WFA President David Wheldon shares his vision for 2026

One of the many privileges of my role as WFA President is the chance to talk to some of the very best marketers around the world, both at our meetings and for the WFA Better Marketing podcast.

Naturally, many are focused on uncertainty, concerns around how best to take advantage of AI (while minimising the risks that also come with it), around jobs (given all the re-orgs and restructuring around us but also for aspiring industry entrants) and rapid shifts in geopolitics, which can transform markets in a moment.

These are all understandable worries but for marketers what should always matter most are people. For all the developments in technology, the people that buy our goods and services have not fundamentally changed.

Our role is to influence the minds of consumers via clear positioning and products and services that add value. If we can do that then we can build distinct brands that people remember and buy time and time again.

My definition of successful marketing is the ability to build a human connection that drives business growth.

It’s also important to remember that it’s not always about budgets; great insight and great connections, particularly those that deliver utility, succeed around the world for brands of all shapes and sizes.

Once we have our insights and a “north star” for what our brands stand for, there’s an opportunity to think about building organisational structure and capabilities.

The best brands have always built from the inside out, taking their people with them, have them understand what they stand for and what value the brand adds for their customers. For your people will always be your best ambassadors.

Within the confines of large corporates, we need to empower our people to take charge, take risks (without worrying about blowing up their careers) and be agile in the face of developing trends.

In 2026, the best marketing leaders will empower their teams with a healthy mixture of curiosity, humility and optimism.

Only with these fundamentals in place should we really look at the role of technology, including AI. For tech sits in service of marketing not the other way round, or to corrupt a line from the original Jurassic Park – “Just because you could, doesn’t mean you should.”

Technology exists for the benefit of human beings and developing and deploying marketing ideas and not the other way around. It can help us amplify and build connection. It also allows us to optimise our efforts but only when those efforts are grounded in solid marketing fundamentals.

The simple truth that stands out for me is marketing is always about human beings, the humans that lead the teams, the teams that do the work, and the humans that we need to connect with.

This can be enhanced by technology, and AI is another – and increasingly important - part of our toolkit. Perhaps this was best summed up at the WFA’s end of year Forum Connect in New York where one CMO told me “we need to think about human creativity as the front office and technology and all the stuff it does for us as the back office.”

If we can keep our eyes firmly focused on the fundamentals, even while the world is trying to distract us, then we are more than capable of delivering a year of bold ideas, great creativity and demonstrating that great marketing really is key to driving business growth.