What can we say about 2026? Predictions can be a risky business but I feel on safe ground when I say this year is unlikely to be boring.
With so much happening in the world there is a bewildering set of things which I could point to. But what will be most significant in 2026?
It is not particularly insightful to say we will see further advances in AI. The Christmas tree has only just come down and we are already seeing some completely new capabilities offered by companies like Anthropic. The first of what will be many this year.
Another obvious, yet nonetheless exciting thing, that will define 2026 is further advances in humanoid robots enabled by AI platforms such as Nvidia’s Isaac and companies such as Figure. Likewise, 2026 will also be a significant year for stablecoins.
But rather than specifics, I want to offer 5 mega trends that relate to our work around growth, brand and culture which look to be particularly significant in 2026. Each has ramifications for many different industries and will continue to have significance beyond 2026.
I hope you find them thought provoking and that they go beyond the usual procession of low-stakes predictions.
Wherever you find human endeavour, you find mistakes, mishaps and errors. As long as there have been businesses conducting commerce there have been mistakes. So why will they be a defining aspect of 2026?
As companies implement more and more AI, often motivated by cost out, mistakes that impact the customer experience are inevitable. This means that it will be crucible year for the processes brands have in place to handle mistakes.
Handled well, mistakes can be opportunities to create wow moments that elevate the brand. This is an old idea of course, but one that will truly take centre stage in 2026.
Moreover, the rhetoric that often surrounds technology, including AI, is that it will free humans up to focus on more important things. Okay: let’s see it then. We are surrounded by so much low-effort customer service – being a brand that shows a different path will be a standout opportunity in 2026.
Thought Starter: In 2026 how can your processes, approach and customer service handle errors and mistakes in such a way that they elevate your brand.
We have written about Nostalgia as a trend. As have many others. However, my take on it is that the rise in nostalgia is actually about something more significant and fertile. I see nostalgia as a search for fulfilment. And in 2026, fulfilment is going to be something that brands can tap into to elevate products, services and drive relevance.
Let me explain.
Much of the digital revolution has been about delivering convenience and removing friction. Every song is now on our phones. So are our bank accounts. I can summon a pizza with a tap. Take a photo, or video. And so on, and so on. Frictionless experiences are everywhere, embedded in our everyday lives.
One impact of making things more convenient is that we inadvertently make them less fulfilling. Not all experiences warrant friction of course. I don’t want any when paying my electricity bill. So the question becomes: how much friction should an experience have?
Recently friction has leapt the fence to become cultural. For example in a recent NYT article, the author speaks about 2026 being a year for “Friction Maxxing”. Here the context was parenting and building resilience through adding friction – not removing it.
The frictionless world we are continuing to build, with AI as the new architect, has many downstream social consequences, from short attention spans to lower emotional resilience. Another is that we are now seeking more fulfilling experiences. This is what is driving interest in things like film photography, clothes thrifting and vinyl, rather than just aesthetic nostalgia.
People are seeking meaningful, deliberate experiences, ones that require some effort. Experiences that, dare I say, are challenging or that can lead to some kind of mastery over time. In other words, that are fulfilling.
Thought Starter: In 2026, are there ways your product, service, customer experience or brand engagement could ask more from users in a way that feels deliberate but fulfilling?
Let me start this by stating the obvious. Focusing on the needs of the “user” is a good thing. This logic is behind movements such as Human Centred Design and Jobs To Be Done theory. While I completely agree with the sentiment, perhaps controversially, when looking for opportunities for growth, I see the maxim that “products create needs” as more powerful.
To justify myself:
In terms of needs, humans are in many ways very near the top of the S Curve. My phone, my car, my house, my rucksack etc. – I’m good, thanks. The number of glaring pain points in the lives of most wealthy Westerners are few at best, and shrinking globally.
The truth is that, now more than ever, it is products that create needs. For example, let’s say I buy an iPhone. Now, I need a case, cloud storage, insurance, a screen protector and so on. Products create a universe of second-order needs that must then be catered for.
This year we will see more examples of products and service universes creating needs. A fantastic example is Ozempic. Weight loss jabs are supercharging the demand and desire for skincare that can plump out the face. Retailers are launching ready meals with an emphasis on nutrient density as the appetites of adopters shrink.
Thought Starter: Products don’t just serve needs: they create them – sometimes entire universes of them. 2026 is the year to start thinking less in terms of what you can fix and more about what customers don’t know they want.
The fragmentation of technology will be a byword in 2026 due to AI. The ‘so what’ for businesses and brands is that they will need to cater for an increasingly diverse group of users.
What does that mean?
The last 30 years have seen incredible technological advances. Ones that have rewired business and change the way we live. However, how technology gets adopted and why is not linear.
When online banking first launched it was a monumental step forward. Hurrah, no longer was it necessary to trudge down to a branch and queue, probably during your precious lunch break, to complete basic transactions. However, a significant part of society rejected it. Some people didn’t trust online banking despite the convenience. Others didn’t have access to the technology at the time.
Today, online banking has long since become mainstream. But it wasn’t an instant hit. Traditional banks had to cater for, and still have to cater for, those people who want to, or need to go to a branch. Neobanks then said no to branches – accepting that they were not offering a solution for everyone.
Just like online banking, not everyone will be all in with AI. Unlike online banking, we have no idea what the end state is (if there is one) and therefore, what the norms will be, and the questions driving adoption are far more profound.
Why is this relevant for 2026? AI capabilities matured significantly last year and will continue at pace this year. In parallel, we will see progressively more implementation by businesses as their confidence grows. On the consumer front, we will have access to even more powerful AI tools and they will be integrated into more things we come into contact with.
Take Anthropic’s latest creation – Claude Co Work. It runs on your computer and is able to carry out multiple tasks for you on its own. This is another step on AI’s journey towards having autonomous capabilities. Fantastically useful – just like online banking.
But would you be comfortable installing it? After all, on your computer, it would need full access to all your files to have meaningful impact. And who knows what potential for abuse that could unlock?
If those arguments sound familiar, they almost perfectly mirror the arguments we heard at the advent of online banking. And over time, we will again see something like Claude’s Co Work become normalised.
In 2026 our limits of what we are prepared to adopt will be tested more and more as AI rapidly advances. Not everyone will want to go to the sunlit AI uplands straightaway. Others will be dragged there. Some will reject it permanently.
Thought Starter: In 2026, does your approach cater for a customer base with fragmented opinions and views on AI adoption? And if you are a tech business, how you can design your products and services in a way that caters for multiple, rather than a single adoption curve.
The slop thickens in 2026. No spoilers, but we’ve written an article all about it. Read it here.
If one thread runs through all my predictions for 2026 it’s messiness. Between friction, fragmentation and failure, there’s not much hope of everything going smoothly. So no, I don’t think it will be a boring year. But it will certainly be a interesting one.
We’re looking forward to getting our hands dirty.
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