Screen culture doesn’t compare to real life, says Nicky Davies of Spark. And for brands, powerful experiences turn audiences into communities.
“A new type of marketing funnel emerging: one where brands focus less on transactions and more on building cultural communities,” says Davies (Katejan Sumila/Unsplash)
The biggest challenge for brands in 2026 will be working out how to create real connection with audiences. People are spending more time than ever on screens, yet digital fatigue is peaking. Brands are under growing pressure to stand out from the crowd and give audiences what they’re really looking for: moments that feel human.
As Lisa Miles, director of strategic growth, insights, and engagement at cultural venue Outernet London, says: “Working on ways to stand out from the crowd and giving opportunities for consumers to cut through the digital fatigue will be big factors at play for brands in the year ahead.”
This is why experiences will matter above all else in 2026.
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Brands can’t rely on passive content anymore. To move forward, they need experiences people can actively take part in – on screen and in real life.
Topshop’s 2025 relaunch is an early indication of how this is playing out in 2026. At a time when many fashion editors were on holiday, and the world wasn't in traditional ‘fashion mode,’ Topshop went ahead with a summer fashion show in London's Trafalgar Square.
The brand’s global marketing director, Moses Rashid, says: “It was really important our audience could come and experience our first runway show in nearly a decade. They brought an incredible energy which saw us enjoy this moment together.”
The result wasn’t just coverage, but a clear statement of intent. “We want to make our audience feel like they can engage with us, have a voice, and inform our future decisions,” Rashid explains.
It’s evidence of a new type of marketing funnel emerging: one where brands focus less on transactions and more on building cultural communities.
Experiences today aren’t limited to physical spaces. They can be delivered on a screen, through live shopping or emotional storytelling like the Christmas ads from John Lewis, Amazon, and Marks & Spencer, or through IRL activations. What’s changing is how these moments connect.
Success in modern commerce now calls for experiential thinking across social, OOH, online, and IRL – creating narratives that travel across channels and encourage emotional buy-in at every touchpoint.
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Digital channels still matter, but they increasingly act as gateways rather than endpoints. As Miles explains: “When people become part of the brand experience, they are then invested and committed on an individual level. It’s all about how we create more of those experiences, especially in a digitally cluttered world.”
With more than 10 million people battling for tickets and around 2.9 million people having seen the band live during their reunion year, 2025’s defining cultural moment was Oasis’s tour. Several bands of the 1990s era are also back on the gig circuit, and the Gallagher brothers’ truce has coincided with a 90s fashion resurgence – baggy denim, big trainers, and all.
Although fashion trends are cyclical, it’s clear nostalgia is a strong vibe for brands to tap into – especially in a troubled world with all its geopolitical challenges and heavy news agenda. Longevity is also a selling point for consumers today.
Jack Stratten, director of retail trends tracker Insider Trends, says: “In a world where new brands and new products come and go at a dizzying rate, longevity and heritage matter. An authentic history told confidently is a powerful proposition.”
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Nostalgia sells for sure, but it’s not a strategy on its own. As Rashid highlights: “It’s important we nod to heritage and acknowledge our past, but there’s an incredible focus on forward focus too.”
The real winners in 2026 will be those who innovate and experiment without losing sight of who they are.
The year ahead won’t be about producing more content or chasing every new platform. Instead, brands need to create experiences that give people something real to engage with. Experiences matter because they turn audiences into communities. And in a world suffering from serious digital fatigue, connection is what brands will be competing for most.
Spark
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