Top Consumer Trends In 2026 (Virtual Only)

WELCOME REMARKS

Stephanie Fierman

EVP, Head of the Brand Practice ANA

DATA SIGNALS: UNDERSTANDING THE FORCES SHAPING THE 2026 CONSUMER

The consumers marketers thought they knew at the start of 2025 aren’t the same audiences they’re trying to reach today. In this session, CEO & Co-Founder Michael Ramlet will draw on Morning Consult’s 30,000 daily global interviews to break down how generational cohorts, income groups, and cultural segments are shifting as we head into 2026 — and what that means for brand strategy. He’ll also dig into the forces reshaping consumer behavior, from political polarization to AI-content fatigue to the emerging influence of Gen Alpha.

Michael Ramlet

Co-Founder & CEO Morning Consult

ADVERTISING IN 2026: IT’LL TAKE MORE THAN ANOTHER “TRENDS TALK” TO SOLVE THIS

The latest Ipsos Global Trends report confirms we are deep into "The Uneasy Decade," a period of accelerating societal reconfiguration where global optimism has plummeted and geopolitical tensions are fueling splintered societies.

For US advertisers, this isn't just a headline; it's a fundamental change in the consumer psyche. Your audience is more pessimistic about the world but, critically, 52% are now willing to pay extra for a brand with an appealing image, proving consumers are demanding values-aligned spending even as their own worldviews harden.

This session cuts through the noise to give you the essential, US-specific data around these contradictions as well as case studies of how to successfully navigate this as a brand. You will leave with a clear framework for translating the most uncomfortable global realities into relevant and powerful creative briefs that not only build trust, but drive growth in an era of deep, persistent tension. This isn't a trend talk; it's a strategic survival guide for American advertisers

Matt Carmichael

SVP, Consumer Trends and Thought Leadership; Editor, What the Future Ipsos

THE MARKETER’S TOOLKIT 2026: REBOOT YOUR CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS

The Marketer's Toolkit is WARC's flagship annual study. This will be its 15^th edition. It identifies the key shifts and disruptions that will influence strategic planning for marketers in the coming year, based on a global survey of 1,000+ marketing executives, one-to-one interviews with leading marketers worldwide, and analysis and insight from WARC’s global team of experts. This session will focus on three important trends reshaping consumer lifestyles, attitudes and spend triggers, and will offer insights on how to tackle each shift.

Aditya Kishore

Insight Director WARC

MICRO-GENERATIONS AND AI: WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2026

As AI Super Agents reshape how we live, work, and connect, we must consider how cultural values shift and transform alongside technology. Through a micro-segmented cultural lens, Armida explores how Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z shape a culture accepting of these tools. Uncover the cultural tensions, generational gaps, and emerging opportunities for brands to design AI-powered experiences that resonate deeply across generational lines.

Armida Ascano

Chief Content Officer TrendHunter

FAST CONSUMERS, FASTER PLATFORMS, REAL-TIME MARKETING: BUILDING WORKFLOWS TO MEET AI-DRIVEN CONSUMER TRENDS

What does it mean to be fast, and first in a rapidly changing media ecosystem? How can brands consistently deliver activations that exceed the moving target of consumer expectations? In this session, Bryan Sherman, EVP, Head of Data and Media at Monks goes through the process brands can take to evaluate where their media and marketing workflows are, how to reconcile consumer trends with brand goals, and the steps to implement a long-term transformation constructed from a continuously improving cycle of short-term, step-wise improvements and automations. Hear client stories of how AI transformation can unlock real-time response and learn cycles that improve the speed, cost, and quality for a brand's marketing system.

Bryan Sherman

EVP, Head of Data Monks

CLOSING REMARKS