Greetings!

Welcome to the May 2026 issue of Key Notes - Marketing Keys' monthly newsletter! We wish all the Moms out there a Happy Mother's Day! Key Notes is an informative, quick-read newsletter to get you caught up on all things media and marketing. Our goal is for you to be informed and entertained with the latest media and marketing happenings quickly and efficiently. 

The rapid growth of AI has reignited an old marketing question: do facts matter more than emotions? With tools like large language models shaping how people discover and evaluate brands, it can seem like the answer is yes. These systems tend to pull from highly structured, information-rich content such as comparisons, reviews, FAQs, and forum discussions. As a result, marketers are feeling pressure to make sure their brands are accurately represented across these sources, focusing more on clear data points like price, performance, and functionality.

At the same time, it is too early to say emotion no longer matters. Every new channel changes how messages are delivered, and AI is no different. While it relies heavily on factual inputs, the way people interact with AI tells another story. Many users are building real connections with chatbots and starting to view them as trusted advisors or even companions. That kind of behavior shows that emotion is still very much part of the experience.

What is really happening is a shift in where those emotions exist. Instead of connecting directly with brands, people are forming emotional ties through the AI tools they use. This adds a new layer between brands and consumers, making it harder for companies to control how they are perceived. The challenge is not that emotion is disappearing, but that it is being filtered through another source. As long as people are still making the final decision, emotions will continue to influence what they choose.

Looking ahead, marketers will likely find new ways to bring emotion into AI-driven spaces. The industry has adapted to major changes before, and this will be no different. In the meantime, brands may need to lean on channels outside of AI, such as live experiences or traditional media, to create stronger emotional connections. No matter how advanced technology becomes, successful marketing will always rely on a balance between logic and emotion.

What Even is a "Network" Today?

Television is going through a major transformation, but an interesting question is whether the way we talk about it is becoming outdated too. At a recent MediaPost Outfront event, Carrie Drinkwater, Chief Investment Officer at Carat, shared a story about her family playing a card game called Herd Mentality. One of the prompts asked, “What’s your favorite network?” and it led to confusion from younger players who genuinely didn’t understand what “a network” meant. That reaction highlights a growing disconnect between traditional media language and how audiences, especially younger ones, actually experience TV today.

For decades, a television network meant a place where viewers went for a broad mix of scripted series, reality shows, and live programming, all arranged on a fixed schedule. That model has steadily unraveled. Media research shows that non-sports primetime broadcast viewing has fallen sharply over the past 20 years, while sports programming has remained strong and in many cases grown. As a result, the traditional idea of what fills a “network lineup” is no longer what drives most of the audience.

Sports have become the most consistent anchor for broadcast television. The NFL leads the way with massive weekly audiences, but it is joined by other leagues like the NBA, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, and professional golf, all of which deliver steady real-time viewership. These events remain especially valuable to advertisers because they bring people together at the same time, something that is increasingly rare in a streaming-dominated world. Meanwhile, scripted and entertainment programming has largely shifted to on-demand platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max, where viewers choose when and how they watch.

This shift raises a larger branding question for the industry. If sports continue to take up more of the broadcast schedule and entertainment keeps moving to streaming, what exactly defines a “network” anymore? Even the identity of major broadcasters may start to feel out of sync with how their content is consumed. As TV continues to evolve, it may not just be the programming that changes, but the words we use to describe the entire system.

Consumer spending on media is expected to hit another record this year, showing steady growth even as broader economic pressures continue to build. A new outlook projects increases of about 3.6% in the U.S. and 3.7% globally, bringing totals to roughly $573 billion domestically and $2.53 trillion worldwide. The report suggests this growth is fairly in line with inflation, meaning people are not necessarily spending dramatically more in real terms, but they are continuing to prioritize media consumption in their budgets.

What makes the trend notable is that it is happening during a period of declining consumer confidence and ongoing global uncertainty. Factors like geopolitical conflict, higher energy prices, and general economic unease have weighed on sentiment, with confidence levels reportedly falling to lows not seen in decades. Even so, spending on media has remained relatively resilient. The report also points out that over time, media has taken up a slightly smaller portion of overall discretionary spending, with a peak around 2016 followed by a gradual decline, aside from a temporary boost during the pandemic when at-home entertainment surged.

Looking ahead, the report suggests the media market is not being driven by major disruptive shifts in what people are buying. There has been steady adoption of new tools like AI-powered platforms, but these have not yet fundamentally changed consumer spending habits. While AI is being used more in entertainment and productivity software, it is still viewed more as a helpful feature than something that significantly moves spending on its own. At the same time, the lack of major new device categories or breakthrough content formats appears to be keeping growth relatively stable rather than accelerating it.

About a year after Google introduced AI-powered updates to Gmail, email inboxes are starting to behave less like static message lists and more like personalized feeds. Instead of relying mainly on chronological order, Gmail now uses engagement signals such as how recently someone interacted with messages, which emails get the most clicks, and how often a sender is contacted. The goal is to surface what feels most relevant to each user, rather than simply showing what arrived first.

That change is already reshaping email performance in a noticeable way. Nearly 40% of emails landing in Gmail inboxes are being pushed lower in visibility by AI-driven filtering. The inbox is now functioning more like a social feed, where visibility depends heavily on whether people engage with content. Getting delivered is no longer the main challenge. Getting seen is.

For marketers, this means deliverability is becoming less about volume and more about precision. Brands are being pushed to maintain cleaner lists, remove or segment subscribers who consistently do not open or click, and better understand which acquisition channels bring in truly engaged audiences. Open and click rates are shifting from vanity metrics to meaningful signals of whether content is actually resonating. If a subscriber has gone through many sends without engaging, it may be smarter to reduce frequency and reserve them for more targeted or high-value messaging. The bigger shift is clear. Inbox algorithms are rewarding relevance, and brands that focus on sending the right message to the right audience will be the ones that continue to be seen.

Meta Platforms is under fresh scrutiny in Europe after regulators said Facebook and Instagram are not doing enough to keep children under 13 off their platforms. According to the European Union, this raises concerns under the Digital Services Act, which requires large tech companies to actively manage and reduce risks to younger users. While Meta’s policies already state that children under 13 are not allowed to use its services, regulators argue that simply having rules on paper isn’t enough if enforcement doesn’t match.

EU officials say platforms like Facebook and Instagram need stronger systems in place to actually verify user ages and prevent underage access. They point to approaches like age estimation and age verification tools as important steps, as long as they are accurate, dependable, and respectful of user privacy. The concern is that a significant number of children in Europe may still be using these platforms despite existing restrictions, raising questions about how effectively safeguards are working in practice.

Meta is pushing back on the EU’s findings, saying it disagrees with the conclusions and will respond through the formal regulatory process before any final decision is made. If the company is ultimately found to be in violation of the Digital Services Act, it could face penalties of up to 6% of its global annual revenue, making this a potentially costly ruling. The case adds to ongoing pressure on major tech companies to prove they are balancing user growth with stronger protections for vulnerable audiences.

This comes at a busy moment for Meta, which is also preparing for earnings while dealing with broader global challenges. The company recently saw a setback in China, where reports indicate regulators blocked its attempt to acquire AI startup Manus, a deal that was expected to strengthen Meta’s artificial intelligence efforts. As a result, investors are paying close attention to how Meta plans to continue funding AI development and whether its heavy investment strategy will remain a central part of its long-term growth plans.

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