u003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e2025 has been a challenging year for brands and consumers. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eIn today’s “attention economy,” consumers are flooded with irrelevant ads and content. It’s taxing for everyone, but particularly for Gen Z and Gen A—digital natives who expect every online experience to be personalized and frictionless.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eAt the same time, brands have to contend with a rise in generic-AI-generated content that’s failing to deliver what consumers really want: to feel understood and appreciated in brand relationships in a way that feels human, safe, and personal. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eThis kind of authentic engagement is imperative for brands that want to acquire and retain loyal audiences. But how do you do this?u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eThat’s the question that’s been burning on our executives’ minds, and one they’ve discussed with many of our customers—some of the world’s most admired brands. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eThose conversations, combined with their take on the latest AI, business, and marketing trends, have fueled four predictions and specific actions you can take to implement an omnichannel, customer-centric approach that will drive growth and loyalty in 2026. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003ch3 id=u0022authentic-valueu0022u003eu003cbu003e1. Discounts Won’t Define Growth—Authentic Value Willu003c/bu003eu003c/h3u003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eFor too long, brands have relied on discounts, flash sales, and short-term offers to drive revenue, which has led to customer relationships that are mostly transactional. In 2026, this approach will become unsustainable. Measurable growth will come from ensuring that genuine relevance and benefits are baked into the customer experience, not bolted onto a transaction.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e“The brands that grow in 2026 won’t be the ones offering the deepest discounts, but the ones offering the most authentic value,” said Lara Compton, SheerID’s SVP of Marketing. “By building verified audience programs, brands can leverage valuable customer data across the entire business, from creating personalized campaigns that foster belonging and loyalty to influencing how products evolve and where business investments are made.”u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cdiv class=u0022wp-block-imageu0022u003eu003cimg class=u0022wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt alignnone wp-image-73735 size-fullu0022 src=u0022https://www.sheerid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Blog_Exec_Predictions_Blog_Quote_1_600x200_12.09.25.pngu0022 alt=u0022Quote graphic from Lara Compton, SVP of Marketing, on brands offering authentic value over discounts in 2026.u0022 width=u00221800u0022 height=u0022600u0022 data-warning=u0022Missing alt textu0022 /u003eu003c/divu003ernu003cdivu003e u003c/divu003ernu003cdivu003ernu003cpu003eu003cbu003eYour Move:u003c/bu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e Shift resources from broad-stroke promotional spend to targeted programs for verified audiences. Providing groups like u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.sheerid.com/audience-students/u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003estudentsu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e, u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.sheerid.com/audience-educators/u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eeducatorsu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e, and u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.sheerid.com/audience-healthcare/u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003ehealthcare workersu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e, with tailored and exclusive experiences that reflect their lifestyles creates data-rich feedback loops that can drive deep personalization and critical product/strategy intelligence.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003ch3 id=u0022sustainabilityu0022u003eu003cbu003e2. Sustainability and Recommerce Will Be Core to Loyaltyu003c/bu003eu003c/h3u003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eCircular fashion is in. Fast Fashion is out. Consumers want value that’s both tangible and meaningful, and that includes buying from brands that align with their environmental values. And they’re willing to put their money where their mouth is. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eAccording to a u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.esgtoday.com/70-of-gen-z-millennials-consider-environmental-sustainability-important-in-choosing-employers-deloitte-survey/u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003erecent reportu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e 65% of Gen Zs and 63% of Millennials are willing to pay more for environmentally sustainable products or services, and approximately 25% have already conducted research on a company’s environmental impact or policies before buying a product or service from them. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cbr /u003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eThis surge in consumer demand, coupled with regulatory pressure from initiatives like the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP), is forcing retailers to fundamentally redesign their business models to be more sustainable. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cbr /u003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eLeading retailers are replacing the traditional ‘take-make-dispose’ approach with a strategy focused on repair, rental, and resale to ensure clothing continues their lifecycle. Brands like Hu0026amp;M have u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www2.hm.com/en_us/customer-service/product-and-quality/garment-collecting-reycling.htmlu0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eintegrated buyback programsu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e while some like Nike have u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.nike.com/sustainability/recycling-donationu0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003erecycle initiativesu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e and others like Zara have launched u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.zara.com/us/en/preowned-mkt5794.htmlu0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003epermanent pre-owned platformsu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eAnd sustainability isn’t just a retail play. The furniture company IKEA has au003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.ikea.com/us/en/circular/buy-back/u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e buyback and resell serviceu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e. And u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.backmarket.com/en-usu0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eBackMarketu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e, an online marketplace that specializes in selling high-quality refurbished electronics are seeing u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.sheerid.com/customer-story/back-market-generates-a-student-clv-thats-30-higher-than-its-global-average/u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003egreat success with the student marketu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e. They all recognize that loyalty now hinges as much on trust and values as on style or price. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e“Sustainability has become a loyalty driver,” said Lara. “The next generation of consumers wants to align with brands that make it easy to buy responsibly, resell easily, and participate in circular commerce. Those brands will earn lasting trust.”u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cbu003eYour Move:u003c/bu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e Integrate recommerce as a core offering by launching resale, repair, or recycling programs. Shift product development to prioritize longevity, modularity and the use of recycled or bio-based materials. Design products that are easy to repair, disassemble, and recycle, so you can minimize waste, maximize utility, and align with customer values and potential regulatory mandates. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003ch3 id=u0022agentic-commerceu0022u003eu003cbu003e3. Agentic Commerce Will Become the New Gatekeeper to the Consumeru003c/bu003eu003c/h3u003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eWe’re entering a new era of agentic commerce, where u003c/spanu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eAI agents act on behalf of both consumers and businesses. It’s a more dynamic and intelligent shopping ecosystem, but it means that mu003c/spanu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003earketers are now communicating with both consumers and bots. As AI agents gain autonomy, they will become the first—and most critical—filter between your brand and the end customer.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eRebecca Grimes, SheerID’s CRO, sees this as a game changer for brand visibility. But she also believes that for agentic commerce to be truly effective, it needs to be fueled by verified insights into the customers engaging it.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e“AI shopping agents will start making purchase decisions for consumers, which means brands aren’t selling to people anymore, they’re selling to LLMs,” she said. “To stay visible, brands need verified, permissioned data that agents can use to make accurate decisions and recommendations for consumers.”u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eAnd the key isn’t to gather more data, but to gather high quality data and use it to more personally engage your customers. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e“In 2026, success won’t come from how much data a brand collects, but from how effectively it’s activated,” Rebecca added. “The brands that continuously enrich, reverify, and act on permissioned data will create the dynamic customer relationships that drive real, measurable growth.”u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cbu003eYour Move: u003c/bu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eOptimize your campaigns for AI agent validation by consistently ensuring they’re based on verified, consumer attributes that reflect the human experience of your customers.u003c/spanu003eu003c/divu003ernu003cdivu003e u003c/divu003ernu003cdivu003ernu003cdiv class=u0022wp-block-imageu0022u003eu003cimg class=u0022wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt alignnone wp-image-73736 size-fullu0022 src=u0022https://www.sheerid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Blog_Exec_Predictions_Blog_Quote_2_600x200_12.09.25.pngu0022 alt=u0022Quote graphic from Rebecca Grimes, CRO, on using permissioned data and customer relationships to drive business growth.u0022 width=u00221800u0022 height=u0022600u0022 data-warning=u0022Missing alt textu0022 /u003eu003c/divu003ernu003c/divu003ernu003cdivu003ernu003ch3 id=u0022verified-datau0022u003eu003cbu003e4. Verified Data and Consumer Privacy Are a Growth Advantageu003c/bu003eu003c/h3u003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eAs data and AI become the backbone of marketing, data quality and integrity become paramount. u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e“AI is now more than a marketing tool, it’s becoming the operating system that drives the entire customer experience. But even the most advanced AI is only as good as the data that powers it,” said Carter Lassy, SheerID’s CPO. “Brands that invest in high-quality, verified information will set the standard for personalization, trust, and performance.”u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cbr /u003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eConsumers will exchange this information for something of value, but only if they feel sharing it is safe. If a company wants to drive performance, it needs to elevate privacy and security to a core strategic function.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e“Privacy is no longer another box to check, it’s becoming a competitive advantage,” said Carter. “The smartest brands will treat privacy as a part of the customer experience, using consumer consent to create trust without slowing anyone down.”u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cbr /u003ernu003cbu003eYour Move:u003c/bu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e Leverage real-time consent and verification to enable moments of value, not friction. View investment in verified, high-quality data—gathered with the consent of your customers—as a strategic growth investment that ensures every personalized action you take builds trust.u003c/spanu003eu003c/divu003ernu003cdivu003ernu003cdiv class=u0022wp-block-imageu0022u003eu003cimg class=u0022wpa-warning wpa-image-missing-alt alignnone wp-image-73737 size-fullu0022 src=u0022https://www.sheerid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Blog_Exec_Predictions_Blog_Quote_3_600x200_12.09.25.pngu0022 alt=u0022Quote graphic from Carter Lassy, CPO, on treating consumer privacy as part of the customer experience to build trust.u0022 width=u00221800u0022 height=u0022600u0022 data-warning=u0022Missing alt textu0022 /u003eu003c/divu003ernu003c/divu003ernu003cdivu003ernu003ch3 id=u0022prioritize-consumersu0022u003eu003cbu003ePrioritize Consumers First in 2026, and the Revenue Will Followu003c/bu003eu003c/h3u003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eOur executive predictions for the new year share one thing in common: seeing your customers as real people must come first—and be secured by high-integrity data.u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eThe key to success in 2026 is to collect permissioned data to understand what makes your customers unique, and then use that insight to:u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ernu003culu003erntu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eDeliver genuine, personalized valueu003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003erntu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eDevelop a brand community that feels inviting and authenticu003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003erntu003cli style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022 aria-level=u00221u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eEnsure your entire AI-driven operation is grounded in trust, verification, and privacy u003c/spanu003eu003c/liu003ernu003c/ulu003ernu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eWant to createu003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.sheerid.com/personalized-offers-rewards/u0022u003e u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003epersonalized rewardsu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e that driveu003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.sheerid.com/customer-acquisition/u0022u003e u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003ecustomer acquisitionu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e andu003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.sheerid.com/customer-loyalty/u0022u003e u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eloyaltyu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e? Withu003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.sheerid.com/audience-data-platform/u0022u003e u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003eSheerID’s Audience Data Platformu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e, you can precisely target hundreds of global audiences and collect verified, permissioned data you can stream to 400+ martech platforms for hyper-personalized re-engagement. See u003c/spanu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.sheerid.com/pricing/u0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003epricingu003c/spanu003eu003c/au003eu003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400;u0022u003e designed to fit your business.u003c/spanu003eu003c/divu003e
By Audience
By Use Cases