2026: 12 trends in brand marketing

The first half of 2026 had a clear tell: the work that broke through mostly wasn’t traditional ads.

Brands put their own icons to work (Iconomics), invented products worth covering (PR-oducts), and trusted audiences to fill in a stripped-back identity (Debranding).

They paired off with unlikely partners, built things in public you couldn’t scroll past, and reacted in minutes when the moment arrived.

Underneath ran a sharper mood — brands siding with users against tech that’s getting worse – aka Anti-Enshittification.

Wrote a full round up on the work here.