News · 19 September 2026
Todd Parsons is set to become the chief executive of marketing insights firm Prodege, with his first day scheduled for October. The appointment was reported by Adweek, whose reporter previously spent six years covering advertising at Business Insider before joining the publication in 2024.
Inside today's edition
News Story 1 of 4
What happened
Todd Parsons is set to become the chief executive of marketing insights firm Prodege, with his first day scheduled for October. The appointment was reported by Adweek, whose reporter previously spent six years covering advertising at Business Insider before joining the publication in 2024.
Confirmed details
Prodege is described as a marketing insights firm. Todd Parsons's first day as CEO is in October.
Research Story 2 of 4
What the study found
An eMarketer forecast tracking US B2B digital advertising expenditure through 2028 finds that growth will speed up in 2026 before decelerating the following year. According to the report, video and mobile formats are expanding more quickly than total B2B digital ad outlays, display is capturing a larger share, and the tech products and services sector is driving growth across industries.
Detail
The forecast examines how B2B digital ad spending is moving across formats, platforms, and industries and what implications that holds for budget allocations.
Research Story 3 of 4
What the study found
Circana released a 2026 media holiday report featuring four recommendations for advertisers, drawing on its consumer data, ShopperSights, and social commerce data. According to a March 2026 Circana Shopper Survey, one quarter of consumers reported using an AI recommendation to buy a consumer packaged goods product.
Detail
Circana's 2026 media holiday report, titled How Advertisers Should Prepare for Holiday 2026, outlines four recommendations and is built on Circana consumer data, ShopperSights, and social commerce data. A March 2026 Circana Shopper Survey found that 25 percent of consumers said they had used an AI recommendation when purchasing a consumer packaged goods product.
Research Story 4 of 4
What the study found
Amazon's quick commerce operations in India function as an extension of its existing retail, advertising, and subscription ecosystem rather than as an isolated service, leveraging established logistics, payment systems, and Prime membership benefits. The company operates a broad platform spanning retail, advertising, and subscription services that supports its on-demand delivery offerings in India.
Detail
Amazon.com runs retail, advertising, and subscription platform businesses. Quick commerce in India connects into Amazon's existing logistics, payments, and Prime benefits infrastructure rather than operating as a standalone service.
BIA Advisory Services has increased its projection for 2026 local advertising revenue by $1.6 billion compared to its prior estimate. The company now anticipates that local ad revenue will hit $186.1 billion for the year.
BIA Advisory Services has increased its projection for 2026 local advertising revenue by $1.6 billion compared to its prior estimate. The company now anticipates that local ad revenue will hit $186.1 billion for the year.
According to Digiday, this year's Technology Awards finalists illustrate how the media industry is adapting to a fast-changing digital environment, prioritizing AI-ready infrastructure, first-party data, privacy and operational efficiency. The publication observes that across publishing, commerce and advertising, technology leaders are rethinking the systems behind digital experiences to make them more responsive to shifting consumer behavior and AI-driven discovery demands. Digiday notes that WordPress VIP, working with Pew Research Center, rebuilt Pew's content management system into infrastructure built for machine readability and attribution, enabling AI systems to more easily discover and interpret its research.
Digiday reports that WordPress VIP partnered with Pew Research Center to transform Pew's CMS into infrastructure designed for machine readability and attribution. Digiday identifies AI-ready infrastructure, first-party data, privacy and operational efficiency as defining priorities among this year's Digiday Technology Awards finalists. Digiday states that technology leaders across publishing, commerce and advertising are rethinking systems underpinning digital experiences to respond to evolving consumer behavior and AI-driven discovery.
Madison and Wall revised upward its worldwide and U.S. ad-spending growth estimates for this year and next, which boosted MediaPost's composite forecast for both. The firm raised its global ad-spending growth projection for 2026 by 2.2 points to +11.6% and its U.S. projection by 3.5 points to +15.6%.
Open this editionThe Interactive Advertising Bureau revised its U.S. advertising spending projection upward by 2.8 points to over 12.3% for 2026, compared to its January 2026 estimates. The report attributes stronger-than-expected first-half ad spending to record-setting audience and revenue figures from the Winter Olympics and World Cup. The study notes that buyer sentiment appears optimistic about the upcoming midterm elections, which will conclude a busy, event-driven year.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau revised its U.S. advertising spending projection upward by 2.8 points to over 12.3% for 2026, compared to its January 2026 estimates. The report attributes stronger-than-expected first-half ad spending to record-setting audience and revenue figures from the Winter Olympics and World Cup. The study notes that buyer sentiment appears optimistic about the upcoming midterm elections, which will conclude a busy, event-driven year.
Restrictions on behavioural tracking and targeted advertising aimed at children may drive more Gen Alpha advertising budgets toward retail and commerce media, as brands seek to measure sales without tracking individual young consumers through the digital advertising funnel. This reallocation reflects a broader reset in how brands could spend money to reach Gen Alpha. Dingra estimates that 35 to 50 percent of Gen Alpha media currently reliant on behavioural or audience-level targeting could be reallocated over the next few years.
Dingra notes that the reallocation does not mean 35 to 50 percent of total spending disappears.
RedVest Media announced new additions to its retail media network at its first 2027 Upfront event held on 27 August 2026. The network will offer off-site incrementality measurement, new-to-brand reporting, custom audience cohorts, and new advertising options across social, influencer, and DoorDash platforms. The expanded measurement suite is designed to indicate whether off-site campaigns produced sales that would not have happened otherwise.
Open this editionThis week's commerce media developments included new hires at companies such as Home Depot and Dentsu. Perion made an acquisition that had been the subject of rumors for months among retail media circles.
Open this editionDentsu has hired Aisha Khan away from WPP Media to lead its retail and commerce offering as head of retail & commerce for Dentsu North America. The agency is focusing on expanding and consolidating its commerce media offerings while operating under new corporate leadership at the holding company level and regionally in the Americas.
Open this editionNexxen, an advertising technology platform, announced the launch of standardized Smart TV home screen inventory specifications across original equipment manufacturers. Nexxen stated that it is introducing a unified framework for buying and activating these formats to address a challenge.
Nexxen announced the launch of standardized Smart TV home screen inventory specifications across original equipment manufacturers. Nexxen is introducing a unified framework for buying and activating these formats.
