Future Ready: 5 Forces Shaping Marketing in 2026 Home Resources Future Ready: 5 Forces Shaping Marketing in 2026 Future Ready: 5 Forces Shaping Marketing in 2026 By Andrea Martens, CEO, ADMA At the recent Compadres Campfire Outlook 2026, I joined leaders across sectors to look beyond the immediate and toward the shape of things to come. The session reinforced a simple truth: the most resilient and successful organisations are those who practise foresight—not just strategy. Here are five forces marketers can’t afford to ignore as we look toward FY26: ________________________________________ 1. Strategic Foresight Is a Must-Have Capability Future-ready organisations are built on three capacities: Detecting change early, Responding strategically, and Adapting rapidly. Scenario planning is essential—not to predict the future, but to prepare for multiple possible ones. 2. Generative AI Moves From Hype to Agent GenAI is shifting from content creation to autonomous decision-making. Marketing functions—from campaign design to customer experience—will increasingly be powered by AI copilots and multimodal tools. But with this comes increased scrutiny, as ethical AI and transparency become regulatory imperatives. 3. Regulation Is Rising—Marketers Must Lead With tighter rules around privacy, pricing transparency, greenwashing, and AI governance, marketing leaders must be ahead of compliance curves. At ADMA, we’re helping the industry meet these new obligations responsibly—and confidently. 4. Economic Signals Are Mixed—But Opportunity Beckons While cost-of-living pressures persist, consumer confidence is set to improve with lower inflation and rate cuts. Older Australians are leading discretionary spend. Brands who segment smartly and deliver value will thrive. 5. Brand Building Is More Important Than Ever Performance marketing has become table stakes. In an AI-democratised world, brand differentiation is the real ROI. We must balance short-term performance with long-term brand health to grow enduring value. _______________________________________ Final thought: The future isn't set. But it does favour the prepared. At ADMA, we’re committed to building capability, resilience and ethical leadership in marketing. Let’s keep shaping what’s next—together. 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Learn how an Australian gambling company was fined $4M for sender ID breaches, the ACMA’s expectations for SMS and WhatsApp marketing, and practical steps to meet spam compliance requirements. Article 04th Sep 2025 9 mins ‘Stop glorifying busy’: PepsiCo’s Susan Press on human centricity, culture and the corporate athlete PepsiCo’s Susan Press has seen fads come and go in one of the world’s most competitive categories. Ahead of her ADMA Global Forum appearance on September 9, she shares why resilience, creativity and human insight will outlast any hype cycle. Article 04th Sep 2025 7 mins ‘Data is the compass, but insight is the lighthouse’: Joanne Smith on building brands that last From Dove to Blackmores, Joanne Smith has built a career around elevating capability and embedding innovation. Ahead of the ADMA Global Forum, she reveals why marketers need vision, courage and a return to the fundamentals to fuel real growth. Article 01st Sep 2025 7 mins ‘Collaboration, clarity and craft’: Optus’ Emma Jensen on mastering the fundamentals of marketing in a changing world Ahead of her appearance at the ADMA Global Forum on September 9, Optus’ VP of Small Business, Emma Jensen, shares why marketers need to double down on mastering the marketing craft, communicating with clarity and collaborating across their organisation if they want to thrive in a changing world. Article 28th Aug 2025 9 minutes Marketers and emerging tech: How to stay ahead of the OAIC’s regulatory priority Marketers need to pay close attention to the release of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s (OAIC) 2025-26 regulatory priorities due to their direct impact on marketing practices. Article 28th Aug 2025 7 mins Regulatory Spotlight: Privacy and the power of good governance with Louis Martin In this edition of ADMA’s Regulatory Spotlight, we speak to Louis Martin, General Manager of Privacy and Customer Trust at Wesfarmers OneDigital, about navigating rapid regulatory change, aligning privacy with brand value and using AI responsibly. Load More
Article 11th Sep 2025 6 mins The devil really is in the detail when it comes to spam Complying with the Spam Act isn’t as simple as it seems. Learn how an Australian gambling company was fined $4M for sender ID breaches, the ACMA’s expectations for SMS and WhatsApp marketing, and practical steps to meet spam compliance requirements.
Article 04th Sep 2025 9 mins ‘Stop glorifying busy’: PepsiCo’s Susan Press on human centricity, culture and the corporate athlete PepsiCo’s Susan Press has seen fads come and go in one of the world’s most competitive categories. Ahead of her ADMA Global Forum appearance on September 9, she shares why resilience, creativity and human insight will outlast any hype cycle.
Article 04th Sep 2025 7 mins ‘Data is the compass, but insight is the lighthouse’: Joanne Smith on building brands that last From Dove to Blackmores, Joanne Smith has built a career around elevating capability and embedding innovation. Ahead of the ADMA Global Forum, she reveals why marketers need vision, courage and a return to the fundamentals to fuel real growth.
Article 01st Sep 2025 7 mins ‘Collaboration, clarity and craft’: Optus’ Emma Jensen on mastering the fundamentals of marketing in a changing world Ahead of her appearance at the ADMA Global Forum on September 9, Optus’ VP of Small Business, Emma Jensen, shares why marketers need to double down on mastering the marketing craft, communicating with clarity and collaborating across their organisation if they want to thrive in a changing world.
Article 28th Aug 2025 9 minutes Marketers and emerging tech: How to stay ahead of the OAIC’s regulatory priority Marketers need to pay close attention to the release of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s (OAIC) 2025-26 regulatory priorities due to their direct impact on marketing practices.
Article 28th Aug 2025 7 mins Regulatory Spotlight: Privacy and the power of good governance with Louis Martin In this edition of ADMA’s Regulatory Spotlight, we speak to Louis Martin, General Manager of Privacy and Customer Trust at Wesfarmers OneDigital, about navigating rapid regulatory change, aligning privacy with brand value and using AI responsibly.