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Six PR and marketing trends that will matter in 2026
By 2026, PR and marketing have moved far beyond being judged on activity alone. Audiences are savvier, attention is harder to earn, and a tougher economic climate means every pound invested must prove its value. Success now hinges on clear evidence of impact, influence and contribution to real business outcomes.
At the same time, technology has matured significantly. And when used with intent and strategic focus, it offers marketers a powerful opportunity to meet rising expectations and deliver sharper results.
Below, I break down the key trends that will define success in 2026, and the strategies brands should be building into their approach now.
1. Smarter measurementis non-negotiable
Today, smarter measurement must be baked into strategy from day one. Clients and leadership teams are asking tougher questions: What changed because of this campaign? Who did we influence? What value did it deliver? Vanity metrics like impressions and reach are losing credibility unless they’re clearly connected to outcomes such as reputation lift, lead generation, stakeholder trust or commercial impact.
What’s changing is not just the tools, but the mindset. PR and marketing teams are expected to align activity directly to business objectives and demonstrate contribution alongside paid and owned channels.
What this means in practice:
- Greater investment in analytics and attribution tools
- Integrated dashboards combining PR, social, search and sales data
- A shift away from AVEs towards outcome-based KPIs
2. AIhas become astrategic partner
By 2026, AI has moved well beyond a novelty and has become a core part of how marketers augment the strategies that drive results. It is being increasingly used to identify emerging sentiments, predict reputational risk, draw patterns from data that support narratives and support creative ideation. It’s helping teams work faster and smarter, however the winning organisations are those that put guardrails around it and treat it as a tool which optimises execution, and not a replacement for human thinking or creativity.
What brands are buying:
- AI-powered media monitoring and narrative intelligence platforms
- Predictive tools for issues and crisis detection
- AI that supports creativity and insight, not just content production
3. Content designed for AIdiscovery
Search behaviour is changing fast. Audiences are increasingly using AI as a search engine and receiving answers directly from AI-generated summaries, rather than manually clicking through Google results. As a result, PR content must be designed to be discoverable by machines as well as humans.
This shift, often referred to as Generative Engine Optimisation, means that clear, structured, credible content matters more than ever. Thought leadership, expert commentary and well-written press materials are now feeding the answers people see in AI tools.
4. Micro-communitiesreplacemass reach
The idea of ‘one message for everyone’ is officially outdated. In 2026, influence lives in micro-communities, smaller, highly engaged groups united by shared interests, values or industries.
As mainstream media continues to fragment, niche outlets, specialist journalists and community platforms become increasingly important. Engagement, relevance and trust often matter more than raw reach.
What this means:
- More targeted media strategies
- Greater focus on community management and advocacy
- Campaigns built around depth of engagement, not volume
5. Humanskills become more valuable, not less
As AI’s capabilities accelerate, human skills become more important than ever. Strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, ethical judgement, storytelling and creativity must remain firmly human led, and this is what will differentiate great PR and marketing teams in 2026. This kind of nuance cannot be replicated by technology.
While AI can support ideation or suggest headlines, it is people who decide what a brand should say and, just as importantly, what it shouldn’t. Without human oversight, overreliance on AI risks generic, robotic content, missed strategic opportunities and even potential reputational damage.
Looking ahead
PR and marketing in 2026 are defined by one clear shift from activity to impact. The tools are smarter, the audiences more selective, and the expectations higher. Success comes from using technology to enhance human insight, and from proving value through outcomes, not outputs.
The brands that win won’t be the loudest. They’ll be the clearest, the most credible, and the most strategically focused.
Contact Nadia.cohen@cigroup.co.uk to speak about PR strategy and comms for your brand in 2026.