It’s wild to think we’re halfway through (a wild) 2026 already.
One thing I like to do in my role at the midpoint of any year is spend some time reflecting. I look back at the first part of the year and use that to help nail down the path for the rest of it.
As I reflect, I’m looking at marketing trends and themes from the first six months of 2026. I take stock of not only the things we're busy working on here at Liquid Marketing, but also what I’m learning from conversations with dozens of marketing and business leaders across countless industries. As a friend and trusted advisor to many of them, I hear it all: the war stories, the good, the bad, the ugly, their wants, their dreams, their priorities, and their challenges.
This year, that reflection has surfaced four observations that I think are worth sharing. (And yes, there will be a bit of self-promotion around how Liquid is helping clients in these areas, too. I do lead sales here after all.)
1. Creativity is alive and well
One of the most encouraging things I've seen this year is that marketing leaders aren't abandoning creativity in favor of efficiency. If anything, they're investing more heavily in it. What we continue to see is that the brands leading in their industries are staying true to bold, human-centric creative.
Throughout the last 20 years, we’ve talked on and off about cutting through the “sea of sameness.” Take higher education, for example. How many times do you see the stock photos of smiling students holding books on an ad, website, or billboard?
Now, with so much AI-generated copy and visuals hitting the streets, that sea is rising. The easier it becomes to create content, the harder it becomes to create something memorable. That's exactly why creativity is becoming a bigger competitive advantage.
We’re getting approached by more marketing and brand leaders than ever to establish fresh creative concepts and directions for their campaigns, products, content, and more. They are focused on standing out with great messaging and design and pushing the boundaries of their brand, even in industries like B2B manufacturing. And it’s paying off.
That doesn't mean AI isn't having an impact, though. It just may not be the impact many people expected.
2. AI productivity gains are being seen mostly at the individual level—so far
Speaking of AI, I'm sure you've read the headlines and New York Times coverage about the largest tech companies laying off thousands of employees as they attempt to replace entire functions with AI.
The reality is that many of those large-scale moves are now struggling—and reversing course.
For everyone else outside those headline-grabbing tech companies, the reality looks very different. Most organizations aren't replacing marketing teams with AI—they're still just figuring out how to use it effectively.
Those having the most success are focusing on individual productivity gains, but those gains aren't sustainable unless they're supported by the right processes and tools. At Liquid, we’ve been focused on helping marketing teams implement AI effectively. This can be through training and workshops, assessments of their teams and toolsets, or full implementation support with repeatable workflows and templates to help them become highly effective at using AI tools as marketers.
3. The website is still important, but its role has evolved (so the experience has to as well)
If you’ve been following along with our webinar series and blog content, you’ve definitely heard us talk about zero-click marketing and how it’s reshaping how to plan, measure, and budget for marketing. Brands need to be responding with strategies that account for touchpoints that happen long before their website, like AI search or social.
But while the exact role of the website is evolving, it's still critical. People may be discovering your brand in more places than ever before, but they still need somewhere to validate what they've found and ultimately take action.
Because of all the changes happening in marketing right now, many companies are taking a serious look at their web experience.
We’ve been building websites for decades, but this year may be our busiest yet when it comes to the number of brands undertaking full website redesigns or starting down the path of a total overhaul of the user experience of their site.
And the wise ones are also doubling down with experience analytics and conversion rate optimization.
Yes, the website’s role is changing, and clicks from certain channels are decreasing. But that means you better make sure your website is performing and that when people make it there, it confirms and converts.
And while companies are rethinking their websites, many are also rethinking something even bigger: their brand.
4. Brand is back
For the real ones, it never left. But we understand that consistently investing in brand is often easier said than done.
For a variety of reasons—including the zero-click marketing and AI search trends we've already discussed—companies are being driven back toward a healthier balance between brand and performance.
What we're seeing is that the brands that maintained that balance over the last few years are winning today, while those that pulled back on brand building are now playing catch-up.
Among all of these changes in our world as marketers, one thing that consumers, decision makers, and even sites like Google or AI tools like ChatGPT value from a brand is authenticity. That's one of the biggest conversations we're having with marketing leaders right now. They're looking for ways to build brands that people recognize, trust, and remember—not just campaigns that generate clicks. Because as discovery continues to change, the brands with a clear identity and a strong reputation will be the ones that show up, stand out, and earn the next opportunity.
Final thoughts
So there it is, the four biggest things standing out to me in 2026 so far. No, it's not market research. And yes, it's somewhat anecdotal. But these are all shaping what we’re doing here at Liquid Marketing and at the companies represented by the many dozens of leaders I’ve talked to at length so far this year.
Is your organization seeing the same thing? What else am I missing? Reach out to me, and let’s chat.