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Marketing and communications leaders are facing another year of transformation, disruption, and uncertainty. From AI reshaping search and workflows, to video dominating attention, to the professionalization of influencer commerce and the critical role of social customer care, the next twelve months will give us plenty of challenges and opportunities. 

This definitive guide breaks down the 15 biggest trends that will shape the year ahead in marketing, PR, and social media. Each trend comes with clear action points and shows how Meltwater’s suite of solutions can help you not just keep up, but lead.

The rise of AI Search Optimization and LLM reputation management

How to build resilience against misinformation and narrative attacks

Why creator commerce is shifting to performance-based partnerships

The new rules of video, social SEO, and multi-platform engagement

Get your copy today and prepare your team for the year ahead.

Thank you, we hope you find this trends guide interesting.

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Keep ahead of the big changes in PR and marketing communications in 2026, including agentic AI, misinformation, and influencer marketing.

Marketing Trends to Watch in 2026

2026 State of PR: 1,100+ Communicators Surveyed

Public relations is evolving faster than ever. Between generative AI, misinformation, and shrinking budgets, PR pros are being asked to do more—and prove more—with less.

Created in partnership with leading agency, We. Communications, Meltwater’s 2026 State of PR report reveals how over 1,100 global communications professionals are responding to these challenges and redefining what success looks like.

AI is officially mainstream: Over 90% PR teams have already integrated generative AI into their workflows for tasks like drafting press releases, optimizing content, and brainstorming.

Measurement is evolving: PR pros are under growing pressure to link comms outcomes to business KPIs, but over 40% are still measuring activity instead of outcomes

Budgets are tight, but expectations are higher: More than half of respondents expect little or no change in PR investment for 2026, despite increased demand for strategic impact.

Leadership buy-in is key: Communicators who can connect storytelling with data are earning their seat at the decision-making table.

Get more insights, benchmarks, and practical takeaways to strengthen your strategy and secure your seat at the leadership table.

Download the 2026 State of PR report to stay ahead of what’s next for PR. 

Thank you, we hope you find this report interesting.

Get the State of PR 2026 Report

The State of PR Report surveyed over 1,100 professionals on their views about the current state of the industry and expectations for the future.

State of PR 2026

In Southeast Asia, regulators are tightening their oversight of financial services marketing—particularly in areas like insurance—creating an urgent need for compliance teams to adapt quickly. 

Financial institutions are under mounting pressure to monitor agent behaviour, mitigate misinformation, and maintain brand trust. The risks are high, especially in the age of “finfluencers” and high-stakes social media visibility.

Our latest report reveals how financial institutions such as banks and insurance providers use Meltwater to monitor how their agents promote products online, giving them greater visibility, control, and confidence. You’ll learn how to:

Identify specific keywords like “guaranteed returns” and get notified when an agent posts them on their social media channels

Track customer complaints across social media platforms and online forums to uncover misconduct trends

Set up real-time alerts that enable compliance teams to intervene early

Use sentiment analysis to identify recurring pain points and boost agent training

Some insurance firms receive 15–20 complaints per week related to agent misrepresentation, aggressive sales tactics, or false claims. These are not just customer service concerns, as they represent significant regulatory and reputational risks.  

Read this free report to learn how you can empower your team with the tools and insights needed to safeguard your brand in today’s fast-evolving, socially driven landscape. 

Strengthening_Financial_Compliance_SEA_Final.pdf

Our latest report reveals how financial institutions such as banks and insurance providers use Meltwater to monitor their agents in this social-driven landscape.

Strengthening Financial Compliance in SEA | Free Report

Strengthening Financial Compliance in SEA's Social-Driven Landscape

2025 Global State of Social Media Report

The Meltwater Retail Insights Report explores how creators, AI and cross-platform consumer behaviour shaped the Black Friday 2025 buzz.

Drawing on real-time analysis of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Singles Day conversations across social media, news, creators, forums and AI platforms, the report reveals the forces behind Australia’s $6.8 billion spending surge. With insights surfaced through Meltwater’s dashboards and GenAI Lens, the report shows what retail, marketing and eCommerce teams need to know to stay ahead.

Creators and UGC outperformed brands, with @twobrokechicks driving over 20% of all #blackfriday conversation, demonstrating how authentic, community-driven content now shapes shopper decisions more than traditional advertising.

AI as a central shopping tool: Australians are using platforms like ChatGPT to compare prices, find deals and research products. Insights detected through Meltwater’s GenAI Lens highlight a major shift in how discovery and evaluation now take place.

Amazon dominated cross-category visibility, setting expectations around value, speed and convenience while benefiting from strong amplification through creators and affiliates.

Viral cultural moments shaped shopper interest, with MiraAI identifying emerging trends and attention spikes as they spread across platforms.

Black Friday conquered, with Cyber Monday acting as an extension rather than a standalone event, while Singles Day remained niche, driven primarily by beauty and Gen Z spaces.

Health and Fitness and Travel were the strongest category drivers, offering retailers a clear signal for Christmas, Boxing Day and 2026 planning.

Access the full report to uncover the creators, platforms, products and behaviours that defined Australia’s Black Friday 2025 and see what will drive impact in 2026.

Download the report to explore how creators, AI and cross-platform consumer behaviour shaped the Black Friday 2025 buzz.

Black Friday 2025 Unpacked: Australia’s Retail Wins 

Black Friday 2025 Unpacked: What Drove Australia’s Retail Wins 

Essential data on digital behavior around the world, brought to you by Kepios in partnership with Meltwater and We Are Social.

Digital 2026: Global Overview Report

In this 60-minute session, you’ll hear directly from Shiseido’s EMEA Digital Education team about how they approach social reporting, measure performance, and use data to guide their campaigns.

Common challenges in social media reporting

How Shiseido measures performance and uses insights to guide campaigns

Live demonstration of Meltwater’s analytics and reporting tools

Shiseido’s best practices for turning social insights into strategy

Gain access to this webinar via the form!

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Want to know how Meltwater can help you with your social media reporting? Fill out the form!

Join Meltwater and Shiseido experts to discover how leading brands turn social data into actionable insights.

On-demand Webinar: Social Insights Unlocked: Mastering Reporting & Analytics

In today’s fast-moving media landscape, the intersection of AI and Digital PR is redefining how brands earn attention. Join Meltwater and Fractl for a webinar designed to equip PR teams with the AI prompts and strategies they need to dominate in the age of machine learning.

AI Rankings & Digital PR’s Critical Role: Explore fresh research into which publishers power AI training data—and why top-tier media coverage is more valuable than ever for brand authority.

Prompting Techniques That Work: Access proven prompt libraries for subject lines, pitches, and journalist engagement that drive earned media at scale.

AI-Assisted Newsjacking: Harness AI to rapidly analyze trending news, spot opportunities, and craft compelling, data-backed angles in real time.

Case Studies from Global Brands: See how leading organizations are already leveraging AI-augmented PR to secure coverage in Reuters, CNBC, Go Banking Rates, Seeking Alpha, and more

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On Demand Webinar: Mastering AI Prompts to Scale Earned Media in Digital PR

Join Meltwater and Fractl for a webinar designed to equip PR teams with the AI prompts and strategies they need to dominate in the age of machine learning.

Thank you! We hope you will find this webinar insightful.

Mastering AI Prompts to Scale Earned Media in Digital PR

In 2026, marketers need to recalibrate their strategies — not rebuild them. Step back from the data noise with this on-webinar focused on the must-know shifts and the enduring fundamentals.

Join Meltwater and Simon Kemp, founder of Kepios and the author of the Digital 2026: Global Overview Report, for a discussion that will cure marketing trend hype overload, not add to it.  

The biggest shifts in digital behavior, like the 1 billion people now using standalone generative AI tools every month

The lasting macrotrends, like search’s dominance, with 32% of internet users aged 16 and older using it to discover new brands, products, and services 

A recalibration framework, with suggestions for rebalancing, rethinking, and remeasuring strategies 

Request a Demo

Digital 2026: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t, and What Matters Most for Marketers

Discover what’s changed, what hasn’t, and what matters most in digital behavior in 2026. 

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