No, I’m not talking about your ex. I’m talking about the state of marketing right now. It’s obvious our industry has undergone some MAJOR upheaval over the last 3 years. And I don’t think any of us expect that to slow down as we head into 2026. So, we’ve got a few options. We can either complain, give up, and go home. Or we can do our damndest to keep up. You’re reading YAP, so I know you’re the second kind of person. So we asked our trusty guide, ChatGPT itself, what it thinks is in store for marketing next year. Here’s our take of its take.

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

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I can’t explain what I felt in the pit of my stomach to find out it was approved. Because what do you mean TRILLIONAIRE. Nobody needs to be a billionaire. Let alone a trillionaire. Let alone the man already manipulating the power of social media for his own political agenda.

And then imagine my face upon reading that there was a collective cheer from the crowd at the shareholders event post announcement. Followed by Musk hyping up a bunch of plans like Teslas on the moon. Now, the hard part—achieving 12 ambitious milestones. We’ll be watching intently.

Attempting to unmask the owner behind the popular site, used mostly to bypass paywalls and avoid sending traffic to the OP’s of web content, the FBI has subpoenaed the domain registrar of archive.today, demanding info about the mysterious keeper. The subpoena claims it's seeking information as a part of a criminal investigation. However, it provides absolutely no detail about what crime is being investigated.

The subpoena was sent by the FBI to Tucows, a Canadian domain registrar, demanding that Tucows give the FBI the “customer or subscriber name, address of service, and billing address” and other information about the “customer behind archive.today.” I’d like to think this is for a genuine reason. But with the state of the US government and the crackdown on education/ knowledge institutions, I can’t help but feel that something is hella fishy about this.

Reddit is famously the place where people crowdsource gift ideas, for any season, but particularly for the holidays. In fact, 7 in 10 Reddit users say Reddit helps them discover meaningful holiday gifts.

Redditors also like to plan celebrations during the season, and they’ve already started. 77% of people researching food and beverage for holiday gatherings have already begun shopping by mid-November. And 8 out of 10 spend the same or more on celebrations compared to last year.

Basically, across categories, Reddit is where people turn to figure out what to do and what to buy. And that’s what makes it a great window to capture its high-intent audience. Reddit says, “the holiday shopping season won't wait—and neither should your campaign.” The brands that show up early and consistently will meet shoppers exactly where they are during this holiday season. 

-Sophie Randell, Writer

I even use it to collaborate in writing here and there when I’m stuck or need help untangling a thought that my very overcrowded brain needs a little help with.

Which happens more than I’d care to admit, considering it often looks like a drawer full of cables with no organisational system known to man.

My honest opinion is that we can no longer ignore these tools. And if we want any fighting chance of survival (occupationally speaking), we have to learn to work alongside them, not against them. Plus, If you can leverage these skills early, you’re at a major competitive advantage.

Moving on. This was my prompt:

Based on all the articles I’ve written and sent you, and what's happening on the internet today in tandem with your analysis, what do you predict for marketing in 2026?

The results I got were unsurprisingly sharp, and grounded in what’s unfolding in the industry right now. So here’s my take (of ChatGPT’s take):

Why: Generative and automation tools are moving from experimentation into core planning, creative production, localisation and reporting. Treat AI as infrastructure that scales output and analysis but still needs human strategy and taste.

Do: Build an AI playbook. Include who uses what tool for which job, guardrails for brand voice, and a human review step for every customer-facing asset.

Why: Platforms (Meta among them) are actively developing end-to-end AI ad tooling so advertisers can submit an asset and goals and let AI generate and target the campaign. Expect this to be widely available by 2026. 

Do: Experiment with “AI-first” pilots on low-risk budget, then compare creative lift and CPA to human-made campaigns. Use these pilots to set quality thresholds before scaling automated campaigns.

Why: Reels/TikTok/Shorts dominate watch-time and distribution; platforms continue to push video-first ranking changes. Attention is scarcer; formats will evolve but short-form still wins. 

Do: Optimise for platform-native moments not repurposed long-form. Own a 6–12 second “brand hook” template and iterate 20+ variants per quarter.

Why: Chrome’s cookie plans have shifted but the industry still moves toward durable, privacy-preserving approaches and first-party signals. Marketers must plan for multiple identity solutions. 

Do: Double down on owned channels and progressive profiling. Create a privacy-first data strategy: consent flows, loyalty value exchange, server-side event collection.

Why: According to Onclusive, AI and frequent ranking changes make visibility rules opaque and unstable. Winning means supervising AI systems and adapting faster than competitors.

Do: Build a rapid-test cadence (1–2 week experiments), assign an “algorithm owner” to monitor rank shifts and translate them into tactical playbooks.

Why: User-generated authentic content often outperforms studio polish for trust and scale. Expect platforms and ad products to lean into creator-native formats. 

Do: Treat creators as an owned channel. Build long-term partnerships, provide simple creative briefs, and run creator-first ad tests to compare ROAS vs in-house creative.

Why: Consumer research points to increasing friction with algorithmic personalisation; people will reward transparency and human context.

Do: Put transparent signals in your comms: why you recommend something, what data you use, and give people easy controls. Use human stories to balance algorithmic optimisation.

Why: This is the most important point here. As more brands use the same toolset (88% of marketers use AI daily), distinctive creative concepting and brand intent will separate winners from noise. 

Do: Invest a tiny % of revenue into “creative R&D”: high-concept experiments with strong human direction. Make a simple rubric to judge not just execution but distinctiveness.

Why: Economic uncertainty and platform changes push brands to favour performance guarantees, flexible terms and blended measurement across ecosystems. 

Do: Renegotiate with vendors for outcome KPIs. Diversify media partners and marry incrementality testing with MMM (mixed media modelling) to prove long-term value.

Why: The tech that helps scale personalisation also increases risk (misinfo, hyper-targeting). Expect higher scrutiny and new platform policies. 

Do: adopt an “AI ethics checklist” for campaigns, verify permissions for likenesses, clearly label synthetic assets, and run legal/PR reviews on high-risk activations.

I don’t want this to be a doom-or-deliver list. I’m aware my content can trend toward catastrophising. That’s not what this is. It’s a field guide.

If you want to win in this next phase of marketing, you need to treat AI as a force multiplier for strategy and creative, not a freaking shortcut around either, or worse, both.

Marketing isn’t dying, but it is mutating, and fast. Stay adaptable, experiment relentlessly, and continue to give a damn about your craft. 

-Sophie Randell, Writer

But deep down you know you’d never find yourself in that situation. Ever.

The audio comes from Jealous by Beyoncé (“And I know that I’m bein’ hateful, but that ain’t nothin’...”) which is basically the perfect soundtrack for when you’re judging someone judging you for judging. A deliciously petty full circle moment.

Creators are running wild with this one! It’s funny, sassy, and just painfully real. We listen AND we judge being judged because we were judging.... Anyone else smell burnt toast-

Some of my favourite examples:

Use the sound with a clip of you giving the camera your most heinous side-eye. Add the on-screen text: “Don’t judge, that could be you one day.” And then: “Why would I ever…” plus your funny, absurdly specific, relatable line. Honestly, the more unhinged the better.

A few ideas to get you started:

-Nico Mendoza, Intern

😂 Yap’s funniest home videos: Headshot
❤How wholesome: Giraffe boops!
😊Soooo satisfying: Must be fun working in an ice cream factory
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Super greens lasagne!

Hey Clint!

First of all, I'd encourage you to spend some time on social media, paying attention to what stops your scroll. Analyse the hooks that grab you, then think about how you can use those as inspiration for your own content.

Second, think about how relatable your content is. I know you're targeting a specific audience. But if you want to grow your following, your content can't be too niche. So if you find your content isn't accessible to the average person, ask yourself how you can speak to a broader audience.

Lastly, you need to make more content. Posting more often will not only make you more visible on the platform. It will also give you more data, which will help you improve your content faster.

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡