Ok at the risk of NOT writing a highly engaging LinkedIn appropriate diatribe of AI summarised content, here’s some human thoughts from WARC’s “2026 Marketers Toolkit”, written in ugly, grammatically incorrect and, let’s be honest semi lazy, Steve Wren style.
Brace yourselves.
Also it turns out it’s really hard to intentionally avoid hyphens.
After reading WARC’s “Marketers Toolkit 2026”, an annual study of the changing marketing landscape through trend identification, in-depth reviews of industry information and global survey and interviews of 1000+ marketing executives.
If I had to sum all insights into one snippet, it mostly comes back to VALUE CREATION.
Brands that represent and deliver value, be it emotional brand equity, be it tangible quality products or experiences are set to deliver the best returns, As are those that understand that value of the marketing modelling mix.
“ENSHITTIFICATION” – (bugga, there’s a hyphen) how have I not heard this term until just now??…
Enshittification - The three-stage decay of online platforms and services, coined by writer Cory Doctorow. It begins with a platform benefiting its end users, then degrades that experience to benefit business customers (like advertisers), and finally degrades both user and business experiences to extract maximum profit for shareholders.
And is a prevailing sentiment that reflects the digital experience and wear out of consumers and their brand experience.
How can brands pivot their experience to deliver an emotional reprieve from this landscape of dull, mindless digital exhaustion? And thereby strengthen their brand equity and the value they deliver BEYOND the product they’re trying to sell.
What comes to mind is a 30 second AngelSoft superbowl ad ‘Potty-Tunity” providing a branded 30 second toilet break mid game.
How about some pre-roll content that encourages you to close your eyes and diaphragm breathe brought to you by Swisse Sleep Gummies?
The report highlights both a change in consumer profiles and traditional psychographics, with consumer spending shifting to a Barbell strategy more definitively.
Skimp to Splurge, there is no in-between.
We’re either saving/scrimping on items or we’re splurging on items we value – rarely purchasing the ‘middle’ or ‘sensible’, which is leading to a loss of the ‘middle class’ category and putting products and brands in that centre at risk.
This spending habit then speaks to the importance of VALUE, be it brand equity that creates that value or the craft, quality cues that define something as worth that little bit more.
Being sensible/accessible and in the mid seems to be carrying greater risk, than what was once the fertile area for volume.
Furthermore – WARC highlights that in the US the share of adults under 50 who don’t plan to have children rose from 37% in 2018 to 47% in 2023, and are far more intentional in that decision.
With ageing populations, and a general decline in child-births, the future demographic profiles of cashed up Boomers and SINKS/DINKS further exacerbates the Barbell analogy with significant populations willing and able to spend/invest where they perceive value, and squeeze on lesser valued items.
Similarly, the shift in ‘traditional demographics’ has meant a reassessment of those major milestones of life stages, and what that means for brands trying to tap into moments of transition.
Home ownership is either firmly established (Boomer town), or not even in the conversation (Millennials and under), which then pivots what were once established patterns into a new series of milestones that brands can study and explore where they can deliver value.
Understanding the consumer journey, may highglight a NEW set of life stage moments that brands can bring value to;
Property Rental Acceptance offer – as important today as the previous SOLD moment of home ownership
Pet ownership/adoption – the milestone replacing a child’s birth for many.
What other undiscovered milestone gems are there we aren’t acknowledging? The first bionic hip replacement?
The WARC 2026 toolkit also explores the pitfalls and benefits of INFLUENCER marketing and GEO (generative engine optimisation) as tools within the marketing mix.
In my time at Broadsheet Media, I was the Client Services Director of the branded content division of the business – matching a client’s objectives to content presented in such a way that would generate a legitimate ROI back to the brand AND the reader.
I’ll admit, this was not always easy – as balancing the authenticity of the publication with an authored marketing message was a tightly walked tightrope. One mm to the left and the brands message is diluted, one mm to the right and the audience is screaming advertorial.
Much is also true in the ROI and approach to influencer content creation in today’s media mix – balancing authenticity and engagement with ROI and effectiveness.
Only 27% of creator content tested by Kantar is strongly linked to the sponsoring brand, with CreativeX research finding that up to 45% of creator ad spend on Meta was wasted due to poorly designed content, specifically with failure to present branding early.
WARC also highlights an outdated model for determining content creator ‘success’ – with reach and engagement still being the primary driver, rather than understanding the broader influence with a Billion Dollar Boy study showing marketers briefing creators to build brand equity, but then judging against performance KPI’s.
It’s those businesses that integrate the content creation within a broader marketing ecosystem in pursuit of a primary objective that stand the best chance of success, these simply can't operate in silos.
A brief thought on AI and GEO because this area is changing so rapidly – whilst the WARC study found that AI’s share of ‘search’ is only 6%, that jumped 3.8% from 2.2. in 12 months.
Demonstrating a swift progression of consumer habits turning to AI search for consolidated list generators and bespoke responses.
So where does ‘brand’ fit within this?
There is undeniably a future, where personal AI assistants are speaking with Brand/Retail AI suppliers and their judgement on the value equation will shape the role of brand equity.
What factors will influence those algorithms are anyone’s guess and the ‘enshittification’ process may well repeat itself eroding trust, but by then – we’ll likely be so used to our bots doing our shopping for us that the only value we place is on lived, fulfilling experiences.
Bad news for product marketers, good news for humanity? Who knows.
1. Build brands that are emotionally irresistible.
When the middle disappears and AI rewrites search, brand equity is your only real insurance policy.
2. Treat creators like long-term creative assets, not ad hoc content factories.
Stop obsessing over engagement metrics that are basically digital crumbs.
3. Make your brand an escape hatch.
Australians love optimism, wit, adventure and self-effacing humour. Give them more of that, not more “platform-first executions.”
4. Experiment with AI, but don’t lose your strategic discipline.
The temptation is to chase shiny new toys. The smarter move is to test, learn
5. Rebuild your understanding of households, identities and life paths.
Milestones are fluid. Meaning is what matters.
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Source: WARC The Marketer's Toolkit 2026
