IAB State of Data Reports

Overview

IAB’s State of Data Reports provide an annual pulse check on how the advertising industry is adapting to fundamental shifts in data, technology, and measurement. Each report examines how evolving measurement approaches, AI adoption, privacy regulation and addressability constraints are reshaping how media performance is planned, measured, and optimized across channels.

The State of Data series is a joint research initiative between IAB’s Measurement Center and IAB’s Research & Insights team, combining original research, industry benchmarks, and practical analysis to help brands, agencies, publishers, and ad tech companies navigate an increasingly complex and fragmented ecosystem.

Each year, the series explores where the industry stands today, what is changing next, and what foundational gaps must be addressed to support future growth, accountability, and innovation. The research also informs broader industry initiatives such as Project Eidos, focused on advancing shared measurement principles and frameworks.

What You’ll Find Here

State of Data 2026 Report: Market-level benchmarks on AI’s role in advanced measurement, the maturity and trust gaps that persist, and the opportunity ahead, with practical recommendations for modernizing measurement systems, improving data quality, and orchestrating MMM, attribution, and incrementality.

Past State of Data Reports: Previous editions of the State of Data series examining how the advertising industry has adapted to evolving privacy requirements, addressability constraints, data strategy shifts, and emerging technologies such as AI—providing historical context and longitudinal perspective.

VOD, Webinars & Events: On-demand access to recorded discussions and presentations that expand on insights from prior State of Data reports.

Featured Now: State of Data 2026

AI is transforming measurement — but gaps in trust, data quality, and governance remain.

The newly released State of Data 2026 Report: The AI-Powered Measurement Transformation, based on insights from a survey 400+ senior planning and analytics decision-makers at U.S. brands and agencies, conducted in partnership with BWG Global, shows that:

AI-driven improvements could help unlock $26.3B in media investment and $6.2B in productivity value within 1-2 years.
Yet unresolved legal/security, accuracy, and data quality issues could slow or stall progress.

Explore the 2026 Report

From Insight to Industry Action

Across editions, the State of Data series has surfaced a consistent reality: modern measurement challenges cannot be solved by tools alone. Fragmented operations, inconsistent data, underrepresented channels, and disconnected approaches to attribution, incrementality, and MMM require shared principles and coordinated action.

Project Eidos is IAB’s industry initiative designed to translate State of Data insights into action. Grounded in the findings of this research series, Eidos focuses on strengthening advanced measurement through shared principles, standards, and interoperable frameworks—helping improve consistency, comparability, and trust across the ecosystem.