Five things I’m looking for in 2026

Every year begins with a million predictions.

Trend reports are published, forecasts are debated, and everyone seems eager to declare what’s next. I’ve personally participated in this ritual and have found value in that exercise, but this year I find myself less interested in chasing what’s new and more focused on naming what feels increasingly unavoidable. Because 2026 does not feel like a clean slate. It feels more like a continuation of the pressure we've all been feeling for a while now.

Economic uncertainty remains persistent. Geopolitical instability continues to shape markets and sentiment. Technology is advancing faster than most organizations can comfortably absorb. And still, brands are expected to grow. Marketers are expected to deliver results. Insights teams are expected to provide clarity, often in conditions that are anything but clear.

So with that in mind, here are the five things I’m paying closest attention to this year. Not as trends to capitalize on, but as realities that brand managers, marketers, advertisers, and insights professionals need to consciously navigate:

1. Decision velocity will matter more than decision perfection

2. AI will continuously reset what “insight” actually means

3. Brand trust will be built and lost in quieter, less visible moments

4. Budgets will remain constrained while expectations stay high

5. Partnership will outperform platforms

Let's get deeper into each one.

1. Decision velocity > decision perfection

For a long time, many organizations optimized for certainty. More data, more validation, and more internal alignment were all in service of making the right decision.

But the environment we are operating in now does not reward waiting.

Research from McKinsey shows that organizations able to make and execute decisions quickly are significantly more likely to outperform their peers financially. At the same time institutions like the World Economic Forum continue to describe volatility, whether economic, political, or technological, as a defining feature of the decade ahead rather than a temporary phase.

In conversations with brand leaders, I rarely hear a desire for perfect answers. What I hear instead is a need for direction, for informed judgment, and for clarity about where to move next based on what is known now rather than what might be known later.

In 2026, the teams that add the most value will not be the ones that eliminate uncertainty altogether. They will be the ones that help organizations move forward thoughtfully, responsibly, and with confidence, even when the picture is incomplete.

2. AI will continuously reset what “insight” means

Gartner estimates that by 2026 more than 80% of enterprises will be using generative AI in some form, a dramatic increase from just a few years ago. Much of the work that once defined insight functions, including transcription, summarization, pattern recognition, and even early-stage outputs, is becoming faster, cheaper, and increasingly automated.

But automation does not eliminate the need for human insight. It sharpens it.

In this context, being human does not mean doing everything manually. It means knowing what to ask, how to frame a problem, and how to interpret findings within real-world constraints. It means recognizing when data is technically sound but strategically misleading, or when a statistically significant result does not align with lived experience.

It also means that intuition will become a filter and a professional edge. As I wrote in a thought piece last year, amid all the innovation and change around us, one thing hasn’t changed: human intuition reigns supreme and still matters.

The organizations that stand out will not be those that simply adopt AI the fastest. They will be the ones that pair it with judgment, context, and accountability.

3. Brand trust will be built in quieter moments

Trust used to be built through big gestures. As someone who has worked in the advertising and insights world for decades, I've seen this done through high-profile campaigns, bold positioning statements, and visible commitments. Those efforts still matter, they're just no longer sufficient on their own. If you're wondering why so many high-profile brands are dropping out of this year's Super Bowl, well, that's partly why.

The Edelman Trust Barometer consistently shows that trust today is shaped less by what brands say and more by what people experience over time. Often, those experiences take place in moments that never make headlines:

• Pricing transparency during periods of inflation

• Responsible use of customer data, not just promises of protection

• Consistency between internal culture and external messaging

These signals are subtle, but they accumulate. In an environment where skepticism is high, inconsistency is quickly noticed. In 2026, trust will be earned or eroded through everyday decisions. The kind that reveal values when no one is performing.

4. Budgets < expectations

If there is a widespread belief that budgets will suddenly loosen I am not seeing it.

According to WARC, global ad spend growth is slowing even as performance pressure intensifies. Marketing leaders are once again being asked to do more with less, but with far less tolerance for work that does not clearly demonstrate impact.

What is changing is not only the size of budgets, but how value is evaluated. Volume matters less than usefulness. Outputs matter less than outcomes. Stakeholders will ask:

• Did this help me make a decision?

• Did it reduce risk?

• Did it save my team time or energy?

5. Partnership > platforms

There is no shortage of tools available to brands today. DIY research platforms, automated analytics, and AI-powered dashboards have made access easier and cheaper (though more valuable?) than ever.

And yet, many leaders express the same frustration. Despite having more information than ever, they still feel alone in the decision-making process.

Technology can scale execution. It cannot replace partnership. In moments of uncertainty, people do not just want access to data. They want someone to think alongside them. Someone to pressure-test assumptions, bring outside perspective, and share responsibility for navigating trade-offs.

The future does not belong solely to platforms that provide capability. It belongs to partners who provide presence. At Talk Shoppe we like to think of it as a pursuit to achieve that ever-perfect balance between service & smarts.

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Hopefully at this point you're getting my main vibe here, that 2026 does not require louder thinking or faster hype cycles. It will require clearer judgment. More honest navigation. Greater focus on what genuinely helps people make better decisions. The brands and teams that will thrive this year will not be the ones chasing every new thing. They will be the ones grounded enough to choose what actually matters. That is what I am looking for in 2026.