🔮2026 APAC Predictions - Part 1: The Year APAC Marketers Stop Confusing Activity for Strategy

Three things 2025 got wrong (that 2026 has to fix) - 2025 was noisy.

When I think back over 2025 alot of what comes to mind is, unfortunately, AI slop i.e. six-fingered models, generic taglines, and every “AI won’t replace you...” post pretending to be profound. It seems like everyone was claiming transformation while actually just rephrasing headlines in ChatGPT.

But the real damage wasn’t AI slop. It was the reflex. We swapped campaigns before they compounded. We chased algorithm changes like they were strategy. We said “be agile” but looked more panicked than disciplined.

2026 demands a reset. Not of technology - of nerve.

The marketers who win won’t be the ones chasing platform signals. They’ll be the ones who build systems that compound and have the discipline to let them work.

Photo by Sean Hudson on Unsplash

Prediction 1 - Paul’s Hope for 2026: Brand Investment That Holds Its Nerve

Economic pressure hasn’t gone away. If anything, it’s intensified. Which is why Paul Sinkinson, our MD for Asia and Australia, is choosing hope — hope that marketers will resist the urge to go all-in on short-term tactics and instead hold the line on brand.

“TV used to carry that long-term brand memory load,” he notes. “Now we need to rediscover what that looks like across OOH, radio, and social — with creative that runs longer, not just louder.”

Paul’s challenge is clear: don’t let performance pressures shrink your strategy. Brand investment isn’t a luxury when times are tough. It’s the multiplier that makes your other spend work harder.

Prediction 2 - Influencers Work: When You Stop Treating Them Like One-Offs

There’s a disconnect in how marketers approach influencer budgets. “We’re paying influencers with media money, but we’re not treating them like media,” Paul explains. And it shows. Brands get strong awareness metrics but weak brand recall.

The fix? Treat influencer content as an integrated part of your campaign architecture. The most effective executions aren’t just logo up front — they’re product placements embedded in raw, authentic content that runs over time.

When influencer creative is planned with the same discipline as media — repeated, refreshed, and recognisable — it builds real memory, not just reach.

Prediction 3 - The APAC Signal: Consistency Isn’t Playing It Safe. It’s Playing to Win.

Here’s a myth that needs killing: that changing campaigns frequently is a sign of agility.

In reality, most marketers are reacting to platform fatigue, not audience fatigue. When reach drops or engagement dips, the campaign gets pulled. But often, it’s the algorithm that’s tired — not the idea.

This leads to wasted resets. New messages replace ones that were just starting to land. Brand equity gets wiped before it can build.

In 2026, the smartest marketers will stay the course. They’ll know the difference between message wear-out and distribution drop-off. They’ll build big, durable ideas that flex across formats — without losing their core.

Because consistency isn’t laziness. It’s strategy. And in APAC, it’s becoming a competitive advantage.

Prediction 4 - Jun’s China Outlook: Value and Focus in a Fragmented Market

Nowhere is that competitive edge clearer than in China — a market often described as the future, but now acting more like a mirror for what’s coming next across the region.

Jun Cao, Analytic Partners’ VP for China, sees a strategic reset underway:

“We’re moving from traffic-chasing to value-building.” And that value isn’t just price — it’s emotional resonance, brand trust, and functional excellence.

Two shifts are driving this evolution:

• Value over volume: Consumers expect emotional and rational value — not one or the other.

• Focus over fragmentation: Winning brands will dominate a few core platforms, not dilute across dozens.

In a media ecosystem twice as complex as other markets, China is proving that precision beats presence — and that scale only works if it’s anchored in strategy.

What to Watch For in Part 2

Before you log off for the holidays, here’s your final 2025 marketing resolution: stop mistaking movement for momentum.

And when you’re back — inbox full, budget under review, performance pressure kicking in — we’ll be ready with Part 2.

We’ll unpack:

• Why AI won’t fix marketing measurement — it will expose how broken it already is

• And why brands must design for two decision-makers: the human who feels, and the system that filters

Until then, enjoy the Christmas campaigns that were briefed in September and approved in panic! 🎄

See you in January. It’s going to be a fun year to be brave.

And if you are trying to get those marketing fundamentals in place, that is where we can help.

Analytic Partners has never believed measurement is a dashboard. If you want to strengthen your measurement foundations, or simply sense-check what you have today, my team and I are always happy to have that conversation. After all, good measurement is not the finish line. It is where better decisions begin.