Bursting the marketer-think bubble: your audience isn’t you (and other ’26 planning truths)

It’s an expensive trap worth avoiding, just as 2026 planning kicks into gear. Kantar’s trusted data reveals that campaigns are seven times more impactful when they reach receptive audiences.

“When marketers stop listening to consumers, they start wasting money and missing opportunities. The best media plans balance business realities. But they begin with consumer truths,” says Gonca Bubani, global media director from Kantar.

So where are the gaps, what are the opportunities, and how can marketers seize them confidently?

Watch out for investment blind spots

Three of consumers’ top five preferred ad platforms are Amazon-owned, with Amazon itself leading for ads that feel useful and relevant. TikTok wins for attention-grabbing, fun content, while Snapchat’s lighter, less intrusive ads have boosted its appeal since last year. Meanwhile, Twitch scores highest on trust.

But, for marketers, trust is everything. Their most valued media environments are well-established names like Google and YouTube – creating a preference ranking that looks very different from consumers’ top five.

Meanwhile, point of sale and in person events still do the heavy lifting when it comes to guiding shoppers. But marketers lean more towards digital out-of-home and online video ads when it comes to their channel preferences.

Eye on AI: excitement, unease – and education

General positive sentiment about AI is on the rise and marketers are leading the hype: 75% feel good about the tech this year, compared to 68% of consumers. But there’s some unease, too. Over half of the consumers surveyed (57%) worry about fake ads powered by GenAI. Marketers, meanwhile, are generally far more confident. Just a third admit to lacking the skills to use GenAI effectively.

And with that confidence comes responsibility, says Bubani: “As AI reshapes the media landscape, marketers must bridge the trust gap and help consumers understand what’s real, what’s synthetic, and what’s next. The upside? Audiences are listening: ad receptivity has been rising since 2020, and 57% of consumers are positive towards ads in 2025.”

Hitting the right channel mix – what’s on the cards for ’26?

Back in 2017, 89% of marketers thought they’d nailed cross-screen integration. Fast forward to 2025, and their confidence in integration across channels has dropped to 64%.

Kantar’s LIFT+ studies, which helps determine the value of channels, shows why that matters: 45% of a campaign’s brand impact comes from channels working well together. Integration isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore, explains Bubani: “As new ad platforms flood the mix, marketers need to keep testing, learning, and balancing different channels’ strengths – from consumer preferences to ease of measurement, to reach and other factors,” she says.

So what are the other channel movers and shakers in ’26? Spend is most set to increase in influencer content and online video ads. Broadcast TV remains the channel that delivers the highest brand impact. And X really doesn’t mark the spot for today’s marketers: some net 15% of marketers were favorable towards ads on X in 2022. That’s now plummeted to net -31%.

Investment signals and trends help shine the way for 2026 planning. But how should marketers keep the lights on?

1. Use insight to close assumption gaps: Use robust intelligence tools to navigate market complexity quickly, evaluate opportunities, swerve risk, learn about your audience’s preferences – and ensure that investments match up with consumer reality. For example, Kantar’s LIFT tools help marketers fine-tune reach, uncover channel synergies, measure real impact across touchpoints, and turn campaign data into decisions that drive brand and business growth.

2. Innovate, experiment, analyze: To feel confident in media decisions in a fast-changing world, keep testing and keep learning. This year’s Media Reactions study shows only 29% of consumers see ads as innovative. And this drops to 14% among marketers. Those who experiment with new channels and formats will be the ones who stay ahead.

3. Be holistic: Don’t just plan ads, build connections. A holistic media strategy means choosing partners and formats that work together to deliver on your objectives.

Bubani sums it up: “The consumer–marketer gap isn’t new, but it’s never been more critical. Clever media investment means moving beyond instinct, using insight and the right tools to build strategies that truly resonate with consumers and drive real brand value,”

For more advice on shaping media strategies and to supercharge your 2026 planning, get your Kantar’s Media Reactions free guide. To learn more about media effectiveness solutions visit here.