EM Campfire Conversations: Marketing Trends for 2026

Our 2026 New Year’s Kickoff Party was certainly one for the books! Recently, the EM Community came together in the San Francisco Bay Area to discuss marketing trends, share ideas, and celebrate our successes together.

We launched the party with something intentionally different: a campfire session. Rather than a traditional panel format, this event was designed as an open, peer-led dialogue – one where every voice in the room was invited to participate. Complete with an on-screen ‘campfire’ to set the mood, the inclusivity of our campfire format led to collaborative takeaways and insights from our community of marketing experts.

Moderated by recent EM Next Gen Marketing Program participant Alexa Low, the conversation was sparked by EM Marketing consultants Maura Chandler, Stephanie Peterson, and Vishal Sandhu, but quickly expanded to include insights from our marketers across industries, roles, and experience levels. 

What emerged was a candid, thoughtful discussion about where marketing has been and where it’s heading in 2026. From the rise of AI to the return to human ingenuity, here are three main takeaways from our campfire session.

1. AI makes workflows easier, but at a cost.

Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence was a dominant theme throughout the session. Many participants reflected on how AI reshaped their workflows in 2025, from drafting emails and summarizing meetings to accelerating ideation and research. Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for marketers, the consensus was clear: AI works best as an augmentation tool, which removes friction and frees up time for higher-level thinking.

That said, participants also voiced growing concerns about content overload. AI can produce enormous volumes of information quickly, but without human judgment and curation, that output can become overwhelming and inauthentic rather than useful. All participants agreed, efficiency without intention isn’t progress, and consumers can tell when brands rely too heavily on AI.

2. AI fatigue is driving a clear shift back to authenticity.

Alongside AI fatigue, many marketers observed a renewed focus on brand, narrative, and authenticity. After years of over-indexing performance metrics and click-driven content, there’s a noticeable return to foundational questions: “Who are we as a brand?” “What do we stand for?” and “How do we communicate that in a way that feels real?”

Audience members highlighted that consumers are becoming increasingly adept at spotting content that feels generic or overly automated. Whether through thought leadership, community engagement, or more personal brand voices, marketers agreed that trust is built through consistency, transparency, and human connection.

3. Brands are moving toward community conversations and relationships.

Another recurring theme was the shift away from one-way “broadcast” marketing toward two-way conversations. Brands that succeed in 2026 will be those that enter communities thoughtfully, by listening first, contributing meaningfully, and building relationships rather than simply pushing messages.

This same philosophy applied internally as well. Participants discussed how AI-powered tools like meeting notetakers and coaching assistants can support collaboration, accountability, and personal growth, but only when used responsibly and with proper guardrails.

Looking Ahead

As the conversation wrapped, the mood was both reflective and optimistic. While emerging technologies like agentic AI and automation raise important questions around trust, truth, and governance, the group agreed on one thing: marketing’s core remains deeply human.

Technology will continue to evolve rapidly, but empathy, storytelling, and genuine connection will remain the differentiators that matter most across the marketing landscape.

Missed the event? You can watch the video highlights below.