Driving the future of Performance Marketing: Rakuten Optimism U.S. 2026
What is the future of performance marketing? That was the question at the core of Rakuten Optimism U.S. 2026 – Rakuten International’s signature annual event.
Held at the historic Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix from May 5 – 6 under the theme “Fueling Meaningful Connections,” Optimism U.S. welcomed over 1,000 marketers and publishers to network, share insights and celebrate industry excellence at the Golden Link Awards.
Highlighting 20 Years of Affiliate Marketing Leadership
Rakuten International CEO Amit Patel headlined Day One with a keynote that reflected on the history of the affiliate marketing industry and offered a bold vision for its future.
Speaking in front of a packed audience of industry leaders, Amit outlined Rakuten’s new strategic alliance with impact.com. The collaboration unites Rakuten Advertising’s global partner relationships, managed services, and performance intelligence; Rakuten Rewards’ Cash Back shopping platform and consumer reach; and Impact.com’s leading technology platform and global marketplace to create the industry’s most comprehensive and scalable performance marketing ecosystem.
Amit also flagged a new Prohaska Consulting research report commissioned by Rakuten Rewards, identifying a critical gap in how the effectiveness of affiliate marketing is evaluated and the opportunity for the industry in introducing new measurement capabilities that address this challenge directly.
The report, The Next Frontier of Measurement: Fair Evaluation of Affiliates in Marketing Mix Models, reveals the Marketing Mix Models (MMM) used by marketers to assess affiliate performance penalizes affiliate marketing by failing to fully capture its benefit to brand advertisers.
Presenters explore transformative potential of AI in Affiliate Marketing
The potential of AI to transform the way companies connect with customers was a recurring theme of the event.
Headlining the main stage on Day Two was a session exploring the potential and limitations of AI in the performance marketing space. “From Discovery to Conversion: Performance Marketing as the Constant in Consumer Change,” was moderated by Guy Raz, the host of the “How I Built This” podcast, who led an engrossing conversation with futurist and bestselling author Zack Kass; Eric Seufert, an Analyst at Hercules Media; and Clayton Nelson, VP of Enterprise Alliances and AI at Expedia Group.
Introducing Mirai
On Optimism’s final day, Rakuten Advertising launched Mirai, the first advanced conversational AI agent for streamlining and optimizing affiliate campaign management. The launch of Mirai reflects Rakuten Advertising’s continued focus on developing proprietary AI capabilities that deliver smarter, more scalable tools for advertisers.
Attendees celebrate industry icons, enjoy rewarding experiences
As in years past, Optimism U.S. provided ample opportunities for attendees to maximize their experience and be rewarded along the way.
Guests were encouraged to earn points by scanning their badges when attending sessions, the Connection Room and other activities. Points were redeemable at a variety of activations and experiences, including hairstyling powered by Dyson, leather collections with key tags powered by Sixt and leather luggage tags powered by TripAdvisor, customized toiletry bags powered by Golden State Warriors, Rakuten Kobo e-readers, sunglasses from Maui Jim, and the grand prize of a free trip to Japan.
Outside the speaker halls and meeting areas, the event also welcomed eventgoers to connect, participate in the official Rakuten Optimism pickleball tournament and acknowledge industry All Stars at the annual Golden Link Awards, which celebrate excellence, innovation, and collaboration within the global affiliate and performance marketing industry.
Leveraging tech to fuel meaningful connections
With Rakuten Optimism 2026 in the books, the path forward is clear: the future of performance marketing will be fueled by technology and insights that foster deeper, more authentic connections. By leveraging AI-driven insights through tools like Mirai, embracing more sophisticated measurement frameworks, and relentlessly focusing on customer experience, brands will be better equipped than ever to turn consumer intent into lasting loyalty.
