In our continued study of trends shaping consumer behaviour and marketing in 2026, this week we’re looking at treat economics, or “treatenomics.” I’m not even sure if that’s a real world, but it’s what I’m choosing to call the intersection of current economics and consumers pursuit of small treats. Think of

Seeking positive moments of joy
This is a continuation in a series I've been publishing to my e-newsletter about top trends impacting 2026. You can catch up on the series here - and don't forget to subscribe for future tips! Marketing trends defining 2026 Trend #1: Long form content is back – seeking substance (April 12)
Trends

Answer engine optimization: impact on SEO
SEO as we knew it has changed forever There’s a revolution happening in search right now. The way people are searching for information online

Influencers are the new media
The creator economy is projected to exceed $200 billion in 2026. In a matter of a couple years, the creator economy has gone from being a side
Branding

Leveraging IRL: Why brands are taking it offline
Some time traveling history Remember back in May 2020, when the world shut down, and much of life shifted to online? Education went online. Work

Humans and AI: the new marketing paradox
Craving human connection AI is automating, personalizing, and predicting at unprecedented scale. It’s being used to research, create and
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Long form content is back
While it's easy to see that short form content, by way of quick videos, visual story snippets, quick posts and messages is all around us, there is actually a solid place for longer form content in 2026. Here's

The “Surrey, not sorry” tourism campaign
I don’t live in Surrey. I’m from the North Shore. So what I have to say about the “Surrey, not sorry” tourism campaign, now paused after community push back, may not land well with residents there. I liked

SEO versus GEO
I was on a call this past week during a media session with PR reps. There was much discussion about GEO versus SEO. GEO you ask? GEO stands for “generative engine optimization.” Think of it like SEO (search

When Google’s AI becomes your travel agent
That headline is unlikely to make me popular with my travel advisor friends. Think of it as a combo of click bait and trending truth. But it’s undeniable that AI is changing the way we research AND book




