In January 2026, every single marketing pundit published a trend report (myself included). But six months into the year, so much has happened.
Last month I summed up some of my most valuable takeaways from the South by Southwest innovation conference for our monthly newsletter, and it shaped up to be another mini trend report. The Monday team’s annual trip to SXSW always feels like a glimpse into the future—and we don’t gatekeep around here.
So here’s the intel I brought back from Austin: my mid-year trend update for those of us who work at the overlap of marketing, brand, retail, sports and wellness.
1. It’s the year of human augmentation.
The biohackers and longevity bros are going mainstream, and the market is meeting them there with off-the-shelf tools that enhance human functions—like Meta Glasses, Eight Sleep and Arc’teryx’s MO/GO “powered pants.” It means with enough money, any human can get an upgrade, and those without the means may get left behind. When the wealthy have more insight in any situation, get better sleep, and can cover more ground, it risks widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots even more.
2. The internet is now for Agents.
It’s time to rethink your web copy and UX to better serve AI Agents. It’s no longer just about SEO, it’s about AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). If you want to get cited by AI, you need to write for it (and we can help you with that.)
3. IRL shopping is very back.
And to be more precise, The Mall is back. According to the church of Gen Z, Hot Topic, 62% of young people are shopping in-store. If you are thinking of launching an exclusively direct-to-consumer brand, think twice. Retail is still a great path to growth for many products—and don’t underestimate the power of a pop-up for extending your brand-owned reach.
4. Creators are the media.
Like it or not, creators remain a major marketing channel. Fans love seeing worlds collide, so bringing different influencers together can give brands exponential traction. Taking it a step further, this is the year brands may need to rethink their traditional digital marketing plans and start taking notes from social creators. Avery Hairston, the VP of Marketing at CPG brand Ayoh, shared how he’s doing this on a recent episode of My Best Campaign.
5. Gen Z is inventing new purchasing patterns.
To manage costs (and existential despair), young people are exploring new money habits: resource pooling (think collective Instacart orders), “loud budgeting” (transparently putting their financial goals and rituals on socials) and at the opposite end of the spectrum, financial nihilism (consciously blowing the bank because YOLO).
6. Audiences need an emotional destination.
Stop planning your campaign with the action you want customers to take. Start with the emotion you want them to feel. This wasn’t a revelation, but it’s a reframe. It’s something we do at Monday with our process of finding the campaign Way In. And it’s only possible when you deeply understand your audience and target a highly specific customer persona.
If you’re still wondering whether you should add SXSW to your annual lineup, here’s some inspo from our latest trip to Austin. Yes, you should join us next year.
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