2026 Advertising Predictions Webinar

State of the Industry: 2026 Advertising Predictions

MediaRadar’s Advertising Forecast explores upcoming trends for advertisers, focusing on bold, data-driven predictions across digital, streaming, and retail media. The session, hosted by Karisa Schroeder (Director of Product Marketing), features insights from Matt Krepsik (CEO) and Caroline McCrory (CCO) of MediaRadar. They discuss how economic forces, regulatory changes, and emerging players are expected to reshape advertising spend in 2026. Attendees gain a clear perspective on the trends that will define the industry and strategies to stay ahead.

Webinar Q&A

Where do you see micro-influencers fitting into the influencer/celebrity mix?

Micro-influencers provide authenticity. While celebrities offer broad, fast attention, micro-influencers deliver credibility and relevance within specific communities, especially as media becomes more personalized and narrowcast.

Any comments/insights about B2B as it relates to tariffs and political climate?

For B2B, tariffs and political volatility often lead to more conservative budgeting, increased ROI scrutiny, and messaging focused on resilience (such as supply chain stability and predictable pricing). Political ad spend can create inventory pressure and pricing inflation, so B2B advertisers benefit from flexibility in channel selection and timing.

Best replica of UGC for B2B advertising—could business leaders/experts fit the bill?

Yes. Expert-led and leader-led content is the closest B2B equivalent to UGC, offering a "human, credible, native-to-the-platform" feel. Examples include founder/executive perspectives, practitioner explainers, and customer voices, produced simply and honestly.

Why is Financial Services expected to have such high growth? Any forecast on Auto? And Food & Beverage?

Financial Services is expected to grow strongly due to aggressive competition for high-LTV customers and the ability to target both premium and value segments. Finance is projected as a leading growth category (+20%, $18.1B). Auto and Food & Beverage are also showing stronger value messaging and are participating in the shift toward increased CTV/OTT ad spend.

Will political spending still concentrate in key states, or be more spread out?

Key states will continue to see higher spend, with states like Michigan remaining highly competitive. However, political spending is becoming more distributed, with smaller markets receiving increased attention due to better intelligence, changing political geographies, and more aggressive strategies from outside groups.

Are OTT and CTV the same?

They are related but not identical. OTT refers to the streaming delivery method, while CTV is streaming viewed on a connected TV device. In practice, these terms are often bundled together (as "CTV/OTT") due to overlapping buying and measurement processes.

What will narrowcast look like for local media companies with local newscasts and reporting?

Local narrowcast will likely involve local news being distributed across multiple endpoints: streaming, social video, connected TV apps, and more personalized channels. The opportunity is to present local reporting in creator-native formats while maintaining the trust advantage of local news.

Upcoming Webinar

State of the Industry: Video Everywhere—Winning in the New Era of CTV

This upcoming session will analyze the convergence of CTV with linear, digital video, and social, focusing on ad spend, category momentum, and go-to-market shifts.