What’s Working in eCommerce Advertising Right Now (Q1 2026)

Earlier this year, we hosted a Q1 breakfast briefing for eCommerce brands and the Bristol Beacon. Together, we explored how the advertising landscape is changing and what that means for brands trying to grow in 2026.

The advertising landscape is shifting quickly. Platforms like Meta and Google now rely heavily on machine learning and AI-driven optimisation. That means many of the levers advertisers historically relied on, like granular targeting and manual optimisation, suddenly matter far less than they once did.

The biggest differentiator today is creative. And the ability to iterate quickly.

What’s Working in eCommerce Advertising Right Now (Q1 2026)

For those who couldn’t join us on the day, we’ve re-recorded the two presentations from the session below.

Together, they explore the trends defining advertising now, why creative has become the most important performance lever for ecommerce brands, and what that means for ad strategy.

Across the two talks, we cover:

• How AI-driven advertising systems have changed the way campaigns are targeted and optimised

• Why creative is becoming the most important lever for improving ad performance

• What modern performance creative actually looks like for ecommerce brands

• Why audience targeting and media tactics are becoming increasingly automated

• How brands should approach creative testing, iteration, and scaling in 2026