Incross Releases 2026 Digital Marketing Trends Report: The Core Is 'Content and AI'

Incross, a digital advertising specialist and an affiliate of SK Square, announced the release of its ‘2026 Digital Marketing Trends’ report on December 2, presenting ‘CAPEX (Content & AI Powered Experience)’ as the core keyword that will define the market in the coming year.

‘CAPEX’ signifies a fundamental transformation in digital marketing experiences through the convergence of content and AI technology. Incross derived this core keyword by combining the initial letters of Creator Mix, AI Producing, Peacock Strategy, GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), and Content-friendly UX.

The first keyword, Creator Mix, represents a new paradigm that goes beyond the traditional media-centric media mix to focus on selecting the most suitable creators for a brand as the centerpiece of strategy development.

The report analyzes that as mass trends disappear-such as YouTube discontinuing its ‘Trending’ videos-and nano trends focused on individual preferences emerge, a more granular approach at the creator channel level, rather than the platform level, is essential. In response, Incross is offering a solution through its AI-based content marketing platform ‘Stellize’ to precisely match channels to brand targets.

AI Producing refers to the evolution of AI from a simple tool to a production partner. In this collaborative structure, humans focus on strategic areas such as concept and planning, while AI handles the entire production process. For example, Yanadoo leveraged AI modeling technology to produce content at approximately 1% of the cost of traditional filming, while still achieving high viewership and engagement. AI Producing is thus gaining attention as an alternative that can simultaneously address the surging demand for content and the shortage of resources faced by companies.

The Peacock Strategy, aimed at increasing ad attention, was also highlighted as a major keyword. This strategy counters the phenomenon of ‘banner blindness’-where consumers ignore familiar ads-by expanding ad formats to capture attention in a flamboyant, peacock-like manner. Trends such as ‘Format Scale-up,’ which utilizes overwhelming sizes like the massive digital out-of-home (DOOH) ads at Seoul Station and Gwanghwamun, and ‘Format Innovation,’ which breaks away from standard banner formats to boost creativity, are expected to spread.

In this context, Incross signed a business agreement with Kakao Mobility last month and is leading market changes by pursuing product planning, including DOOH platform integration.

As generative AI becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)-which encourages brands to be referenced in AI-generated answers-has become an essential marketing strategy. Furthermore, the importance of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), which provides optimized information tailored to generative AI environments, is being further emphasized.

It is noteworthy that major AI services such as ChatGPT and Gemini are rapidly adopting shopping and commerce functions, directly connecting consumer search and purchases. Incross analyzed that GEO capabilities, which ensure a brand is selected as a trusted answer in these AI-powered recommendation environments, will become the key competitive edge determining the success or failure of digital marketing. Companies must respond strategically by providing brand information in data formats that are easy for AI to learn.

Additionally, content-friendly UX-where platforms are restructured for optimal content exposure and consumption, such as short-form videos-is also expected to be a core pillar of digital marketing next year. Recently, content-centric UX redesigns are actively taking place not only in commerce but also in non-commerce sectors such as map applications. Incross analyzed that this shift will go beyond simply increasing user dwell time, serving as a key strategy to naturally guide users to discover and explore content, and ultimately drive purchase conversion.

Son Yoonjung, CEO of Incross, stated, “In 2026, marketing strategies that combine the influence of creators with the power of AI technology will become the new standard in the market,” adding, “Incross will support advertisers in achieving tangible results amid these changes through advanced solutions like Stellize.”