IAB Raises Its 2026 U.S. Advertising Growth Forecast

What happened

IAB’s revised forecast puts year-over-year U.S. advertising spending growth at 12.3% in 2026.

What changes

Ad inventory, data, creative work and measurement need to be considered together rather than evaluating the format in isolation.

Why it matters

Connecting creative work and media spending to business outcomes is more useful than optimizing intermediate metrics alone.

Implications for businesses

U.S. advertisers can use the forecast for planning context while basing budget decisions on their own costs, audiences and results.

Un Rino’s take

Creativity remains essential. Measurement should help explain what changed for the business, not simply produce more platform statistics.