If there is one thing marketing is good at, it is keeping us on our toes. Trying to work out where things are heading in 2026 can feel a bit like reading a map while the ground shifts underneath you. Trends evolve, tech moves on and suddenly the plan you signed off a few months ago feels a bit tired.
The good news is that the big reports are starting to agree. WARC, Kantar and Brandwatch are all pointing in broadly the same direction. Better still, much of it reflects what we are already seeing play out day to day with our clients.
So, with a coffee in hand, here is our take on the shifts shaping 2026 and what they actually mean once you log off the webinar and get back to real work.
By 2026, AI is no longer the headline. It is infrastructure
AI has quietly moved on from being the shiny new thing. For most teams, it now sits behind the scenes across planning, analysis and execution. It helps forecast demand, model scenarios, automate reporting, spot patterns in behaviour and speed up production.
When it works well, it removes friction. When it does not, it scales the wrong things very efficiently.
Content is where this becomes most obvious. Used carelessly, AI flattens nuance and fills channels with content that is fine, but forgettable. Used properly, it gives teams space to think better, test faster and make clearer decisions.
The research backs this up. Brandwatch points to growing fatigue with low-effort AI-generated content, while WARC and Kantar show AI influencing decisions much earlier in the customer journey, long before anything is published. The brands seeing the most value are not asking AI to decide. They are using it to inform.
In short, AI can draft, model and surface insight. Humans still need to judge, prioritise and choose.
What this means in practice
Use AI to speed things up, not water them down. If your output feels generic, it is usually a sign the human thinking arrived too late.
Nostalgia that feels comforting, not cringe
Nostalgia is not going anywhere. In a world that feels like it is moving faster by the minute, we crave familiarity and perhaps a nod to ‘simpler times’. For brands, though, the bar is high. Audiences are very good at spotting lazy throwbacks and empty retro styling.
Brandwatch shows a sustained appetite for nostalgia, but the examples that land are rooted in genuine shared memories. From what we see, it works best when it is less about looking backwards and more about creating a sense of reassurance.
When it works, it feels like a knowing nod. Not a gimmick.
What this means in practice
If you are going to lean on nostalgia, earn it. Choose moments that feel familiar and meaningful to your audience, not just visually appealing.
Less perfect, more human
This one is simple. People buy from people. They are also far more marketing-literate than we sometimes assume. They can spot when something feels over-engineered, and they are increasingly drawn to brands that sound like real humans.
That means showing personality, admitting not everything is polished, and engaging with culture thoughtfully rather than chasing every trend that pops up on your feed.
WARC’s work on longer-term creator relationships reflects this shift. Instead of one-off influencer posts and transactional partnerships, brands are building ongoing relationships with creators who genuinely use and understand what they offer. Over time, those creators become familiar faces rather than paid placements.
Brandwatch’s research into the growing influence of employees points to the same thing inside organisations. People trust the voices of those who work within a business because they bring context, experience and accountability. They are not performing a campaign. They are sharing what they see, know and care about day to day.
We see this time and again. Some of the strongest-performing social content comes from staff updates, behind-the-scenes moments and honest day-in-the-life posts.
What this means in practice
Trust is built through repeated, human presence. Look at where you can make space for real people in your content, not just perfectly polished brand messages.
Micro-communities, real-world moments and showing up properly
WARC and Kantar both point to a shift towards smaller, more intentional communities. Brandwatch extends this into the real world, with growing appetite for offline connection as digital fatigue sets in. We are seeing exactly the same thing.
The brands building trust are not trying to be everywhere. They are showing up consistently in the places that matter, hosting conversations, supporting partners and communities, and resisting the urge to turn every interaction into a sales moment. Social is no longer the engine. It is the amplifier!
What this means in practice
We explored this in more depth in our Beyond the Newsfeed blog, looking at how brands can step off the post-everywhere treadmill and focus instead on where their audiences already gather. That means listening first, engaging naturally and using social to connect people back to owned channels, real experiences and real-world relationships.
AI search, zero clicks and the changing role of web content
AI-driven search and zero-click experiences are not a passing phase. As platforms surface answers and summaries directly in results, fewer people are clicking through in the traditional way.
That does not make web content less important. It means it has to work harder. Your website now needs to demonstrate expertise, relevance and trust even when a visit never happens.
People are also searching in full questions, often as they would put a prompt into an AI tool. Content that is clear, well-structured and written in natural language is far more likely to be understood and surfaced.
What this means in practice
Take a fresh look at FAQs, guides and service pages. Write in the language people actually use, answer real questions directly and focus on being genuinely helpful. In a zero-click world, being recognised as the brand with the answer matters as much as the click.
Final thoughts
If there is one thing running through all of this, it is intention. In 2026, doing more is easy. Doing things properly takes more care.
The brands that will do well are not trying to be everywhere or jump on every new trend. They are clear about where they show up, how they sound and what they stand for. They use AI as a tool, not a crutch, and they trust their judgement as much as their data.
