2026 Marketing Trends: AI Assistants, Creators, Credibility Reshape Search

The definitive 2026 marketing trends point toward a landscape dominated by mobile AI assistants, conversational commerce, and creator-led discovery. According to marketing thinkers Derek Liddy, Jane McDaid, and Jim Lecinski, brands that successfully blend machine precision with human creativity will win. This forecast is critical as AI transitions from a novelty into core business infrastructure, forcing a fundamental rethink of search, trust, and media economics.

2026 trends reshaping AI-driven marketing

By 2026, marketing will be defined by three core shifts: AI assistants becoming personal shopping companions, the creator economy driving product discovery on social platforms, and brand credibility becoming paramount as synthetic media proliferates. Success will depend on mastering conversational commerce, creator partnerships, and verifiable authority.

Jim Lecinski predicts the rise of a pocket-sized shopping companion that listens, learns, and curates products. In an Ahead of the Game Apple Podcast episode, he calls this shift "AI elevation," advising marketers to focus on curation and taste as automation becomes standard. He also notes that potential hardware constraints like power and chip supply will make business agility crucial.

Derek Liddy concentrates on commerce, expecting product discovery to occur through chat interfaces powered by meticulously structured feeds. To guide AI agents effectively, brands need rich first-party data, high-quality images, and live inventory. Liddy also foresees continued opportunity for paid search experimentation, even with rising click costs, as keywordless and Performance Max campaigns mature.

Jane McDaid argues that with AI handling speed, creativity has become the key differentiator for agencies. As AI generates endless content, youth audiences will seek distinctive, culturally-rooted stories. McDaid forecasts an expanded role for PR specialists, tasked with securing earned media that large language models can cite to reinforce brand authority within answer engines.

Credibility becomes the new currency

As synthetic media floods digital channels and erodes consumer trust, brand credibility is becoming the new currency. Industry reports from PRGN highlight that 82 percent of generative AI citations are sourced from earned media, compelling communicators to become "architects of authority." Future algorithms are expected to assign credibility scores, prioritizing human-verified content over purely AI-generated output.

Star Squared PR advisers recommend three habits:

• Prioritize founder-led storytelling with external validation
• Optimize press releases for Generative Engine Optimization queries
• Keep an always-on newsroom to supply fast, verified facts

Creator economy rewires discovery and purchase

Research from Akeneo reveals that 43 percent of Gen Z shoppers now start their product searches on TikTok instead of Google or Amazon. With social commerce projected to represent 17 percent of all online sales by 2026 and US livestream shopping nearing $70 billion, the trend is clear. Brands that partner with niche creators for authentic product seeding can trigger viral moments that take customers from awareness to purchase within a single social feed.

AI-driven personalization further amplifies these creator-led moments. For example, Sephora's tailored push messages have increased repeat visits by 11 percent, while L'Oréal's ModiFace virtual try-on tool has boosted conversions by 28 percent. As AR technology matures, similar performance gains are expected in sectors like home goods and apparel.

What to prepare before 2026 arrives

To prepare for 2026, marketers must take proactive steps now. Start by auditing and enriching all product data and content feeds to make them ready for conversational AI. Build credibility by securing third-party coverage from authoritative domains, as shown in the Digital Marketing Institute's Top Tips video. Cultivate authentic creator partnerships that mirror your real customer base. Finally, test AI-assisted ad formats early while costs remain predictable. Each move strengthens visibility as competition intensifies across voice, social, and AI-powered search.