Dentsu’s Will Swayne: Advertising Enters Its Third Phase, ‘The Algorithmic Era’

Why It Matters

The shift to algorithmic media transforms how brands allocate spend, demanding data‑driven targeting while preserving core consumer insights. Companies that master this balance can capture premium sports inventory and emerging entertainment formats, driving higher ROI in a competitive 2026 landscape.

Key Takeaways

• Advertising now defined by algorithmic, outcome‑focused media planning
• AI integration must prioritize stable consumer behaviors over tech hype
• 2026 FIFA World Cup, Olympics boost major sports ad spend
• Gaming expands into film, creating cross‑media brand opportunities
• Asian micro‑drama formats gain global traction for short‑form content

Pulse Analysis

The advertising landscape has entered what dentsu’s Will Swayne calls the "algorithmic era," the third phase after the broadcast and precision eras. In this stage, media buying relies on real‑time data, machine‑learning models, and addressable marketplaces that tie impressions directly to measurable outcomes. Planners are no longer buying generic eyeballs; they are purchasing algorithmically curated slots that align with specific consumer actions, such as clicks, purchases, or app installs. This shift demands new skill sets, from data engineering to predictive analytics, and forces agencies to embed algorithmic logic into every media strategy.

Despite the high‑tech veneer, Swayne stresses that consumer behavior remains the constant anchor for successful campaigns. AI tools should simplify the journey, not add friction, by delivering messages that fit existing habits rather than forcing new actions. Brand fundamentals—clarity, relevance, and value—still dictate media choices, especially as marquee events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Winter Olympics promise unprecedented reach and premium pricing. Advertisers that align algorithmic targeting with these timeless principles can capture both the hype of global sports and the loyalty of core audiences.

New content formats are also reshaping the algorithmic playbook. Gaming franchises are crossing into film and streaming, offering brands hybrid sponsorships that blend interactive and passive experiences. In Asia, short‑form "micro dramas" are generating massive engagement, prompting dentsu to pilot a P&G program that leverages these bite‑sized narratives for product storytelling. As these trends migrate westward, media planners must adapt measurement models to capture fragmented attention spans and cross‑platform ROI. Embracing both the data‑driven algorithmic core and culturally resonant formats will be the differentiator for agencies in 2026 and beyond.

Original Description

LAS VEGAS — Media planning for 2026 must acknowledge advertising’s evolution from broadcast-focused 30-second spots and “eyeballs” by instead relying on precision targeting to meet the demands of the “agentic and algorithmic era.”

“We’re in a new era of advertising — the third era,” Will Swayne, global practice president - Media and Integrated Solutions at dentsu, told Beet.TV contributor David Kaplan at CES. “We started off with the broadcast era, very much focused around the 30-second ad. We then moved into the second era, which was the precision era, which was really focused around search and feed, and now we’re in the algorithmic era.”

This agentic era demands addressable, accountable, and shoppable media marketplaces that enable outcome-focused planning.

Consumer behavior remains constant

While AI integrates into workflows everywhere, successful media planning requires focus on unchanging consumer behaviors rather than technology trends that shift over time.

“What consumers need to see is it not being an additional application or thing that they have to do where it’s actually making their lives simpler and easier to use,” Swayne said. “We as media planners need to be thinking about the AI world and making sure that we’re actually thinking about consumer behavior more because it is those consumer behaviors that don’t change.”

Brand and business fundamentals persist despite technological and media evolution.

Sports dominance continues

The 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, plus Winter Olympics create significant sports investment opportunities following strong 2025 performance including sold-out Super Bowl advertising and 10% NFL advertising growth.

“Sports and entertainment are going to be really big things for media planners to think about this year,” Swayne said. “The FIFA World Cup, really bullish about here in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. That is going to be a big event for brands to be able to build off and a global platform.”

Gaming expands into entertainment

Gaming presents adjacent opportunities as it broadens beyond traditional boundaries, with Angry Birds launching a third movie this year demonstrating gaming’s expansion into film and entertainment.

“We see gaming broadening out. The way that gaming is expanding into film and entertainment is a really interesting trend to be looking at,” Swayne said.

Micro dramas gain traction

Short-form social content called micro dramas are creating enormous interest across Asia, with dentsu launching a program with Procter & Gamble featuring micro drama content for a P&G brand later in 2026.

“Being an Asia-listed agency group, we look to the east for things that can inspire us,” Swayne said. “Short snippets that run through social are creating an enormous amount of interest within Asia right now. We’re bringing that and actually running a program with P&G later this year, which shows the traction that’s creating and how we need to be thinking about this sports and entertainment space differently and algorithmically.”