What's Coming

Predictions and emerging trends for marketing analytics in 2026 and beyond, helping you prepare for the future of measurement and optimisation.

Looking Ahead

These predictions are based on current technology trajectories, regulatory trends, and industry signals. Likelihood ratings reflect probability of meaningful adoption by end of 2026. Impact ratings indicate potential effect on marketing measurement practices. Use these insights to inform your 2026 roadmap, prioritising preparation for high-likelihood, high-impact developments whilst monitoring emerging trends.

Cookieless Measurement Becomes Standard

As Chrome completes third-party cookie deprecation, the industry fully transitions to first-party data strategies, contextual targeting, and privacy-preserving measurement techniques.

Very High

Expected Timeline

Q2-Q3 2026

Potential Impact

Critical

How to Prepare

Implement server-side tracking, build first-party data collection, test privacy-preserving attribution models, and establish data clean room partnerships.

Source: Forrester 2026 Predictions

AI Agents Automate Campaign Optimisation

Autonomous AI systems that continuously test, learn, and optimise campaigns across channels without human intervention, making real-time budget allocation and creative decisions.

High

Expected Timeline

H2 2026

Potential Impact

High

How to Prepare

Establish clear success metrics, implement robust testing frameworks, define guardrails for AI decision-making, and build human oversight processes.

Source: Gartner Top Technology Trends 2026

Unified Measurement Frameworks Emerge

Industry standards for combining MMM, MTA, and incrementality testing into single unified measurement frameworks that provide consistent cross-channel insights.

Medium

Expected Timeline

Throughout 2026

Potential Impact

High

How to Prepare

Evaluate emerging frameworks, ensure data infrastructure can support multiple measurement approaches, and train teams on unified measurement concepts.

Source: Adriel: Future of Marketing Measurement

Regulatory Pressure on AI Transparency

New regulations requiring explainability of AI-driven marketing decisions, particularly around targeting, pricing, and personalisation in regulated industries like Gaming.

High

Expected Timeline

Q3-Q4 2026

Potential Impact

High

How to Prepare

Document AI model logic, implement explainable AI techniques, establish audit trails for automated decisions, and prepare for regulatory scrutiny.

Source: Gartner Top Technology Trends 2026

Real-Time Incrementality Measurement

Continuous experimentation platforms that measure incremental impact of every marketing activity in real-time, replacing periodic testing with always-on measurement.

Medium

Expected Timeline

H2 2026

Potential Impact

Medium

How to Prepare

Build experimentation infrastructure, establish control groups, define incrementality metrics, and create processes for acting on real-time insights.

Source: Adriel: Future of Marketing Measurement

Blockchain-Based Attribution

Decentralised attribution systems using blockchain to create transparent, tamper-proof records of customer journeys and marketing touchpoints, particularly for affiliate marketing.

Low

Expected Timeline

Late 2026

Potential Impact

Medium

How to Prepare

Monitor blockchain attribution pilots, evaluate potential benefits for affiliate fraud prevention, and assess technical feasibility for your infrastructure.

Source: Gartner Future of Marketing

Synthetic Data for Privacy Compliance

AI-generated synthetic datasets that preserve statistical properties of real customer data whilst eliminating privacy concerns, enabling analytics without exposing personal information.

Medium

Expected Timeline

H2 2026

Potential Impact

Medium

How to Prepare

Explore synthetic data generation tools, validate statistical accuracy against real data, and establish use cases where synthetic data can replace real data.

Source: Gartner Top Technology Trends 2026

Voice and Conversational Analytics

Measurement frameworks for voice-activated marketing, conversational AI interactions, and chatbot-driven customer journeys as these channels mature.

Medium

Expected Timeline

Throughout 2026

Potential Impact

Low

How to Prepare

Track voice and conversational channel growth, establish measurement frameworks for non-traditional touchpoints, and integrate with existing attribution models.

Source: Gartner Future of Marketing

Quantum Computing for Complex Modelling

Early applications of quantum computing to solve complex attribution and optimisation problems that are computationally infeasible with classical computers.

Very Low

Expected Timeline

Late 2026

Potential Impact

Low

How to Prepare

Monitor quantum computing developments, identify potential use cases for complex marketing problems, but don't invest resources yet.

Source: Gartner Top Technology Trends 2026

Mandatory Responsible Marketing Measurement

Regulatory requirements for Gaming operators to measure and report on responsible gambling metrics, player harm indicators, and marketing impact on vulnerable populations.

High

Expected Timeline

Q2-Q4 2026

Potential Impact

Critical

How to Prepare

Implement responsible gambling KPIs, build measurement frameworks for player harm indicators, establish reporting processes, and integrate with existing analytics.

Source: Gambling Commission: Safer Gambling

Strategic Planning for 2026

Focus your 2026 preparation on high-likelihood, high-impact developments: cookieless measurement, AI automation, and regulatory transparency requirements. These will fundamentally reshape marketing analytics practices and require significant infrastructure investment and team training.

For Gaming operators, prioritise cookieless measurement infrastructure, responsible gambling metrics, and AI-powered player value prediction. These align with both regulatory requirements and competitive advantage in deposit-based business models. Monitor blockchain attribution developments for affiliate fraud prevention, but don't invest heavily until proven at scale.