Mediaocean finds orchestration challenges slowing adoption of AI in video advertising

Mediaocean has released its “2026 H1 Advertising Outlook Report,” outlining increased confidence in digital media investment alongside challenges in executing artificial intelligence within marketing operations.

Based on a survey conducted in November 2025 with more than 6,100 respondents across brands, agencies, media companies and technology providers, the report found that generative AI remained the leading consumer trend for the third consecutive wave, cited by 70 percent of marketers.

While 43 percent of marketers reported using AI for data analysis and the same percentage for market research, adoption rates dropped closer to campaign execution. Only 33 percent used AI for creative development and 19 percent for orchestration, indicating a divide between insight generation and practical deployment.

The report noted increased media investment in connected TV and digital video, with 63 percent of marketers planning to boost spending in both areas. Social platforms followed at 61 percent, and AI-driven advertising, including ads on AI agents, at 54 percent. In contrast, print and linear TV continued to see pressure.

Despite enthusiasm around AI, marketers cited several obstacles to scaling its use.

Forty-two percent pointed to data quality or access issues, while 41 percent said they faced difficulties connecting AI insights across systems. Only 10 percent of respondents reported having fully unified ad tech systems, despite 86 percent emphasizing the importance of cross-channel orchestration.

Marketers are shifting priorities from channel-level optimization to system-wide intelligence. Thirty-nine percent identified AI as a top area of focus, and the same proportion cited cross-platform orchestration.

“As AI becomes more deeply woven into the media lifecycle, the advantage won’t come from adopting even more tools—it will come from orchestrating them,” said Aaron Goldman, chief marketing officer at Mediaocean. “This research shows marketers are ready to move from experimentation to execution, but fragmented systems are slowing progress.”

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Mediaocean described the orchestration gap as a growing concern, driven by increasing complexity in media environments and rising expectations for integrated planning, activation, measurement and optimization.

The full “2026 H1 Advertising Outlook Report” is available at Mediaocean’s website.