What should marketers let go of in 2026?

I asked six HubSpot colleagues who are experts in their respective arena what their hopes and dreams are for 2026. From “just make AI and spreadsheets work” to tracking emotional momentum, here‘s what we’re looking forward to next year.

You can also check out the hard-won lessons my colleagues learned from the rollercoaster that was 2025.

What is the one thing you are betting AI will finally be able to do for you in 2026 that it cannot quite nail today?

Adam Biddlecombe, Lead marketer, AI media strategist

“Honestly, I am just praying for seamless integration with Sheets. I have lost too many hours this year going back and forth with ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini trying to build or analyze a spreadsheet, and it still never quite lands.

“I want that moment where I can point at a messy sheet and say, ‘Clean this up, fix the formulas, and show me the insights,’ and it just does it. No weird formatting and no hallucinating. If AI can genuinely understand and manipulate Sheets the way an analyst would, that is the upgrade I am most excited for in 2026.”

Rory Hope, Senior manager, EN Growth

“I hope that we’ll see more AI reporting solutions from analytics platforms in 2026. If we can get to the point where reporting becomes as easy as entering prompts asking for performance insights that take into context your objectives, goals, and priorities (possibly via MCP), then marketers can focus more on problem-solving and creativity.

“There have been some launches recently, such as Google Search Console’s new AI reporting feature, which are enabling marketers to ask precise questions on performance and get accurate answers. More of this please!”

What marketing skill are you secretly hoping becomes obsolete in 2026 (because you hate doing it)?

Amanda Kopen, Manager, Marketing

“Endless hours of reporting! I love to dig into data and determine the ‘why’ of demand or customer behavior trends. But I do not love how many tabs, tools, and sites I need to collate data together.

“AI systems have the potential to be extremely powerful in reporting, but they have to be accurate. Hallucinated data does not make a strong foundation for strategy. I look forward to AI tools that gather data into one place, suggest insights based on what I care about, and allow me to fact check.”

What emerging consumer behavior has you most excited (or terrified) about marketing in 2026?

Amy Marino, Senior director, brand and social

“I’m paying close attention to how the major social platforms are rolling out AI content limiters. TikTok rolled out a slider to reduce AI content in feeds. Pinterest lets you filter out synthetic imagery. YouTube is deprioritizing low-effort AI videos.

“It’s a direct response to consumer complaints that AI slop is flooding their feeds. And it means a lot of marketers are going to have to pivot their strategies… again.

“The marketers that can use AI to amplify human creativity and taste will win; but it also means if they haven‘t figured out how to do that yet, then they’ll need to learn fast.”

What’s your boldest prediction for how humans and AI will collaborate in marketing teams by the end of 2026?

Jonathon McKenzie, Head of brand paid media

“By the end of 2026 the word might be ‘medai’ because media and AI are moving fast. Creative is evolving from dynamic and programmatic to a real marketing craft. But I wonder how often ‘this is real’ will become a trend or disclaimer? Thankfully, the best teams will co-create with AI, not outsource to it.”

What marketing metric that doesn’t exist today do you wish you could track in 2026?

Nuriel Canlas, Senior marketer, HubSpot Media

“I’d love a metric that tracks a brand’s ‘emotional momentum.’ Something that tells you if people are feeling more connected to your brand or drifting away. It would make it way clearer if your brand is building real energy.”