We Are Social: 95% of Marketers See Social as Critical for Brands
We Are Social's Think Forward 2026 report reveals 95% of marketers view social as critical for brands, but plateauing usage and AI content demand new strategies.
Global creative agency We Are Social has released its annual Think Forward 2026 report, revealing that 95% of marketers worldwide view social media as critical for brand building. The research, which surveyed 300 marketing decision makers globally, identifies eight cultural trends shaping how brands must operate in increasingly fragmented social ecosystems.
Social Media Dominates Marketing Priorities
The report positions social media as the world's most powerful media and entertainment ecosystem, surpassing traditional channels like television and print for driving emotional connection and cultural impact. 63% of marketers currently use social selling, with another 17% planning to adopt the strategy in 2026.
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Paul Greenwood, global head of research at We Are Social, emphasized that brands must treat social as "a place for conversation and culture" rather than just a broadcast channel. The agency's findings come as 30% of marketers now use social media throughout the entire marketing funnel, from awareness to direct sales.
Despite its dominance, the report warns that social strategy faces mounting challenges. Usage is plateauing across platforms, attention is fragmenting, and AI-generated content is flooding feeds. To address these issues, We Are Social introduced The Cultural Power Loop, a strategic framework demonstrating how brands are built on social media through four forces: Presence, Proof, Power, and Participation.
Asian Markets Demand Platform-Specific Strategies
The report's implications for Asian markets reflect regional platform fragmentation. Hong Kong's 96% internet penetration contrasts with platform preferences that diverge sharply from neighboring markets. Xiaohongshu has emerged as a critical platform for Hong Kong brands targeting cross-border travelers, requiring "locals also love it" strategies rather than mainland China-focused tactics.
Singapore leads in community commerce, where micro-communities on platforms like Telegram and Discord achieve 2.3 times higher engagement than broad social campaigns. This reflects the report's emphasis on participation and cultural relevance over mass broadcasting.
TikTok dominates time spent in Southeast Asia, with users in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia spending 37 to 54 hours weekly on mobile video platforms. This forces brands to prioritize vertical video content adapted for rapid consumption.
AI and Human Creativity Collide
The report identifies "Cringe Confidence" and "Radical Subjectivity" as key 2026 trends, emphasizing unfiltered sincerity and distinctly human perspectives as AI content proliferates. 81% of marketers already use AI tools in creative processes, while 39% of Asia-Pacific consumers use generative AI for shopping assistance.
The report highlights "Fandom Architects" as another critical trend, with 73% of marketers considering fandoms essential to their strategies. This manifests in Asian markets through K-pop brand collaborations and anime intellectual property partnerships in Japan and South Korea.
Employee-Generated Content Reduces Costs
Asian brands are increasingly training employees as Key Opinion Sellers to reduce influencer costs while maintaining real-time cultural resonance. This employee-generated content model addresses the report's emphasis on authentic participation while navigating Asia's accelerated media cycles.
The Think Forward 2026 report was developed through literature review, semiotic analysis, and includes case studies from TripAdvisor, Amazon Music, and Samsung. The research arrives as India reaches 1 billion internet users in 2026, further expanding Asia's digital marketing landscape.
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