With the new year comes new possibilities, and bold ideas are the currency of any successful marketer. Here is what we can expect from marketing in 2026.
CMOs On Their Biggest Priorities For 2026—Excluding AI – Marketing Brew
Last year proved challenging, with tighter budgets, economic uncertainty, and brands once again caught in cultural crosscurrents. To kick off 2026, CMOs and marketing leaders shared their top priorities by spotlighting both AI-driven goals and critical focus areas beyond AI. See how their insights revealed the biggest challenges they expect to navigate in the year ahead.
Why 2026 Could Be The Year Of Anti-AI Marketing – CNN
AI-generated “slop” has quietly flooded everything from presentations and social feeds to news and real estate listings. Even Merriam-Webster named “slop” its 2025 word of the year, describing it as something messy, intrusive, and impossible to ignore. Can brands still stand out with meaningful content and genuine connections? Here’s why 2026 is poised to be the year of “100% human” marketing, where originality, intention, and authenticity take center stage again.
Why AI’s Progress Deadline For Marketing Is Coming In 2026 – Forbes
In a recent survey, more than a third of CMOs say they plan to cut marketing roles over the next two years. While only 17% have made reductions so far, the growing gap between intent and action suggests 2026 could mark a turning point. An additional 54% expect to hold headcount steady while reshaping teams around AI-driven capabilities. Altogether, 90% of marketing leaders anticipate meaningful workforce changes, leaving just 10% expecting business as usual. Read more on how this will affect the industry as a whole.
CMOs Reveal The Top Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2026 – Inc.com
In 2025, brands leaned into spectacle. Duolingo staged a funeral for its mascot, David sold frozen cod to fuel protein hype, and Blueland’s CEO cleaned Target toilets to prove product performance. From rage-bait subway ads to unexpected stunts like Ramp sending its economist to a Russian bathhouse, chaos-driven marketing ruled the year. See how three forward-thinking CMOs expect marketing to evolve in 2026.
