The conversations shaping 2026 are already underway. Brands are being challenged to rethink how, why, and where they show up.
As part of our annual Three Trends series, we asked industry leaders to share their key takeaways.
Next, we speak to Tushar Khakhar, First Executive at AGENCY09.
Tushar reflects on the industry’s shift from experimentation to clarity, the growing premium on taste and point of view, and why human judgment and cultural understanding will define meaningful brand decisions in 2026.
Looking Ahead:
What are three trends to look for in the coming year?
1. The Internet Moves Closer to the “Dead Internet Theory”
As machine-generated content becomes more widespread, the internet risks feeling increasingly uniform. Feeds are fuller than ever, yet many interactions feel hollow and interchangeable.
In 2026, the challenge will not be access to content, but relevance. When audiences encounter endless streams of competent but anonymous material, they disengage not out of fatigue, but out of indifference.
This creates a renewed premium on content that carries human signals: original thinking, lived experience, cultural specificity, and a clear point of view. Brands that sound authored rather than automated will earn attention not through frequency, but through resonance.
The opportunity is not to resist technology, but to ensure that meaning does not disappear beneath scale.
2. Taste Becomes a Competitive Advantage
As tools and platforms continue to level execution, taste emerges as one of the few remaining differentiators.
In 2026, brands will be recognised less for how much they produce and more for what they choose to put into the world. This shows up in sharper edits, clearer narratives, and a stronger sense of when to participate and when to step back.
By 2026, access to information will no longer be a strategic advantage. AI can already research markets, summarise trends, and generate well-structured recommendations in seconds.
For agencies, this reinforces the value of perspective. Strategy and creative direction regain importance not as abstract ideas, but as practical filters that help brands navigate excess.
Good taste is no longer a matter of preference. It is a business decision.
3. Point of View Matters More Than Information
By 2026, access to information will no longer be a strategic advantage. AI can already research markets, summarise trends, and generate well-structured recommendations in seconds.
What it cannot replicate is lived experience. Cultural nuance, local context, and the subtle shifts in consumer behaviour that come from being embedded in markets rather than observing them from a distance.
As a result, brands will increasingly value partners who bring a clear point of view. Not strategies assembled purely from data, but direction shaped by real exposure to people, categories, and moments in culture. The difference will lie in knowing what truly matters, not just what is measurable.
AI will remain a powerful input for research and execution. But the strategic edge in 2026 will belong to those who can interpret signals through human understanding and turn insight into confident decisions.
In an age of infinite answers, point of view becomes the true advantage.
Closing perspective
2026 will not be defined by the next new tool or platform. It will be shaped by how thoughtfully brands choose to use what already exists.
In a world of infinite content, clarity becomes an advantage.
In a world of synthetic signals, humanity becomes a strength.
The brands that succeed will be those that value meaning as much as momentum.
Looking Back:
2025 was a year of consolidation for the industry. After a period of rapid experimentation, brands and agencies began to understand what genuinely adds value and what merely adds volume.
AI moved from novelty to infrastructure. It became embedded in everyday workflows, improving speed, access, and efficiency across functions.
At the same time, there was a growing appreciation for the elements technology could not replace: judgment, cultural awareness, and the ability to make clear choices in uncertain environments.
Most importantly, 2025 reminded the industry that progress is not always about doing more. Often, it is about doing the right things with greater clarity and intent. That mindset sets the foundation for the shifts we will see in 2026.
Least favourite trend of 2025:
The mass “Studio Ghiblification” of everything using AI. What started as visual experimentation quickly turned into a copy-paste aesthetic with no cultural context or originality behind it.
If you could sum up 2025 in one emoji:
🚀
One of my favorite campaigns of 2025:
Chupa Chups – Samajh Ke Bahar
A refreshingly simple idea that trusted wit and cultural insight over noise.
What was your 2025 New Year’s Resolution, and did you keep it?
To travel more and explore local communities rather than just destinations. Yes, and it turned out to be one of the most grounding decisions of the year.
