2026 - A brand new year for branders

• The sweet spots of Mindful – Sustainable Marketing

At the end of 2025, we must naturally have a low energy level to start the new year 2026 in the local context because of the lessons we learned from the devastating floods and cyclones. In the global perspective, it's clear that some issues that everyone believed would never be discussed are suddenly coming to light because of Jeffry Epstein's files. On the other side, a group of gentle monks are walking across the United States to promote peace and provide respite to people who are tired of dealing with a lot of problems alone.

Nevertheless, every gloomy cloud has a bright side. In 2026, let's celebrate the start of a new chapter or era in marketing. Let's make this year one of thoughtful branding and marketing. Since it's a new year, let's set plans for how we approach mindful branding and marketing to increase its significance and influence at the grassroots level. 

Since it is the only growth formula we are aware of, as brand marketers, we are obligated to boost sales of our companies and brands. Our primary motivator to succeed and surpass competition is to achieve year-over-year growth. Let 2026 be the year that marketing focuses more than ever on empathy and humaneness.

The message from the nature

The nature, the planet earth has sent a strong message to reconsider changing and promoting consumption to achieve growth. We marketers are blamed for promoting undue consumption to increase sales. In a real sense, it’s a selfish approach to make our shareholders happy so that in return we are the top layer of the organisation would end up getting more rewards and there will be a spill over effect on the rest of the staff too. And we boast of the best marketing campaigns as we achieve higher sales each year. Today we have 4.6 billion consumers on the planet earth. It’s going to increase to 5.6 billion by 2030. What does this mean to us?

Why emotional transparency?

In my view, marketers have been hypocritical when it comes to sustainability, as evidenced by their use of green labels, biodegradable packaging, and corporate social responsibility initiatives. We take minimal action to encourage sustainability while encouraging excessive consumption. Consequently, marketing needs to undergo a paradigm change. Brands ought to be open about their feelings and morals. 

In actuality, the legal framework establishes the parameters that the brands can function within. Whether it's actually necessary or not, most firms look for legal loopholes to break through and advertise goods and services. Some are acting ethically and going beyond the bounds of the law.

It’s time now to go beyond both legal and ethical boundaries to go beyond. We should be emotionally transparent. We should be able to be true to our consciousness. 

Being legal – Being ethical or being true to Consciousness 

 The sweet spots of Mindful – Sustainable Marketing

 Legally Bound - All legal parameters are met

 Ethically Bound – All ethical concerns are adhered to

 Emotionally Transparent – Act as if your consumer is your true lover. You are 100% transparent in your approach to branding marketing so that no harm will be done in the process. 

How do we practice this? (4Es Framework)

1. Empathy – Empathy with customers and considering them as a part of your family or as your loved ones not as consumers or customers. 

2. Emotional transparency – being fake in showcasing emotions and being unreal won’t help in the future. Universal love is the ultimate love and ultimate transparency. 

3. Earth-friendly – Planet earth is bleeding, and she has been pleading us to be more vigilant, and we were not. And now she is demanding. Therefore, we need to be truly friendly with our environment. 

4. Envision – As marketers we should be able to envision a better world through mindfulness and mindful marketing. Envisioning a better world must be underpinned with sustainability, and mindful consumption and marketing. 

Despite being developed from the viewpoint of a marketer, it is clear that this applies to all leaders worldwide and to all professions. It's important for leaders to be aware of their actions and cognizant of their thoughts. In the future, being morally and legally upright won't be enough. It also requires them to be emotionally transparent. 

(The author is Brand, Growth, and Strategy Consultant. MBA - PIM (Merit), B.Sc. (Marketing Special) Hons, CIM-UK, MSLIM and Official Representative of Kotler in Sri Lanka and Maldives)