Research from We Are Social underlines that getting social strategy right is not a simple task.
“There are still brands treating social as a broadcast channel rather than a place for conversation and culture, or using it as a short-term performance lever.”
Paul Greenwood, Global Head of Research and Insight at We Are Social, is urging brands to ask better questions when it comes to setting their social media strategy. He explains: “The question isn’t whether to invest in social - it’s the world’s most powerful media ecosystem where brands can have a huge impact through the funnel. Instead we should be asking how to do it smartly, turning attention into measurable growth.”
Strong modern marketers are learning ways to build brands online, finding ways to elicit emotion, build trust, and be memorable in interactive and live ways.
Dr Grace Kite
To help brands realise this potential, We Are Social has unveiled its latest Think Forward 2026 survey of global marketers. 95% of whom identify social media as a critical tool for brand building, while 30% use social media through the full marketing funnel, from building awareness to direct sales.
"Strong modern marketers are learning ways to build brands online, finding ways to elicit emotion, build trust, and be memorable in interactive and live ways. Appearing next to the niche topics that people love and being part of the conversation is an important strategy, and social platforms are very well set up to deliver on that”, added Dr Grace Kite, who contributed to the report. "I love the findings from this report that success on social in 2026 means staying creatively human, it's worth a read just to see how We Are Social unpack that concept".
The report warns that getting a social strategy right is not a simple task. The social landscape is shifting: usage is plateauing, attention is fragmenting, and AI-generated content is flooding feeds.
Despite these challenges, the report claims that social media is now marketers’ number one channel for driving emotional connection and cultural impact, ahead of TV, print and other platforms. The research reveals that alongside social’s potential for brand building, it’s also increasingly being used for commerce: 63% of marketers are already engaged in social selling, with another 17% set to begin this year.
Think Forward 2026 was created by We Are Social’s Strategy and Cultural Insights teams, through literature review of strategy frameworks and whitepapers alongside semiotic and thematic analysis. The research was further supported by a survey of 300 marketing decision makers across the US and UK.
The report identifies a number of trends which will define the year in social. These include:
Cringe Confidence: As AI-generated content floods feeds, the pendulum is swinging hard toward the human, the awkward, and the earnest. Brands can resonate in everyday culture by embracing and enabling unfiltered sincerity.
Radical Subjectivity: People are gravitating toward voices that embrace subjectivity rather than hide it. Brands can build trust by foregrounding distinctly human perspectives — imperfect, personal, and impossible to automate.
Rethinking Reality: Marketers are fast adopting AI tools - 81% already use them as part of the creative process, and 17% plan to start this year*. With AI encroaching on creative expression, prestige now comes from imagination that can’t be automated: visions that feel human, original, and impossible to replicate.
Fandom Architects: 73% of marketers believe fandoms will be critical to their social strategy this year* as fans move from passive observers to creative collaborators. Brands can build advocacy by recognising fans as creative collaborators who shape a brand’s cultural meaning.
Looks like you need to create a Creativebrief account to perform this action.
Create account Sign inLooks like you need to create a Creativebrief account to perform this action.
Create account Sign in
