Greetings!

Welcome to the January 2026 issue of Key Notes - Marketing Keys' monthly newsletter! We hope everyone had a smooth and positive start to the year. 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. 

Global advertising is on track to hit a major turning point in 2026, with total spend projected to climb more than 5% and break the $1 trillion mark for the first time. That growth is expected to move faster than the global economy itself, highlighting how central advertising has become to business momentum. At the same time, the way consumers find and choose brands is changing. Algorithms now decide much of what people see across screens and platforms, raising the stakes for marketers to be intentional, visible, and relevant in increasingly crowded digital spaces.

This new landscape is being defined by what many are calling an algorithm-driven media era, where advertising is no longer just about exposure but about connection. Media now functions as the entry point to a brand, shaping discovery, engagement, and trust all at once. Brands that succeed will be those that understand how automated systems influence attention and purchasing behavior, and then use that insight to guide creative and strategic decisions. In 2026, thoughtful innovation and outcome-focused planning will matter more than simply spending more.

Cultural moments will also play a major role in shaping the year ahead. Global events like the Winter Olympics, the World Cup, and key elections will draw massive audiences, but consumer interest is no longer limited to traditional sports or entertainment. Niche and emerging formats—such as sports documentaries and anime—are capturing growing followings, especially among younger audiences. As more marketing leaders increase investment in original content and partnerships, brands will have greater freedom to tell stories, support communities, and show up in unexpected places.

From a regional and channel perspective, growth will be widespread but uneven. The Americas and Asia-Pacific are expected to lead the way, fueled by major events and continued digital expansion. Digital advertising will account for the majority of total spend, with retail media, streaming video, and social platforms seeing the strongest gains, largely driven by programmatic buying. While channels like television and out-of-home remain relevant, print continues to decline. Industry-wise, technology, public and political advertising, and beverages are forecast to grow fastest, reflecting how innovation, influence, and consumer lifestyle trends are shaping the future of advertising.

Did 2025 Rewrite the Playbook?

With 2025 now in the rearview mirror, marketers have plenty to unpack from a year defined by constant change. Political uncertainty shaped much of the broader business climate, often pulling attention away from marketing strategy. While those events didn’t fundamentally alter how email marketing operates, they did influence planning, focus, and decision-making across teams.

Artificial intelligence continued its march into everyday marketing workflows. What once felt experimental is now widely used to anticipate customer behavior, assist with content development, and surface insights from complex data sets. At the same time, AI reshaped search in ways that created new obstacles. As AI-generated responses increasingly appear at the top of search results, brands are finding that visibility no longer guarantees traffic, forcing a rethink of long-standing SEO goals.

Data challenges also stood out throughout the year, particularly in the B2B space. Many marketers reported difficulty accessing complete, connected data, limiting their ability to personalize campaigns and measure success. Even so, account-based marketing gained momentum, with most B2B organizations now using ABM strategies—often supported by AI-driven targeting and predictive analytics. The takeaway: advanced tools are only as effective as the data feeding them.

Consumers, meanwhile, grew more selective about how they engage with brands. Email remains the preferred channel for brand communications, but inbox fatigue is real and growing. Shoppers are quick to disengage when messages feel misleading, unsolicited, or hard to opt out of, and legal scrutiny around aggressive subject lines reinforced the need for caution. Still, early indicators suggest the recent holiday season delivered solid results for retailers, offering a strong note to close out the year and valuable lessons to carry forward.

Even as linear TV faces continued challenges, some networks are finding ways to attract viewers. According to Nielsen’s Big Data+Panel, several channels saw noticeable gains in prime-time ratings over the past year. ABC grew 5% to an average of 4.04 million viewers, while Fox increased by 10% to 3.14 million. Fox News Channel rose 12% to 2.76 million, and ESPN led the pack with an 18% jump to nearly 2 million viewers. Sports programming, including ABC’s “Monday Night Football,” played a major role in driving these gains.

Spanish-language networks also saw steady growth. Univision and Telemundo each grew about 3%, drawing just over a million viewers combined. Improved measurement methods from Nielsen, along with sports coverage, helped highlight audiences that may have been undercounted in the past. Smaller and mid-tier networks also saw progress, with The CW climbing 13% to 502,000 viewers thanks to expanded coverage of college football, basketball, and other niche sports like NASCAR’s Xfinity Series.

Other networks that rely on library content or family-oriented programming also experienced growth. Bounce TV, an African-American digital broadcast network, surged 27% to 300,000 viewers, while ESPN2 matched that total with a 5% increase. Paramount’s “Nick at Nite” and Freeform, which air a mix of classic sitcoms and scripted dramas for young adults, both grew 8%, showing that curated, familiar content can still attract audiences. Even Nickelodeon and Nicktoons registered modest gains, suggesting that younger viewers haven’t completely abandoned linear TV.

And some of the smaller, niche networks are proving that size doesn’t always limit success. The Cowboy Channel increased 21% to 29,000 viewers, demonstrating that specialized programming can carve out a loyal audience. While the overall landscape for linear TV remains difficult, these examples show that targeted content—especially sports, nostalgic favorites, and library programming—can still draw viewers. In other words, linear TV may be evolving, but it’s far from irrelevant.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is embarking on an aggressive hiring push, committing about $100 million over the next year to dramatically grow its ranks. Rather than relying on traditional job postings alone, the agency is turning to modern marketing tactics to attract candidates at scale. Internal plans outline a nationwide recruitment effort tied closely to President Trump’s immigration priorities, with messaging designed to reach people across a wide range of digital platforms and online communities.

At the heart of the strategy is a highly targeted advertising approach more commonly associated with consumer brands. ICE is using location-based ad technology to deliver recruitment messages to individuals who pass through selected venues, such as military installations, major sporting events, college campuses, and industry expos. Ads are also tailored based on interests and media habits, aiming to connect with audiences already inclined toward law enforcement, public safety, or tactical professions. By saturating multiple channels at once, officials hope to quickly build awareness and generate interest among qualified prospects.

The hiring campaign is unlike anything the agency has attempted before, both in scope and resources. ICE is seeking nearly 10,000 new agents, a move that would more than double its current deportation officer workforce. A recent funding boost from Congress has made this expansion possible, elevating ICE’s budget above that of other federal law enforcement agencies. Agency leaders say early results have exceeded expectations, citing a surge in applications and job offers. To keep momentum strong, ICE has relaxed certain hiring requirements and introduced substantial signing bonuses, changes that have helped broaden the applicant pool while also sparking debate over the pace and tone of the recruitment drive.

Young Americans are increasingly treating TikTok as their go-to place for news, according to the latest findings from the Pew Research Center. For the first time, the short-form video app has moved ahead of platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram among users ages 18 to 29. More than four in ten people in this age group now say they regularly encounter news on TikTok, putting it slightly ahead of other major social platforms. In contrast, far fewer young adults report turning to X or Reddit for news, signaling a clear reshaping of where this generation goes to stay informed.

This shift represents a meaningful change from recent years, when YouTube and Instagram held the top spots for social news consumption among Gen Z. While news discovery has steadily increased across most large platforms, TikTok’s rise has been especially rapid. Its growth reflects a growing appetite for news delivered in short, informal videos that feel authentic rather than highly produced. Even as established media organizations expand their presence on the platform, individual creators continue to attract strong followings by presenting current events in a more personal, accessible way.

The research also shows that social media now outweighs traditional news formats for young adults. A large majority of Americans under 30 prefer getting news through social platforms instead of visiting news websites or subscribing to email newsletters. In response, TikTok has introduced new tools designed to add context and improve credibility, including features that allow creators to provide additional clarification. Still, concerns remain as AI-generated content becomes more common, raising questions about misinformation and trust — issues that are increasingly drawing attention from global regulators as TikTok’s role in the news ecosystem continues to grow.

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