Kantar Marketing Trends 2026: What E-Commerce Video Marketers Need to Know

The landscape of e-commerce video marketing is undergoing a seismic shift. According to Kantar's Marketing Trends 2026 report, the convergence of AI agents, generative engine optimization (GEO), and retail media networks is fundamentally changing how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase products online.

For e-commerce marketers, these aren't distant predictions but are immediate strategic imperatives. Brands that adapt their video strategies now will capture market share, while those that wait risk becoming invisible in an AI-mediated marketplace.

This article breaks down Kantar's key findings and translates them into actionable video marketing strategies for e-commerce brands. Whether you're running Shopify stores, Amazon listings, or direct-to-consumer campaigns, these insights will help you stay ahead of the curve.

1. AI Agents Are Reshaping Purchase Decisions (And Your Video Strategy Must Adapt)

What Kantar Found:

24% of AI users are already using an AI shopping assistant, according to Kantar's Connecting with the AI Consumer report. OpenAI's announcement of browser-integrated AI agents signals that delegated purchase support is becoming mainstream.

By 2026, consumers will increasingly brief their own AI agents with purchase intent ("find me the best mascara for sensitive skin"), and these agents will autonomously research, compare, and recommend products.

What This Means for E-Commerce Video

Your videos are no longer just competing for human attention. They need to be discoverable and persuasive to AI agents.

This requires a fundamental shift in video strategy:

• Machine-readable content: Product videos must include clear, structured information (features, specifications, use cases) that AI agents can parse and evaluate
• Semantic optimization: Videos need descriptive titles, transcripts, and metadata that help AI understand what you offer and why it matters
• Proof and credibility signals: AI agents prioritize trusted sources, so customer testimonials, data-driven claims, and third-party validation become critical

Action Step: Audit your current product videos. Do they contain clear, structured information that an AI agent could use to recommend your product? If not, it's time to update your video brief template.

2. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): The New SEO for Video

What Kantar Found

74% of AI assistant users regularly seek out AI-driven recommendations (Kantar's Connecting with the AI Consumer report). This has given rise to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): the practice of ensuring your brand is cited and trusted by Large Language Models (LLMs).

Kantar emphasizes: "If the model doesn't know you, it won't choose you." Brands must create clear, structured, machine-legible content that primes AI models with their brand meaning and offerings.

What This Means for E-Commerce Video

Video content is a powerful GEO asset but only if it's optimized correctly.

Here's how to make your videos GEO-friendly:

1. Create "How-To" and Educational Video Content

• AI models prioritize helpful, informative content
• Recipe videos, styling guides, installation tutorials, and comparison videos all help establish your brand as an authority
• These videos should be hosted on your owned properties (website, YouTube) with full transcripts

2. Optimize Video Metadata and Transcripts

• Video titles should include primary keywords and clear value propositions
• Descriptions should be detailed and structured (not just keyword-stuffed)
• Full transcripts make your video content searchable and indexable by AI

3. Build Video Content Clusters

• Create interconnected video content around core topics (similar to SEO pillar pages)
• Link videos together and embed them in comprehensive landing pages
• This helps AI models understand your topical authority
  
  

3. Creator Content Must Earn Its Place at the Effectiveness Table

What Kantar Found

A net 61% of marketers plan to increase their investment in creator content in 2026 (Kantar's Media Reactions). However, Kantar warns that engagement metrics (likes, views) aren't meaningful outcomes.

The critical finding: Only 27% of creator content ties strongly to the brand, and coherent, cross-channel ideas are 2.5x more important to campaign success than a decade ago (Kantar LIFT+ database).

What This Means for E-Commerce Video

Creator partnerships are valuable but only when executed strategically.

The Problem with Most Creator Campaigns:

• Isolated, one-off executions that don't connect to broader brand narrative
• Over-direction that kills authenticity, or under-briefing that makes the brand disappear
• Focus on vanity metrics instead of ROI and brand-building

The Solution for 2026:

• Long-term creative platforms: Develop overarching brand themes that multiple creators can interpret in their own style
• Clustered content themes: Group creator content around specific product benefits, use cases, or seasonal campaigns
• Clear guardrails with creative freedom: Set non-negotiables (brand values, key messages, legal requirements) but let creators execute in their authentic voice
  
  

4. Retail Media Networks: The High-Performance Channel for Video

What Kantar Found

Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are delivering 1.8x better results than digital ads overall, and nearly 3x better results for purchase intent (Kantar LIFT database).

A net 38% of marketers plan to increase RMN investment in 2026 (Kantar's Media Reactions), and shoppable ads on CTV and streaming platforms are expected to go mainstream.

What This Means for E-Commerce Video

RMNs represent the highest-intent video advertising environment available to e-commerce brands. Consumers on retail platforms are already in shopping mode, making video ads significantly more effective.

Why RMN Video Ads Outperform:

• High purchase intent: Viewers are actively shopping, not passively browsing
• First-party data targeting: Retailers have rich purchase history and behavioral data
• Closed-loop attribution: Direct connection between ad exposure and purchase

2026 RMN Video Opportunities:

• Amazon Sponsored Brands Video: In-feed video ads on search results and product pages
• Walmart Connect Video: Shoppable video ads across Walmart.com and streaming inventory
• Instacart Ads: Video placements during grocery shopping sessions
• Shoppable CTV: Video ads on streaming platforms with direct purchase links

5. Micro-Communities: Where Authentic Video Engagement Drives ROI

What Kantar Found

Algorithmic feeds are rewarding generic, sales-heavy content, while organic reach for branded pages continues to decline. In response, consumers are moving toward micro-communities where authenticity and relevance drive engagement.

In China, brands using knowledge-sharing micro-community platforms achieved 25% higher marketing ROI (Kantar LIFT ROI database). Nearly 40% of consumers trust micro-community recommendations as much as personal ones.

What This Means for E-Commerce Video

Broad-reach video campaigns are becoming less effective and more expensive. The future belongs to targeted, value-driven video content in niche communities.

Where to Find Micro-Communities:

• Reddit subreddits around specific product categories
• Discord brand-owned or community-led servers
• Facebook Groups for niche interests
• LinkedIn Groups for B2B communities
• Platform-specific communities like Xiaohongshu (RED) in China

How to Win in Micro-Communities:

• Lead with value, not promotion: Educational content, tutorials, behind-the-scenes
• Engage authentically: Respond to comments, participate in discussions
• Collaborate with community creators: Partner with respected community members

Conclusion: The 2026 E-Commerce Video Playbook

Kantar's Marketing Trends 2026 makes one thing clear: the rules of e-commerce video marketing are being rewritten in real time.

The brands that will win in 2026:

• Optimize video for both human viewers and AI agents
• Invest in GEO-friendly educational content
• Build long-term creator partnerships with clear brand platforms
• Allocate significant budget to retail media networks
• Engage authentically in micro-communities

The brands that will struggle:

• Continue creating generic, sales-focused video content
• Ignore AI discoverability and GEO optimization
• Treat creator partnerships as one-off transactions
• Rely solely on traditional social media reach
• Measure success only through vanity metrics

At GliaCloud, we're helping e-commerce brands navigate this transition with outcome-based video solutions that combine AI efficiency with strategic creative expertise. Our approach ensures your videos perform across all these emerging channels: from AI agent recommendations to retail media placements to micro-community engagement.

Ready to future-proof your e-commerce video strategy? Contact GliaCloud today to see how we can help your e-commerce business grow with our bespoke AI video marketing services.

Source: Kantar Marketing Trends 2026 Report