Human8 reveals 2026 what matters report

Human8, the global marketing insight consultancy, in collaboration with in-house cultural strategy experts from Space Doctors, unveils its sixth annual What Matters report. This year’s edition explores eight trends that illuminate how identities are being reshaped and provides insights that will help brands navigate a world where contradictions are the new normal.

A preview on what matters in 2026

For six years, Human8 has been exploring what matters to people around the world. The 2025 report, titled Fulfilment Rewired, found people responding to uncertainty by reclaiming control and meaning: slowing down, making intentional choices and finding fulfilment in everyday moments.

In 2026, the world will feel even more contradictory. Economic pressures collide with technological leaps. Political polarisation intersects with cultural acceleration. In this landscape, the global agency observes people stepping back, seeing the bigger picture, recalibrating who they are within it and learning to thrive in the in-between.

Alex Bee

Katia Pallini

Tom De Ruyck

8 trends shaping culture and consumer expectations in 2026

1. Human Pride – Revaluing creativity, imperfection and distinctly human presence in an AI-saturated world.
   
2. Achievement Zone – Redefining ambition where effort and visible progress become central to self-worth.
   
3. Hyper Blanding – Seeking comfort in familiarity while craving sparks of distinction.
   
4. Future Tradition – Reinventing heritage and rituals to anchor identity in continuity that feels relevant today.
   
5. Retail Fandoms – Reshaping belonging through brands and commerce, centred on community, play and cultural participation.
   
6. Shouting Economy – Cutting through the noise with louder and bolder voices, flavours and identities.
   
7. Health Unscripted – Redefining wellness as personal, plural and playful, breaking free from rigid ideals and one-size-fits-all rules.
   
8. Lightspeed Living – Demanding instant solutions that deliver control, clarity and momentum in a reality that won’t slow down.
   

Katia Pallini, content marketing director at Human8 and research lead for the 2026 What Matters comments: “Our research shows that identity is being renegotiated at every level, personal, social and cultural. People are not just reacting to change; they’re actively recalibrating who they are and how they belong. These trends give brands a lens to understand these shifts and connect with people in ways that feel meaningful today and tomorrow.”

“How do you plan for what you can’t predict as the future becomes increasingly uncertain? Cultural fluency and understanding are critical for businesses and organizations to reframe challenges, reveal blind spots and design strategies that are resilient to the future. Space Doctors’ cultural expertise revealed emerging tensions and used speculative methods to ideate on ‘future concepts’ that start to loosen our grip on 'what is,' challenge assumptions and uncover new possibilities for action.” adds Alex Bee, project director at Space Doctors.

Methodology that matters

The report draws on cultural analysis, regional hiveminds, a global survey of 13,300 consumers across 16 markets, and AI-powered interviews with 200 people in 11 markets and a mission-based community, ensuring a robust, human-centric view and cultural lens of what matters to people today and tomorrow.

To help brands apply these insights, Human8 offers trend workshops powered by its proprietary AI-enabled Trend Application Canvas, turning cultural foresight into actionable strategies for brands.

“By combining Human8’s human insight with Space Doctors’ cultural expertise, we’ve decoded the tensions shaping tomorrow’s consumers. This report is a roadmap for brands to act with confidence in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape.” concludes Tom De Ruyck, chief growth officer at Human8.

Access the full report: https://www.wearehuman8.com/reports/2026-what-matters-trend-report/.