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January 7, 2026
2026 Market Research Industry Predictions
The future of market research is shifting. Discover the six success factors that will separate winning firms in 2026 from 2025 trends.
Looking back in January this year, I made eight predictions for 2025. So, how many did I get right? See my article here.
Well, check out the results below.
|
Prediction |
Status |
|---|---|
|
1. Sustainability |
✔️ |
|
2. Hyper-personalization |
✔️ |
|
3. Hybrid shopping |
✔️ |
|
4. Holistic wellness |
✔️ |
|
5. Price sensitivity |
✔️ |
|
6. Social responsibility |
⭕ Partial |
|
7. Creator economy |
⭕ Partial |
|
8. AI & automation |
✔️ |
As we look at current trends and evolving client needs, successful market research firms in 2026 will likely excel by specializing in predictive AI, advising on business strategy, and navigating new ethical and omnichannel complexities.
Here is a summary of the six core success factors expected to define the industry in 2026, compared to the trends of 2025.
|
Core Success Factor in 2026 |
2025 Trend / Foundation |
2026 Prediction & Evolution |
|
1. AI Specialization & Agentic Workflows |
Widespread AI adoption for efficiency but dominated by pilot projects and general tools |
Shift to specialised research AI platforms and agentic workflows. Success will depend on using AI agents that autonomously manage complex projects, moving beyond basic automation to deliver deeper insights. |
|
2. Predictive & Real-Time Intelligence |
Growing demand for real-time data analytics to track live sentiment and adjust campaigns. |
Evolution from reactive tracking to predictive market simulation. Firms will use AI to model future scenarios (eg. product launches, policy impacts), helping clients act preemptively |
|
3. Ethical AI & Privacy as a Brand Asset |
Data privacy is a major concern, with consumers willing to abandon brands over breaches. Ethical AI use and bias mitigation are rising priorities. |
Leading firms will operationalise "Ethics by Design" -auditing algorithms, ensuring diverse data, and transparently using privacy-centric methods (eg. anonymisation). This builds client trust and mitigates regulatory risk |
|
4. Omnichannel Behavioural Synthesis |
Research follows consumers across multiple touchpoints (social media, in-store, online). |
Success requires synthesising disparate behavioural data (voice, social, transaction) into a unified "why." This explains complex customer journeys and identifies true drivers of behaviour |
|
5. Strategic Advisory & Democratised Insights |
Researchers using AI report greater influence. There's a push to make insights accessible to non-experts (eg. product managers). |
Top firms will evolve from data providers to embedded strategic advisors. They'll use AI to democratise insights across client organisations, guiding real-time decision-making and proving direct impact on business outcomes. |
|
6. Sustainability & Geopolitical Intelligence |
Sustainability metrics are a core research focus, influencing consumer preference. Geopolitical shifts spotlight supply chain risks. |
Intelligence will expand to integrate ESG performance with operational resilience. Research will model how climate, trade policies, and geopolitics affect supply chains and brand reputation, offering actionable mitigation strategies. |
Navigating the 2026 Business Environment
To contextualize these industry shifts, the broader economic and investment climate in 2026 is expected to be defined by two major forces:
-
AI-Driven Market Polarization: Investment and growth will be heavily concentrated in AI and AI-adjacent sectors, creating a "winner-takes-all" dynamic. This uneven landscape will increase the value of research that helps identify emerging winners and navigate disrupted industries.
-
Slower Growth with Sticky Inflation: The global economy is forecast to slow, with inflation remaining persistent. In this environment, clients will demand concrete ROI from research spending, prioritising insights that directly drive efficiency, mitigate risk, and uncover reliable growth opportunities.
Conclusion
In summary, the market research industry's success in 2026 will be defined by its ability to leverage specialized AI for predictive foresight, transform data into actionable business strategy, and rigorously uphold ethical standards all while providing clear ROI in a challenging economic climate. Firms that master this integration of technology, ethics, and strategic advisory will become indispensable partners.
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Disclaimer
The views, opinions, data, and methodologies expressed above are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official policies, positions, or beliefs of Greenbook.
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