What are Your Marketing Priorities?

McKinsey, the global management consulting firm that advises corporations, governments, and institutions has published its State of Marketing report for 2026 with insights from 500 senior marketing leaders across Europe including the UK.

Based on the data, branding is now the number one priority, ahead of digital advertising and even the use of AI.

The report finds that for most marketing leaders, brand building, authenticity, and long-term value are top priorities for 2026.

What This Means for You

In a world full of new marketing tools, many companies are rediscovering the enduring value of strong branding, creative storytelling, and consistent value perception.

While some companies are benefiting from generative AI, most are still cautious, lacking the skills or strategic clarity. The gap between AI hype and real deployment remains wide.

Companies that invest in transparent, respectful marketing and brand building stand to gain a competitive edge and greater customer confidence.

To summarise, the top recommendations based on the 2026 McKinsey marketing trends report are:

1. Reinforce brand building as a strategic priority

Double down on creativity, storytelling, and long-term brand equity.

2. Build AI capabilities deliberately, not reactively

Most companies lag in AI maturity. The winners will be those who invest in data readiness, clarity of use and those with the essential skills.

3. Strengthen ROI measurement and attribution

Be able to connect the “how and where” marketing spend directly to business outcomes.

4. Make trust and privacy core brand differentiators

Proactively embed transparency, ethical data use and authenticity into customer engagement to strengthen loyalty and reduce risk.

If you are struggling to define your marketing strategy for 2026, let’s have a chat to explore how we can help you create clarity and generate positive ROI for your investment.