IAB Hong Kong C26 Spotlights AI's Move into Business Execution for Marketers Amid Hong Kong's HK$33.9 Billion Ad Market

Detailed summary

At C26, IAB Hong Kong signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with City University of Hong Kong's Department of Media and Communication, HKBU School of Business, HKU Business…

C26 convened 1,200+ marketing experts from 14 markets, spotlighting value creation, workflow redesign and landmark MOUs with four leading local education institutions to nurture Hong Kong's next generation of marketing talent

HONG KONG, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- IAB Hong Kong's (IAB HK) flagship conference C26 concluded with a clear message for Hong Kong's marketing industry: AI is moving from experimentation into business execution. Under the theme Business Reimagined, the conference brought together more than 1,200 marketing, media, technology and business leaders from 14 markets to examine how AI is reshaping value creation, workflow design, governance, creativity and future talent.

Policy, Global Perspectives and Industry Collaboration Frame Hong Kong's AI Marketing Opportunity

Opening the conference, Mr. Daniel Cheung, JP, Acting Commissioner for Digital Policy of the Government of HKSAR, noted that Hong Kong's overall advertising expenditure held steady at HK$33.9 billion, while spending on social media increased by 15%. The shift reflects the growing importance of AI-powered personalisation, predictive analytics, generative content and digital commerce in the marketing landscape.

Mr. Cheung said the Government is advancing an "industries for AI" and "AI for industries" strategy, supported by the Committee on AI+ and Industry Development Strategy and the forthcoming Hong Kong Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Institute. He also highlighted measures to support enterprise adoption, including enhanced BUD Fund support for AI-enabled branding and marketing projects, the planned launch of CorpID, a secure digital corporate identity platform, and more than 200 AI training courses and activities to be rolled out by the first quarter of 2028 under the AI for All inclusive programme.

Sir Martin Sorrell, one of the most influential figures in global advertising, said AI is reshaping marketing economics and putting traditional time-based agency models…

"Hong…

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