Brandwatch's 2027 Trends Survey

Every year, marketing professionals like you contribute to Brandwatch's research. Your insights help shape our reports on the trends and challenges that matter most to marketers.

Weigh in below in less than 5 minutes – answers are anonymous unless you opt to share your details.

1.Which trends do you think will shape digital marketing in 2027? (Select all that apply).

Unsnippable marketing (e.g. personalized experiences that AI can’t summarize and are worth clicking for)

PR and marketing convergence (e.g. PR becoming a core marketing weapon as AI and algorithms reward trust and authority)

Radical brand transparency (e.g. brands openly showing processes, AI usage, and tactics in response to savvy audiences)

Marketing to AI/LLMs (e.g. optimizing for the AI systems)

Human-first content (e.g. original, personality-driven, UGC, and creator-style content over polished content)

Community-led marketing (e.g. earning visibility through genuine participation in the spaces your audience gathers)

Expert-led marketing (e.g. executives, industry experts, employees, and trusted creators)

Immersive brand activations (e.g. sensory experiences and brands showing up in unexpected places)

Newsletter-first marketing (e.g. Substack and owned email communities competing with algorithmic platforms)

Other trends (tell us what you predict):

4.How do you feel about the way marketing is evolving?

Very positive: I'm excited about the changes

Somewhat positive: There are more opportunities than challenges

Mixed feelings: I’m both excited and concerned

Somewhat negative: There are more challenges than opportunities

Very negative: I’m concerned about the changes

I want to elaborate:

6.How well do you think your organization knows its target audience(s)?

Very well: We have deep insights into their needs, behaviors, and motivations

Somewhat well: We understand the basics but are missing some key insights

Neutral: We have adequate knowledge but there's significant room for improvement

Somewhat poorly: We have limited understanding and often make assumptions

Very poorly: We lack meaningful insights into our audience(s)

I want to elaborate:

7.What are your biggest challenges in understanding your target audience(s)? (Select all that apply).

Understanding changing audience behaviors

Predicting future needs and behaviors

Turning data into actionable insights

Finding and reaching new or niche audiences

Segmenting audiences effectively

Integrating data from multiple sources

Getting access to quality audience data

Tracking audiences across AI, social, and community channels

Other challenges (tell us which ones):

8.What's the one thing you want your organization to prioritize in 2027?

9.Happy being quoted in our report? If yes, please share your name, title, and company below.