There is a decisive shift in consumer trust and digital engagement that is set to reshape brand strategy in 2026: Rather than responding to institutional brand messaging or heritage-led positioning, audiences — particularly Gen Z — increasingly favour authentic, human-led communication and trust signals shaped by real individuals and lived experiences.
Research conducted by Pulse Advertising notes that consumers are connecting more strongly to brands anchored in authentic personalities rather than traditional corporate voice.
Creator-founded brands such as Rare Beauty and Rhode continue to grow rapidly, and creator-driven content is consistently proving to be more impactful, with audiences viewing creators not as megaphones for advertising, but as trusted community figures who provide context, interpretation and credibility.
Lara Daniel, CEO and co-founder of Pulse Advertising, said: “The balance of power has shifted from institutions to individuals. Audiences are no longer persuaded by brand announcements — they respond to human voices, lived experience and shared values. The brands that succeed in 2026 will be those that embrace real connection over messaging control.”
Other trends Pulse Advertising sees shaping 2026 include:
- Influence moving offline — creators hosting live podcasts, activations and community-led events, demonstrating influence beyond the smartphone.
- The rise of ‘edu-tainment’ — audiences treating social platforms as learning spaces, prioritising content that informs, teaches or enriches.
- Serialised engagement — recurring content formats and episodic storytelling building stronger long-term relationships than one-off virality.
- Values over visuals — brands demonstrating consistent purpose and social alignment outperform polished or AI-generated perfection.
- Dark social behaviour — with most conversation now happening in private group chats and DMs, requiring new listening and engagement models.
- AI as an amplifier, not an author — supporting production and localisation, while human insight remains responsible for trust and cultural nuance.
- The expansion of social commerce — platforms like TikTok Shop, Instagram Shop and WhatsApp enabling seamless in-platform purchasing journeys.
- Micro communities to outperform demographic targeting – niche clusters such as #BookTok outperforming traditional demographic targeting by delivering higher relevance and stronger engagement.
Pulse Advertising advises brands to adapt to these audience patterns by stepping away from top-down broadcast models and engaging within community-driven, bottom-up influence ecosystems where connection, participation and cultural alignment earn trust.
