A decade of data-driven optimization has too prioritized efficiency over memorability

Digital optimization may have supercharged trackability and testing, but it also led to polished, largely forgettable content. Thus, many brands struggled to differentiate. The very precision we chased often eliminated too much of the human texture that makes marketing work.

As Ogilvy Strategy looks at the year ahead, we see a fundamental realization taking hold among the most sophisticated marketers: the competitive edge now lives precisely where the algorithms can't follow. Physical experiences that create memory, not just clicks. Imperfect content that signals humanity, not production budgets. Epic storytelling that builds emotional equity, not just engagement rates.

Analog creates scarcity in a digital world. Cringe signals authenticity when AI generates perfection. Narrative builds brand worlds that product claims never could. Each represents deliberate inefficiency that competitors addicted to optimization can't replicate.

Choosing the unmeasurable feels risky. That's exactly why it works.

In 2026 and beyond, strategic advantage belongs to those brave enough to invest in what can't be A/B tested, optimized, or automated. The algorithm made everything efficient. Strategy makes things matter.

Here are Ogilvy Strategy's 2026 predictions:

#1 - Analog Rebalances the Ecosystem

The future isn’t digital OR analog… It's physical experiences that spark digital conversations, and digital targeting that enables personalized physical touchpoints. It's using the strengths of each medium strategically rather than dogmatically following the "digital everything" religion. The same digital saturation that made analogue feel obsolete is making it relevant again.

We can expect premium direct mail campaigns, sophisticated OOH advertising, brand-owned print publications, experiential pop-ups, and physical merchandise that bridge digital through QR codes and create collectible brand artifacts. 

#2 - The Cringe Renaissance / Revenge of the Millennials 

As AI makes perfect content free and abundant, human imperfection becomes the scarcity – and the differentiator. Perfection is now a red flag.

Algorithms often reward cringe content with higher engagement (comments, shares, watch time). Gen Z's undefeated BS detectors reject try-hard cool, and AI flooding the internet with perfection makes human awkwardness an authenticity marker. We can expect behind-the-scenes realness (bloopers! GRWMs but brands! Employee takeovers!), fewer approval layers, more imperfect content.

Laughing at yourself is cool again. Cringe is memorable! Vulnerability creates trust. And it can create a competitive white space while others in the category are too afraid to cast-off their polished veneer. 

#3 - Storytelling isn't just for Luxury Brands

Expect to see all types of brands adopting cinematic storytelling techniques. This means deeply personal POV storytelling through multi-chapter serialized campaigns, building immersive content libraries with founder narratives, customer journey stories, and origin tales. This creates outsized impact via earned impressions and social conversation.
Jaquemus’ Valerie campaign and Ralph Lauren’s Oak Bluffs campaign are two of my favorites from this year. They’re deeply personal, they’re niche but relatable and they told stories in the most visual, beautiful way.

Consumers skip product ads but watch narrative content through to completion, and platforms reward longer-form storytelling. With product innovations now at parity, the "innovativeness" lies in the new story we tell about it, creating emotional memory and brand differentiation. Narrative driven content elevates brand perception, allowing premium pricing. In the AI era, human storytelling with perspective and emotion will breakthrough.