Love it or hate it, the turn of the year is the time when people reflect, and in the world of brand, it’s no different. The headlines quickly become crowded with advice, forecasts and predictions for the next 12 months, which can create a feeling of overwhelm before the year’s even begun.
So at The Engine Room, we’ve done the heavy lifting and wrapped up the seven soundbites we think you need to hear, ahead of what we hope will be a successful 2026…
Specsavers – a company that celebrated its 40th anniversary last year – recently beat off stiff competition from the likes of Adidas, EE, Monzo and Warburtons, to be crowned Marketing Week’s brand of 2025.
We applaud the result – not least because the business remains family-owned, like many of the multi-generational organisations we are often trusted to support, at The Engine Room.
The prestigious recognition – not to mention the performance Specsavers has recorded this year – shows the bottom line role of authentic brand purpose and consistency. It also signals that yes, it’s important to be curious and confidently try new things, especially if marketing efforts are culturally relevant. However, it’s likewise a strong reminder that in the ever-faster world in which we live – where it's tempting to jump on the bandwagon to stand out – doubling down on why a brand exists should actually be the compass driving activity in 2026.
Building on the cultural relevance theme highlighted above, 2026 will undoubtedly see some brands sadly continue with their efforts to dupe other successful products.
It’s a trend that has almost become expected of some supermarkets. And it’s no wonder, given the media attention that often surrounds the theatre of the product launches themselves. We’ve seen it right in time for Christmas, for example, with Lidl unveiling its ‘turkey wine’ – a tongue-in-cheek take on the phenomenal rise of La Vieille Ferme’s ‘chicken wine’, during 2025.
But while these moves might raise a smile among members of the public, we have to remind ourselves of the threat that this tactic poses to the reputation, intellectual property and prestige of a brand that has worked hard to nurture its entire identity, not just its product range. In many cases, it’s therefore unsurprising that dupes can result in legal action, especially if the imitation dilutes the perceived value of the original.
Tony’s Chocolonely recently handled a dupe situation with utmost class. With ethics built authentically into its DNA, this widely-adored brand pushed back on Morrisons, M&S and Lidl before them, when the retailers launched their own rival chunky chocolate bars.
But they didn’t respond with an obvious backlash. Leading with the sentiment, “We get it, we’re big fans too,” Tony’s used the dupe efforts as an opportunity to encourage societal change – urging other brands to mirror not just their popular product, but their ethical sourcing principles too.
Hats off to Tony’s for their handling of the situation, which cleverly presented the chance to reinforce their mission – everything they stand for– to end exploitation in cocoa. That deep-rooted and inimitable value defines an emotional connection with Tony’s fans that cannot be copied.
We often speak to brands – especially in the B2B space – regarding the challenge of trying to stand out in highly-competitive markets. The uphill struggle feels tougher still in industries where agile new entrants are disrupting market share.
But as we move into 2026, we must remember that it’s not only challenger brands who have the gift of standing out.
Take neobanks – digital-only financial services providers who are widely regarded as being able to aggressively and successfully target (particularly younger) customers, because they are not shackled with infrastructure or positioning legacy. Their explosion into the market has caused understandable unrest for some of the more traditional banks. Yet some established financial institutions have responded brilliantly, acknowledging the power of trust – particularly among the Gen Z demographic.
For instance, UK brand Nationwide – the world’s largest building society – has used their deep-rooted heritage, family values and authentic purpose as a competitive weapon, leading them to be hailed the UK’s most meaningful bank, in recent weeks.
As we’ve seen with the Specsavers example, authenticity and human centricity will be critical in 2026 and beyond, however much our lives are dominated by tech.
In the November issue of Unpacked, we shared that Affinity by Canva had caught our eye. And it seems it caught your attention too, as it was our subscribers’ most-clicked story in last month’s newsletter.
The new unified app also hit the creative headlines, because of its high performance capabilities and the fact that it’s free! It has certainly shaken up the martech space.
Tools like this, plus (we’ve got this far without saying it!) AI advancements such as ChatGPT’s access to Adobe suite, empower people to experiment and hopefully enjoy being creative – regardless of their design capabilities.
However the challenge in 2026, is to ensure these ‘DIY’ efforts don’t come at the cost of brand equity, consistency and integrity. It might feel like these tools accelerate workloads, or even allow costs to be cut. But without strategic governance – and inherent design talent – the ‘cost’ to brand risks being significant.
Global consultancy Snowball wrapped up some CMO hot takes in quarter 4, and the one that stood out to us the most was: “YouTube is the new primetime TV”.
On reflection, this has probably been true for years – something we were talking about with one of our long-standing clients, only last week. It is now the number one platform consumers turn on across every device including their television, reinforcing – more so than ever – the importance of video moving into next year and beyond.
This isn’t just a trend for consumer brands too. From ‘how to’ tutorials, to product explainers, insightful fireside chats, ted talk-style sessions, company showcases, candid behind-the-scenes footage, and the well-loved showreels, in truth brands’ video strategies for 2026 need to be rich and varied. But video can no longer be considered a ‘nice to have’.
Businesses have grappled with attracting and retaining talent over the past few years, and according to reports such as the Workplace Intelligence Forecast for 2026. the employment landscape looks set to prove difficult for many organisations next year.
However, as a recent Brain Food blog reminded us in October: “Problems aren’t obstacles to opportunity, they ARE the opportunity.”
So at a time when workplaces are being asked to provide stability, transparency and adaptability, with an authentic focus on employee value and wellbeing, it’s important to remember that brand is a mechanism to support and enhance internal communication and cultural resilience. In fact, as colleagues seek a sense of belonging, security and clarity, a brand book has probably never been so important.
OK, we jest. But the point is that while personalisation has been a hot topic for many years, there are too many reports to reference when it comes to the importance of understanding customers on a level of granularity never seen before.
Customers are increasingly expecting brands to deeply appreciate and serve their needs, on an individual basis. And with so much data now at organisations’ fingertips, there really is no excuse not to.
So if you’re finding yourself doubting your customer profile, as you head into 2026, make this a priority in January – we’ve linked a handy template to help you do this, in four simple steps.
Building on our 6th prediction – and the foresight of diversity and inclusion leader Charlotte Sweeney – we advise taking steps to better understand the needs of your employees too.
In truth, nobody has a crystal ball that definitively outlines what will happen in 2026. But if you need any support navigating the evolution of your brand, we’d be happy to explore the complexities of the new year, alongside you. To arrange a chat at the beginning of the year, please contact us.
