Dr Dave Chaffey’s annual review of the marketing trends that will matter for B2C and B2B marketers in 2026
In my review this year, I'll be again be aiming to keep it practical for marketers since I will recommend trends to review across the customer lifecycle based on our RACE planning framework. I'll cover all the key media channels and tactics such as those in the lifecycle visual below.
This is a B2B Marketing lifecycle example, we also cover B2C lifecycle marketing in my original article on Lifecycle marketing.
As well as practical marketing tactics covered under RACE, I will start with strategic marketing trends covered under Plan.
Plan marketing trends
Plan-related trends cover how marketing is managed, and within digital marketing, deploying the latest marketing technology is a large part of this. It's no surprise that Martech trends for 2026 will be dominated by AI for marketing.
I've long used Gartner Hype Cycles to inform my commentary on digital marketing trends, with the latest release a good starting point for assessing macro trends in digital marketing. This 2025 Gartner Digital Marketing Hype Cycle has been syndicated by Tealium.
It's notable for the dominance of AI-related technologies. Key AI-related trends suggested by this visual to me are:
- Using AI agents for marketing - this has probably been THE trend for 2025 and will continue as the trend through 2026
- Answer Engine Optimization - this relates to SEO and gaining visibility in Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. Also a major trend, but established for several years now.
- Generative AI for marketing - this trend was kickstarted in 2022 with the launch of ChatGPT and has continued with ongoing hype since then. It's interesting that Gartner now places GenAI in the Trough of Disillusionment, and I believe realizing the limitations of GenAI for automated copywriting will be a major trend within marketing within 2026. We have seen a huge increase in the volume of 'AI-slop' generated in the service of automating marketing, but many marketers are realizing that such content is all too often generic and so not sufficiently engaging to gain engagement from readers, so won't get cut-through in the search engine or social media algorithms. So I think there will be more focus placed on generating authentic copy and video by micro and employee influencers in 2026.
- Digital Twins of a Customer - these are mainly relevant for larger businesses and have been discussed for many years, but the advanced in LLMs has made their use more practical, but widespread adoption is still 5-10 years out according to Gartner
- Managing customer privacy and consent - a particular concern in large organizations and related to the decreasing use of cookies for tracking customer journeys.
This example of an agent shows how B2B sector businesses who are investing in AI can create a 'next-level' agent which are a big advance from frustrating text chatbots we've been familiar with for the past few years. When using this agent I found it was well-trained on sector stats and business case studies, so was an excellent, positive introduction to the company. It also is designed to hand-off from top-of-funnel interactions (Act) onto human interactions (Convert) both through the meeting prompt and the dialogue.
In the last part of the article I will drill down into more detail on what makes those relevant to marketers when I review each part of RACE. Before we do, here is a good place to recommend taking a look at our updated Digital Marketing Tools wheel. We update this each year to help marketers review their MarTech stack. Naturally we now include GenAI related tools in this. Here's an extract:
Key issues for managing use of AI in marketing in 2026
Before we get to our tactical recommendations for each part of RACE, as the final part of Plan, I have recently identified these five top-level use-cases of managing AI for marketing strategy to support marketing activities:
- 1. Marketing content generation. This is the main use of GenAI tools now - prompting to create marketing copy and visuals that can be used for marketing collateral in the main digital marketing channels such as search, social, email and web marketing.
- 2. Marketing agents for customer service. These are the well established chatbots which answer customer service questions to reduce the customer service. Large Language models have really enhanced the quality of these. Businesses can use OpenAI GPTs which are based on ChatGPT to give customers access to knowledge bases, although there are more specialist tools for these. For example, I have built a Digital marketing strategy expert agent to give our members' personalized advice on how to use Smart Insights' RACE Framework to improve their digital marketing based on my expertise and Smart Insights templates.
- 3. Marketing strategy and planning. Our research has shown that a surprising number of marketers are already using ChatGPT to prepare their plans from analysis to strategy and action. I will look at some more examples in this article.
- 4. Marketing analysis and reporting. Since their launch, ChatGPT, Gemini and Co-Pilot have introduced new capabilities to interact with spreadsheets and other documents to summarize data which can help with reducing time to create monthly reports.
- 5. AI Marketing workflow automation. This is where there is arguably the most interest in using GenAI for marketing currently. AI workflow automation tools such as n8n - see AI workflow for marketing categories - can repeat standard marketing activities to save time and costs, although, for me there are big questions about the brand trust and engagement of what is created. If you don't know about this tool, it is similar to established no-code / low-code tools like Zapier which are now used for integrating different apps and LLMs using APIs.
To help our members make the huge personal and business changes need to make better use of AI for marketing, we have developed many learning resources and templates. I recommend starting with these:
Download our premium resource – AI for Marketing playbook and governance policy template
Create your own AI marketing strategy and governance policy using Smart Insights simple template and use-cases for improving use of AI within your business to increase productivity, maintain brand trust and reduce costs.
Access the AI for marketing playbook and governance policy template
For the remaining trends in this article, I've worked with ChatGPT and Gemini (which tends to be more up-to-date for the latest trends) and curated these trends for each part of RACE which I think will be most important for the hands-on marketer in 2026.
It's cool that the LLMs know RACE and we're now seeing more people searching for the RACE marketing framework in Google - I think because LLMs often recommend it in their citations. This is how Gemini acted in response to my prompt. I couldn't have put it better myself 😉
I'm delighted to put on my creator hat and craft an outline for a long-form post on "Digital marketing trends for 2026," specifically for the Smart Insights audience. The RACE Framework is all about providing a practical, data-driven approach to marketing, and a trend report must follow the same ethos. The outline below is designed to be a comprehensive guide, structured by the core stages of the framework to help marketers not just understand, but also *apply* these trends to their own businesses.
Plan: The Strategic Foundation for 2026
This is the most critical stage. Before you jump on any trend, you need to understand your business context. The “Plan” stage is about setting objectives, defining your audience, and auditing your current capabilities.
- 1.1 The AI-Powered Marketing Strategy:
- Trend: Predictive analytics and generative AI for strategic planning.
- Actionable Insight: Go beyond using AI for content creation. Focus on using it to analyze market data, forecast consumer behavior, and identify high-potential customer segments before they even know they’re interested. This will allow for more precise budgeting and resource allocation.
- Key Question: How can AI help us model our customers’ future needs and optimize our marketing mix for maximum ROI?
- 1.2 The Privacy-First Imperative:
- Trend: The demise of the third-party cookie and the rise of first-party data.
- Actionable Insight: Your plan for 2026 must be built on a foundation of ethical data collection. Focus on creating value-added experiences (e.g., exclusive content, tools, or services) that encourage consumers to willingly share their data. This is no longer a “nice-to-have” but a strategic necessity.
- Key Question: What value can we offer to our audience in exchange for their first-party data, and how will we build trust around its use?
- 1.3 The Hybrid Marketing Model:
- Trend: Integrating physical and digital experiences.
- Actionable Insight: Plan for a seamless omnichannel experience. This isn’t just about a QR code on a poster. Think about using augmented reality (AR) to enhance a physical product or creating in-store events that are live-streamed to your online community.
- Key Question: How can we use digital trends to amplify our physical presence and vice versa, creating a unified brand experience?
Reach: Building a Wider, Smarter Audience
The goal here is to increase brand visibility and drive traffic to your owned media platforms (website, social profiles, etc.). For 2026, this is achieved through smarter targeting and more engaging formats.
-
-
- 2.1 The Conversational Search Revolution:
- Trend: Search in the era of AI assistants. Search is being redefined. Generative AI assistants from Google (AIOs), OpenAI, and others are replacing the classic “10 blue links” with conversational answers. However, AIOs have had less impact in e-commerce than other sectors. But that could be due to change as by 2026, many product searches begin in chat interfaces, not browsers.
- Actionable Insight: Optimize content for natural language queries. Shift your SEO strategy from single keywords to long-tail, question-based phrases. Create content that answers specific user questions directly and concisely, as this is what voice assistants will prioritize.
- Key Tactic: Develop a robust FAQ section or blog content that addresses common conversational queries.
However, don't 'throw the baby out with the bath water' since established SEO techniques are still effective despite large reported declines in Google Organic Search since AIOs and AI mode were introduced. In most sectors and especially retail, referrals from organic links still dominate those from Gen AI tools. This post from SEO expert Aleya Solis - shows the need the not to get drunk on the AI GEO Kool Aid.
- 2.2 Interactive and Shoppable Video:
- Trend: Short-form video content evolves beyond passive viewing. Video remains dominant, but its role has expanded through the funnel from awareness (Reach) to direct commerce (Act and Convert). Shoppable video, already mainstream in Asia, is now integrated across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and emerging platforms.
- Actionable Insight: Don’t just make videos; make them interactive. Integrate shoppable links directly into your reels on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Use live-streamed events for real-time product launches, Q&As, and exclusive promotions to create a sense of urgency.
- Key Tactic: Experiment with short-form video formats that include polls, quizzes, or click-to-buy functionality.
- 2.3 Creator-Driven Partnerships:
- Trend: A shift from one-off influencer campaigns to long-term creator relationships. Something Smart Insights has advocated for a long-time as 'strategic influencer marketing'
- Actionable Insight: Focus on building authentic, long-term partnerships with creators who genuinely align with your brand values. This builds trust with their audience and allows for more integrated, co-created content that feels less like an advertisement.
- Key Tactic: Identify micro-influencers and creators with highly engaged niche audiences and work with them on a quarterly or annual basis.
- 2.4 The Algorithmic Challenge: A Human-in-the-Loop Approach:
-
- Trend: The proliferation of advanced AI-powered bidding and optimization algorithms from platforms like Google (e.g., Performance Max) and Meta (e.g., Advantage+). These systems, while powerful, operate as “black boxes” that can unintentionally degrade ROI if not managed strategically.
- Actionable Insight: In 2026, the key to success isn’t simply “setting and forgetting” these algorithms. Marketers and agencies must adopt a human-in-the-loop approach. This involves a new skill set focused on prompt engineering for paid media, providing the AI with high-quality audience signals and creative assets, and then critically analyzing its outputs. It’s about auditing the algorithm’s decisions and course-correcting when its models fail to deliver against core business objectives, rather than just raw volume. The best teams will know when to step in and when to let the algorithm run.
- Key Question: How can we ensure our business goals and strategic insights are the guiding input for these powerful AI systems, rather than allowing the platform’s algorithm to become the de facto strategy?
Act: Encouraging Interaction and Engagement
Once you have their attention, the “Act” stage is about getting visitors to interact with your content and express interest.
-
-
- 3.1 The Rise of Gamification and Immersive Experiences (AR/VR):
- 3.2 Hyper-Personalised & Dynamic Content:
- Trend: Using AI to generate and deliver content tailored to the individual user.
- Actionable Insight: Move beyond personalization based on a user’s name. Use AI to dynamically change website content, ad copy, and email subject lines based on a visitor’s real-time behavior, location, and past interactions.
- Key Tactic: Implement AI-driven content management systems that can A/B test and optimize content variations on the fly for different audience segments.
- 3.3 The Power of Employee Advocacy:
- Trend: In a fragmented media environment, owned communities are becoming a vital growth lever. Platforms like Discord, Slack, and brand-owned apps enable direct dialogue and peer-to-peer support.
- Actionable Insight: Invest in community as a channel. Encourage members to co-create, share knowledge, and amplify your brand.
- Key Tactic: Run exclusive AMAs, product betas, or member-only events to make your community feel like insiders and brand partners.
- 3.4 The Power of Employee Advocacy:
- Trend: Leveraging employees as brand advocates on social media. (Part of Engage also)
- Actionable Insight: Empower your team to tell your brand’s story. Provide them with social media training and a content library to share. Authentic, personal posts from employees often outperform corporate messaging and build trust.
- Key Tactic: Create a formal employee advocacy program with clear guidelines and incentives for participation.
Convert: Turning Interactions Into Sales
This is the point of conversion, whether it’s a sale, a lead, or a new subscriber. In 2026, conversion is all about friction reduction and social proof.
-
-
- 4.1 Frictionless Checkout (or at least reduced friction 😉)
- Trend: Customers expect instant, secure checkout. Biometrics, embedded finance, and one-tap payments are now baseline.
- Actionable Insight: Reduce steps in your funnel relentlessly. Every second shaved off increases conversion rates.
- Key Tactic: Enable biometric one-tap checkout integrated with wallets like Apple Pay and PayPal OneTouch.
- 4.2 Social Commerce adoption increases:
- Trend: The integration of e-commerce directly within social media platforms.
- Actionable Insight: Optimize your social media presence for direct-to-app conversions. Use features like Instagram and Facebook Shops, TikTok’s in-app purchasing, and live-stream shopping events. By 2026, TikTok Shop, Instagram Checkout, and similar features are fully mainstream. Customers expect seamless in-app purchasing.
- Key Tactic: Streamline the path to purchase to as few clicks as possible, allowing customers to buy without ever leaving their social feed.
- 4.3 AI-Powered Conversational Commerce and CRO:
- Trend: The use of sophisticated chatbots and virtual assistants for sales and customer service. Conversion rate optimisation has shifted from manual A/B testing to predictive CRO. AI can now anticipate drop-off and serve the highest-converting version automatically.
- Actionable Insight: Deploy AI-driven chatbots that can handle common customer queries, recommend products, and even process orders. This provides 24/7 support and reduces the load on your human sales team, making conversions more efficient.
- Key Tactic: Train your chatbots on your product catalog and customer data to provide truly personalized and helpful recommendations.
- 4.4 Authenticity and Trust Signals:
Engage: Fostering Long-Term Loyalty
The final and most important stage is about building customer loyalty and advocacy. The focus for 2026 is on nurturing long-term relationships.
-
-
- 5.1 Community-Led Growth:
- Trend: Building dedicated brand communities as a core marketing channel.
- Actionable Insight: Move beyond a simple email list. Create private communities on platforms like Discord, Slack, or even your own branded app. This allows for direct communication, feedback, and peer-to-peer support, transforming customers into brand advocates.
- Key Tactic: Host exclusive Q&As, webinars, or events for your community members to make them feel valued and connected.
- 5.2 Membership and Subscription Models
- Trend: Despite subscription fatigue, customers still pay for exclusive access. Brands are diversifying with tiered memberships and value-added services or providing 'lifetime' one-off subscriptions. I recently purchased one on Babbel (Duolingo competitor) rather than a subscription since it seems better value.
- Actionable Insight: Design memberships around community, access, and experience, not discounts alone.
- Key Tactic: Offer a premium tier with early access to launches, exclusive content, and personalised concierge service.
- 5.3 AI-Powered Customer Lifecycle Nurturing:
- Trend: Using AI to predict churn and personalize post-purchase communications.
- Actionable Insight: Use AI and machine learning to analyze customer behavior and identify signals that a customer might be at risk of leaving. Use this information to trigger automated, personalized re-engagement campaigns with tailored offers or content.
- Key Tactic: Implement a post-purchase email series that is dynamically adjusted based on a customer’s product use, purchase history, and engagement with previous emails.
- 5.4 The Sustainability Story:
- Trend: Customers expect brands to be transparent about their environmental and social impact.
- Actionable Insight: Your “Engage” strategy should include communicating your brand’s sustainability efforts and values. Share behind-the-scenes stories, report on your progress, and involve customers in your mission. This builds a deeper connection and enhances brand loyalty.
- Key Tactic: Create a “digital sustainability report” or a content series that details your eco-friendly practices, and share it with your customer base.
I hope you find our curated recommendations on trends useful.
If you can select just one or two new ideas from each part of RACE to support your plans for 2026 it will be 'job done' 🙂.
You will see across these trends that although AI is dominant, we're seeing a need from customers to humanize interactions, to improve authenticity while using data-driven insights and personalization where possible.
While it's exciting to follow the latest trends and identify opportunities to apply them in our business, it's important to stress that it's the fundamentals in business and marketing that remain important. While the trends may change, the RACE Framework provides a stable structure to navigate them with sufficient detail within the 25 main elements of RACE which have stood the test of time over the last 15 years when I developed. Plus, we provide more detail in our RACE Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for digital marketing available as a paid download.
Download our premium resource – RACE Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for digital marketing
Audit your Digital marketing strategy to prioritize improvements across today's customer lifecycle which forces you to think strategically at every stage of the customer journey .
Access the RACE Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for digital marketing
