AI use is reshaping daily operations for businesses in Mexico, especially smaller businesses, allowing them to spend less time focusing on menial tasks that get in the way of driving success and more time on what’s needed to drive growth.

According to BBVA Research, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) make up roughly 99.8% of all business units in Mexico and support over 70% of national employment. Digital advertising has long provided these companies with a solid foundation for business survival and expansion. With the rise of AI-powered tools for digital advertising, SMBs are discovering even greater gains from their advertising practices, helping them to grow their businesses by attracting new customers and more effectively reaching local customers in their communities.

To more deeply understand the value AI and digital advertising yields for businesses in Mexico, Advertiser Perceptions and Google surveyed 175 small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), 101 large advertisers, and 201 publishers in Mexico during February 2026 to understand the adoption of AI as well as the value of personalized advertising to their organization.

Key findings and themes from this research on how SMBs are seeing tangible benefits from the incorporation of AI in their digital advertising practices and daily business operations include:

  • The promise and power of AI is already being realized. Nine in 10 (91%) of surveyed Mexico advertisers already use AI in digital advertising, with four in five (80%) strongly or somewhat agreeing that using AI for advertising is making it easier for them and their companies to run their businesses. The same portion (80%) agree that AI is having a positive impact on their company’s bottom line, specifically in boosting sales and revenue. What’s more: 76% of surveyed Mexico advertisers strongly or somewhat agree that using AI for advertising is bringing them more customers.
  • AI’s use for ad creative democratizes a practice that was previously too expensive or labor-intensive for many businesses. Companies are using AI to come up with advertising concepts, to generate the creative assets or ads needed for those campaigns, and to test and optimize them for the best performance. This application drastically lowers the financial barriers to high-end production, with 43% of surveyed Mexico advertisers expecting AI to help them save money on ad creative.
  • Productivity gains for SMBs mean smaller businesses can free up time and money to focus on expanding and growing their businesses. 77% of surveyed Mexico SMB advertisers strongly or somewhat agree that using AI for advertising is making it easier for them to run their business, with 86% of surveyed Mexico SMB advertisers believing that AI will help them improve their ad campaigns, and 49% expecting AI to boost marketing efficiency, leading to improved ad campaigns.

“If used correctly, [AI] streamlines internal processes, enables a broader understanding of your audience, and optimizes resources,” said one SMB department head.

The Bottom Line

AI is driving profound, company-wide benefits that fundamentally transform how organizations in Mexico operate. When used for digital advertising, AI effectively removes operational bottlenecks, ensuring that businesses can reallocate their invaluable time and human resources away from routine tasks and entirely toward growing revenue, capturing market share, and securing long-term success. Historically sidelined by the massive advertising budgets of global conglomerates, SMBs utilizing AI for digital advertising can now compete on a level playing field with unprecedented efficiency. When the SMB sector thrives and stabilizes its financial health through intelligent automation, the entire national economy gains a sturdier, more resilient foundation.

About the Research

Advertiser Perceptions and Google surveyed 175 small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), 101 large advertisers, and 201 publishers in Mexico during February 2026 to understand the adoption of AI as well as the value of personalized advertising to their organization. SMBs included businesses with 1 to 499 employees, while large advertisers included businesses with 500+ employees.

Publishers included companies that had digital properties (websites, mobile apps, over-the-top streaming, etc.) that accept advertising and generate revenue from selling digital ad space. All respondents were involved in decision-making about digital ads and used personalized advertising. Of the 201 publishers, 100 were larger publishers (those with more than 3M monthly unique visitors) and 101 were smaller publishers (<3M monthly unique visitors).