatic view of how AI delivers value inside organisations.
Additional findings include:
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AI Media emerged as the fastest-growing investment category, with 60 per cent of marketers planning to increase spend in the second half of the year.
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89 per cent of marketers plan to maintain or increase investment in CTV, reinforcing its position as a core pillar of the modern media mix.
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35 per cent of respondents are moving away from manual spreadsheet-based workflows in favor of API-driven automation and direct-to-publisher transactions.
“Over the last few years, the industry conversation has focused on whether marketers should adopt AI. But that debate is over,” said Aaron Goldman, CMO, Mediaocean. “The question now is how AI gets operationalized across planning, activation, measurement, and optimization. What this research shows is that marketers are moving beyond experimentation and looking for practical ways to connect intelligence with execution. This is an opportunity to create more connected systems that help teams move faster, make better decisions, and drive stronger outcomes.”
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