Trends Snapshot: Industry shifts to keep an eye on in 2026

Marketing in 2026 is filled with big growth targets, but less certainty about what will actually work. Audiences are splintering across platforms, AI is changing how people find and choose brands, and measurement is being challenged from every angle. The 2026 Trends Snapshot cuts through the noise to show what is genuinely shifting, what is simply being renamed, and where teams should act now.

This is not a crystal-ball exercise. It is a grounded look at the changes already underway across retail media, loyalty, discovery and measurement, with a practical lens on what “ready” looks like in each area.

What the report covers

• Can marketing finally move beyond the problem of spend without certainty on impact?
• Why is retail media at an inflection point, and what separates full-funnel operators from “sponsored products plus”?
• How are loyalty programmes shifting from points schemes to always-on engagement that actually influences behaviour?
• What happens to discovery when AI compresses journeys and pushes brands further down the page, or off it entirely?
• Why is MMM resurfacing, and what needs to be fixed before teams can rely on it with confidence?

Across each theme, the report pairs a clear market shift with a simple readiness lens, outlining what to prioritise as budgets, signals and shopper behaviour continue to converge.

Who it’s for

Built for senior marketers, commerce leaders and agency teams who want direction, not theatre. If you are mapping plans for the year ahead and need a clearer view of where measurable growth is likely to come from, this is a useful place to start.

Explore the full 2026 Trends Snapshot