Advertising Trends 2026: How to Stay on Track as AI, GEA and Social Search Redefine the Landscape

1. From SEA to GEA

Advertising becomes generative and conversational

The shift is first and foremost structural. Traditional SEA, built around keyword bidding and click optimization, is evolving into GEA, Generative Engine Advertising. AI-powered engines and interfaces no longer simply display links, they generate complete answers.

Users are no longer just looking for a provider. They ask complex questions, compare options and seek contextualized recommendations. With AI Mode and Gemini, Google generates answers in which advertising formats from Search, Shopping or Performance Max are directly embedded. Advertising no longer appears alongside the answer, it becomes part of it. We have also published an article on the strategies to adopt for your advertising campaigns with the arrival of Google’s AI Mode, link.

This logic now goes beyond Google. In early February 2026, OpenAI launched a beta phase for advertising in ChatGPT in the United States, confirming that conversational interfaces are becoming new advertising spaces. Access is deliberately limited, with high entry budgets of $200k and inventory treated as premium, in order to test which formats truly deliver value to users before a broader rollout. Reported CPMs are around $60, which is very high compared to Display or Social, but consistent with CPMs on high-intent SEA queries.

In these environments, one rule applies: advertising is only acceptable if it integrates naturally into the AI’s reasoning, without breaking the relationship of trust with the user.

2. Social Search

Your customers are searching elsewhere

Traditional search engines are no longer the only entry point. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube or Pinterest have become full-fledged search engines, especially for younger generations. According to an eMarketer study, nearly one in two users now start their journey on a social platform rather than on Google.

Scrolling is no longer just about entertainment. People search, compare and decide. For brands, this means building a consistent presence across multiple platforms, with content that addresses real intent, not just visibility.

3. Multi-platforms

Being present without spreading yourself too thin

User journeys are no longer linear. A prospect discovers a brand on a social platform, searches for it on Google, checks reviews elsewhere, and eventually converts later through another channel.

Performance is no longer driven by a single platform, but by message consistency throughout the entire journey. The challenge is not to be everywhere, but to remain clear, recognizable and relevant at every touchpoint, depending on the audiences and personas targeted.

4. Local media

The return of context and proximity

In the age of generative AI, context is regaining its value. Local media, premium environments and contextual inventory allow brands to anchor themselves in credible, useful and consumer-relevant ecosystems.

Local is no longer a secondary option. It is becoming a strategic lever to stand out in a world saturated with automated messages.

5. Less targeting, more creativity

Creative assets become the primary signal

Targeting options are gradually shrinking across platforms, whether on Google with Performance Max or on Meta with Advantage+. At the same time, algorithms are maturing and taking on a growing share of delivery.

As a direct result, platforms increasingly rely on creative assets to understand context, intent and message relevance. Images, videos, formats and copy are becoming the main performance signals. Creativity is no longer just a visual layer, it now sits at the core of the advertising system, capable of making the difference depending on platforms, use cases and target audiences.

In this more restrictive targeting environment, first-party audiences remain a key lever. CRM data, customer audiences or qualified visitors make it possible to activate effective remarketing, fuel relevant lookalike audiences and restore precision to algorithms.

6. Video and UGC

The dominant formats

Short-form video and UGC content are becoming dominant across all platforms. They perform well because they mirror real user behaviors, build trust and integrate naturally into feeds.

Overly institutional content tends to fall flat. Human, authentic and contextualized formats clearly take the lead.

7. AI at Universem

Accelerating without losing direction

At Universem, AI is used as a co-pilot to do more while maintaining the same level of quality. The Advertising team relies on various AI models to diversify campaign creatives in close alignment with clients, adapt formats and messages across platforms, turn images into videos and test faster in order to learn more quickly and drive conversions.

Strategy, positioning and coherence remain human. AI accelerates execution, it does not replace vision.

Conclusion

Strategy as a compass

Advertising in 2026 leaves no room for improvisation. The shift toward generative, conversational advertising driven by GEA is now firmly established. Visibility is no longer determined solely by bidding, but by brands’ ability to integrate meaningfully into the answers produced by artificial intelligence.

Customer journeys are becoming fragmented, touchpoints are multiplying, and creativity is emerging as a central signal. Social Search, video, UGC and first-party audiences are redefining performance in increasingly automated environments.