Digiday+ Research: The marketer’s guide to AI applications, agentic AI, AI search and GEO/AEO in 2026

Digiday+ gives media and marketing leaders an edge with exclusive research, tools and perspective. This week, we released the first installment of our AI guide, exploring how marketers are navigating the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI into everyday workflows. Preview highlights from this member-only report below, and subscribe unlock full access to the series — plus research, briefings, guides and member-only experiences, giving you early access to the trends and insights shaping the industry so you can act on what matters most.     SUBSCRIBE     Digiday+ Research: The marketer’s guide to AI applications, agentic AI, AI search and GEO/AEO in 2026 By Li Lu and Catherine Wolf  Entering 2026, AI tools that were considered cutting edge only a year ago are now embedded across workflows for brands and agencies. Marketers are using AI to support work functions from text and image creation to data analytics, consumer targeting and engagement.  Yet this rapid evolution has also brought new challenges: how to best integrate AI into internal workflows, the complexity around agentic AI and the ramifications of AI search. In this report, Digiday explores how marketers are navigating the opportunities and challenges AI brings as it becomes an indispensable piece in their toolkits. Digiday+ Research surveyed 142 brand and agency professionals about their use of AI and current and future investments in the technology. Digiday+ Research also conducted individual interviews with marketing and technology executives responsible for AI investments and applications development. They included executives from: Code and Theory Huge Left Field Labs M7 Innovations Tinuiti IPG Media Lab     READ REPORT     Recent Member Exclusives Future of TV Briefing: How the Hollywood strikes could end up swinging the upfront to streaming READ MORE Ad Tech Briefing: CES marks the opening of digital advertising’s (likely) year of consolidation READ MORE Digiday+ Research roundup: Gen Z news consumption and diversification in the DSP space were 2025’s top trends READ MORE         Share    Tweet    Share    Forward  Digiday Media 462 7th Ave Office 06-01 New York, NY 10018 You received this email because you're signed up to receive email from Digiday. Unsubscribing will remove you from ALL Digiday email. Preferences  |  Unsubscribe