Episode 23: What to look out for in 2026 - Ben & Steph's Hot 2026 Predictions

It’s 2026, Ben’s back from Rio (minus a phone… plus a backup phone like an absolute psychopath), and Steph’s back from a soggy Coromandel reset. This week, they crack open the crystal ball and give it their best shot at calling the trends for marketers to pay attention to in 2026—brand vs performance, AI slop, agency shake-ups, and why “real” is the new premium.What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeBrand is back (and B2B finally got the memo): Why over-relying on lead gen is about to hit diminishing returns—and what smarter funnel balance looks like.AI adoption + AI backlash: How the rise of AI is also creating demand for human tone, originality, and experiences you can’t copy-paste.Specialist agencies will win: Why consolidation opens the door for niche players (and why the big generalists may struggle to justify margins).The content explosion is coming: More content than ever… but quality will be the only thing that cuts through.Long-form makes a comeback: Podcasts, Substack, and deeper storytelling as a counter-move to short-form overload.B2B buyer expectations are evolving: Consumer-level experiences are now the baseline—generic websites and generic messaging won’t survive.New role alert: “Vibe Translator”: Why businesses may need a human to translate the subtext between CEO ambition and CFO caution. ;)Bonus NuggetsBen’s Rio marketing lens: beachfront selling, loudspeakers, national pride, and the kind of “awareness” you can’t block.Elf Cosmetics x Liquid Death: a brand collab that’s basically a marketing fever dream (in a good way).SXSW Sydney cancelled: what it signals about event viability and where marketers might look instead (Austin, anyone?).CES gadgets: fridge cameras, barcode scanning, and a robot vacuum that does stairs (aka: the future is weird).Why Listen?Every week Canned breaks down localised marketing trends and hot takes every marketer needs to know . This episode is about 'better'.  Better brand thinking, better creative judgment in an AI-saturated world, and better strategy for where humans add value (hint: not generating 500 “Buy our widgets!” ads). If you’re trying to make smart calls on budget, brand, content, and capability this year—this episode will sharpen your instincts fast.Chapters (with timestamps)00:00 – Welcome back to 2026: Ben (Human Digital) + Steph (Cue Marketing) set the scene00:34 – Holiday recap: Coromandel calm vs Rio chaos (and the stolen phone story)04:08 – Marketing in Rio: what stood out “in the wild”05:37 – Steph’s marketing news: Elf x Liquid Death + Sydney Sweeney/American Apparel talk08:44 – Ben’s news: Golden Globes adds a podcast category + CES highlights + SXSW Sydney cancelled13:00 – Episode setup: 2026 predictions + disclaimer (no fact-checkers were harmed)14:08 – Prediction 1 (Ben): Brand becomes even more important, especially in B2B16:13 – Prediction 1 (Steph): The “real” renaissance + experiences + anti-AI sameness19:39 – Prediction 2 (Ben): Rise of specialist agencies + in-housing + AI reshaping roles23:15 – Prediction 3 (Steph): Optimism returns (steady growth, not boom) + more fractional/specialist talent use26:29 – Prediction 3 (Ben): Content explosion: quantity rises, quality decides29:39 – Prediction 4 (Steph): Long-form comeback (Substack, blogs, longer storytelling) + more podcasts31:23 – Prediction 5 (Ben): B2B buyer experience evolves toward consumer expectations34:25 – Wild prediction (Steph): The “Vibe Translator” job title is born37:19 – Next episode teaser: Customer experience + journey mapping with guwww.cannedmarketing.com Stephanie Quantrill - LinkedinBen Van Rooy - Linkedin