Ten things to look forward to in 2026

For many people, 2025 was a bit of a honker.

When 2016 happened, we all said the world was going to go back to sanity in 2017.

Mmmhmmm.

Then there was 2020, which was another belter.

We have to manifest... so, what are some things we can look forward to in 2026?

Number in brackets is how confident I am of each event happening:

10 - Definitely

5 - Definitely Maybe

1 - Definitely Probably Not

1. We return to sanity around AI [6/10]

AI is impressive, already changing how work gets done, and wildly overhyped in places. But it isn’t making humans or human creativity obsolete, nor is it wiping out white-collar work.

There is already talk of AI bubbles, rumours of thousands of warehoused, unused GPUs, and jitteriness about the continent-sized valuations of some companies.

Can we all just chill out a bit? What AI is doing is exposing where value actually sits, and that’s a good thing. The next phase isn’t continued acceleration to oblivion. It’s integration.

2026 is the year that happens.

2. We find certainty in uncertainty [7/10]

The world probably isn’t going to get simpler. The current US administration, cost of living, geopolitical conflict, and AI will continue to shake up the snow globe for all of us.

Talking to many of our clients, though, the time is coming to just take the leap. For those who have been on the sidelines, waiting for just the right moment, business just won’t wait any longer.

This, along with further rate cuts from the Fed, will improve the broader economy's outlook. Let’s go!

3. More Social Media bans [8/10]

The Australian government just gave a chunk of their young people 5 hours/day of their lives back with the ban on social media.

I predict that data from Aus will start to reflect undeniable reductions in self-harm and depression among that group, and the impetus for other governments to do the same for their kids will become irresistible.

4. De-digitalisation [10/10]

I’ve written here about how rediscovering my real-world creativity has been one of the most positive steps I have taken this year. The pottery studio I go to – shout out to Stone Gold – is packed, with a multi-month waitlist, and has expanded to multiple locations across the city.

The response I have got from everyone is: a) I do exactly the same, b) I do something very similar (guitar, gardening, cake baking), c) I need to do something like that, and will start in the new year.

Taking something from inside yourself and making it tangible in the real world is at the core of the human condition, and yet modern life pushes us away from that.

2026 is the year to get it back.

5. Social Media improvements [6/10]

The online experience has just gotten worse and worse. Feeds are full of posts engineered to perform rather than say anything, with the same GenAI tells and engagement hacks repeated endlessly. It makes posting for real feel pointless.

Maybe 2026 is the year platforms accept a hard truth: rewarding synthetic behaviour degrades the product. One genuine human interaction is worth more than a hundred manufactured ones.

6. Improvements in content quality [9/10]

If that shift happens, something interesting follows. Time, craft, and intention start to pay off again. This is why human creators don’t need to fear GenAI production. In study after study, effectiveness doesn’t stack up. If you’re investing in something genuinely good – a documentary, a series, a point of view – it will rise. That’s a hugely positive thing for our industry.

7. The continued rise of the corporate storyteller [9/10]

As this week’s article in the Wall Street Journal showed, the role of corporate storyteller goes from strength to strength.

Whether it is driving customer acquisition, shaping transformation, or working with the call center, the power of narrative in business has never been more pronounced. It also takes into account taste and curation, and is an increasingly essential skill in the world of endless, mindless execution that AI opens up.

8. The launch of Casual’s Between the Lines: The Story of Story series [10/10]

On a more personal note, the first series of films I have had hands-on involvement with in over a decade.

The interviews we’ve shot so far have been fascinating – covering the why we tell ourselves stories for self-protection, how and why the brain creates narratives, and how stories create society.

We have a huge amount more to come, and we are so excited to share it with the world, particularly at a time when corporate storytelling is growing more important than ever.

9. Casual turns 20!!! [10/10]

Holy hell - time flies when you’re having fun! We are going to need to work out an appropriate way to mark this!

10. England wins the World Cup! [8/10!]

Could the 60th anniversary spell an end to all those years of hurt? We’ve got an excellent, experienced team, with exceptional depth, a quality manager, and have had a good run in the lead-up.

On paper, then, it’s a definite maybe.

What are you looking forward to in 2026? What have I got drastically wrong? Or surprisingly right? Let us know.

And most importantly, have a bloody good break. Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter – I really appreciate it. See you in 2026.