Mediaocean flags widening AI execution gap as fragmented ad tech slows marketers

Mediaocean’s 2026 H1 Advertising Outlook Report has identified a growing disconnect between marketers’ AI ambition and their ability to execute, with fragmented ad tech systems emerging as the biggest brake on progress.

The bi-annual report, based on research across brands, agencies, media owners and technology providers, shows generative AI remains the most influential consumer trend heading into 2026, cited by 70% of marketers. However, while enthusiasm for AI continues to rise, execution is lagging as disconnected systems make it difficult to carry insights from planning through to activation and optimisation.

Media investment is rebounding selectively, with planned spend increases concentrated in CTV and digital video (63% each), followed by social platforms (61%) and AI-driven media and advertising on AI agents (54%). Traditional channels such as print and linear TV continue to face pressure.

Despite this renewed confidence in digital investment, Mediaocean’s data highlights a structural challenge. While 86% of marketers say cross-channel orchestration is important, only 10% report having fully unified ad tech systems in place. This gap is creating friction not just in scaling AI, but in coordinating planning, activation, measurement and optimisation across increasingly complex media environments.

The report shows AI adoption remains strongest at the insight stage, with 43% of marketers using AI for data analysis and market research. Adoption drops as AI moves closer to execution, with 33% using it for creative development and just 19% for campaign orchestration.

According to the research, AI maturity is now becoming a central focus for marketers, with data quality and access issues (42%) and the difficulty of connecting AI insights across systems (41%) cited as the biggest barriers to progress.

The findings also point to a shift in how marketers are thinking about optimisation. Rather than focusing on individual channels, 39% now prioritise AI and 39% prioritise cross-platform orchestration, signalling a move away from siloed point solutions toward more connected, system-level intelligence.

Michael Serratore, VP of client success APAC at Innovid, said the cost of disconnected systems is becoming harder to ignore as AI moves deeper into execution workflows.

“Marketers know AI can drive better outcomes, but fragmented systems make it difficult to carry insights from planning through to activation and optimisation,” Serratore said. “AI adoption is moving beyond analysis and research into creative development and campaign optimisation, which makes the cost of disconnected systems much higher.”

“As execution becomes the focus, the challenge is no longer whether to use AI, but how to connect it across the entire campaign lifecycle so insights don’t get lost between platforms.”

Mediaocean CMO Aaron Goldman said the next phase of advantage will come from orchestration rather than tool accumulation.

“As AI becomes more deeply woven into the media lifecycle, the advantage won’t come from adopting more tools,” Goldman said. “It will come from orchestrating them. Smarter, more connected foundations are what turn AI insights into action at scale.”