{"id":218256,"date":"2026-01-13T07:49:48","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T13:49:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ama.org\/?post_type=ama_press_releases&p=218256"},"modified":"2026-01-13T07:49:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T13:49:51","slug":"ama-releases-groundbreaking-future-trends-in-marketing-report","status":"publish","type":"ama_press_releases","link":"https:\/\/www.ama.org\/press-releases\/ama-releases-groundbreaking-future-trends-in-marketing-report\/","title":{"rendered":"AMA Releases Groundbreaking Future Trends in Marketing Report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Report explores the dynamic landscape shaped by shifting trends, emerging technologies, and evolving consumer expectations<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicago, IL<\/strong>\u2014The American Marketing Association (AMA) released a new research report today, 2026 Future Trends in Marketing<\/strong><\/a>, that highlights five trends that will transform the marketing landscape over the next five to ten years. The AMA believes that marketers are not just responders to change, but active innovators shaping the future through their work. This new report was developed with input from over 30 professional marketers with diverse perspectives and highlights the key steps marketing teams can take to successfully navigate the coming changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AMA\u2019s 2026 Future Trends in Marketing report provides a deep dive on these top five trends: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. The Age of Autonomous Agents<\/strong>: AI agents are poised to revolutionize marketing by acting as intermediaries between consumers and brands, automating everything from shopping decisions to campaign execution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Consumer Discovery Shifts to Scroll<\/strong>: Consumer discovery is shifting from traditional keyword-based search engines to scroll-native social platforms and AI chatbots. Brands need to create emotionally resonant, feed-optimized content and partner with creators while adapting to a landscape where social media and AI interfaces have become the primary discovery engines for consumers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Portfolio Careers and the Liquid Workforce<\/strong>: The traditional full-time career model in marketing is being replaced by a “liquid workforce” of fractional leaders, freelancers, and portfolio careerists who combine multiple roles and income streams while companies increasingly rely on flexible talent and AI to stay agile in uncertain times.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Innovation Imperative in Sustainability<\/strong>: Forward-thinking marketers are maintaining sustainability investments and innovating through circular design, smart packaging, and green storytelling to differentiate their brands and meet growing consumer demand for environmental responsibility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Building Brand Trust in a Fragmented World<\/strong>: In an era of AI-driven misinformation and fragmented identity-based communities, brands must earn trust through transparency, cultural fluency, and authentic participation in the rituals and values of digital communities rather than relying on traditional demographic targeting or broad messaging.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWith this new research, the AMA is equipping marketers not just to keep pace with change, but to lead it. The 2026 Future Trends in Marketing Report is designed to help our members and the broader marketing community make informed decisions that will drive growth, spark innovation, and unlock opportunities for the profession,\u201d said Bennie F. Johnson, CEO of the AMA.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This report also features scenarios on the future of marketing. Below are snapshots of four possible marketing futures that could unfold in the  next 5\u201310 years. They are not predictions, but provocations that explore how today’s trends might converge and evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n