95% of Marketers Call Social Critical Despite Execution Challenges
We Are Social's 2026 report shows 95% of marketers view social as critical, yet AI content saturation and platform fragmentation create execution gaps.
Global creative agency We Are Social has released its Think Forward 2026 report, revealing that 95% of marketers now view social media as critical for brand building, even as execution challenges intensify due to platform saturation and AI content proliferation.
The survey of 286 marketing decision-makers in the UK and US found that social media has evolved from a supporting marketing tool to the dominant media and entertainment ecosystem. Marketers now rank social as their top channel for generating emotional connection and cultural impact, surpassing traditional channels like TV and print.
Social Commerce Gains Momentum Amid Strategic Challenges
Thirty percent of marketers now use social media throughout the entire marketing funnel, from awareness to conversion. Social commerce is expanding rapidly, with 63% of marketers already engaged in social selling and another 17% planning to start within the year.
However, the report warns that effective social strategy remains challenging despite near-universal adoption. Plateauing platform usage, fragmenting audience attention, and the proliferation of AI-generated content are complicating execution for brands attempting to build presence at social speed.
"Brands must move beyond treating social as merely a broadcast channel," said Paul Greenwood, Global Head of Research & Insight at We Are Social. The agency introduced The Cultural Power Loop, a framework built on four forces (Presence, Proof, Power, and Participation) to help brands maximize their social impact.
Authenticity Emerges as Counter to AI Content Saturation
The report identifies eight cultural trends shaping 2026, with several directly responding to AI's growing presence in content creation. "Cringe Confidence" encourages brands to embrace unfiltered, human authenticity as AI content saturates feeds, while "Subjective Voices" emphasizes building trust through imperfect, personal perspectives.
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Despite these authenticity trends, 81% of marketers already use AI tools. The "Rethinking Reality" trend focuses on imagination that cannot be automated, while "Fandom Architects" recognizes fans as creative collaborators. Seventy-three percent of marketers view fandoms as critical to their 2026 strategy.
Framework Addresses Growing Execution Gap
We Are Social developed the report through literature review, semiotic analysis, and marketer surveys. The research includes case studies from TripAdvisor, Amazon Music, and Samsung, demonstrating how brands are navigating the complexity of social ecosystems.
The findings highlight a critical paradox facing marketing leaders. While social media has achieved near-universal recognition as essential infrastructure for brand building, the gap between adoption and execution mastery continues to widen. The challenge is no longer whether to use social media, but how to do it effectively amid increasing complexity.
The complete Think Forward 2026 report is available for download from We Are Social's website.
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