Marketing and digital communication in 2026: the key trends according to IAB Spain

The Marketing and digital communication face 2026 in a context marked by increasingly advanced automation, increased regulatory demands and a profound redefinition of how brands connect with people. This is highlighted in the report “Top Digital Trends 2026”, produced by IAB Spain with the participation of 91 companies from the digital ecosystem.

The document identifies 17 trends that will directly impact digital marketing planning, investment, and measurement over the next year. More than anticipating isolated disruptions, the report describes the consolidation of dynamics that have already been developing and that will reach a new phase of maturity in 2026.

Next, we will review the key trends as captured by the report, grouped by major areas of impact.

Artificial Intelligence: from tool to cross-sector infrastructure
The report confirms that the Artificial Intelligence is consolidating itself as a structural technology throughout the digital marketing value chain. Your integration will be particularly relevant in areas such as Programmatic, campaign optimisation, and operational efficiency.

In this context, the emergence of Agentic AI is noteworthy. It is designed to act autonomously and collaborate between systems. Its application will be particularly visible in environments such as Retail Media, where so-called Agentic Commerce will allow intelligent agents to search, compare, recommend, and even execute transactions.

The report also emphasises the importance of human supervision to guarantee the ethics, traceability and quality of content, warning about phenomena such as AI Slop, associated with the automatic generation of low-value content.

2. Advertising attention: towards a new standard of value
Attention emerges as one of the central pillars of the report. In an environment saturated with impacts, the challenge shifts from reaching the audience to capturing and maintaining their cognitive and emotional attention.

The report anticipates a transition from visibility-based metrics to models focused on qualified attention, with the possibility that brands will begin to pay for seconds of effective attention. In this scenario, AI-based algorithms will enable attention to be optimised even before the launch of campaigns.

Social media and the rise of long-form video reinforce this approach, driving more narrative, authentic, and engagement-oriented formats.

3. Regulation and self-regulation as strategic axes
The regulatory environment is gaining increasing importance in digital marketing strategy. The report highlights the consolidation of the Data Protection Officer (DPO) and the prospect of new regulatory frameworks, such as the DPO Statute or the progressive application of the AI Act.

These regulations will require stronger governance of AI systems, incorporating bias controls, explainability mechanisms, traceability of algorithmic decisions, and labelling of synthetic content, including deepfakes.

In parallel, self-regulation is progressing with the update of the Code of Conduct for Advertising by Influencers, reinforcing transparency and clear identification of sponsored content.

4. Brandformance and the evolution of measurement
The report highlights a clear shift towards Brandformance models, which integrate branding and performance within a single strategy, thereby overcoming the traditional separation between brand building and commercial activation.

Measurement is moving towards more integrated approaches, supported by indicators such as Brand Lift, attribution models, and Media Mix Modelling, with the aim of jointly interpreting awareness, attention, and results throughout the consumer journey.

5. Evolution of key disciplines in the digital ecosystem
In addition to the main strategic pillars, the report analyses the evolution of multiple disciplines:

• Influencer Marketing and Branded Content, with greater professionalisation, a focus on results, and long-term collaborations.
•  Audio Digital, driven by video podcasting and personalisation.
•  DOOH, advancing towards programmatic models supported by contextual data.
•  CTV and Online Video, consolidating as premium environments with greater integration of proprietary data.
•  Social commerce and shoppable content are increasingly integrated into omnichannel strategies.
•  Sustainability and Virtual Spaces, as emerging fields with a growing impact.

Strategic vision integration

The Report “Top Digital Trends 2026”  Presented by IAB Spain, it should not be read as a simple catalogue of trends, but as a framework for interpreting the sector's current moment. Marketing and communication in 2026 will not hinge on the adoption of trends, but on the ability to integrate them with strategic vision.
The brands that lead will not be those that accumulate the most tools, but those that know how to choose, prioritise and let go with discernment. MIG PRISMA We see this moment as an opportunity to elevate the conversation: less tactic, more strategy; less noise, more meaning. Because in a complex environment, the real differentiator is clarity in decision-making.