Table of Contents:

• How Can Consumer Behavior Insights Guide Personalization in 2026?

• How Should Brands Adapt to “Search Everywhere” Consumer Journeys?

• How Can Brands Build Trust and Authentic Connections with Consumers?

• How Are Short-Form, Commerce-Enabled, and Experiential Campaigns Driving Growth?

• How Can Data, Measurement, and Privacy Drive Smarter Marketing Decisions?

• Frequently Asked Questions

How Can Consumer Behavior Insights Guide Personalization in 2026?

Many shifts in consumer behavior over the past few years have been linked to personalization. As the decade advances, the mechanisms that drive personalization are maturing. To achieve the customization that consumers want (and increasingly expect), brands can leverage precise data behavior signals and balance automation with the human connection that people crave.

Such balance is achievable, even with hyper-personalized content. Consumers are increasingly comfortable with highly tailored messaging, as long as it’s useful. When an algorithm surfaces a product that perfectly meets a need, consumers tend to overlook the data mechanics behind it. Conversely, personalization fails when it misses the mark, often sparking a perception of intrusion rather than service.

AI Tools Aid in Creating Personalized Marketing, But A Human Touch Is Necessary

In this evolving era of personalization, AI-driven marketing enhances efficiencies while human oversight ensures authenticity. After all, algorithms might predict purchase intent, but they cannot fully replicate the nuances of human empathy or ethical judgment.

Marketers must maintain a "human-in-the-loop" approach to verify that automated interactions remain brand-safe and genuinely helpful. This oversight is critical for maintaining trust, particularly as predictive models become more sophisticated.

H3: Identifying Audience Segments & Cohorts Based on Purchase Signals

Audience insights used in combination with human oversight can uncover key purchase signals, including behaviors that vary by consumer group. For example, in the current market, lower-income households are prioritizing essentials and engaging with value-focused channels like dollar stores, while higher-income consumers maintain discretionary spending and are seeking premium experiences. Engagement metrics should account for these economic realities, given the fact that a lack of conversion may signal financial constraint rather than a lack of interest.

To navigate complexities as they pursue personalization that builds connection, brands can benefit by pooling data from diverse sources. Shopper panels, loyalty programs, and transaction history provide a holistic view of the 2026 consumer. Integrated data on the complete consumer allows marketers to adjust their targeting strategies to reach consumers where and how they are actually shopping, not just where they browse. 

How Should Brands Adapt to “Search Everywhere” Consumer Journeys?

In the mid-2020s, the simple search bar seems quaint. "Search everywhere" describes consumers’ penchant for simultaneously exploring products across multiple environments, including voice, visual, and social platforms. 

This behavior requires brands to optimize content for diverse formats. Companies are adjusting and often expanding their efforts to gain visibility into the path to purchase, whether a consumer is asking a smart speaker for a recommendation or scanning a shelf with a lens app.

As generative AI advances in 2026 and beyond, content must be concise and structured for machine readability. While specific data on generative AI performance is still emerging, the trend points to content that directly answers user queries with high relevance. 

How Can Brands Build Trust and Authentic Connections with Consumers?

Trust is an important currency in the current climate. Consumers are scrutinizing brand values, demanding transparency, and seeking genuine community.

Values, including transparency and sustainability, influence consumer purchase decisions, particularly among younger cohorts. However, these factors frequently compete with price sensitivity. While consumers express a desire for sustainable products, economic pressures mean they still prioritize value. The challenge for brands this year and beyond is to deliver on values without pricing out their core audience.

Authenticity is demonstrated through transparency, consistency, and clarity. Many consumers quickly identify and avoid content that is not authentic. Instead of trying to be "all things to all people," successful brands identify specific initiatives that resonate with their target audience. This might mean supporting local communities or focusing on tangible sustainability claims rather than vague promises.

Meanwhile, the notion of community has many meanings in 2026, ranging from "shopping local" to engaging with social initiatives. Brands that facilitate these community connections foster deeper trust. Engagement strategies should focus on getting the right message to the right people.  

How can brands navigate the often-fraught landscape of public opinion to maintain or build trust? A combination of sentiment and behavioral data allows marketers to tailor messaging that aligns with the specific values of their audience segments, minimizing the risk of backlash while maximizing resonance.

How Are Short-Form, Commerce-Enabled, and Experiential Campaigns Driving Growth?

While brands use consumer insights to reach targeted audiences and foster trust, they are deploying campaigns across a mix of formats. Today, many formats are based on brevity and interactivity.

In an era of shorter attention spans, short-form content captures attention in "micro-moments" — brief windows where consumers are open to discovery. In these formats, the principles of quick, engaging visual content remain paramount.

Shoppable formats are still maturing. While direct conversion from video is a growing trend, it has not yet fully replaced traditional paths to purchase. The integration of retail media campaigns into these formats helps bridge the gap, placing products directly in the line of sight during entertainment consumption.

Experiential marketing in 2026 is less about putting on VR goggles and more about removing friction. Retailers are using analytics to optimize store layouts and product placement, creating a frictionless physical experience that rivals digital convenience.  Here, true consumer connection comes from ease and utility instead of features that may be perceived as gimmicky.

How Can Data, Measurement, and Privacy Drive Smarter Marketing Decisions?

High quality, integrated data allows both brands and retailers to succeed in today’s ecosystems. The integration of first-party, behavioral, and offline data is essential. For example, recognizing moves toward private label purchasing requires analyzing transaction data across different retail channels. Brands must also look beyond their immediate category to spot emerging trends, such as flavor profiles moving from snacks to beverages, to inform innovation.

Forecasting relies on understanding the economic context. Metrics must account for price elasticity and channel shifting. If a brand sees a decline in a specific retailer, data might reveal that their core customer has shifted to a club store or a value grocer. Innovation, whether in product, packaging size, or pricing tier, is often the necessary response to these predictive signals.

Continuous measurement of sales velocity and margin performance helps brands make difficult decisions about which products to support and which to discontinue. This ensures that portfolios remain relevant and, for brands, lean for profitability. 

Privacy is a paramount issue in the use of data in today’s marketplace. Marketers must ensure that their data practices are transparent and that the benefits of personalization are immediately apparent to the consumer.

Partner with Circana to Make Smarter Marketing Decisions in 2026

Brands can cut through the complexities of the competitive, still-challenging marketplace in 2026 by using integrated data to make the most effective marketing decisions across a range of channels and formats. From identifying purchase sentiments, such as attitudes towards health and wellness and the ongoing emphasis on price and value, to verifying trends through behavioral and purchase data to measuring the effectiveness of personalized marketing, Circana’s solutions help brands accelerate demand by focusing on the best opportunities for the greatest impact on their business.

Frequently Asked Questions

What consumer marketing trends are expected to drive growth in 2026?

• Community engagement: Consumers are increasingly valuing community, which can range from supporting local businesses to investing in social and sustainability initiatives. Brands can embrace this by aligning with community-driven values.

• Wellness focus: Wellness continues to be a dominant trend, influencing not just food and beverage but also other categories. This includes products geared to health-conscious consumers.

• Hyper-Personalization: Tailored retail experiences and personalized products are expected to grow. While some consumers find hyper-personalization intrusive or even “creepy,” it is generally well-received when it resonates with their needs.

• Private label growth: Financial pressures are driving consumers toward private labels, especially in club stores and value chains. Brands need to differentiate themselves to justify higher price points.

• Innovation in packaging and products: Innovation, including new product launches, packaging sizes, and seasonal offerings, will be critical for brands to stay relevant and compete with private labels.

• Shoppable formats and frictionless shopping: While AR/VR may not see significant adoption in 2026, retailers are focusing on analytics to create seamless shopping experiences.

How can brands leverage data-driven insights to anticipate this year’s marketing trends?

• Cross-Category trend analysis: Brands should look beyond their own categories to identify emerging trends in other industries, such as flavor profiles or product attributes, and adapt them to their offerings.

• Restaurant and foodservice trends: For food and beverage brands, monitoring trends in restaurants can provide early indicators of consumer preferences.

• Retailer analytics: Retailers are increasingly using shopper data to understand in-store behavior and optimize layouts and product placements. Brands can collaborate with retailers to leverage these insights.

• Emerging technologies: Data-driven insights can help brands anticipate the adoption of new technologies like shoppable videos and interactive demos, even if these are still in their infancy.

Which consumer behaviors should marketers focus on to stay ahead in 2026?

• Value-conscious shopping: Consumers across income levels are paying closer attention to price, making value a key driver of purchase decisions.

• Values-driven purchases: Transparency, sustainability, and inclusivity are becoming more important across demographics, not just younger consumers.

• Shift to club stores and value chains: The growth of private labels in club stores and value grocery channels reflects a shift in consumer behavior toward cost-effective options.

• Desire for innovation: Consumers are looking for new and exciting products, especially after a period of stalled innovation. This includes smaller or bulk packaging options tailored to changing consumption patterns.

• Selective SKU offerings: Streamlining product offerings to focus on high-performing SKUs can help brands manage costs while meeting consumer demand.