• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, March 19, 2026

Brands are quickly adopting artificial intelligence, but they may not be getting all they can out of it, especially small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs). One thing they need is tracking that can help them see how competitors are doing, and another is an AI system that doesn’t merely respond to requests, but works alongside the user.  

A platform that encompasses both will be introduced by ActiveCampaign during its Spring 2026 Innovation Keynote on April 8. 

The goal of the new system, which is accessible to SMBs, is to “move us beyond prompt-and-respond systems to AI that monitors performance, identifies opportunities, and recommends action automatically, helping customers move forward faster,” says Jason VandeBoom, founder and CEO of ActiveCampaign. 

According to ActiveCampaign, the new offering provides two capabilities: 

• Active Intelligence flags issues and delivers next-best actions without manual intervention. For instance, it can alert retailers when their open rates are higher than those of comparable brands, and  pinpoint what is making the difference. In addition, it can determine when performance falters—i.e., in subject lines, preheaders or personalization strategies—and recommend adjustments.  
• AI Behavior Customization allows SMBs to define their brand voice, priorities and strategy once, and then apply these factors across campaigns and automations. 

Both could be especially useful when conducting email campaigns. 

One ActiveCampaign user is the racquet sport event company Toss and Spin. 

“Before ActiveCampaign, we were spending time we didn’t have trying to figure out why our marketing wasn’t working,” says Chris Clark, founder and CEO of Toss and Spin. “Now the platform tells us clearly where to focus. Instead of digging through reports or guessing what to optimize, we act on clear recommendations, and we’re now at 90% facility capacity.” 

“Many AI tools in marketing are reactive, which is useful when you know what to ask for, but limited otherwise,” said Roger Beharry Lall, research director, SMB marketing applications and agents at IDC. “What ActiveCampaign is doing with agent-to-user AI, surfacing recommendations before marketers ask, is what the industry, and especially small businesses with limited expertise, really needs. AI that doesn’t just respond, but initiates.”  

Lall adds, “Combined with brand-level customization, SMBs now have capabilities that traditionally required an enterprise-level investment.”