references/2026/commerce-media-2026.md

# Commerce Media, 2026

Commerce media now spans retailer networks, marketplaces, social commerce, creator commerce, online/offline purchase data, and cross-channel activation. Closed-loop reporting improves observability but does not by itself establish incrementality.

## Decision implications

- Distinguish shopper access, media inventory, data advantage, and measurement advantage.
- Require a credible counterfactual before treating attributed purchases as incremental sales.
- Evaluate customer experience, margin, retailer economics, and channel substitution alongside ROAS.

## Sources

- `source:iab-commerce-media-2026`
- `source:iab-commerce-incrementality-2025`