2026 marketing predictions
For many marketers, 2025 felt a bit chaotic, to say the least. Brands were fighting for attention on increasingly competitive channels, while hype around AI reached an all-time high. We saw ad costs spike, algorithms shake up search, and marketers everywhere realized that relying on platforms you don’t control can be a risky game.
To figure out where we go from here, we asked Dotdigital partners to look ahead to 2026. The general consensus is that it’s time to move away from creating noise to keep up and focus on creating value to stand out. The trends for the coming year are about securing the foundations you’ve fought to build.
We’re seeing four clear trends emerge:
- The return to owned channels: Marketers are tired of sinking budgets into renting attention and are building on channels they can control
- The resurgence of empathetic marketing: As AI becomes an even deeper part of our workflows, the focus is shifting from producing content quickly to creating intelligent, empathetic, and engaging experiences tailored to each brand and its unique audience
- The rise of the AI agent: AI isn’t just researching anymore; it’s shopping, and marketers need to keep up
- The search for truth in data: In 2026, growth depends on strengthening your data foundation so AI can deliver meaningful, measurable impact
1. The return to owned channels
One of the biggest shifts on the horizon for 2026 is a return to channels marketers can actively shape, like email, SMS, and owned web experiences. With ad platforms becoming increasingly unpredictable and Google CPCs up nearly 40% over three years, brands are looking for steadier ground. Paid channels aren’t disappearing, but complementing them with stronger owned channels gives marketers far more control over the journey from first touch to onboarding and nurture.
Protect against rising ad costs by growing email lists
Relying solely on paid channels to grow is a risk marketers can no longer afford in 2026. With ads being more expensive and competitive than ever, the smartest move marketers can make in the year ahead is to focus on the channel you truly own: email. As an owned asset, email isn’t vulnerable to rising CPMs (cost-per-thousand impressions), pay-to-play algorithms, or external audience restrictions. While inbox providers occasionally update how email is displayed and customer consent remains essential, the channel still offers far more stability and control than paid media.
Naturally, AI is fueling the change. Now integrated into platforms like Shopify and Dotdigital, AI can analyze subscriber data to predict intent, personalize content, and automate perfectly timed offers, turning each email address into a powerful, revenue-generating tool. This allows brands to move from broad, costly ad targeting to precision marketing that delivers measurable return on investment (ROI).
What’s even better is that an engaged email database can be used for smarter ad targeting. You can build better lookalike audiences and deliver more efficient remarketing across Meta and other channels by focusing your budget on converting engaged subscribers.
So, growing your email list is no longer just about owning your audience; it’s about future-proofing your marketing. In an AI-driven world and a competitive ad market, every new email subscriber is a compounding asset that drives sustainable, long-term growth.
Learn more about Lead Online.
Owned channels will become referral engines
In 2025, ad costs spiked, AI cluttered feeds, economic anxiety peaked, and trust became a rare commodity. While social algorithms swung wildly, owned channels like email and SMS remained the only steady ground.
In 2026, brands that thrive will stop treating their owned channels like simple broadcast tools and start using them as activation engines. Email and SMS, especially, allow you to talk to and through your customers to reach a larger audience.
To do this, focus on building alliances within your ecosystem. Instead of fighting for attention on busy social media or ad platforms, partner with complementary brands, like a fitness brand partnering with a nutrition company to activate both audiences. At the same time, you can turn every email or SMS into a potential referral moment with a natural program that encourages sharing, e.g., “Pass it on: 20% off for them, 20% off for you.” This will help multiply your reach exponentially. Instead of paying rising CPMs to reach cold audiences, you’re activating warm networks through owned channels.
So for 2026, remember: your email list is no longer just an audience; it’s also your distribution infrastructure.
Learn more about Talkable.
The year of the owned ecosystem
2025 felt like a shouting match where no one won. Brands everywhere were shouting louder and louder, only to realize their audience’s attention had drifted elsewhere. Marketers came to a scary realization: they don’t actually own the ground they’re standing on, and building on rented land is risky.
That’s why 2026 is the year of the owned ecosystem, where you control the experience, not an algorithm. As the digital landscape fragments, control becomes the new currency. The brands that thrive will be the ones that create meaningful interactions, whether through shoppable video, owned communities, or branded live experiences.
Owning the space and your channels lets you listen better, learn faster, and build trust that doesn’t vanish with the next algorithm update.
Learn more about BeLive Technology.
Affiliate marketing becomes creator-led commerce
In 2025, brands stopped treating influencer marketing as an awareness channel and started using it for acquisition. They invested in smarter systems where creators, customers, and affiliates all drive measurable results. We’re carrying that discipline forward: measuring what matters, automating repetitive tasks, and leaving behind manual workflows and disconnected tools that slow everything down.
This focus on measured, automated value is what will fundamentally change who gets a share of the pie. In 2026, the lines between influencer, affiliate, and customer will disappear. Every creator, from a customer posting an unboxing to a TikTok Shop partner, will expect both creative freedom and direct revenue share.
Affiliate programs will become community commerce: automated, trackable, and creator-first. The brands that succeed won’t just recruit affiliates; they’ll build loyalty networks where anyone who drives value earns a stake in the outcome.
The next phase of growth won’t come from new ad channels, but from turning your audience into your salesforce.
Learn more about Social Snowball.
Loyalty shifts from points to priced value
By 2026, loyalty, especially in Southeast Asia, will become a real product for brands, complete with pricing, benefits, and measurable ROI, rather than just a promotional add-on. Paid memberships, smarter benefit design, and transparent value exchange will help brands monetize loyalty while revealing what customers genuinely care about.
Loyalty data will also start to play a bigger role in marketing by becoming a decision-making tool.
With richer behavioural insight, brands will shape campaigns based on what customers actually do, not what they might do. The most successful ones will turn those insights into meaningful experiences like VIP or corporate tiers, community perks, lifestyle partnerships, and benefits that feel tangible to the customer.
This doesn’t mean the gamification of loyalty will disappear, but it will slim down as experiences become more linked to business outcomes. At the same time, omnichannel “earn-everywhere” systems will unite in-store, online, and delivery experiences, making value feel seamless across every touchpoint.
All-in-all, the next chapter of loyalty is operational, not flashy. In 2026, growth will come from treating loyalty like a product that is priced thoughtfully, informed by real customer feedback, and built for cultural relevance. This will create an experience people choose to belong to, not just buy from.
Learn more about Eber.
RCS mobile messaging grows up
2026 will be the year mobile messaging grows up, and Rich Communication Services (RCS) will lead the charge. RCS combines the reach of SMS with the interactivity of apps, turning standard text messages into rich, branded experiences. It allows marketers to deliver secure, engaging, app-like moments directly inside a user’s native messaging app.
Think of it as SMS supercharged! Buttons, carousels, images, and even payments will all be available within one simple, seamless space. We’re already seeing brands experiment with RCS for everything from secure logins to two-way conversations and dynamic offers. It’s bridging the gap between convenience and creativity, making mobile marketing more responsive, more trusted, and more human. As more tools and platforms support RCS, the opportunity to build richer customer journeys is huge.
Learn more about ActionRocket.
2. The resurgence of empathetic marketing
As AI becomes more deeply embedded in our workflows, genuine human connection will set the best marketing apart. Rather than relying solely on AI to generate empathetic content, these predictions highlight how marketers can use technology to amplify the reach and impact of human-to-human marketing.
The rise of systemic empathy
After the first wave of AI excitement, marketers have realized something important: AI alone can’t make a message land. The most successful campaigns of 2025 weren’t the ones that shouted the loudest or published most often; they were the ones that made people feel something. In fact, a 2025 Ipsos study found that campaigns aligned with people’s identities and values are 69% more likely to influence purchase decisions. That’s why our prediction for 2026 is the rise of systemic empathy and building emotional intelligence into the AI systems we already use.
AI now touches everything from targeting to content creation, but automation without empathy can make brands feel a bit robotic. The new competitive advantage comes from designing workflows where AI handles the data and humans shape the meaning.
The good news is that AI can actually help brands feel more human. It can read emotional cues, spot patterns in sentiment, and highlight messages that resonate. But it only works when paired with human creativity and the shared knowledge inside an organization. We see this as the evolution of corporate AI — systems shaped by the logic, knowledge, and data unique to each organization. This helps brands tell stories people genuinely care about.
Learn more about Youwe.
Brand experiences build brand love
The best performing companies in 2026 will be those that invest in their brand experience rather than simply doubling down on AI.
2025 was the “Year of AI” for both business and marketers, and it would be all too easy to predict that to continue in 2026. While we agree, my prediction is that to do well in an increasingly AI-led world, marketers who focus on brand and digital experience will outperform those who focus narrowly on squeezing as much AI into their work as possible.
Ultimately, pleasing humans is the goal of marketing, and while new tech helps, the old basics still apply. To win new customers, you must offer both a brand and an experience that is compelling and authentic.
Focusing on the human aspect of customer experience, delivered through beautifully branded, digital experiences designed by creative talent and supported by the right amount of AI, is the recipe for success in 2026.
Learn more about Fanatic.
Marketers stop reacting and start predicting
2026 is the year marketers stop reacting and start predicting. AI is moving us from static journeys to living experiences that evolve with every click, scroll, and signal.
Instead of asking, “What should we send next?”, we’ll start asking, “What does the customer need next, and how do we deliver it before they ask?” Predictive intelligence will make personalization feel intuitive, powered by behavior, sentiment, and purchase patterns in real time.
This shift matters because competition for attention has never been higher. The brands that win won’t just personalize, they’ll anticipate. The future of lifecycle marketing isn’t automation for efficiency; it’s using AI for empathy. Because the best marketing won’t feel like marketing at all; it will feel like the brand just gets their audience.
Learn more about Shero Commerce.
The brands that stay close to their customers will pull ahead
In 2026, the most effective marketing teams won’t be the loudest or the fastest; they’ll be the ones listening hardest.
Marketers who spend more time with their customers, partners, and suppliers – not just talking about them – will uncover the insights that no dashboard can show.
The next wave of marketing maturity will come from joined-up listening. Teams that connect insight from customer conversations, support tickets, and supply partners will design experiences that feel distinctive because they’re grounded in truth.
The future belongs to marketers who replace assumptions with understanding, and use that closeness to shape strategies their competitors can’t copy.
Learn more about JH.
The balancing act between AI & authenticity
Generative AI is boosting most areas of digital marketing, letting marketers deliver huge amounts of personalization and driving efficiency at scale. But with AI now a big part of how businesses talk to customers, we need to focus on brand authenticity.
In 2026, I predict we’ll see more customers asking: “Is this real, or just AI-generated?”
We’re at a stage where customers don’t just expect personalized experiences; they also want a genuine connection with the brand they’re engaging with. If we don’t get this balance right, we risk AI fatigue and losing hard-won customer trust.
The competitive advantage will shift from who is using the best AI tools to who best balances them with humanity. If that’s the case, genuine storytelling, transparency, and human-driven interaction will be essential for creating trust in 2026. Ultimately, AI has to improve the customer experience, not replace the brand’s soul.
Learn more about In Digital.
3. The rise of the AI agent
In 2026, your customers won’t just be people anymore; they’ll be algorithms, agents, and chatbots. This shift marks the rise of B2R (business-to-robot) marketing, where success depends on understanding how AI systems read, rank, and respond to your content just as much as human audiences do.
Optimizing for the machine customer
In 2026, agentic AI will evolve from a passive researcher into an active shopper. Imagine telling a digital assistant, “I need a birthday gift for a 10-year-old who loves space,” and having it research, compare, and complete the purchase without you having to lift a finger.
This shift is going to be huge because AI agents deal in pure logic. They aren’t swayed by brand loyalty or clever marketing; they prioritize hard metrics like price, delivery speed, and the accuracy of the product description. They buy based on data parameters, not emotion, fundamentally changing the nature of brand loyalty.
Ultimately, your product data must become your primary sales pitch. If your data isn’t clean, structured, and instantly accessible, these agents simply won’t be able to find you. Success in an automated world means optimizing your systems now to ensure clear visibility, because in 2026, AI agents will be evaluating your brand first.
Learn more about GBG Loqate.
AI agents become the default in workflows
The shift toward agentic workflows (where AI doesn’t just assist but actively executes tasks) is moving faster than anticipated. It’s not hype; this is a fundamental shift for marketers.
In 2026, AI agents will stop being a nice-to-have and become the default standard on websites. Your customers and stakeholders are already using tools like ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini in their daily lives. They’re used to getting what they need, when they need it. So, they’ll have zero tolerance for experiences that feel stuck in the past. Clunky navigation or switching between tabs will drive customers away as their expectations continue to evolve.
If your customer experience creates friction compared to the fluid AI tools people use every day, you will lose them. Speed is the new currency; you must integrate these agents now to ensure your experiences match the pace of the AI world we’re living in.
Learn more about OneCart.
AI-driven search reshapes discovery
In 2026, AI-driven search will reshape how people discover and buy products and services. Traditional search engines will give way to conversational AI tools that act as intelligent assistants, offering direct, curated answers instead of long lists of links. This shift will reduce user choice at the results stage and concentrate visibility on a smaller number of recommended brands.
Ecommerce transactions will increasingly happen directly within the AI interface or browser, transforming the AI provider into a direct sales channel, not just a referrer. AI providers will introduce new revenue models, effectively taking a cut of sales (an ‘AI Tax on Transaction’) and introducing paid placement or commission-based models directly within results. This creates new advertising opportunities but also intensifies competition for visibility as brands must now bid for these privileged recommendation slots.
This trend will redefine how customers find and shop with brands. Marketers will need to optimize for AI visibility and invest in authentic content partnerships to remain discoverable in a world where AI decides what people see and charges a premium to be seen.
Learn more about Rusty Monkey.
4. The search for truth in data
The experiences you create are only as strong as the data behind them. In 2026, success depends on clean, reliable insights and the ability to let AI enhance efficiency in the background.
The need for data transparency
For 2026, I predict marketers will start to feel the pinch of AI’s biggest blind spot: data transparency. 2025 will be remembered as the year people wrongly predicted Google’s demise at the hands of AI. Whilst Google, and marketing as a whole, has been undoubtedly changed by AI, it has merely caused an evolution of the search giant, rather than its demise.
AI chatbots and assistants are quickly revealing themselves as information hogs: they absorb vast amounts of data but provide little helpful insight that marketers can actually use to improve their work. Whether it’s the lack of search data from Google’s AI Overview and ChatGPT or how unclear AI-managed ad campaigns (like TikTok’s GMV Max and Google’s Performance Max) are, data accessibility is shrinking fast. While marketers were quick to promote these tools, they’ll soon have to answer tougher questions about where the budget goes, which is hard to track on AI platforms.
After the honeymoon period, marketers will realize they’re losing access to the very insights that once powered their strategies: search data, user intent, and content performance. The tools that promised limitless intelligence may instead leave us working in the dark. Those marketers who can find the light by basing their work on measurable, data-focused decisions will be the ones who truly thrive in this new era.
Learn more about PushON.
Marketing success is measured by connection, not capture
By 2026, marketing success won’t be measured by the data you capture, but by how well you connect it. As third-party cookies fade and privacy expectations rise, the smartest marketers will create consented, accurate, and genuinely controllable first-party data ecosystems.
Volume will no longer rule; value will be converting clean, orderly data into something that makes sense. AI’s role will change from being an automation tool to a means for contextual interpretation, letting marketers see intent, surface insight, and respond accurately.
Approximately 40% of analytics queries will be generated in natural language by 2026, resulting in data intelligence that is more human, more accessible, and more immediate than ever before.
The next frontier isn’t more tools, it’s better alignment for data, ethics, and experience. Marketers who add transparency and intelligent automation to their marketing stack will turn insight into trust and trust into clear growth.
So, in 2026, the distinction between noise and connection will boil down to one thing: your ability to use data responsibly.
Learn more about Cantarus.
AI works quietly in the background
2026 will be the year AI finally fades into the background and starts doing its best work quietly. The focus will shift from flashy automation to genuine augmentation. AI will become the engine that helps marketers think faster, act smarter, and create experiences that feel effortless.
Across the APAC region, we’re already seeing AI move from isolated tools to deeply integrated systems that support every part of the marketing journey. It’s interpreting signals, predicting intent, and refining content in real time. The technology is becoming so seamless that customers won’t notice it’s there. What they will notice is that their interactions feel smoother, more personal, and more relevant.
But AI alone isn’t the answer. The most successful marketers will use it to enhance human creativity, not replace it. Machines can analyze patterns, but we bring empathy, emotion, and brand identity to the table.
The future is a partnership between intelligence and instinct. AI will handle the heavy lifting, freeing up marketers to focus on ideas, storytelling, and connection. When that balance is right, AI becomes truly indispensable.
Learn more about Athos Commerce.
Data maturity gives brands the competitive edge
AI is making websites, tools, and platforms smarter, but it’s also making implementation more complex. And in 2026, you won’t win without a deep understanding of your data and technical setup.
This technical closeness is known as Authentic Automation. This isn’t just about saving cost or maximizing your customer lifetime value (CLV); it’s about using technology to improve and humanize every interaction customers have with your brand. But to do it right, you need to know what’s happening behind the scenes.
We’ve all had the help of unhelpful chatbots and seen automation deployed based on surface-level data, leading to irrelevant emails, awkward timing, and wasted spend, not to mention the inevitable surge of unsubscribes.
That’s why, in 2026, data maturity will be the competitive edge.
The brands that succeed will blend real-world, human empathy with technical know-how. They’ll validate their AI models with unfiltered feedback from forums and use SEO insights as a goldmine for understanding customer intent. This blend ensures automation is precise, personal, and consistent.
Do this, and automation will become what it was always meant to be: a powerful engine that carries out the empathetic and strategic decisions that drive product discovery and conversion.
Learn more about Blackpepper.
The rise of the AI generalist
For years, ecommerce success was built on specialization – data analysts, UX experts,
content strategists, and developers each managing their piece of the puzzle. But today’s
fast-moving digital economy demands something different: versatility, adaptability, and
synthesis.
Al has become the great equalizer. It’s closing the gap between functions and enabling
professionals to operate across disciplines with unprecedented speed and confidence.
We’re seeing the resurgence of the generalist, not as a “jack of all trades,” but as a master
of connection.
Generative AI and automation tools are transforming how people learn, create, and solve
problems. What once required deep technical expertise can now be accomplished with the
right prompt and a strategic mindset. The real skill now lies not in doing the thing, but in
understanding how it all fits together.
Al-fluent generalists who understand how to weave technology into every aspect of brand
experience. Ecommerce success is no longer about one system or department working in
isolation. It’s about agility—the ability to pivot, personalize, and predict what customers need
next. Generalists, equipped with AI, bring that agility to life. They see the brand as a living
system, not a set of disconnected channels.
Learn more about Shopware.
AI will assist in the rollout of adaptive campaigns
In 2026, AI will evolve from just creating content to truly grasping context. This will help marketers roll out adaptive campaigns that change in real time. We can expect predictive analytics to steer creative choices, generative tools to create multi-format assets in a flash, and conversational interfaces (like AI agents) to reshape how customers connect with brands.
To marketers, it means that campaign strategies won’t revolve around traditional journeys, but around intelligent, learning systems. Every interaction will pave the way for the next one.
AI is enhancing the ecommerce experience and revolutionizing marketing by optimizing content flow and providing insights that lead to smarter decision-making. The future of marketing belongs to those who can blend data, design, and AI to create a unified yet unique storytelling journey.
Learn more about BSS Commerce.
AI becomes the connection across creativity, data, and customer experience
2026 will be the year when AI stops being a tool and becomes the connection across creativity, data, and customer experience. Instead of fragmented stacks, we’ll see unified intelligence: AI systems that analyze intent, generate content, test variations, and measure outcomes in real-time.
But the real shift won’t be technological; it will be organizational. The brands that win will be the ones that integrate AI not only into campaigns, but into their thinking. They’ll build cross-functional teams fluent in both brand strategy and AI reasoning, ensuring every touchpoint feels human, contextual, and ethically guided. By 2026, we’ll see hyper-personalization at enterprise scale, where automation and predictive analytics become standard, not optional.
In this next phase, personalization will move from “who you are” to “what you need now.” It will let brands predict moments, not just react to actions. Yet the differentiator is still empathy — how we use intelligence to understand our audiences, not manipulate them.
The marketers who thrive in 2026 will treat AI as a creative partner, not a replacement, balancing automation with authenticity, and speed with substance.
Learn more about Tavano Team.
Practicality will redefine how we use AI
In 2026, the drive for practicality will redefine how we use AI. It won’t just sit in the workflow; it will work with human judgment to answer real customer questions, not just generate content. This will affect how marketers personalize campaigns, moving from broad personas to real behaviors, shaping content based on what people do, not just what we assume they want.
Because acquisition costs will remain high, this practical approach will drive brands to pivot and focus on retention. They will focus on the customers they already have, using AI to solve problems early and build steady loyalty through personalized experiences rather than chasing quick acquisition spikes.
Ultimately, the brands that stand out in 2026 will be the ones solving real-life problems. The goal remains simple: for brands to provide value quickly and consistently, and earn trust through results.
Learn more about Magnolia CMS.
What will 2026 look like for you?
2026 is shaping up to be the year marketers stop building on borrowed ground and start creating the kind of experiences customers actually want to come back to. The question now is, what will 2026 look like for you?
If you’re ready to grow what you own, get closer to your customers, and use AI in a way that feels genuinely human, Dotdigital is here to help you get ahead.
