Consumer Questions Every 2026 Plan Should Answer
Most CPG brands skip straight to tactics—channels, creative, retail strategy—without answering the foundational question: Who is this actually for?
Before you set revenue goals or pick marketing channels, you need clarity on your consumer. Not demographics. Not personas that sound good in a deck. Real human understanding—the kind that shapes every decision from product development to media spend.
10 Macro Trends Shaping 2026 Marketing
2026 won’t behave like 2025. And I’m pretty sure nobody else has “Ariana Grande foreshadowed TikTok Shop” on their 2026 bingo card — but stay with me, because it matters.
Consumer behavior is shifting fast. The brands that win in 2026 aren’t the ones who react fastest, they’re the ones who plan around the forces reshaping the market (and happen to follow my planning advice).
These are the 10 macro forces I predict will shape how consumers discover, evaluate, and buy in 2026 and what they mean for your brand.
2026 Marketing Planning Starts Now
Big CPG trained me to start with the consumer. DTC taught me how that consumer actually behaves across retail, Amazon, DTC, and now AI-led discovery. 2026 planning requires both. Most brands only have one.
So over the next few weeks, I’m breaking down the components of how I’d plan 2026 — the kind operators at $5M–$50M brands actually need to hit next year’s growth targets.