How to navigate 2026 amid uncertainty, AI and brand value
05.03.2026, news article
International instability is making planning more difficult and constraining budgets, while artificial intelligence is shifting from an option to a tool that demands concrete decisions.
Against this backdrop, Miguel Saldaña expects brand building, authenticity and creativity to play a greater role.
Source: Revista Control
Key Messages
- Geopolitical tensions are making uncertainty a permanent feature and complicating medium- and long-term forecasting.
- AI is already part of the work: the debate is shifting towards how it is used and for what purpose.
- Brand, authenticity and creativity may gain ground over an excessive focus on performance.
Topic Overiew
- Geopolitics and consumption
- AI applied to business
- Brand building
- Consumer trust
A year shaped by uncertainty
Miguel Saldaña describes 2026 as another year marked by uncertainty. The advertising and communications sector is used to working in changing environments, but the geopolitical context is turning this situation into an almost permanent condition.
This prolonged uncertainty makes it difficult to plan, anticipate developments and take a medium- or long-term view. It also contributes to a sense of stagnation in overall marketing budgets.
Added to this are direct effects on consumption, including inflation and tax changes.
Their evolution is difficult to predict and puts additional pressure on business decisions.
AI enters the implementation phase
Artificial intelligence is already firmly established. The relevant question is not whether it will be used, but how it will be integrated and for what purposes.
Mediaplus is seeking solutions through its “House of AI” initiative. The analysis is based on two complementary areas: an internal one, focused on improving work, delivering value and strengthening client service; and an external one, aimed at understanding how the use of AI is changing people’s behaviour.
This shift is already evident in the way people search for information and, by extension, in disciplines such as SEM and SEO. Changes in consumer behaviour have an indirect impact on the work of agencies and brands.
"La cuestión ya no es si usaremos IA, sino cómo y con qué propósito"
Miguel Saldaña
Associate Managing Director
Mediaplus Alma
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About Mediaplus
Mediaplus is one of the largest independent media agencies in Europe and part of the Serviceplan Group, headquartered in Munich. Founded in 1983, the agency group brings together around 2,200 specialists across more than 20 wholly owned offices worldwide. Through partner locations, Mediaplus maintains a presence at 42 sites globally. Its service portfolio includes Media Strategy & Innovation, Data & AI, Performance Marketing, and Commerce & Retail Media. With its AI framework, House of AI, Mediaplus combines proprietary data models with market expertise to deliver measurable brand growth. Mediaplus has repeatedly been ranked among the leading independent media agencies in both the WARC Media 100 and the RECMA Quality Ranking, and was named Media Agency of the Year at the German Media Awards for the fifth time in 2026.