Affiliate Roundup: AI and Creators Reshape Affiliate Marketing, Agentic Commerce Shifts Value Beyond Clicks, MMM Continues to Undervalue Affiliate Programs, & More

This week in FMTC’s Affiliate Roundup: AI, creators, and privacy-first attribution are reshaping affiliate marketing ahead of 2026. Agentic commerce is pushing affiliates to rely on trust and influence rather than clicks. Marketing Mix Modeling is undervaluing affiliate programs as budgets shift toward easier-to-measure channels.

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• Affiliate marketing in 2026 is being reshaped by AI, creator-led commerce, privacy-first attribution, and new discovery channels like voice and live shopping.

• As agentic commerce rises, affiliate survival depends on trusted content and influence rather than clicks, as AI increasingly removes the need for traditional shopping journeys.

• Marketing Mix Modeling is systematically undervaluing affiliate programs, putting their budgets at risk as spend shifts toward channels that are easier to measure.

• Affiliate marketing enters 2026 with a focus on adaptable partnerships, diversified traffic channels, privacy-safe tracking, creator monetization, and data-driven optimization as key drivers for growth and resilience.

• APMA’s Voice of the Nation 2025 shows affiliate marketing shifting toward higher-quality partnerships and a more strategic role, even as measurement challenges persist.

• Former New Engen SVP Lacie Thompson has launched MediaPact, a flat-fee media platform designed to simplify and standardize paid placements across content and emerging channels.

• Ecommerce in 2026 will be shaped by AI-driven personalization, faster fulfillment expectations, privacy-safe data strategies, and expanding digital touchpoints that blur the lines between discovery and purchase.