Best practice guide

The 2026 tactical marketing guide

Curated by Dotdigital. Written by our favorite marketers.

To help you plan for the year ahead, we’ve brought together marketing leaders, agency partners, and strategists from across regions and disciplines to share how they see 2026 taking shape.

Our contributors haven’t just called out what’s coming next, they’ve shared practical ways to act on it now. From the resurgence of owned channels and more empathetic uses of AI, to the rise of machine customers and predictive journeys.

  • Understand why brands have to stop relying on rented attention and start building real value to thrive in 2026 through channels you control
  • Learn how to use automation with intent and keep human creativity in the driving seat
  • Balance how to tighten your data foundations, rethink loyalty and navigate the rise of the AI agents

This guide is here to help you turn smart thinking into practical action.

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