CES 2026: Why the Smartest Brands Are Focusing on What Doesn’t Change

As a surprise to no one, talk of the application of artificial intelligence (AI) dominated this year's CES. Robots and AI-powered technology were everywhere in Las Vegas for the annual expo, and marketers from all around the world turned up to figure out what it could mean for their brands.

Tech leaders from companies Logitech, Tapestry, Google and Forrester, a clear theme emerged: the brands thriving in this moment are the ones focusing on what doesn’t change. While agentic AI accelerates production and reshapes workflows, customer expectations remain rooted in quality, convenience and confidence. Human creativity — messy, collaborative, and full of judgment — still determines what resonates. And as sports, entertainment and culture evolve into influence ecosystems, the opportunity for brands lies in pairing technological scale with ideas that genuinely matter.

Isabel Perry, global EVP of strategy for DEPT, shares some of the takeaways from the agency's programming at CES.

“Focus on what won’t change” 

AI was a dominant theme at CES 2026, but one of the more grounded conversations came from the panels we programmed this year. I was honoured to lead a conversation with Mandeep Bhatia of Tapestry, Jay Pattisall of Forrester, and Hanneke Faber, CEO of Logitech, exploring what Agentic AI really is, with less speculation and more practical reality.

A single idea kept resurfacing throughout the session and became a shared point of reference among the panelists: the importance of focusing on what doesn’t change, instead of feeling AI FOMO at the frenzied news cycle.

While agentic AI is changing, customer fundamentals remain consistent. People still want quality, convenience, and confidence in their decisions.

Rather than leading with tools, the panel emphasised starting with real customer problems. CES 2026 made it clear that while technology evolves quickly, customer expectations do not; the brands that remember that will benefit most.

“Generating content at scale vs. generating ideas that matter” 

In a landscape flooded with "AI everywhere" messaging, Jessica Qaasim (head of industry, Google Marketing Platform) cut through the hype with this crucial distinction. ‘Yes, AI can generate 75,000 assets, but collaborative creativity is what generates ideas that actually matter.’

This observation reminded everyone that generative creativity is very much in its adolescence. While it has incredible power, it’s still derivative. Humans have taste.

That push inevitably comes from us humans, and our unique ability to improvise, remix, curate, and translate vision in the most fitting way, and most of all, l make judgments.

As brand leaders reckon with the challenge of integrating AI within creative workflows, Qaasim's insight is a powerful reminder of the importance of the messy, collaborative work of human-centred processes. After all, it’s through that messiness that creatives can find what resonates with audiences most — and no amount of production capacity can replace the value of those ideas.

The teams getting this right put human creativity on a pedestal. They understand that AI is a means to unlocking new production possibilities, making bold narratives possible for previously impossible budgets. Teams asking questions like “What emotional truth are we tapping into?” or “What cultural moment are we speaking to?” Uncovering answers to these still requires human collaboration, even when AI handles execution at scale.

“Sports are a travelling carnival of influence”

Other panels explored how arenas and stadiums are evolving into experience-led destinations, with sports teams transforming into what one speaker called "travelling carnivals of influence,” which perfectly encapsulates the new reality of sports fandom and marketing.

Sports properties now operate like multi-platform media companies. Real-time viewership is down, but engagement with next-day content is surging. The 24-72-hour post-game window has become prime real estate for fan engagement through breakdown videos, creator collaborations, and behind-the-scenes content.

Meanwhile, stadiums themselves have become bucket-list tourist destinations. Venues like Intuit Arena are investing in technology that transforms venues into immersive entertainment hubs where the game is just one element of a larger experience ecosystem.

For digital leaders, this signals a fundamental change. Brands are weaving themselves into the post-live narrative. They're investing in serialised storytelling, creator partnerships, and platform-native content that meets fans where fandom actually happens.