Back for its fourth edition, the State of Digital Content 2026 gives a behind-the-scenes look into how content teams operate and where they’re headed next. This year, Canto surveyed over 400 content and marketing professionals to understand how teams navigate rising digital content complexity, what operational challenges slow them down, and what the most advanced, best-in-class organizations do differently.

You’ll glean insights on:

• The content boom: Understand trends in content operation budgets and expectations around content volume in the age of AI
• Content operations under pressure: Investigate the top challenges organizations are facing around digital content management, workflow performance, and focus areas for improvement
• What’s driving digital asset management: See how organizations are managing content, the consequences of mismanaged assets, and the best practices you need now
• Tech stack optimization: Find out where teams are inefficient, the latest operational priorities, and marketing tech stack maturity trends
• AI throughout the content lifecycle: Discover how AI is impacting content operations, where organizations can apply AI successfully, and emerging opportunities

The post The State of Digital Content: 2026 Edition appeared first on American Marketing Association.

YouTube has become the new king of media – spanning CTV, the creator economy, Shorts, and performance marketing. Yet many brands still manage these opportunities in silos, limiting impact and wasting spend.

This playbook explores how leading brands are rethinking YouTube as a unified ecosystem. By aligning paid media, creator partnerships, and organic strategy, brands can reduce inefficiencies, improve brand suitability, and drive stronger performance.

Inside, you’ll discover the key challenges holding brands back, the strategies top marketers are adopting, and how to build a more connected, effective YouTube approach.

Download the guide to see how brands are turning YouTube into a true growth engine.

The post The Brand Marketer’s YouTube Playbook appeared first on American Marketing Association.

This guide is built for marketers who need events and experience to perform like a true marketing channel not just a line item. Inside, you’ll learn how leading brands define experiential marketing, choose the right formats, and design “money-can’t-buy” moments that create emotional connection and long-term loyalty. Get practical ideas for leveraging AI, RFID, and data to personalize experiences at scale, measure behavior across touchpoints, and connect those insights back to the pipeline and revenue.

The post Experiential Marketing Playbook for Modern B2B Marketers appeared first on American Marketing Association.

Marketing teams aren’t struggling to create content. They’re struggling to make it usable.

Think of a common buyer objection your team faces. Now ask whether a rep could find the right asset to address it in 10 seconds while on a live call.

Most teams find the answer is no. Not because the content doesn’t exist, but because it’s not organized around how sellers actually search for things in the moment.

The Sales Content Taxonomy Blueprint walks through a six-category framework built around deal stages, not marketing categories.

The post Where Marketing Strategy Meets Sales Execution appeared first on American Marketing Association.

Learn proven ways to create a memorable brand that delights your ICP audience and avoid looking generic by playing it safe.

Get successful examples from decades of marketing experience brought to you by Island’s Head of Brand, hosted by WiseStamp.

You may have the brand basics covered: logo, website, social channels, creative assets. But is it enough to make you memorable?

Not likely. It’s just the baseline where most brands compete. But not enough to win.

Fact is, the most memorable brands go beyond the baseline.

They delight ICPs with small details that show expertise. Surprise with unexpected touchpoints. Build emotional cues that express empathy. 

Learn how to develop a brand story, build experiences that speak to your ICP’s emotions, and operationalize the small details that make your brand stick.

The post How to Build a Brand Your ICP Won’t Forget appeared first on American Marketing Association.

AI may not replace every role, but it is fundamentally reshaping the marketing industry and long-term career paths. If you’re ready to take control of your future, consider becoming the owner of an INC. 5000 franchise business — designed with no physical location, no infrastructure, flexible scheduling, uncapped earning potential, and one of the lowest initial investments in the industry.

Provide your local community access to the largest independent publisher in the United States, delivering hyper-local print and digital media solutions. With more than 1,000 open markets available across major metropolitan areas, the opportunity for growth is significant.

City Lifestyle owners come from a variety of professional backgrounds, with many of the most successful franchisees bringing experience in marketing and sales. The business model provides comprehensive training, ongoing mentorship, and dedicated coaching. Production and back-office operations are fully managed for you, allowing you to focus on revenue growth and building client relationships.

Ditch the daily grind and make the transition from employee to owner — with the flexibility, autonomy, and financial upside that comes from building a business for yourself, not by yourself.

Locations are filling quickly, the time to act is now.

The post How to Quit Your Job and Launch a Business Before It’s Too Late appeared first on American Marketing Association.

In 2026, the publishing and media industries have reached a critical threshold where human-created and AI-generated content coexist on nearly every platform. While generative AI offers powerful opportunities for efficiency, it also introduces unprecedented risks, from sophisticated deepfake hoaxes to the legal ramifications of AI-driven plagiarism. Today, editorial teams are under immense pressure to maintain integrity as audience trust reaches an all-time low.

This new guide by Copyleaks provides a strategic framework for media and publishing organizations to implement a zero-trust editorial workflow. It explores how leading companies are moving beyond manual oversight to integrate automated AI detection, ensuring that every piece of content—whether text, image, or video—is verified as authentic before it ever reaches the public.

Download now to learn:

• How to implement a robust compliance framework for all submissions
• The five essential steps of a modern, AI-resistant editorial workflow
• Best practices for detecting AI-generated plagiarism in text, images, and video
• Strategies for maintaining transparency and rebuilding audience trust in 2026

The post Combating AI-Generated Hoaxes: Media Workflows for 2026 appeared first on American Marketing Association.

In the latest edition, you can compare the strengths of digital asset management platforms like Brandfolder, Bynder, Canto, and MediaValet. These strengths are in the areas that matter most to customers — including ease of use, support, video capabilities, brand management, and ROI.

This peer-powered report reveals the DAM platforms rated as Market Leaders by G2. If you’re evaluating digital asset management platforms, this is the insider insight you need before making a move. Market Leader is the top level in the ranking system. Products in the Market Leader level are rated highly by G2 users and have considerable market presence. Not all DAMs are created equal. Read the report to learn what to look for in a DAM platform.  

The post The 2025 G2 DAM Vendor Report appeared first on American Marketing Association.

Choosing the right email marketing platform is a critical decision for higher education institutions. This RFP guide outlines a clear, five-step framework to help colleges and universities evaluate, compare, and select the right solution. Learn how to define functional, operational, and technical requirements; align stakeholders across marketing, IT, and procurement; and confidently score vendors during demos and RFP reviews. A practical resource for institutions seeking a scalable, compliant email platform built for higher education needs.

The post The RFP Guide: Email Marketing for Higher Education appeared first on American Marketing Association.

Tracking isn’t just about monitoring performance, it’s about uncovering growth opportunities. That’s why we’ve analyzed millions of brand data points to reveal five commercial truths that can turn tracking into a strategic growth engine.

In our latest evidence-based executive summary, you’ll discover:

• Sharper Insights: How to get the most accurate view of your brand’s current position.
• Boardroom Impact: Why brand deserves a voice in high-level decision-making.
• Culture Connection: Could culture be the missing link in marketing effectiveness?
• Pricing Power: The overlooked lever that drives sustainable growth.
• The 4s: How combining search, social, survey, and sales data helps you spot momentum before it appears in your tracker.

A concise, actionable short paper, designed for leaders who want clarity and results. Don’t miss out on insights that can reshape your strategy and accelerate growth.

Download your free executive summary today. Start turning data into decisions that matter.

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