2026 Predictions: What's Next for B2B Marketing

The Ricciardi Group team weighs in on the trends, challenges, and opportunities that will define marketing in the year ahead.

If 2024 was the year AI went mainstream, 2025 was the year we all learned to live with it. Now, as we look toward 2026, the question isn't whether AI will change marketing—it's how we'll adapt to a landscape where machines write content, budgets are under siege, and authenticity is the ultimate differentiator.

We polled our team of experts who live in the trenches of brand, digital, and GTM strategy to get their take on what's coming. Here's what they see on the horizon.

The AI Evolution: From Fluent to Native (But Don't Forget the Human Touch)

The Shift: AI won't just be a tool marketers use; it'll be the foundation of how marketing teams operate. But the bubble may be bursting on AI hype.

According to Jay DiPietro, Chief Operating Officer, we're moving from AI-fluent teams (those who know how to use AI tools) to AI-native teams (those who can't imagine working without them). "Leading organizations will completely rethink how to do work with AI as a given," he explains. This means fewer junior executors handling routine tasks and more experienced leaders, who know what great looks like, paired with full-stack marketers who can take ideas and run with them using AI-native workflows.

Director of Brand Strategy, Alana Haramaty, sees this playing out in creative production: “AI makes the impossible, possible. It will expand our imaginations beyond the bounds of production barriers so that we can make previously far-reaching creative concepts a reality and more accessible to all."

But as Julia Light, Director of Client Strategy, points out, this evolution comes with a responsibility: "Marketers will need to lead the charge and make sure AI-generated output is on brand and will resonate with the target group. AI tools are much more valuable if they are used correctly with human oversight."

Director of Client Strategy, Jessica Weadock, offers a sobering reality check: "The AI bubble will burst. The buzz around AI will continue to evolve marketing and many other fields, but it will not revolutionize. AI generated content will be a turn-off to end users and consumers. Instead, brands that focus on authentic content, creativity and experience will win."

What to do: Start thinking about your team structure now. Experience and strategic thinking will matter more than ever. But remember: AI is a tool, not a replacement for creativity and human connection.

The Authenticity Paradox: Less Polish, More Human

The Shift: High production value is out. Raw, human connection is in.

As AI floods the internet with generated content, audiences are craving proof that real humans are behind the brands they follow. Director of Digital Strategy, Ari Robbins, predicts we'll see "creative takes on lo-fi activations—think selfie videos, screenshots of text serving as ads—becoming more widespread. Brands have spent a long time looking to sleek, shiny campaigns as exemplars of what's 'best,' but as consumers seek out authenticity and human connection, brands will have to shift their tactics away from high production value to things that feel more homegrown."

Jay DiPietro, COO, echoes this, pointing to the "continued rise of lofi video as a top B2B media format. With so much written content quickly becoming AI-generated slop, professionals craving true human-experience driven, authentic content will turn to video as the place to find it."

And it's not just about format, it's about going analog. Director of Brand Strategy, Sara Dotterer, sees "even more physical brand touchpoints: experiences, face-to-face interaction, and other creative ways to provide meaningful, tactile connection with customers. Our world is digitally burnt out, and people are turning to analog activities and face-to-face interaction more than ever."

What to do: Stop trying to make everything perfect. Your audience wants to see the real humans behind your brand. Invest in lo-fi video, in-person events, and content that can't be replicated by a machine.

The Differentiation Crisis: Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness

The Shift: Generic content won't cut it anymore. You need a unique point of view.

Associate of Client Strategy, Oceane Wourm, agrees, predicting that "simply producing content isn't enough anymore, only content that brings something new to the table will be a way to stand out. Generative AI has massively reduced the time it takes to generate ideas and write blogs, articles, and social content. And now users are turning to AI chatbots to get answers to their questions instead of reading blogs for generic information."

Hillary Nussbaum, Director of Content Strategy, agrees, predicting that "thought leadership and tone of voice will continue to grow in importance. As people increasingly turn to AI with their questions, brands will need to find new ways to stand out from each other—and from AI answers. Ensuring that company and executive channels have a distinct tone and perspective will help brands shape the conversation, drive engagement, and differentiate themselves."

Head of Accounts & Client Strategy, Meredith Elliott Rowley, sees proprietary data as the key: “brands that build renewable, repeatable content from their own unique data and enrich it with third-party validation will establish themselves as industry bellwethers.”

Meanwhile, Eric Johnson, Project and Resource Manager, warns that even trusted channels are losing their power: "LinkedIn may decline in importance as a primary marketing channel, shifting from a growth channel to a maintenance channel for many brands. The platform has become increasingly saturated with AI-generated thought leadership, performative personal brands and recycled takes."

What to do: Develop proprietary insights, take a clear stance on industry issues, and invest in owned channels where you control the narrative. If your content could have been written by anyone (or anything), it's time to go back to the drawing board.

The Budget Battle: Show Me the Money

The Shift: CMOs will need to prove every dollar drives real, measurable results.

Brand Strategist, Leeza McKeown, paints a stark picture: "With moderate macroeconomic growth and tighter budgets in 2026, marketing becomes a 'show me the money' discipline where CMOs must prove every dollar drives real, immediate business results." Despite marketing budgets rising to 9.4% of company revenue in 2025, 59% of CMOs still say budgets are insufficient, and only 69% report CEO/CFO support for long-term brand investment—down from 80%.

This pressure is pushing B2B marketing "from a messaging function into a financially accountable growth engine, measured in real-time contribution to demand, pipeline, and closed-won revenue."

Megan Creighton, Head of Digital Strategy, sees Mixed Media Modeling (MMM) as a potential solution: "The buyer journey and research process is more fragmented than ever before. Now is the time to prove the importance of brand marketing, and tie it to a tangible data point. MMM could be the key to tying it all together, and new AI tools may be a game changer in this arena."

What to do: Get comfortable talking about ROI in the C-suite's language. Invest in measurement tools that can connect brand activities to business outcomes. And remember: nearly half (41%) of B2B buying decision-makers have a favorite vendor at the start of their purchasing process. If you're not on that list, you've already lost.

The Trust Factor: Privacy, Transparency, and Regulation

The Shift: Consumers want control over their data and clarity about how AI is used.

Laura Banas, Director of Client Strategy, predicts that "privacy concerns and regulations around data and AI will influence marketing strategies in 2026. Customers want clarity, transparency, and a choice to opt in or out. Will there be new laws around labeling AI-generated content? Or new customer data privacy laws? I think successful marketing will build trust with consumers, and that trust will be developed through transparency and respect."

What to do: Get ahead of regulation by being transparent now. Label AI-generated content, give customers control over their data, and build privacy into your strategy from the ground up. Don’t treat it as an afterthought.

The Agency Landscape: Independence Becomes the Competitive Advantage

The Shift: The big agency model is crumbling, making way for independents and specialist players who can move fast and prioritize client outcomes.

RG Founder & CEO, Marisa Ricciardi, doesn't mince words: "The collapse of the big agency model has been playing out over the last few years and unfortunately reached a low point this month with the collapsing of agencies under Omnicom and IPG. More brands will realize that working with independently owned and operated, smaller typically lesser known agencies is better for their bottom line. The only stakeholder that matters is the client, not a holding company number to deliver."

Alexis Burke, Managing Director of Client Strategy, sees this as a defining trend for 2026: "The marketing landscape will tilt decisively toward independent agencies as brands prioritize agility, senior talent access, and true client partnership over scale for scale's sake. Headlines around agency consolidation, layoffs, and operational streamlining have made clear that holding-company priorities increasingly diverge from client outcomes. As large networks consolidate, cut costs, and standardize offerings, clients will feel the friction—slower execution, diluted senior attention, and reduced flexibility."

She continues: "In contrast, independent boutique agencies will gain ground by offering direct access to experienced talent, faster decision-making, and bespoke solutions unencumbered by balance sheet pressure. As a result, the industry conversation will shift from network breadth to speed, accountability, and impact. Brands will win by choosing agency partners built to adapt to the market, not protect legacy models."

Mary Glasnapp, Sr. Director of Client Strategy, sees the talent implications: "As holding companies consolidate and independents scale, hiring will become more selective, AI-driven, and skills-based. To stand out, job seekers must demonstrate AI literacy, measurable outcomes, strong strategic thinking, and a clear personal point of view, showing not just what they've done, but how they learn, evolve, and create value."

What to do: If you're a brand, consider whether your agency partner is focused on your success or their own. If you're a marketer, focus on building skills that can't be automated: strategic thinking, business acumen, and a unique point of view.

The Niche Community Play: B2B Influencers and Micro-Communities

The Shift: Mass marketing is out. Hyper-targeted community building is in.

Leigh Marchitto, Director of Client Strategy, predicts the rise of B2B influencer marketing: "Brands will leverage micro-influencers and subject matter experts to build niche communities within specific interests. Think the Reddits of the world, but for companies to help build trust in complex buying environments.”

What to do: Identify the micro-communities where your buyers actually hang out. Partner with subject matter experts who have credibility in those spaces. Build trust through authentic participation, not paid promotion.

The Bottom Line: What Marketers Must Do to Win in 2026

Looking at these predictions together, a clear picture emerges: 2026 will be the year when AI becomes table stakes, authenticity becomes currency, and measurable business impact becomes non-negotiable.

To win, marketers will need to:

• Embrace AI natively while doubling down on human creativity and strategic thinking
• Choose authenticity over polish, meeting audiences where they are with content that feels real
• Develop a unique POV backed by proprietary data and insights
• Prove business impact with sophisticated measurement and clear ROI
• Build trust through transparency around data and AI usage
• Invest in owned channels and niche communities rather than chasing algorithmic reach
• Go physical when everyone else is going digital

The marketers who thrive won't be the ones with the biggest budgets or the flashiest campaigns. They'll be the ones who understand that in a world where machines can do almost anything, the most valuable thing you can offer is something unmistakably, undeniably human.

Want to discuss how these trends will impact your 2026 strategy? Let's talk.

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