No matter how complex technology becomes, people still crave simplicity. We want tools that make life easier, messages that make sense and experiences that fit seamlessly in our routines. For leaders navigating media in the current business landscape – where it’s easy to chase trends and lose sight of what matters – this instinct for ease could be their most powerful competitive advantage.
“Our brains are wired for simplicity and social connection, and our tendency to focus on what most interests us,” says Will Swayne, global practice president for media and integrated solutions at Dentsu. “These are enduring behaviours regardless of how technology, data or media platforms evolve. In the algorithmic era, where platforms’ algorithms increasingly act as gatekeepers to what people see, like and buy, these ‘human truths’ are the foundation for making strategic decisions.”
This foundation can counteract the kind of short-term thinking that might dilute impact at a time when it has never been more critical.
Swayne explains: “Focusing on real human behaviours helps leaders to make more grounded decisions about where to invest and how to engage – whether designing a commerce experience that sparks desire, building narratives that foster community or developing creative campaigns that earn attention rather than demanding it.”
The way consumers are making choices about brand or product is increasingly being driven by generative AI
Dentsu’s Media Trends 2026 report explores these human truths in detail and demonstrates their role in driving sustainable growth. The report details how these truths will continue to influence the way consumers discover brands, search for products and engage with companies and communities in the algorithmic era. At the same time, it shows that channels are evolving quickly. For instance, search is becoming more conversational and contextual, which requires new approaches.
“The way consumers are making choices about brand or product is increasingly being driven by generative AI,” says Swayne. “You need to make sure that you’re optimising correctly towards that, similar to what happened with search engine optimisation (SEO), so your brand stands out, remains distinct and shows up in the right way.”
This requires thinking about content and messaging in more expansive and holistic terms. “In the SEO-based world, it was about making sure your website was optimised and included the right words that would show up in the right way. Now, you’ve got to think about your content and your messaging across all the different channels and platforms, because that’s how AI agents will develop an understanding of your brand.”
Simplicity and community
Delegation is becoming a default setting. Consumers increasingly expect technology to act on their behalf, from recommending what to watch to managing what to buy. Dentsu’s Consumer Vision 2035 study found that half of consumers would welcome AI clones to take over routine shopping, administrative and communication tasks in the next 10 years. Initiatives such as OpenAI’s ‘agent’ mode and Amazon’s ‘buy for me’ feature are bringing us closer to full digital delegation.
But rushing to release agents that don’t deliver great customer experiences could damage brand trust. “Leaders must tread carefully and avoid ‘performative AI’,” says Swayne. “AI tools must support the business strategy. They should not be deployed for the sake of it.”
Rather than scaling quickly, leaders should focus on building adaptive systems that evolve with customers and strategy. A centralised platform to manage agent life cycles, dependencies and communication is also essential, as is strong governance to prevent off-brand messaging or false claims. This approach enables businesses to capture agentic opportunities without risking brand equity.
According to Dentsu’s latest CMO Navigator survey, 34% of leaders are prioritising figuring out AI use cases and risks, while 31% are focusing on developing new AI agents and improving data analysis. Three in 10 are concentrating on media planning, optimisation and creative strategy. This illustrates how central AI has become to growth planning.
Brands that help people connect – through shared interests, live experiences or direct messaging – are likely to gain an edge in 2026. In uncertain times, familiar faces and real voices carry more weight than polished campaigns. Authentic video reviews from users often outperform even the slickest ads.
Messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, with more than 3 billion users worldwide, offer brands a new way to engage consumers through social, conversational interactions that support long-term growth.
“Unifying content that is typically dispersed across multiple channels – apps, websites, emails – in a single persistent conversation offers a real opportunity to create seamless experiences for customers,” says Swayne. “It encompasses advertising, commerce and customer- experience management to create connected engagement. Dentsu’s WhatsApp Business Gateway streamlines access to the WhatsApp API, providing solutions from journey creation through to analysis and optimisation.”
Dentsu’s CMO Navigator survey shows that 34% of leaders are most excited about automated business messaging on platforms such as WhatsApp, and 31% see communities and creators as one of the biggest media opportunities. A third expect consumer adoption of AI agents to accelerate in the coming year.
However, brands must ensure they engage with communities and messaging in nuanced and strategic ways that add value. Marketers should focus on the value their brands bring to audiences’ passions, rituals and identities, and let creators take the lead in conveying this to audiences.
Driving sustainable growth
Brands that keep investing in media during uncertainty often emerge stronger. With measurement tools now far more precise, media has shifted from a cost centre to a proven driver of ROI and growth, according to Swayne. This shift is already showing up in budgets.
As Dentsu forecasts ad spend to surpass $1tn (£765bn) for the first time in 2026, half of CMOs (49%) plan to increase investment in search and agentic AI. A similar share are boosting influencer spending, and 46% are putting more into short-form content. Four in 10 expect to increase outlay on retail media, social commerce and livestream content.
Media’s growing influence in the C-suite reflects its central role in modern life.
“Our screen-based lifestyles provide infinite opportunities to connect with people, shop, share and experiment,” Swayne explains. “That’s why media has become the new frontier for business growth.”
He believes a multi-tiered approach is crucial for media success in the algorithmic era, which is more diverse, more multifaceted and more fluid.
Don’t lose sight of the human truths that will endure despite the changes happening within the marketplace
Swayne explains: “You need to think about media, data and technology to make sure you’ve got the right audience strategies; media, creative and production to make sure you’ve got the messaging targeted; and media, sports and entertainment to ensure your brand is embedded into culture. We’ve built this approach to help clients navigate the algorithmic era and ensure media drives growth and delivers against business goals.”
Collaboration and alignment between media and marketing, sales, technology and other business functions is important. Swayne points to Pandora, the global jewellery retailer, which Dentsu has worked with, to illustrate what can be achieved with such an approach. “They’ve been on a multi-year transformation journey that reframed media from a channel cost to a growth driver by aligning data, creativity and commerce. They moved from media simply promoting products to cultivating a connected brand ecosystem, which ultimately contributed to sustained high-growth performance year after year.”
As algorithms increasingly shape culture, commerce and communication, brands that thrive will be those that remember what remains unchanged: our need for simplicity, our desire for connection and our tendency to pay attention to what genuinely interests us. “Don’t lose sight of the human truths that will endure despite the changes happening within the marketplace,” says Swayne.
CMOs’ top priorities for media investment in 2026
Dentsu’s latest CMO Navigator survey shows marketing leaders are grappling with fundamental changes in the way people search and shop online. Focusing on fundamental human truths could help them adapt
Search is changing, but human recommendations still matter
When it comes to what excites CMOs most about the year ahead, changes in the search landscape tops the list (37%), followed closely by branded integration in entertainment and IP, such as gaming, sports and anime, (35%) and the development of automated business messaging on platforms such as WhatsApp (34%).
These priorities reflect where media is heading in the algorithmic era. Succeeding with search is no longer about simply choosing the right keywords, for example. It’s about being present across conversational AI, social channels and retail platforms. As generative AI drives more zero-click searches, brands must ensure they remain visible as direct site traffic declines. Nearly half of CMOs (49%) plan to increase investment in search and agentic AI over the next 12 months, making it the top area of focus for more spending.
At the same time, 49% of CMOs also plan to increase investment in influencer marketing, underscoring the value audiences see in trusted and familiar personalities. Indeed, while AI may increasingly automate elements of search, human recommendations will remain highly valued in the increasingly complex media landscape.
Short-form content shows real potential
Short-form content will be another significant area of focus for CMOs in 2026, with 46% planning to increase investment in formats such as YouTube Shorts.
The survey results reveal continued interest in other forms of video too. Two in five (43%) CMOs plan to invest more in livestream content integration, with the same share planning to increase advertising on VOD platforms such as Netflix and 42% upping spending on the production and sponsorship of original content, such as TV shows. This suggests that marketing leaders still believe that investment in a variety of formats can help to capture attention across the consumer spectrum.
Commerce and community are converging
Retail media networks will continue to command CMOs’ attention in 2026, with 41% increasing investment in this space. Unsurprising, considering retail media has become an essential component of many strategies over recent years, enabling brands to reach customers where and when they are most likely to make a purchase.
Social commerce will receive similar attention, with 41% of CMOs increasing investment there, as will sponsorships of live events. Another 42% of marketing chiefs plan to increase investment in gaming integration and sponsorship of virtual events, such as e-sports. Clearly, CMOs are still keen to embed their brands in communities that capture the attention of particular consumer demographics.
These investment intentions show that the most valuable media opportunities in 2026 are those that close the distance between inspiration and transaction, between passive viewing and active participation.
Attention measurement tools excite, but agentic AI requires caution
Almost a third (31%) of CMOs are excited about new data and analytics capabilities that could help them to better understand audiences and to develop a more sophisticated understanding of how attention influences long-term sales. In addition, 44% plan to increase investment in media-effectiveness measurement tools next year.
When it comes to AI and its application in the media space, CMOs are taking a considered approach. The top priority, cited by 34%, is understanding uses, opportunities and risks of GenAI, with developing AI agents and related technologies ranked second (31%). Rather than rushing ahead with AI agents, leaders are keen to first explore whether they can deliver genuine value.
The balance between these priorities ultimately reveals the complex challenge facing CMOs today: they must harness the power of new technologies where possible, while maintaining the human oversight required to prevent poorly designed approaches from damaging hard-won consumer trust.
To explore the full Media Trends 2026 report, visit insight.dentsu.com/2026-media-trends
No matter how complex technology becomes, people still crave simplicity. We want tools that make life easier, messages that make sense and experiences that fit seamlessly in our routines. For leaders navigating media in the current business landscape – where it’s easy to chase trends and lose sight of what matters – this instinct for ease could be their most powerful competitive advantage.
“Our brains are wired for simplicity and social connection, and our tendency to focus on what most interests us,” says Will Swayne, global practice president for media and integrated solutions at Dentsu. “These are enduring behaviours regardless of how technology, data or media platforms evolve. In the algorithmic era, where platforms’ algorithms increasingly act as gatekeepers to what people see, like and buy, these ‘human truths’ are the foundation for making strategic decisions.”
This foundation can counteract the kind of short-term thinking that might dilute impact at a time when it has never been more critical.
