2026 is here, and so are we! The holidays have come and gone, as they do, and 2025 wrapped up quicker than we could have expected. But now we find ourselves in the beginning of a new year, and with the start of a new year we have new trends. Not the “side part” or “mom jeans” kind of trends, but trends that will shape the way you as a consumer will engage with businesses, causes, and communities. Let’s talk about what to expect.
You probably won’t be surprised to know that AI (artificial intelligence) is not going anywhere. She’s here to stay! But remember, we spent a lot of time talking about AI in 2025. AI just wants to be helpful. AI is less mysterious to the masses now, and more individual users are taking advantage of AI features on their personal devices, whether it is to find a substitution ingredient for a recipe you might be in the middle of, or to help create a training plan for onboarding new employees. AI needs us just as much as we need AI. We just have to help each other along throughout the process. I’m sure you’ve probably come across something in the past year that read so generically that you just knew a computer wrote it and no human proofread it before slapping it on their marketing materials. The editing element, and brand personalization is always going to come out on top. This leads us to another prevailing trend that we will see more of in 2026.
Authenticity and relatability are two trends we really hope never go away, and we are going to see them amped up this year. Consumers want to feel seen, heard, and valued. Chat features that allow for responses in real time are a huge benefit for brands who want that personal touch and human to human experience for their customers. Real and unpolished (not completely unedited) content feels relatable and honest, and these features are always a good idea.
Sustainability and social responsibility used to be a “nice to have”, but these traits are quickly moving into the “need to have” category. The values of a company are driving consumer choices more than ever before. Is your company already giving back to the community but you’re quiet about it because you didn’t think it mattered to anyone outside of your business? Let’s tell that story! People want to work with other people who are helping to leave the world a little better than we all found it. And that’s really what it’s all about, isn’t it? People helping people, and people caring about the world we share.
Is your brand or your marketing strategy starting to feel like a patchwork quilt? Like it gets the job done, but it doesn’t really match the room, and at this point it’s a bit threadbare? Let’s chat about how to go from good to great. We stay on top of the trends so you can focus on what you do best, and we can help you function better than ever. 2026 can be your best year yet!