Smarter Isn’t Enough. 2026 Is the Year of Wiser Video Planning.

2026 is shaping up to be a year defined by massive cultural moments and even bigger competition for video inventory around them. From the Olympics and Super Bowl to award shows, global tournaments, and tentpole entertainment releases, the moments people care about most are also the hardest environments to break into.

Marketers already know this. Premium moments are scarce. Inventory is expensive. And only a small group of brands with massive budgets typically get access.

But here’s the thing: access isn’t the real problem anymore.

Understanding is.

Smarter Tools. Same Blind Spots.

Planning tools and DSPs have never been more advanced. Automation is faster. Optimization is more aggressive. Contextual targeting is more widely adopted.

Yet nearly 9 out of 10 videos are still misclassified.

That means brands are buying against signals that look smart on paper but don’t reflect what’s actually happening inside the content itself. You might be optimizing for “sports fans” but showing up next to a video about a locker room scandal. Or targeting “travel intenders” and landing beside a video about flight cancellations.

Smarter tools don’t matter if the inputs are wrong.

That’s why 2026 isn’t about being smarter.

It’s about being wiser.

What “Wiser” Video Planning Actually Means

Wiser planning starts with understanding what video content truly is:

• What’s happening in the moment
• What emotion it signals
• Why someone is watching
• Whether the environment actually makes sense for your brand

Instead of guessing based on proxies, wiser planning reads the content itself.

Not just the title.
Not just the metadata.
Not just the channel.

The moment.

That’s exactly what Qortex was built to unlock.

Capture the Moments That Matter

With Qortex’s Advanced Video Intelligence (AVI), brands can activate in and around the cultural moments that actually move people:

• Major sports events
• Award shows
• Music festivals
• Global tournaments
• Tentpole entertainment releases
• Seasonal retail moments

Not by buying broad audiences and hoping for the best, but by aligning ads to the actual content people are watching around those moments.

This means:

• Showing up next to relevant conversations
• Avoiding misaligned or unsafe environments
• Reaching viewers when they’re emotionally engaged
• Activating across CTV, YouTube, and the open web

In Q1 alone, brands will compete for attention around:

• The Olympics
• Golden Globes
• Super Bowl
• World Baseball Classic
• Academy Awards

That competition isn’t slowing down. It’s intensifying.

Download Our Comprehensive, Always Updating Media Calendar

Smarter Media Planning vs Wiser Media Planning

Smarter planning optimizes what’s easy to measure.
Wiser planning understands what actually matters.

Smarter focuses on scale.
Wiser focuses on alignment.

Smarter buys audiences.
Wiser buys moments.

And in a world where attention is the most valuable currency, moments win.

Start Planning Wiser for 2026

We built AVI to make wiser planning accessible to every marketer, not just the biggest budgets.

You can:

• Discover the right moments for your brand
• See exactly where your ads will run
• Build event-based video segments
• Activate across premium video environments
• Protect brand suitability at scale

And the best part?

You can try it free.

Sign up for AVI and request a custom audience built around the cultural moment your brand wants to own in 2026.

Because this year, smarter isn’t enough.

It’s time to plan wiser.

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