What We’ve Been Working On in 2025 — And What Marketing Needs More Of in 2026

If I had to sum up 2025 in one sentence, it would be this:

This was the year business owners finally stopped doing more… and started doing what actually works.

Across every project I’ve worked on — from travel and tourism, to construction, wellness, events, consulting, and hospitality — there’s been one clear pattern:

People are tired of noise.They want intention.They want clarity.They want brands that feel like real people again.

And honestly? I think that’s a very good thing.Here’s what we leaned into this year and what I expect will shape smart, future-focused marketing in 2026.

01. More Psychology. More Neuroscience. More Human-Centred Marketing.

We’re finally having real conversations about why people buy — not just how to “get more reach.” This year, we leaned into:

Neuro-marketing principles

Tiny things that shift behaviour without shouting:

• Order effects (putting the most emotionally compelling message first, not buried in paragraph three).

• Visual priming (consistent brand look = faster trust).

• Reciprocity triggers (give them value before you ask for anything).

• Effort bias (“this took time, care and craft” makes people lean in).

Decision psychology

Helping people make decisions with less friction:

• Removing barriers in online stores.

• Simplifying price lists.

• Rewriting descriptions to highlight transformation rather than tasks.

• Using question-based structures that answer what AI, and humans, are searching for.

Real, heartfelt communication

The biggest wins this year came from words that sounded like the owner. Travel updates that felt like postcards from Greece.Construction content that sounded like the builder talking straight to you.A kitchen brand whose tone now matches the relaxed, generous way their food is made.Guides that finally feel like humans helping humans, not brands shouting into the void.

2026 needs more of this.More human.More honest.More “I actually care.”

02. Rebrands + Brand Refreshes

(What got you started won’t get you to the next level)**

Almost every project this year had a version of this conversation:

“We’ve outgrown where we started.”

And that is normal.

What begins as a scrappy startup identity can’t always carry a business into maturity.We did everything from light brand refreshes to full-scale overhauls — usually for the same reasons:

• The work has levelled up. The brand hasn’t.

• The audience has evolved.

• The offering has become clearer and more premium.

• The owner has grown into who they’re meant to be.

Think:

• High–performance builders needing a visual identity that reflects the calibre of their craft.

• A consultant who helps solve complex problems finally presenting herself with clarity and authority.

• A hospitality business whose online presence now matches the in-person wow-factor people rave about.

• A creative events business stepping confidently into something more elevated and high-end.

• A travel company rediscovering its heart, history, and the emotional reasons people fall in love with the experience.

2026 will be the year more businesses tighten their brand direction.Not by getting fancier — but by getting clearer.

03. Premium Offerings + Price Increases

(The era of “charge what you’re worth” is finally landing)**

This has been a huge one.

This year, we’ve rewritten pricing strategies across:

• Food + event businesses

• Professional services

• Tourism

• Building + design

• Lifestyle brands

• Wellness programs

Not to charge more for the sake of it…but because many owners were wildly undervaluing the transformation they deliver.

We saw:

• Packages doubled — and selling better.

• Menus lifted and positioned properly — and suddenly looking aligned with the product.

• Premium travel experiences priced like premium experiences (because they are).

• Business owners finally being brave enough to step out of “cost-plus” and into value-first models.

2026 is not the year of discounting.It’s the year of backing the thing you’ve built.

People pay for:

• Confidence

• Care

• Craft

• Expertise

• Ease

• Transformation

• Time saved

• Memories created

• Problems solved

And they especially pay when the brand communicates that clearly.

04. Storytelling That Doesn’t Feel Like Marketing

(The Future: Emotional First, Informational Second)**

This year we doubled-down on storytelling — but not in a fluffy way.

We focused on:

• genuine behind-the-scenes moments

• founder stories

• how things are made

• why things are done a certain way

• the human effort that goes into premium work

• legacy, history, and “the why behind it all”

A small back-story in a newsletter lifted sales.A heartfelt reel from the owner restored trust.A builder sharing his thinking suddenly positioned him as the expert.A hospitality brand simply explaining how they entertain became one of their most loved pieces of content.A fitness brand sharing the real journey made people lean in more deeply.

People don’t want polished.They want real with intention.

2026 will favour brands who talk like humans and tell stories that feel lived-in.

05. SEO → AEO

(Answer Engine Optimisation continues to matter — a lot)

This year we shifted many websites and blogs into question-first, conversational formats that AI search loves.

This included:

• FAQ-style blogs

• Clear, structured content

• Straight-talking service pages

• Pages written in the founder’s tone so AI can attribute authority

• Snappy micro-answers at the top of pages

• Clear “who, what, where, how” sections

AI is not the future — it’s the present.Brands who structure content for it will win.

2026 will see a lot more websites built for humans and machines.Businesses that don’t adapt will be invisible.

06. Experience > Aesthetic

Create things people want to talk about

Across sectors, the biggest wins came from meaningful experiences:

• A construction company showing a real home’s performance in winter.

• A food brand demonstrating effortless hosting.

• A wellness brand simplifying nutrition until people have “aha” moments.

• A travel company making merchandise that genuinely means something to the people who sailed.

• An events brand refining its premium offering so customers feel taken care of from the moment the enquiry lands.

• A consulting brand reshaping messaging so clients feel held and understood.

Experiences get remembered.Aesthetics get scrolled past.

2026 will reward businesses who create moments people want to share.

07. The Marketing Future I’m Betting On

For 2026 and beyond, I’m all in on:

• Heartfelt founder-led communication

• Premium positioning (done confidently, not arrogantly)

• Clarity over noise

• Brands with a strong point of view

• AEO-first websites and blogs

• Neuro-marketing baked into design and copy

• Storytelling that feels like you're sitting across from the owner

• Pricing that reflects transformation, not hours

• Cleaner structures, cleaner shops, cleaner customer journeys

• Marketing that feels like a relationship, not a transaction

This is the direction the world is moving, and honestly, it’s good news.

Because the businesses who deliver genuine quality, heart, experience and value?They’re the ones who thrive in this environment.

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