What Changes Adland Leaders Want To See In 2026

As 2026 begins, it’s only natural for thoughts to waver towards the unprecedented relentlessness of the industry. 

2025 was a testing year for adland, with its highly-anticipated, long-awaited string of mergers proving a key talking point, and who knows what 2026 will hold? But in order to break old habits, establish a new path of positive energy, change will need to happen; it’s not all about profits and turnovers, but bringing back the joy in being creative, paving pathways for the next generation. 

We spoke with some of the industry’s leaders about what changes they’d like to see from 2026; their answers, reflecting on what they’d like to leave behind in 2025.

Bill Scott, CEO, Droga5 London

Another year of tumultuous change. Another year of doom and gloom in an ever-tough market. But we’re at our best when we enjoy what we love doing.

It’s time we all tried our best to enjoy it more in 2026. It just might change the narrative.

Celine Saturnino, CEO, London, Mediaplus

A radical recommitment to empathy. We are all operating in an environment defined by constant economic tension, cultural fragmentation, and a media ecosystem that reshapes itself every quarter.

Every stakeholder in our world (clients, partners, talent, and audiences) is feeling some version of uncertainty. And uncertainty has a way of making industries transactional. What I’d like to see next year is the opposite.

We talk about innovation, efficiency, automation, effectiveness, addressability, AI… but far less about understanding. The kind that requires listening to what clients are worried about, to what audiences actually need, and to what our own people are going through inside and outside our walls. If we could all adopt a bit more empathy in our approach, our industry will be a much better place in 2026.

Karen Martin, CEO, BBH London

Let’s stop talking ourselves into misery. We’re lucky to work in this industry, we have a responsibility to protect and celebrate what makes it great. And we honestly all deserve to have a bit of fun while we’re doing it. Life’s too short.

Zoe Eagle, CEO, Iris

The doom spiral. It needs to stop. People have never consumed so much media, and our creatives have never been so empowered to make. This is our time!

Mel Arrow, CEO, McCann London

I think we all can learn a lot from the way Gen Z prioritises mental health as their foundation for success. The phrase “PR not ER” epitomises their rejection of frenetic communications industry workplaces that view everything as an emergency. I love how seriously we take our creativity, and how deeply we care. I think it’s probably right that we keep ourselves in check in this regard, though, and save ourselves the cortisol whenever we can.

Alex Best, CEO, Wonderhood Studios

We’ve reached peak efficiency. Every brand has the same dashboards, the same metrics, the same optimised media plans. And yet, attention is at an all-time low. The next competitive advantage isn’t efficiency, it’s captivation. Because once everyone’s efficient, efficiency stops being a differentiator. What separates winners now is who can truly hold people - not just find them.

Efficiency helps you reach people. Captivation makes them stay.

And in a world where people can skip, scroll, and swipe you out of existence, the brands that win will be the ones that can’t be ignored.

The smartest brands won’t choose between efficiency and creativity.

They’ll make efficiency work in the service of creativity, using data to fuel imagination, not replace it. Because what drives growth now isn’t just visibility. It’s captivation.

Helen Bennett, CEO, UK, Weber Shandwick

I’d like to see our industry shift from chasing quick wins to building genuinely sustainable, long-term client value. That’s going to require real partnership between agencies and clients – fewer knee-jerk pitches, less disposable work, more partnerships where agencies and clients co-create and commit to sustainable, long-term outcomes.

Technology is disrupting how we drive value and how we work – I’d love us to use it as less of an opportunity for existential angst (although some of that is understandable) and more as an opportunity to rebalance towards depth, versus just volume.

We need to stand firm on not losing sight of the human element. The pressure on people, across the board, is immense right now. Protecting wellbeing and making space for creativity is critical. At the end of the day, clients come to us not just for execution but for ideas – for the brilliant, strategic, high-performing brains that make those ideas possible. We have to create environments where people can thrive, because that’s what will drive our industry forward.

Helen James, CEO, The Gate

A fundamental rethinking of how we define and measure agency value. We're still stuck in a time-and-materials mindset when we should be compensated for the business impact we create. When work demonstrably drives revenue growth or transforms brand perception, there's an opportunity to structure fees that reflect that value. Value-based models would incentivize the right behaviours and make creativity an investment conversation, not a cost one.

Practically: evolving the pitching process for a faster-paced, leaner market. The industry needs smarter ways to build confidence and enable decision-making - shorter, more focused chemistry phases, paid strategy work that demonstrates capability, and evaluation frameworks based on proven past performance. This would benefit everyone: clients get better signal on agency fit, agencies can invest in their people instead of speculative work, and we all move faster.

And sustained momentum on D&I. Progress isn't mission accomplished. The test isn't what's said during Inclusion Week - it's who gets promoted, who gets heard, who stays when budgets tighten.

Jay Gallagher, CSO, Edelman UK

Our Tipping Points work suggests that next year will be shaped by reactions: people closing the curtains (privacy), slowing down (friction), rethinking what’s healthy (wellness), and bracing for geopolitical whiplash: all of which demand our industry shows sharper judgement to ensure relevance, and earn the permission to engage.  

So, I strongly believe we need to place a renewed premium on judgement. Many of the things we take for granted: tools, channels, crafts, are in flux and will continue to be. But the ability to read a room, understand a moment and make the right creative or strategic call is still what separates the work that moves culture from the work that simply fills space. In essence that’s what the industry has always depended on, and simply can’t be commoditised. 

If we centre judgement, the rest follows.

Holly Ripper, CEO of Havas London

Even more adventurous in our creativity. In times of uncertainty, it’s human nature to become creatures of habit and go back to what we know. In the industry, I’d like to see more adventurous creativity - brands and agencies moving away from safe and expected work and places, and toward ideas that challenge, inspire, and make a real cultural impact.

Victoria Appleby, CEO, T&P

That we, as an industry, reclaim our swagger. It would be wonderful to see us champion the immense value, skill, and magic we bring. Specifically, I want us to become the architects of the AI revolution, not its casualties. AI is our enabler to great work and we need to embrace the possibilities it brings. It will always be important, however, to appreciate the need to balance AI with HI (human insight). We have the creative and strategic minds to lead the way in using these powerful tools ethically and imaginatively. Let's be the force for good that we know we can be and boldly write the next chapter ourselves.

Claire Hollands, CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi

Confidence. We’re vital growth partners for our clients, driving them into new categories and markets, and creating demand for their products and services. I’d love to see us own our value more as an industry.

Gareth Mercer, founder, Pablo

Economic uncertainty. Ever-declining print media. Death of traditional advertising. Automation and AI landgrab. Short-term thinking. Long-term panic — phew — yet the UK ad industry is still one of the highest spending in Europe and still expected to grow in 2026 overall by 6.6 per cent (2026 ASA/WARC expenditure report).

So, the one thing I would change in the industry is the relationship to change itself. Change is constant. It’s the single thing you can rely on. Not something to beat yourself up with. Don’t fear Change. Embrace Change. Make Change your friend. Lead Change. Really get to know Change. Play with Change, don’t leave Change out! Ask Change what it’s doing next Thursday after pilates. Hold hands with Change. Stare into Change’s eyes and let Change stare back into yours. Let Change sleep in the family bed. Cuddle up to Change in the middle of the night. Let Change lick your face in public. Become a CFF (Change Friends Forever).

Michael Lee, chief strategy officer, VCCP

We’ve been running The Challenger Academy, our social inclusion initiative that we started in Stoke back in 2021, for four years now. In that time we’ve unearthed so many talented young people and contributed over £4.4m to the local economy but in the grand scheme of things, the impact we can have in isolation is tiny. I still think there is so much more we can be doing to make it easier for raw creative talent from outside the big cities to discover and access our industry. Luckily, we’re now starting to partner with other businesses, ones we compete with directly, and we’re making it work despite the fact we’re supposed sworn enemies. I hope this is the year when more competitors realise it’s possible (and highly rewarding) to be both.

Miranda Hipwell, CEO, adam&eveDDB

I’d like to see us back our own industry with more conviction. When we collectively believe in the power of what we do, incredible things can happen.

Xavier Rees, CEO of AMV Group

2026 will be another exciting year of new talent, clients and enhanced capabilities. We are looking forward to welcoming brilliant new people and clients from FCB London and MullenLowe UK into the agency.