Marketing and content trends 2026: 'Unshittification’, intentionality and escapism
We’re done with the fake, the fast, and the formula
As we head into the second half of 2025, it’s also time to look forward to 2026. Based on what we see and what's awarded in Cannes, what can we expect and prepare for?
→ We're done with the AI and the fake; we become more intentional, and from time to time, we escape
→ More than ever, we want the real and authentic, with meaning
→ It needs to feel seamless and effortless, thanks to modern technology
This post breaks down the key trends and what they mean for you. I’ve included all sources at the end, give credit where it’s due, and check out the originals for all details.
The trend for 2026: ‘Unshittification’, intentionality, and escapism
Building on 2025’s ‘being human’ momentum, we continue. For 2026, it's the ‘unshittification’. We're done. We're fed up with the AI-generated and automated fakeness. We're numbed by the algorithm fixing that results in more of the same content. We're tired of the fast-paced microtrends.
More than ever, we move toward ‘intentional’. We want to escape the fake and polished, and go ‘back’ to the ‘old school’ real, authentic, personal attention, human connection, and meaning.
Yet, all needs to feel seamless and effortless, thanks to modern technology.
This is brand marketing at its best. And it's powered by the bold, simple ideas that truly stand out. Just show up, consistently, frequently, and with a long-term mindset.
For marketing and content strategists, this isn’t just inspiration; it’s the new standard. And the bar is not just raised, but redefined.
What you need to know:
- Social tiredness: brands need to behave like creators
- Brand building is (again) the most important: long-term consistency
- In the age of technology, it’s creativity and trust that set you apart
- Great ideas are singular (as in ‘simple’)
- Wear out of website content by AI search, zero-click content, and social search
- The gap is growing fast: traditional and tech-driven marketing
Let’s dive in.
What's happening right here and now
1. Social tiredness: brands need to behave like creators
There’s a huge wearout of being social on social. This is what you need to know:
- Lower engagement. We’re tired of commenting, liking, and sharing. We’re not tired of (brand) content, though. Actually, 71% of TikTokers want brands to be on TikTok, and on Instagram, only 15% of the feed is from friends.
We view the content in a glance of 1.3 seconds. If we like what we see, we spend a bit more time, but after a few seconds, we’re off to the next, without leaving a visible sign of engagement. However, we do trigger the algorithm to show more of this type of content.
- Algorithm fixing. We get bored really fast. The algorithm feeds us more of the same, and we create content that fits what the algorithm wants to push. Within a short time, we hit overload, bored with the format, tired of the trend, and just like that, we move on to the next content micro trend.
- Social channels become publication channels. Nowadays, social is like watching TV with a chat function. TikTok (and Instagram) are about consuming content, it's about entertainment, it's not about connecting with your friends and family. And it's about content that's really entertaining, and that teaches you something.
What to do: behave like a creator
Brands need to behave like creators, producing content that adds value. Because people want to be entertained, inspired, and informed, they don't want ads.
Rule of thumb: the more professionally pixel-perfect polished your content is, the more it appears like an ad. Not to say you shouldn't produce high-quality content, I'm saying that not every piece of content has to be 100% perfect. A little real, raw, unpolished, unedited edge gives personality. Just like creators do.
There's a huge difference between creating an ad and creating content for entertainment. As soon as content starts to smell like commerce, people tune out. Nobody wants to be marketed to. And it's good to realize that 61% of consumers trust creator content, while 38% trust brand content. (Cannes Lions). So if you behave more like a creator, you'll also gain more trust.
Example: ‘Vaseline Verified’
Vaseline becomes the voice of reason in a world of viral beauty hacks. They add value by verifying and debunking myths in UGC, making the brand a cheeky authority. (case description)
2. Brand building is (again) the most important: long-term consistency
As said, people want content, not ads. That means for brands, a shift from performance focus to brand building. Being there, consistently. It is not the one-off big, bold campaigns that make an impact. It's the always-on content that ‘feeds’ the consumer by giving value in the form of entertainment, inspiration, or education.
Brands (still) need to build trust and credibility. And that pays off, seeing the Cannes Lions this year:
- ‘Dove Real Beauty,' how a soap brand created a global self-esteem movement for 20 years
- ‘L’Oreal', the final copy of Ilon Specht was a feminist breakthrough (1971)
What to do: 60-40 rule
The 60-40 rule still holds: balance your budget with 60% for brand building and 40% for performance marketing.
In this brand building, it’s about consistency. Showing up and doing that frequently, and recognizably. Not a short and fast campaign, but year after year.
It’s also about the long-term trust and reciprocation, not immediately wanting to close a sale, but to really help your customer, even if that means they don’t buy directly from you. After all, only 5% of (B2B) customers are ready to buy, and the best metric of success is retention: customers who repeat the purchase.
But consistency without meaning is just noise
No need to tell you that you need a bigger idea, a structure, and a storyline. Right?
Posting for the sake of posting is not how to build your brand. My advice in a nutshell: stick to a maximum of 3 topics per (half) year, don't spread yourself too thin, and try to tick all the content marketing and customer journey boxes in one go. Better whole ass one thing than half ass everything – especially if you're tight on budget.
Did you know you have to repeat yourself at least 7 times to make your message stick?
B2B is finally catching up
The new kid on the block: B2B. It looks like B2B is becoming sexy and the new playground for marketers. And I get it. Where B2B was still rather traditional, now it’s time to apply lessons from B2C to B2B. Don't think that because you're in B2B, the basic rules of attraction suddenly don’t apply.
Ultimately, we communicate with humans, and in B2B, this interaction is even more personal than in B2C, as the buying journey is longer, more intense, and more personalized.
→ B2B Cannes Lions winner shows how it's done: GoDaddy AI software to launch your website and socials
Example: ‘Dove Real Beauty,' how a soap brand created a global self-esteem movement for 20 years
It began in 2004 with a bold insight: only 2% of women considered themselves beautiful. Dove challenged the industry’s narrow ideals by celebrating confidence over perfection, sparking one of the first viral marketing movements.
Reaching millions of young people. Dove didn’t stop at ads; it backed real change, supporting laws like the Crown Act against hair discrimination, and fighting toxic beauty standards on social media. (case description)
3. In the age of technology, it’s creativity and trust that set you apart
We’ve moved past the novelty of AI hype. We still use it, of course, but AI is no longer a differentiator. It’s a commodity. Now, creating content has never been easier, but the result often feels like more of the same. And that's not how you build your brand.
What to do: ‘involve the crazy ones’
It’s not the tech that sets you apart, it’s the creativity behind it. The curious, messy, and dirty mind that makes unexpected connections and challenges the status quo and how things have always been done.
What really matters is the human marketer who's guiding the technology to create content that makes your brand stand out.
With the side note that being different and innovative isn’t always about technology; it’s also about looking at things differently.
Trust and ethics as a brand advantage
Marketing now holds even more real power over data and personalization. What starts with persuasion and service can quickly slide into online manipulation or exclusion. Not because anyone plans it, but because we’re moving fast with high workloads, chasing conversions, and using AI and IT tools we don’t fully understand.
That’s the real risk: it happens quietly. Invisibly. And once the damage is done, it’s already too late. How to bake ethics into your marketing strategy and work processes
Example: Penny locks in price stability in times of inflation
During a period of steep inflation, Penny offered long-term price stability on everyday essentials by locking prices permanently by printing them directly on the packaging. ‘If you print it on the package, you can’t change it.’
This is creative thinking and innovation by design, not by technology. (case description)
More things that matter
4. Great ideas are singular (as in ‘simple’)
As I already said, we're tired. There’s so much going on. In tech and AI, efficiency pressure at the office and home, social pressure, spiking inflation, and geopolitical factors.
We want simple. Nothing complicated that requires headspace and mental effort. The simpler your idea, the more it resonates.
What to do: go deep on tech, but make it look simple
The trick is to develop it as advanced, tech-supported, data-driven, well-researched, and executed to the highest level of excellence. If you don't do the tech part, you'll miss out, as the UX and CX expectations are high. You just have to make it look very simple, intuitive, and easy to use.
Rule of thumb: we love simple and easy. At first glance, no-click, no-effort.
5. Wear out of website content by AI search, zero-click content, and social search
Thanks to AI search and zero-click content, website traffic drops. At the same time, social search becomes the second search engine. Eating away more of your precious traffic.
It's a rollercoaster. What to do?
What to do: I don't know
I don’t have an answer to these developments. All I'm doing now is keeping my pace and peace, continuing to produce high-quality content, and having faith in the future.
While my web traffic has dropped by more than 30%, my social engagement is at an all-time low, but my newsletter subscribers are growing faster than ever. Apparently, I must be doing something right.
Truly good content is always worth it and will get noticed. Only now, it might take longer and won’t always be measurable. But just because you can’t measure it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t resonate and convert.
6. The gap is growing fast: traditional and tech-driven marketing
This one really blows my mind. I just don’t get it. With all the incredible new technology out there, I’m amazed at how little of it is truly integrated into marketing teams. It’s not a lack of enthusiasm or openness; those are there. It’s rooted in a strange kind of hesitation from leadership. A reluctance to really commit. Is it fear? Budget? Or something else entirely?
Yes, we experiment with AI, we try out ChatGPT, and give CoPilot a nudge. But that’s usually where it stops. A few marketing teams have built their own GPTs, but most are one-off projects. What’s missing is real integration. A rethink of processes and workflows, with AI placed at the core from the start.
Furthermore, the ease of doing research with AI has made everyone feel like an expert. But many lack the context or experience to interpret what they find or to challenge the answers AI gives them.
For me, the person behind the prompt makes all the difference. I take the output seriously only if I trust the person who did the research, someone who put in the thought, context, and effort. I’ll always value that over someone who just runs a prompt and presents the result as is.
What to do: you already know
Embrace AI. Get professional help. Stop experimenting, now is the time for integration and rethinking your processes and ways of working.
The first agencies are already falling over because of AI. Businesses are next. If you don’t adapt, your competitors, or agile startups, will. And it’s not just lost revenue or market share at stake. You’ll lose talent too, because no one wants to work in a company where AI isn’t part of the way things are done.
Frequently asked questions about marketing and content trends
- What are the marketing and content trends for 2026?
In a nutshell: First, content that's fast and efficient is produced with help from AI, but is crafted by humans. Reflecting the brand's values and point of view.
Second, focus on brand building over performance content. The brand behind the product matters. And brand content that's produced as if the brand is a creator is far more appreciated by customers than sales-driven performance content.
Third, it's the creativity that sets you apart, not the tech you're using.
- Why do the Cannes Lions cases matter for marketing?
The work that wins awards is the work that stands out, surprising, forward-thinking, and proven to be effective. By studying this kind of work, you can see what resonates.
Just like in fashion, what you see on the runway from luxury brands shows up in stores not long after.
- What if I don't follow marketing and content trends?
Honestly, in the short term, nothing much will change. (Probably you're already behind your competitors.)
However, in the long term, you'll notice. Not investing in marketing and failing to keep up with what customers appreciate is the nail in your coffin.
This also goes for B2B; don't think that because you're in B2B, the basic rules of attraction suddenly don’t apply.
- What's the One Thing to do for marketing and content for 2026?
Besides all the trends, tech, and AI options, I highly recommend that you focus on your ethical standpoint and operational guidance for the marketing team.
With hyper-personalization and targeting enabling marketing-to-one, the lines quietly and unintentionally get crossed. And you don't notice until it's too late. To obsess on the transparency and privacy of data usage and get rigorous bias testing in place.
Wrapping it up: Unshittification in 2026
The trends from 2025 continue in 2026. It’s just more integrated.
What you need to know:
- Social tiredness: brands need to behave like creators
- Brand building is (again) the most important: long-term consistency
- In the age of technology, it’s creativity and trust that set you apart
- Great ideas are singular (as in ‘simple’)
- Wear out of website content by AI search, zero-click content, and social search
- The gap is growing fast: traditional and tech-driven marketing
What you need to do: try hard and harder. Play the marketing and content game by the rules, or miss out. Bring in the professionals, hire the expensive senior to guide the cheaper juniors. And use AI wisely, integrated, not experimented.
In 2026, there's no such thing as being mediocre.
Not only do your SEO and SEA drops due to AI search and zero-click content. Additionally, the algorithms will hide your content if it doesn't resonate, even if you promote it with paid advertising budgets. What's left is email marketing, but if you don't nail the web and social content, there's a small chance that you'll excel in email content.
If you don't, your competitors will.
The choice is yours.
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Sources and credit
Credit to all below for feeding me with their insights. Confession, I ‘borrowed’ the term ‘unshittification’ from a WARC deck; it captured what’s happening perfectly. For transparency, I used AI to summarize the Cannes case videos and added my own perspectives and key takeaways.
Ogilvy, ‘Vive la Créativité’
The Drum, Cannes Lions 2025: View all the Grand Prix-winning ads
WARC, Creative Impact unpacked
WARC, Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lions 2025
WARC, Creative Impact Unpacked: What we learned at Cannes Lions 2025
WARC, How to achieve the multiplier effect in China
WARC Consumer Trends 2025: Five shifts shaping consumer spending
Kantar, Cannes in a can: Refresh yourself with the top 5 takeaways from Cannes 2025
Nielsen, Conversations from Cannes
Cannes Lions, Need-to-know numbers
Cannes Lions, the official Cannes Lions wrap-up 2025
Love the work, Winners and Shortlists
Adweek, The Cannes Lions 2025 Controversies Casting a Shadow Over Big Awards
The New Yorker: Are You Experiencing Posting Ennui?
The New Yorker: Why posting on social media has become something of the past
Tracksuit, Make Waves in the Sea of Sameness
Tracksuit, From Awareness to Effectiveness
Tracksuit, Track the Field Report
The Philosophy of Online Manipulation
When Good Algorithms Go Sexist: Why and How to Advance AI Gender Equity
Evaluating Gender Bias in Large Language Models in Long-term Care,
Disclaimer
I update and edit this page frequently with fresh insights. First publication June 2025, update in August, and added the importance of ethics in September.
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