--- title: "MADFest 2026 Marketing Trends: The Ideas That Matter For Brands" date: 2026-07-22T16:57:00+01:00 author: Mona Parmar canonical_url: "https://itsprettygreen.com/latest/madfest-2026-marketing-trends" section: News --- ![](/uploads/transforms/Images/Latest/_1672x941_crop_center-center_90_none/ChatGPT-Image-Jul-22-2026-at-04_50_13-PM.png) Thought Leadership ## Marketing Trends for brands from MADFest 2026 PrettyGreen attended MAD//Fest 2026 to uncover the marketing trends, emerging technologies and brand strategies shaping the future of marketing. This year's event brought together some of the biggest names in marketing, creativity and communications. AI dominated the agenda. But the conversations that stayed with us went much further than technology. How do brands stay distinctive when everyone has access to the same tools? How do you build something people remember, not just something they see? And where should marketers focus next? Those are the questions we've explored in our latest report. ## What you'll find inside Rather than recap every session, this report summarises marketing insights from MAD//Fest 2026. Topics include AI, creativity, fandom, partnerships, effectiveness, algorithms, consumer trust and human-centred marketing: - Why human connection is becoming a competitive advantage. - What AI means for creativity and brand distinctiveness. - How communities are replacing audiences as the foundation for long-term growth. - Why memorability matters as much as efficiency. - The shifts marketers should be paying attention to now. Download PrettyGreen's **MAD//Fest 2026 Marketing Trends Report** to explore the biggest ideas, strategies and practical takeaways. [ MAD//Fest 2026 Marketing Trends: The Ideas That Matter for Brands MAD//Fest 2026 Marketing Trends: The Ideas That Matter for Brands ](/uploads/Reports/MADFest-2026-Marketing-Trends.pdf) Share: showTooltip = false, 1500)"> Copied! [](https://linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://itsprettygreen.com/latest/madfest-2026-marketing-trends.md&title=MADFest%202026%20Marketing%20Trends%3A%20The%20Ideas%20That%20Matter%20For%20Brands) ## In other news [News ![](/uploads/transforms/Images/_650x600_crop_center-center_90_none/Steve_Parker_Incoming_Managing_Partner_SocialInfluencer_PrettyGreen.jpeg) ### Steve Parker joins PrettyGreen to lead Social & Influencer A big new hire. A bigger ambition for Social & Influencer. Steve Parker joins PrettyGreen as Managing Partner, bringing serious experience in building social and creator businesses – and helping us take the next step in making Fame That Performs. ](https://itsprettygreen.com/latest/steve-parker-joins-prettygreen-to-lead-social-influencer) [Thought Leadership ![](/uploads/transforms/Images/_650x600_crop_center-center_90_none/ChatGPT-Image-Aug-14-2026-at-01_47_01-PM.png) ### ‘Toy Story 5’ Isn't For Kids. It's A Warning for the Marketing Industry. We sell attention for a living. But how much of our own are we giving away? Tim Wickham, Senior Digital & Motion Designer for Pinpoint Media, part of PrettyGreen looks at what Toy Story 5 gets right about screens, boredom and the ideas that happen when we switch off. ](https://itsprettygreen.com/latest/toy-story-5-isnt-for-kids-its-a-warning-for-the-marketing-industry) [Thought Leadership, PR ![](/uploads/transforms/Images/Latest/_650x600_crop_center-center_90_none/Lucy_Mart_Headshot_650x600_with_headroom.jpg) ### In Conversation with Lucy Mart: Why Consumer PR Has a Positioning Problem PrettyGreen's Chief Growth Officer, Lucy Mart, believes the industry's biggest challenge isn't creativity. It's positioning. Read her take on why Consumer PR needs to stop talking about coverage and start talking about commercial growth. ](https://itsprettygreen.com/latest/consumer-pr-has-a-positioning-problem) [New Work, Experiential & Events ![](/uploads/transforms/Images/Latest/_650x600_crop_center-center_90_none/Polaroid-GoGen-3-Camera.png) ### PrettyGreen Selected by Polaroid to Launch Polaroid Go Generation 3 Experiential Campaign at Boardmasters Festival 2026 PrettyGreen will develop and deliver Polaroid's experiential launch at Boardmasters Festival 2026, creating an immersive brand activation for the new Polaroid Go Generation 3 as part of the global The Best of Summer is Analogue campaign. ](https://itsprettygreen.com/latest/prettygreen-to-launch-polaroid-go-generation-3-at-boardmasters-festival) [Thought Leadership ![](/uploads/transforms/Images/_650x600_crop_center-center_90_none/2da57e22-df0c-400a-9288-19ede7bdc922.png) ### Cannes Lions 2026: The Ideas Shaping Marketing's Next Chapter Discover the biggest marketing trends from Cannes Lions 2026 in PrettyGreen's Cannes Takeaway Report. From AI and creativity to trust, community and brand building, explore the ideas shaping marketing's next chapter and what they mean for brands. ](https://itsprettygreen.com/latest/marketing-trends-cannes-lions-2026) [Thought Leadership ![A vibrant and dynamic abstract design displaying deep blues and striking magentas. Swirling patterns evoke a sense of movement, reminiscent of aerial views of cities and landscapes. The bold text 'SXSW LONDON' contrasts sharply against the colourful background, creating a futuristic aesthetic.](/uploads/transforms/Images/Latest/_650x600_crop_center-center_90_none/ChatGPT-Image-Jul-3-2026-at-02_02_25-PM.png) ### SXSW London 2026: Five Marketing Takeaways on AI, Community, Creativity, Trust and Leadership SXSW London brought together some of the biggest voices in marketing, technology and culture. We unpack the five themes that shaped the conversation and what brands can learn from them. ](https://itsprettygreen.com/latest/sxsw-london-2026-marketing-trends) [News ### PrettyGreen Launches Ai Fame Tracker™ A new recommendation intelligence platform that provides visibility into whether brands are appearing in AI recommendation journeys, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity, diagnoses where brands are succeeding or falling short and a provides a holistic playbook to implement across owned, earned and paid marketing channels to improve a brand’s AI performance. ](https://itsprettygreen.com/latest/prettygreen-launches-ai-fame-tracker) [Digital PR, New Work ![A grand historic building with a light-coloured façade, featuring ornate architectural details and large arched windows, stands under a clear blue sky. In the foreground, text overlay reads "PrettyGreen WELCOMES Priory", highlighted by a modern logo with a playful cloud design.](/uploads/transforms/Images/_650x600_crop_center-center_90_none/pgWelcomePriory.jpg) ### PrettyGreen Appointed by Priory to Drive Digital PR Campaign for New Therapy-Led Residential Addiction Service, Flourish Creative communications agency PrettyGreen will support Priory’s digital PR and search visibility strategy for the launch and expansion of Flourish, a pioneering residential addiction treatment programme in the UK. ](https://itsprettygreen.com/latest/prettygreen-appointed-by-priory-to-drive-digital-pr-campaign-for-new-therapy-led-residential-addiction-service-flourish)