For years, Connected TV (CTV) was the shiny new object in marketers’ media plans—a space for testing, learning and seeing what stuck. Fast-forward to 2026: The experiment is over. CTV has proven itself a key player in digital-first strategies, commanding more dollars, more data and more expectations than ever before.

The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer paints a stark picture: Trust in major institutions is collapsing, and it’s reshaping how people evaluate the companies they buy from. Globally, 61% of respondents report a moderate or high “sense of grievance,” believing that government and business make their lives harder while benefiting the wealthy. Many believe that institutions like government, media and even nonprofit organizations are not operating in the public’s best interest. In the U.S., this fracture is even more pronounced as confidence in media and government continues to erode across every channel. In this landscape, business emerges as the most trusted institution at 62%, but that trust is highly conditional and easily lost. For brands, this means the bar has never been higher.

This isn’t your average recap. It’s a montage of some of our team’s favorite moments of the productions we created in 2025. Each frame is a powerhouse of creative excellence, a testament to the work we do at Hiebing, every day.

As 2026 approaches, it’s the perfect time to look ahead and prepare for what’s next in the dynamic world of marketing. With so much change on the horizon, building a strong strategy can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve tapped our team of specialists to highlight the trends and insights that could make the biggest difference for brands in the coming year. Here are our top marketing predictions to guide your planning for a successful 2026.

As 2025 wraps, marketers are walking out of a year that demanded grit, creativity and more than a few deep breaths—and still managed to leave us stronger for what’s ahead. The marketing landscape in 2026 is likely to continue to redefine itself in real time with AI updates, a desire to deepen in-person connections and an ever-expanding need to shift according to consumer expectations.

For decades, loyalty meant habit: the same cup of coffee, the same pair of sneakers, the same grocery run. But for Gen Z, loyalty looks a little different. In 2019, when we began our proprietary study of this cohort, their purchase power was on the rise and had not yet declared their allegiances to certain brands. Now,  during our seventh wave of this study, we’re diving into their current relationship with brands to better understand where loyalty stands today and where it’s headed next. Here’s what our survey uncovered across respondents aged 16-28.

When we last took a look at Gen Z, we were on the precipice of a new chapter in America. A presidential election was underway, the economy looked different and AI was moving from novelty to necessity. In our latest wave of proprietary research—surveying Gen Z respondents ages 16–28—we set out to understand how this generation is navigating a world that looks very different from when we first began studying them.

If you’ve ever listened to “How I Built This” with Guy Raz, you know it’s more than a podcast—it’s a masterclass in storytelling. We were able to sit in on a masterclass during Content Marketing World 2025 and learned that behind every successful business is a story worth telling and retelling. As marketers, it is our job to make those stories sing and leave a lasting impact. Great brands aren’t built on products alone—they’re crafted with unforgettable stories that invite audiences in and inspire loyalty.

Marketing today isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a high-speed circuit where algorithms shift overnight, consumer behaviors flare and fade by morning and economic uncertainty keeps everyone guessing. In this race, CMOs are asked to be both artist and analyst—to deliver measurable results while building brands that move people.

While generative AI has unlocked new potential for building brands, it has also poked holes in brand crisis management plans. Deepfakes of CEOs, synthetic reviews designed to tank star ratings and machine-generated rumors that outrun your press releases aren’t theoretical anymore—they’re threats that are already out there.

In recent years, marketers have rediscovered the power of nostalgia, showing that it’s so much more than just bringing back old trends or vintage aesthetics. Nostalgia serves as a direct line to building brand loyalty and familiarity, making audiences feel seen and understood. Now, we’re witnessing a new twist on this strategy: the rise of millennial cringe. This approach goes beyond simply referencing the past—it taps into the awkward, earnest moments that defined a generation, transforming those once-embarrassing memories into a relatable, engaging force that’s reshaping how brands connect with modern consumers.

At Hiebing, we believe that when we give a damn about the brands we serve, our ideas and each other, others will be inspired to give a damn too. That belief fuels our creative work—and it’s what guides our new Executive Creative Director, Kevin Longino .