Why 2026 success depends on action today
“In an unsettled economic landscape, the temptation to batten down the hatches on major strategic decisions, including marketing and PR, is almost irresistible. Yet research, history and our experience consistently shows that organisations brave enough to not just to cut costs, but also to invest effectively in building their brand and profile during challenging times emerge stronger when stability returns.”
Julie Moulsdale, Managing Director at Perceptive Communicators
Having established Perceptive Communicators in 2006, this is our third economic storm following the credit crunch and Covid. With many long term client partnerships, we have reflected on what is most likely to result in successful growth, even in challenging times.
In an unsettled economic landscape, the temptation to batten down the hatches on major strategic decisions, including marketing and PR, is almost irresistible. Yet research, history and our experience consistently shows that organisations brave enough to not just to cut costs, but also to invest effectively in building their brand and profile during challenging times emerge stronger when stability returns.
Recognising this, we launched an initiative, Growth Now, to help organisations accelerate performance and strengthen their position ahead of 2026. Rather than waiting for a clearer outlook, the approach encourages early planning, structured analysis and targeted action on the activities most likely to support their goals. The principle is simple: organisations that use this period to review their marketing and communications strategy, understand their markets and improve what’s within their control are more likely to achieve their goals.
Our specialist sectors — the built environment, science, technology and leisure — are all exposed to fluctuating investment cycles and economic headwinds, from higher interest rates, cautious consumers and pressure on margins to regulatory change. The ability to adapt quickly to shifts in policy, buyer behaviour or funding priorities can make the difference between being ready for growth or struggling to catch up. By analysing market data, assessing stakeholder expectations and aligning communication with organisational objectives, those on the front foot are much better placed to take advantage of market opportunities, including gaps left by more cautious competitors.
But with so many marketing options, not to mention the growth in AI, what are the right things to do? Based on two decades of experience, our tried and tested process, Discover & Prosper helps focus on the most effective communications strategies that achieve the desired goals with most certainty. Based on competitor market data insights and analysis, this approach is like a satnav for the most efficient route to achieve organisational goals.
Customer and key stakeholder research bolster these insights even further. In my experience, clients can predict around 75-80% of customer and stakeholder feedback. However it is the missing magic 20-25% that contains the golden nuggets: messages that have been misunderstood or failing to land as effectively as intended, a key profitable service customers are blissfully unaware of, or even a quick fix that transforms the customer experience and builds hard-won loyalty over competitors.
Clients already embracing this approach are securing much-needed growth through profile raising activities that work harder. This includes sharpening their focus on digital and social media engagement to drive more sales even in sticky markets, to taking a more proactive approach with key stakeholders and challenging issues to secure more investment or planning permissions.
Post covid, organisations have returned to the multi-million pound industry as a profile raising and relationship building tool, from industry awards to corporate entertainment. Despite this often representing a substantial chunk of marketing budget, I am often surprised by haphazard rather than strategic and planned approach to this beefy spend. From a last minute rush to fill places to the lack of planned follow up, this investment could work so much harder. Our Networking Success approach is the antithesis of the usual haphazard approach. Rather than focus on just one point in time, there are significant opportunities before, during and after networking events. Taking a more proactive, planned and co-ordinated approach yields much better returns.
Ultimately, success in 2026 will not depend solely on economic recovery but on the groundwork laid now. The organisations that thrive will be those that plan, prioritise and prepare — not those that wait for certainty that may never arrive. The next phase of growth will reward readiness. For firms facing today’s challenges, the question is less about predicting the future and more about shaping it — starting now.
Julie Moulsdale is Managing Director of Perceptive Communicators
