A strategic guide to the 10 behaviors shaping how brands will operate in 2026.
Built from Waldo’s intelligence system and PSFK’s trend methodology, To Be in 2026 distills 50,000 cultural signals into a clear, accessible framework for strategists, marketers, and innovation leaders.

At PSFK, we believe the future can only be understood by watching how people behave today — in their rituals, their expectations of brands, their need for restoration, and their desire for meaningful connection. This report captures those patterns and organizes them into actionable behaviors companies can use to shape products, experiences, and strategy in the year ahead.

Report Overview

Available as a free download, the To Be in 2026 summary deck outlines the brand behaviors emerging from cultural shifts, consumer sentiment, and leading-edge innovation.
The report organizes insights into three overarching currents:

• Moments That Matter — how brands create belonging, meaning, and cultural relevance
• Giving Back & Care — how brands return value to people, communities, and the planet
• Connected Experience — how brands design coherence across digital, physical, and mobile worlds

Featuring real-world case studies, expert perspectives, and hundreds of examples captured in Waldo’s intelligence graph, the deck highlights the strategic opportunities defining the year ahead.

This report is an essential resource for strategists, brand leaders, marketers, product innovators, CX designers, foresight teams, and anyone shaping a modern brand in 2026.

What You Get When You Download the Deck

✔ A 48-slide summary deck outlining the 10 key brand behaviors
✔ Expert commentary from leaders in retail, creative strategy, innovation, and marketing
✔ Case studies across retail, automotive, hospitality, consumer goods, entertainment, fashion, and tech
✔ Clear implications for brand, marketing, and product strategy
✔ A future-facing framework for decision-making, planning, and creative development

What’s Inside the Deck

The To Be in 2026 report is built around ten brand behaviors, including:

Be A Ritual

How brands help people anchor their day through meaningful micro-moments.

Be A Revival

Why heritage matters again — and how to remix origin stories for new audiences.

Be Collectible

How scarcity, fandom, and community transform products into cultural access points.

Be Regenerative

From sustainability to renewal — how brands give back more than they take.

Be Restorative

How recovery becomes daily maintenance across wellness, retail, travel, and tech.

Be Accountable

Why proof beats pledges — and how brands make impact measurable and visible.

Be A Guardian

How ambient technology supports safety, wellbeing, and trust in everyday life.

Be Driven

Why mobility is becoming a connected living space — and what brands can build around it.

Be In Sync

How experiences flow across digital and physical worlds with continuity and coherence.

Be Strategic

Why strategy is shifting from static reports to always-on intelligence systems.