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    Featured AI Isn’t the Advantage, Clarity Is SXSW 2026 shows AI is no longer the differentiator - clarity, trust and strong brand identity now define what stands out in a crowded, AI-driven market KEEP READING Passover 2026: Anne Skorecki Levy — A Profile in Courage Tonight is the happiest night in the Jewish year, celebrating our journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom on the way to Israel. KEEP READING Edelman Counter-Disinformation Analysis: From Social Noise To Enterprise Risk Explore All Insights
    Insights

    Edelman Political Bulletin: What Happens Next?

    With feverish speculation about the imminent calling of a General Election – perhaps as early as 6pm this evening – the Edelman Public Affairs team assesses the likely outcomes ahead and their impact on businesses.

    While just three ultimate end states remain the same - no deal, deal, no Brexit – the former is becoming increasingly likely, and the routes to achieve them are also crystallising.

    This week will see rebel Conservatives join forces with other parties to seek to extend the Brexit deadline, while Team Johnson has vowed to eject and deselect any Tory MPs seeking to undermine his no deal position.

    It is hard to see any outcome being reached without an election being called to give the Prime Minister the majority he craves. The question is whether Labour would vote in favour of an election (which could fall in November), having spent the last three years calling for one, or whether they follow Tony Blair’s advice not to “fall into the trap” of enabling an accidental no deal.

    Buckle in for the biggest week in politics since the last. But this time we may well see the real splitting of the Conservative Party and without doubt a test of nerve on all sides.

    Click here to read the full analysis.

    Insights

    AI Isn’t the Advantage, Clarity Is

    What SXSW revealed about brands navigating an AI-driven landscape /

    SXSW has long been an agenda-setting event for how brands show up in the marketplace, bringing together innovators, creators, educators and business leaders for a week-plus of conversations that signal what comes next. But the real value of SXSW isn’t on stage. It’s in the conversations it catalyzes: the hallway recaps, the debates, the insights attendees bring back to their team huddles and boardrooms. That’s what makes SXSW a bellwether for where business, brand and culture are headed next. At a moment when attention is increasingly shaped by algorithms and trust in institutions is under pressure, that signal carries more weight than ever.

    Like any conference these days, AI dominated the conversation. What stood out wasn’t its presence, but how quickly it moved beyond adoption. Far beyond.

    Across the festival, the tone was less “should we be using AI?” and more “AI is here – now what?” The dialogue has moved beyond novelty to real implications, from automated creativity to the increasing premium placed on human contribution.

    What emerged is a clearer divide: AI is accelerating the separation between brands that know who they are and those that don’t. As AI becomes ubiquitous, it stops being a differentiator and starts acting as a filter.

    When AI Is everywhere, what actually stands out?

    The conversation has reached a saturation point, and it’s reshaping what breaks through.

    At last year’s SXSW, terms like LLMs, GPTs, and AI personas still felt novel. One year later, they’ve become as commonplace as email or Slack: expected, embedded and no longer a point of differentiation.

    That shift was visible not just in the content of SXSW, but in how brands showed up. Where last year’s brand experiences leaned heavily into showcasing proprietary AI, this year’s activations signaled a shift toward distinct, differentiated brand expression.

    And that’s where the real signal starts to emerge.

    AI accelerates output, but it also widens the gap between signal and noise, making clarity the true differentiator. The brands that are clear on who they are – and, more importantly, the value they deliver – become more distinct because of it. The ones that don’t just become indistinguishable. They fall behind. In this environment, visibility is increasingly shaped by what is surfaced, cited and validated by others – not just what brands publish themselves.

    What’s holding brands back?

    SXSW made one thing clear: creativity isn’t the constraint. Execution is. What leaders pointed to was the growing tension between ideas and the systems required to act on them.

    With so many tools and services now at our disposal, falling behind can start to look like a choice. And in some cases, it is.

    AI has made it easier than ever to create and distribute content at scale. But that accessibility is also raising the bar for what actually gets seen and what earns trust. It’s not just about what brands can produce, but whether it resonates and holds up beyond the spaces they can control. This points to a deeper issue: not a gap in creativity, but a lack of clarity and alignment.

    Too often, brands have over-indexed the technology itself, allowing tools to dictate how they show up instead of grounding in the foundation of trust and credibility they’ve built over time. In AI-driven environments, visibility is shaped just as much by what brands publish as by what’s reinforced and validated by others, placing even more pressure on brands to show up in ways that earn relevance, not just attention.

    At the same time, the pace of culture has accelerated. Brands that continue to operate from a static playbook - long planning cycles, fixed messaging, prioritizing short-term certainty at the expense of long-term value - are struggling to keep up. Moving quickly is now table stakes, but speed without focus and clarity only adds to the noise.

    Organizations that are built to move with clarity and conviction show up differently – in what gets seen, what gets shared and what earns trust.

    What this means for leaders

    For business leaders, this shifts the mandate.

    It’s no longer enough to track AI adoption or how much content is being produced. The more important question is whether your brand is clear on what it stands for, and whether your organization is built to express that consistently at speed and in environments you don’t control.

    That requires a different kind of confidence – one rooted in a clear understanding of who the brand is and the trust it has built over time. Practically, that means:

    • Defining a clear, organization-wide narrative that AI can scale consistently
    • Prioritizing earned visibility and third-party validation as core measures of success
    • Building operating models that enable speed without sacrificing consistency or credibility

    In a landscape that moves at the speed of culture, safe and predictable decisions are increasingly invisible. The brands gaining traction are those willing to move with clarity and conviction – making decisions that reinforce who they are, not dilute it.

    That’s what SXSW reveals early: not just where the industry is going, but what it will demand of brands and the leaders behind them.

    If you’re still focused on how quickly your organization is adopting AI, you’re focused on the wrong thing. The brands that struggle in the next 12-18 months won’t be the ones behind on AI. They’ll be the ones unclear on who they are and unable to translate that into consistent, trusted presence in the market.

    Nick Nelson, Executive Vice President, Corporate Purpose.
    Additional contributors: Emily Chan, Emma Nash, Neven Simpson, Olivia Levada.

     

    Insights

    In an Insular World, Trust Is Earned — and Expanded — Through Creators

    Sara Rezaee, Head of Creator Marketing, North America, Edelman /

    The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer confirms a defining shift in how trust operates: it is no longer expanding outward — it is contracting inward. 

    This year’s data shows that on average, 7 in 10 people globally are insular in their daily lives. They are turning toward smaller, values-aligned inner circles to determine what to believe, who to support, and where to engage. If someone — or some brand — does not share their values, sources, approaches to societal problems, or their background, they are simply not invited in. 

    For decades, scale was the dominant strategy. Reach signaled relevance. Visibility implied credibility. The larger the audience, the greater the assumed impact. 

    Insularity disrupts that equation. 

    In an environment where individuals increasingly rely on their inner circles, broadcasting louder does not build trust. It often reinforces skepticism. Mass messaging struggles to penetrate communities that have become more discerning about who belongs and who does not. 

    Trust is no longer built in the crowd. It is earned in the circle. 

    This is where Creators play a defining role. 

    Creators are not simply content distributors. At their best, they are brokers of trust. They cultivate communities over time, grounded in shared values, lived experience, and ongoing dialogue. Their influence is not derived solely from scale, but from the communities they’ve built. 

    In an insular environment, proximity matters more than popularity. That distinction is critical. 

    As trust becomes more values-based, alignment outweighs audience size. A Creator with a highly engaged niche community can often drive more meaningful action than a personality with broad but shallow visibility. Consider a simple example: I am far more likely to follow a Creator with 30,000 followers whose values align with mine and who shares my interests than a Creator with millions of followers whose worldview feels misaligned. The smaller Creator may have less reach but within their community, trust runs deeper. 

    However, the role of Creators in this moment goes beyond simply operating within insular communities. They also have the power to responsibly expand them. 

    When brands partner with Trusted Creators, they are not merely renting reach, they are being introduced to new audiences. And that introduction carries weight. 

    Creators can help brands enter conversations they would not otherwise be invited into. More importantly, they can help bridge perspectives. While communities may be insular, they are not immovable. Trusted voices within them can introduce new ideas, new information, and even new brands without triggering the resistance that often accompanies corporate messaging. 

    In this way, Creators can help break echo chambers rather than reinforce them. 

    But this requires intention. 

    If brands approach Creators as transactional amplification channels, they risk deepening insularity. Communities can detect inauthentic alignment quickly. Borrowed credibility is fragile. 

    If, however, brands approach Creators as strategic partners trust can in fact expand. 

    The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer underscores a defining reality: influence has become more intimate. Authority is increasingly mediated through trusted individuals and communities. 

    In an insular world, the brands that win will not be the loudest. 

    They will be the ones invited in — and the ones introduced by the Creators who already hold trust. 

    For organizations navigating this shift, the question is no longer whether to invest in Creator Marketing, it's how to do that with trust at the core of each campaign 

    If you are looking to build effective Creator Marketing strategies in this new trust landscape, reach out. At Edelman, we have more than 250 Creator experts globally who live and breathe this space every day and can help you navigate this fast-moving space in a strategic manner to drive scale and impact. 

    Insights

    Ubuntu in Action: Reflections from the International Women’s Forum in Cape Town

    Attending the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Cornerstone Conference in Cape Town was more than a professional experience; it was a profound personal journey. For our Edelman delegation, the week was a reminder of what leadership truly means: connection, courage, and collective strength.

    Set against the vibrant backdrop of South Africa, a country that embodies resilience and community, the conference brought together nearly 500 women leaders from over 30 countries. United under the theme of Ubuntu, meaning “I am because we are,” the event invited us to explore how leadership, empathy, and collaboration intertwine to create meaningful impact.

    Redefining Leadership Through Connection

    Many of us arrived in Cape Town yearning to learn more about leadership, belonging, and how to lead with authenticity in a rapidly changing world. Refreshingly, the panels didn’t focus on power or hierarchy. Instead, they delved into purpose, empathy, and the courage to show vulnerability.

    What we heard was that leadership isn’t defined by seniority or title. It’s about connections. Leadership is found in conversations that challenge assumptions, in the teams that encourage us to listen more deeply, and in the networks that help us grow into better versions of ourselves.

    That sentiment resonated throughout the sessions, which explored themes such as:

    • Creating psychological safety in an increasingly self-protective world.
    • The role of creativity, joy, and food security as survival topics, not side topics
    •  How communities and women rise together.

    We left reminded that while technology and AI may evolve faster than ever, the leadership qualities that matter most remain timeless: trust, empathy, and connection.

    The Spirit of Ubuntu

    Ubuntu was not just a theme; it was alive in every interaction. As President Cyril Ramaphosa, during the opening session, shared, “Our progress is intertwined, and when women rise, societies rise with them.”

    The spirit of Ubuntu calls us to build ecosystems, not empires and to recognize that our humanity exists through others. We cannot be fully human if we diminish someone else’s humanity. It’s a call to lead with purpose, to uplift others as we rise, and to celebrate success collectively rather than competitively.

    We witnessed that spirit vividly in the women of South Africa, in their warmth, confidence, and grace, reflected not just in their words but mostly in their presence.

    Each of us left Cape Town changed. We were reminded that leadership is often about making decisions that shape lives, not about the titles we hold. That birthing new ideas, like human birth, can be messy, but necessary if we want something real to emerge.

    We also found strength in each other. The bonds we built, across Toronto, Washington D.C., Dubai, Chicago, Seoul, and beyond, are ones we will carry forward. Together, we’ve pledged to stay connected as women leaders who support one another across geographies and disciplines.

    To the IWF organizers, thank you for curating a truly transformative experience. To our Edelman leaders, Taryn Solomon, Claudia Patton, Lisa Sepulveda, Matthew Harrington, our managers and our account teams, and many others, thank you for making this opportunity possible. And to our fellow Edelman delegates: Ivana Musich, Kevval Hanna, Marta Guasch, Alesia Nadtochiy, and Janet Kim, thank you for the laughter, the learning, and the late-night red cappuccinos.

    We returned home grounded, inspired, and committed to leading with courage, empathy, and intention, and to carrying the spirit of Ubuntu into everything we do.

    Co-authored by: Ivana Musich (Toronto), Kevval Hanna (Washington D.C.), Marta Guasch (Dubai), Alesia Nadtochiy (Chicago / LATAM), Janet Kim (Seoul).

     

    Insights

    How AI Is Reshaping Post-Production: Insights from CES

    Gabe Michael /

    At CES this year, I had the opportunity to moderate a panel on a topic that feels less theoretical by the day: how AI is fundamentally reshaping post-production.

    The conversation brought together creators and platform leaders who are building and using AI-powered tools to streamline workflows, boost creativity, and rethink how content moves from idea to distribution. But what became clear during the discussion is that this shift isn’t about one breakthrough tool or a handful of clever automations.

    It’s an end-to-end transformation of how modern production operates.

    And it’s already happening.

    Shrinking the Gap Between Idea and First Cut

    For decades, creative production followed a familiar ratio: roughly 20% of the time spent on ideation and 80% spent on execution (editing, formatting, revisions, versioning, distribution, etc).

    AI is flipping that ratio.

    Today, creative teams can move from concept to viable first cut faster than ever. That doesn’t mean AI is telling the story. It means teams can explore more directions earlier, test more variations, and bring human judgment into the process sooner.

    At Edelman, we’re embedding AI across research, development, and distribution workflows to reduce friction where it slows creativity. Not to automate for automation’s sake, but to create more space for thinking, refinement, and craft.

    The earlier you can see something tangible, the earlier your taste and expertise can shape it.

    And taste is the one thing that doesn’t scale.

    Storytelling at Scale

    Efficiency is often the headline when people talk about AI in production. But what I’m seeing, and what we discussed at CES, is something bigger.

    AI isn’t just reducing production time. It’s enabling:

    • Faster experimentation across formats
    • Rapid iteration based on performance data
    • Seamless adaptation for different platforms and audiences

    When repetitive tasks are automated, creative professionals can spend more time on strategy, structure, and narrative precision. Instead of manually versioning assets across platforms, they can focus on refining the idea itself.

    This matters because modern culture demands production speed. But speed alone isn’t valuable. Speed that protects quality and deepens creative thinking is.

    Trust, Disclosure, and Governance as Production Quality

    As AI-assisted content scales, so does scrutiny.

    Audiences are increasingly attuned to authenticity, provenance, and transparency. At Edelman, we’ve built what I think of as “trust checkpoints” directly into the production pipeline. That includes:

    • Rights and IP review
    • Disclosure guidance
    • Bias and fairness checks
    • Factuality validation

    Governance ensures that human creative input remains central. It protects brand integrity. It safeguards reputation. And it allows innovation to scale responsibly.

    The more powerful these tools become, the more essential thoughtful guardrails are.

    Trust is no longer adjacent to production. It’s embedded within it.

    Tools Matter. Workflow Design Matters More.

    At CES, we talked about everything from rapid clipping and voice tools to automation systems that can transform one piece of content into multiple outputs across formats.

    But the real difference between a “cool demo” and reliable production isn’t the tool.

    It’s workflow design.

    Automation itself is a form of creativity. Designing the system—deciding where human input is essential, where iteration should happen, and where automation can responsibly accelerate output—is strategic work.

    Prompting is already becoming less central as software layers create predictability and control. The future is less about crafting the perfect sentence for a model and more about building integrated systems that allow creative teams to operate with clarity and precision.

    In our studios, we treat generative tools as collaborators, not replacements. They accelerate options. They surface possibilities. But humans remain responsible for story, taste, nuance, and brand alignment.

    Interestingly, the more we operationalize workflows, the more creativity we unlock. When friction drops, exploration increases.

    The Expanding Role of Producers and Editors

    If there’s one takeaway from CES, it’s this: the role of the producer and editor is expanding, not shrinking. The future creative professional is: 

    • An orchestrator of systems 
    • A curator of options 
    • A creative director across human and machine collaborators

    At Edelman, we’re preparing for that future by:

    • Embedding AI across production workflows to accelerate prototyping and iteration
    • Scaling localization and multimodal distribution
    • Building quality guardrails to ensure outputs are compliant, consistent, and brand-aligned
    • Developing an AI-native team with sustained investment in tools and training

    AI is not replacing creativity. It’s redistributing effort away from repetitive execution and toward judgment, taste, and strategy.

    And in a world where culture moves faster than ever, that shift isn’t optional.

    It’s foundational.

    You can watch the full recording of Gabe’s panel at CES here.

    Gabe Michael is SVP, Group Executive Producer - AI.

     

    Insights

    Plus ça change

    Will Butterworth /

    It is 2026. According to Pantone, the world is retreating into safe neutrals. That phrase could also describe my beloved Watford FC’s transfer policy over the past few seasons. 

    As work resumed in January, the predictions arrived. A new year, we’re told, will bring change. It always does. Sports marketing, like sport itself, is obsessed with what comes next. We analyse how younger audiences engage digitally, while older fans pay for tickets. We assess new formats and breakaway leagues. We watch athletes build followings and businesses beyond the field of play.

    Yet amid all this movement, are we asking the important question: what stays the same? To coin Jeff Bezos; “you can build a business strategy around the things that are stable in time.” The same applies to brand strategy. In sports marketing, constants often matter more than the latest trend. The principles that underpin success will endure, and in 2026, five of them will continue to shape how brands operate in sport.

    Sponsorship choices will remain top-down, not bottom-up 

    Despite real progress in understanding sponsorship effectiveness, many deals remain shaped by personal preference at the top. Ask why a sponsorship exists, and too often the answer is familiar: “Because the CEO likes that sport.”

    Important work by Rory Natkiel and others has advanced the case for evidence-led sponsorship, and the discipline is maturing. But defaults will persist. Pulling brands away from instinctive choices and towards more strategic, demonstrably effective investment remains one of the industry’s most important, and unresolved, tasks. 

    Reach will remain as a low bar for brands in sport 

    Sponsorship comes with commercial ambition, but also responsibility. The furore surrounding FIFA’s approach to ticket pricing for the 2026 World Cup has intensified scrutiny on how all governing bodies promote accessibility to live events, and brands willing to partner must recognise the chance for residual impact.

    Edelman’s Pushed to the Limit study shows fans believe sponsors take more than their fair share from sport. In an inflationary environment, visibility alone no longer earns credibility for brands. Brands can’t lower ticket prices, but must be additive, be it making experiences better or the ecosystem stronger. As ever, brands need fans to be glad they are there. 

    Engaged fans remain the real prize 

    Keeping fans at the centre of decision-making is not new, but it remains decisive. The brands that succeed in sport continue to invest in deep relationships and meaningful experiences, in stadiums and niches that fandoms inhabit. In community marketing circles, success relies on turning anoraks into advocates. 

    In 2019, comedian Stewart Lee called his tour Content Provider to satirise digital dystopia. In 2026, it’s no joke for brands in sport. Engaged fans spend six times more than casual ones. That has shifted competition off the pitch, as brands and rights-holders weaponise content provision to chase global fan bases that sustain sponsorship, broadcasting, and merch revenues. 

    Consistency compounds value in sponsorship 

    As in other areas of brand building, consistency remains undervalued in sport sponsorship. Longevity and repetition drive impact, yet sponsorship is still too often treated as a series of short-term activations. Guinness’s commitment to rugby stands out as the exception that proves the rule. 

    Effective sponsorship should function like a long-running brand platform, anchored in a single idea that endures for the life of the deal. In practice, activation budgets are frequently contested, with CFOs seeking clearer proof of return. Securing the investment required for long-term creative consistency remains a battleground for brands aiming to maximise the commercial value of sport. 

    Athlete welfare looms large as sport’s most overlooked risk 

    The public has always been capable of compassion, but social media has stripped away the mythic armour of elite sport, revealing athletes as people first and performers second. In UK professional sport, athlete welfare remains the most significant unmanaged risk in the eyes of fans. How organisations protect, support, and listen to athletes directly shapes trust, credibility, and the relationship with fans. 

    Support cannot be symbolic. Sixty-six per cent of fans believe sporting organisations neglect athlete mental health, and nearly half believe retirement transitions are poorly handled . Failures in welfare can damage brands faster and more deeply than poor performance or commercial misjudgement. 

    In a year dominated by talk of change, it is these principles – familiar, persistent, and at times uncomfortable – that will continue to determine outcomes for brands in sport. 

    Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

    Will Butterworth is Strategy Director based in London.

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    Insights

    Europe's digital connectivity ambition

    What the new Digital Networks Act signals for competitiveness and scale /

    Context: why connectivity policy is back at the centre of EU strategy

    Connectivity has moved from being a sectoral concern to a strategic foundation of Europe’s economic, security and industrial agenda. Gigabit networks, advanced 5G, cloud computing and satellite connectivity are now critical enablers of competitiveness, underpinning everything from AI deployment and industrial transformation to public services and crisis response.

    This shift has been reinforced by recent high-level policy thinking. Both Enrico Letta’s report on the future of the Single Market and Mario Draghi’s analysis of European competitiveness set out a high level of ambition for the telecoms sector, calling for deeper integration, greater scale and stronger investment conditions to overcome fragmentation. 

    Against this backdrop, the European Commission’s proposed Digital Networks Act (DNA) represents the most consequential rethink of EU connectivity regulation in over a decade, not as a full-scale overhaul, but as a targeted effort to streamline the framework, improve coordination and bring greater uniformity across Member States, while stopping short of the more far-reaching reforms envisaged in those reports.

    Digital Networks Act

    What the DNA is trying to fix

    The Commission’s diagnosis is clear. Despite years of harmonisation, Europe’s connectivity markets remain fragmented along national lines, with divergent authorisation regimes, spectrum conditions and regulatory practices increasing compliance costs and limiting cross-border expansion.

    This fragmentation increasingly clashes with how digital networks operate. As networks become software-driven, cloud-based and integrated with data and AI infrastructure, scale becomes a prerequisite for competitiveness. The DNA is designed to reduce structural friction and make it easier for providers to operate and invest across borders.

    • From national silos to a more integrated market: The DNA aims to reduce persistent fragmentation by consolidating key telecoms instruments into a single Regulation and introducing a single market authorisation framework, including a Single Passport, to simplify cross-border operations while preserving national regulatory oversight.
    • Fibre, spectrum and investment certainty: The proposal tackles two long-standing investment bottlenecks by establishing a coordinated transition from copper to fibre, based on national plans and conditional switch-off, and by reforming spectrum policy through longer or open-ended licence durations, enhanced EU scrutiny of assignments and stronger incentives for spectrum sharing.
    • Resilience, satellites and strategic autonomy: By formally recognising digital networks as critical infrastructure, strengthening EU-level preparedness and resilience coordination, and introducing a more centralised framework for satellite authorisation and spectrum management, the DNA aligns connectivity policy more closely with the EU’s economic security and strategic autonomy objectives, including crisis response and reduced dependence on non-EU infrastructure.

    What this means for businesses

    The Digital Networks Act is not just a telecoms file. It reshapes the conditions under which cloud providers, AI developers, infrastructure investors, industrial users and public authorities rely on connectivity.

    The direction is clear: fewer regulatory barriers, stronger coordination and a more strategic view of networks as critical infrastructure. For companies operating across borders, the legislative process ahead will be a key moment to assess how future network regulation could affect investment decisions, service models and resilience planning.

    Next steps to watch

    The proposal now enters the legislative process, where Member States and the European Parliament will test the balance between EU-level coherence and national flexibility. Key areas to watch include how far harmonisation goes in practice, how spectrum safeguards are framed, and how resilience obligations are operationalised.

    For stakeholders across the digital ecosystem, the coming months present an opportunity to engage early on how Europe’s connectivity framework should support competitiveness, innovation and security in the next decade.

    For additional information, reach out to Diana.Angelova@edelman.com and Francisco.Herrera@edelman.com. 

    Insights

    Five Predictions From Sustainability Leaders for 2026

    Emily Chan /

    2025 was a challenging year for corporate sustainability. Companies faced shifting regulations, volatile markets, tightening budgets, and growing scrutiny. Sustainability decision makers are keen to get ahead and understand ways to navigate risk while growing impact. So last month, I asked 20 sustainability leaders from my network—representing industries from software to food, and organizations spanning NGOs, Fortune 500s, startups, and venture capital—what they see as emerging themes in 2026. Their insights offer a glimpse into what sustainability leaders may want to pay attention to as they plan the year: 

    1. Addressing the energy impacts of AI: With AI workloads driving a doubling in global data center energy demand by the end of the decade, companies will need to source clean power early to remain in a strong position. According to Elaine Hsieh, COO and partner at VoLo Earth Ventures, we can expect to see more attention on virtual power plants (VPPs) as a practical way to add capacity quickly at grid edge. Hsieh predicted, “VPPs may surprise everyone by becoming the fastest path to unlocking new power. Governments are also expected to keep leaning into fusion, geothermal, and nuclear, treating them as important long-term energy solutions.” 

    2. Resurgence of local action and community resilience: As national momentum on sustainability fades, communities have stepped up to fill the gaps. In 2026, leaders predict an outsized opportunity to work with local and regional organizations to help build community and climate resilience. 

      “I anticipate seeing a surge in fresh, unexpected partnerships across industries to drive meaningful, rapid, and ideally intersectional, impact,” said Charlie Reed, global sustainability lead at Intuit, which has partnered with organizations such as The Farmlink Project to reduce food waste and emissions. “Outside-the-box thinking is required to make true sustainability progress, and companies may realize that their most potent sustainability lever may lie in collaborating with a small or new organization they’d not previously considered.” 

      Amy Kull Lithgow, director of development and communications at Sierra Harvest, predicts that local micro-utilities, resilience hubs, mutual-aid networks, and civic coalitions will grow rapidly, particularly in regions hit hardest by extreme weather and/or economic instability. She shared a recent example of fruit gleaning efforts in Western Nevada County in California, which prevented food waste and provided SNAP food assistance recipients with fresh apples, mandarins, and persimmons. 

    3. Risk rising on the corporate agenda: Physical risk from climate change is predicted to represent $1.2 trillion annually by 2050 and regulatory forces like CSRD will continue to shape how large companies think about climate risk. Joel Makower, chairman and co-founder of Trellis Group and strategy director at Music Sustainability Alliance, predicts risk will become more embedded across overall planning. “Rather than being siloed under sustainability, climate risk will be part of financial planning, insurance assessment, asset valuation, capital expenditure, and long-term corporate strategy.” 

      Companies must conduct detailed climate risk assessments to inform strategy and disclosure requirements as pressure from stakeholders grows. And as physical threats from climate intensify, companies and governments must urgently build resilience into value chains, infrastructure and operational plans. 

    4. Sharpening how we value nature: The last five years have ushered in more corporate attention to the risks and value associated with nature. Brian Rosevear, VP of public affairs and communications at The Nature Conservancy of Canada, believes 2026 will be defined less by high-level commitments, and more by an increase in strategic investment in the natural systems that fuel our lives and livelihoods. 

      “It's the idea of seeing nature as an investable asset,” he said. “It’s not built, and it doesn’t carry a price tag in the way pipes or power lines do, but it performs just as reliably: buffering floods, filtering water, storing carbon, cooling cities, supporting food systems. Companies may focus more on safeguarding the natural assets that directly or indirectly support their operations. Communities may rely more on natural buffers instead of costly engineered fixes. And governments may see land conservation and restoration as part of their long-term infrastructure planning.” 

    5. Continued evolution of carbon markets and a new era of transparency: Carbon markets continued to grow and evolve in 2025, and the same trajectory is expected for 2026. On the demand side, Kelley Vendeland, VP of marketing and sustainability at Energy Recovery, is tracking how rising AI-related demand for energy is intensifying competition for high-quality carbon removal credits as companies seek to balance rising emissions, a dynamic that could help accelerate maturity in the carbon market. Akin to the expected (and hoped for) quality improvement in the market, there is also an appetite for more transparency and clear differentiation in how we talk about carbon. 

      Harris Cohn, head of sales at Charm Industrial, predicts in 2026, “The climate standard setters and journalists start better distinguishing between carbon capture and storage and durable carbon removals,” delineating between carbon neutral approaches and the net negative approaches needed for net zero. Beyond carbon markets, the desire for broader transparency and authenticity continues. 

      Nima Farshchi, executive director and lecturer at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, summarizes this sentiment, predicting a future driven by good intentions and transparency. “I think any company that is willing to take a stand on sustainability is doing so out of genuine alignment and part of a conscious culture, not driven to do so out of disingenuous beliefs.” 

    What do these predictions mean for communicators? We will need to spend far less time elevating high-level commitments and far more time translating complex, operational decisions into language stakeholders can understand and trust. As issues like AI energy demand, climate risk, nature investment, and carbon quality move closer to the core of business strategy, communications will need to reflect real constraints, tradeoffs, and timelines, not just ambition. Whether it’s more specific language around carbon removal or more contextualization to drive trust with local partners, it means grounding sustainability narratives in specific actions amidst a more uncertain and scrutinized landscape. 

    As we set our sights on 2026 and progress into the second half of the Global Goals’ Decade of Action, it’s clear the year ahead won’t offer simplicity. But these insights could provide sustainability leaders a sharper sense of how they can move forward with more confidence and clarity, underpinned by a sharper understanding of where they can expand their impact while navigating risks.

    Emily Chan is Executive Vice President, Social Impact & Sustainability.

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    Insights

    How AI is Reviving Traditional Media for Gen Z Audiences

    Madi Mills, Account Executive /

    For years, Gen Z has been largely disengaged from traditional media, instead prioritizing social platforms, short-form video, and real-time content. As a result, media relations have often taken a back seat in communications strategies aimed at reaching this audience.

    But that thinking is now due for a reset. While Gen Z may not be tuning in to traditional outlets, they’re reading the results. As AI-powered search tools pull directly from news sources to generate summaries, a generation long assumed to be media-agnostic is now consuming headlines, reporting, and context—often without realizing it. This shift gives earned media a new seat at the table in Gen Z engagement strategies.

    AI is Gen Z's new information hub

    According to a 2024 report by Media Technology Monitor, 38 per cent of Gen Z Canadians (aged 18 to 26) have used generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, the highest adoption rate of any age group. A 2025 survey by Toronto Metropolitan University’s Social Media Lab found that of the Canadian Gen Z adults (aged 18–24) who have used generative AI tools, 91 per cent of them use it for study, 82 per cent for leisure, and 77 per cent for work. In other words, AI has become a go-to for how they learn, play, work, and most critically, get their information.

    As they increasingly turn to these tools, trusted editorial content is resurfacing through the AI-generated outputs they consume. AI systems act as curators, elevating content from outlets they deem authoritative. And since trustworthy content is the foundation of AI answers, securing earned media coverage in those credible outlets has therefore become essential to reaching Gen Z.

    The Trust Gap Shaping AI Engagement 

    This shift is taking place in a broader context of deep mistrust. According to Gen Z & Grievance: An Edelman Gen Z Lab Special Report, two-thirds of Gen Z globally worry that government, business leaders, journalists and reporters are intentionally misleading them. And yet, those are the very sources AI systems rely on to generate answers. For communicators, the impact of this development is profound: to shape what Gen Z sees, believes, and shares in AI-powered environments, your message must live within the sources these systems trust most—because that’s what will shape their reality.

    AI-powered systems now deliver synthesized answers, rather than presenting a list of hyperlinks like traditional search engines. These models are trained on extensive libraries of credible sources, including journalism, academic research, and encyclopedias. Instead of relying on keyword matches, they emphasize quality and trustworthiness by prioritizing reliable editorial content. As a result, answers often reflect narratives shaped by traditional media, even when users never visit the original sources.

    In many cases, users only see a brief, AI-generated summary with no attribution. If a response is informed by a Forbes article or CNN segment, the original outlet may go unrecognized. While some platforms provide links, most users won’t click through if the summary feels sufficient.

    Why Earned Media Matters More Than Ever 

    This means the role of media relations in reaching Gen Z is expanding. Gen Z might not read a full-page profile or watch a panel discussion, but they will absorb the takeaways through a podcast excerpt, an Instagram carousel, or a smart assistant’s response – all of which are increasingly being shaped by AI. Additionally, because these tools often resurface the same credible content repeatedly, instead of a one-time impression, a quote or insight can live on as part of AI’s responses to related queries further amplifying the impact.

    As Gen Z continues to turn to AI for trusted information, the role of traditional media takes on a new kind of relevance. Content from trusted editorial sources now shapes the answers Gen Z receives, even if they never visit the original outlet. For communicators, this makes earned media coverage a priority that can no longer be overlooked. If your messaging doesn’t appear in the ecosystems that AI tools trust, it risks being left out of the conversation altogether.

     

     

    About the Edelman Trust Barometer Flash Poll: Trust and Artificial Intelligence at a Crossroads

    The Edelman Trust Barometer Flash Poll: Trust and Artificial Intelligence at a Crossroads was produced by the Edelman Trust Institute in addition to the annual Edelman Trust Barometer. The Flash Poll surveyed 5,000 respondents across 5 countries between October 17 and October 27, 2025. It is the firm's first study dedicated to the question of Trust and AI.

     

    About Edelman 

    Edelman is a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. With 6,000 employees across over 60 offices, Edelman develops communication strategies that build client confidence and stakeholder trust. The firm boasts an array of accolades, including PRWeek's Agency Dynasty of the Past 25 Years and Global Agency of the Year (2023) and Cannes Lions Independent Agency of the Year for the Good Track (2024 & 2022). Recognized as a standout agency by AdAge (2023) and honored with multiple Cannes Lions, including Titanium, Grand Prix and seven Gold Lions since 2021, Edelman consistently sets the industry standard. Since our founding in 1952, we have remained an independent, family-run business. Edelman owns specialty companies Edelman Data x Intelligence (research, data), Edelman Smithfield (financial communications), and UEG (entertainment, sports and lifestyle). 

     

    Insights

    From PR to Pinot Noir: How I used my Edelman Ten Year Service Award to Chase a Dream

    Annabelle Torr /

    No amount of winery tours prepares you for the hands-on, hard labour of winemaking.

    That’s how I spent three weeks working harvest at Chapel Down, the UK’s largest English wine producer in Kent to celebrate hitting my ten year milestone at Edelman.

    When you reach a decade working at Edelman, we’re rewarded with a long service award of ten days of extra holiday. While most people head to the beach or explore new cities, I decided to do something completely different; immerse myself in the world of wine. Sparkling wine is my passion, and although I’d studied it, I’d never experienced behind the scenes of a winery let alone a harvest – a rite of passage for any wine lover.

    My best friend, Tom, part of the winemaking team at Chapel Down, invited me to join him as one of the Harvest interns. An offer I couldn’t refuse.

    2025 was a near perfect year for growing grapes.

    This year was one of the best UK harvests to date: warm, dry weather, record sunshine and beautifully clean, ripe fruit. Sunshine and heat are vitally important to ripen grapes, this combination of conditions saw increased sugar development, riper fruit flavours and softer tannins. Dry conditions mean very little disease - such as grey rot - in the vineyard, providing higher yields of clean, healthy fruit leading to higher quality wine.

    Make a note of the 2025 vintage, English wines are going from strength to strength and this year is going to be special. Expect more tropical and stone fruit notes, like mangos, nectarines, honeydew melons, bountiful berries such as strawberries, raspberries, cherries and boldness in the wines - simply put more interesting flavours going on in the end product.

    What did I do?

    Winemaking is not easy, it’s technical and requires patience at every step – not to mention, 90% cleaning. Tanks, barrels, presses, floors, grape bins: everything gets washed, sanitised, scrubbed or swept on a daily basis. The rest is the fun part: pressing grapes, adding yeast, measuring sugar, transferring juice between tanks, and monitoring fermentation across more than 120 tanks (some up to 50,000 litres).

    Integrated into the 20 strong team of harvest interns, the winery operates 24hrs a day during harvest - a day shift taking twelve hours between 8am - 8pm and nights 8pm - 8am. It’s a beehive of activity - everyone working independently but also smoothly as a team. This camaraderie certainly one of the greatest parallels between my role at Edelman, leading up to a major event or PR launch, and within the winery.

    I helped in the onsite Lab where sugar and acid levels in the grapes are tested. I manually crushed grape samples; all 13 varieties grown across the estate and sourced from specialist growers are tested for ripeness to know when to pick. It’s a balancing act, the sugars need to be high but not too high and the acids low but not too low.

    I visited some of the 400 hectares (1,000+ acres) of vineyards and I was blown away by the scale, seeing rows upon rows upon rows of vines over Kits Coty, one of the best vineyard sites in the UK on beautifully white chalk soil. A view you’d expect in France or Italy but it was a pinch me moment to overlook the rolling hills of home.

    One of my most memorable moments was filling barrels for oak aged Bacchus - Kits Coty Bacchus 2025. Using the barrel spear to fill the barrels to the perfect height - 94% full - required real skill and it took me a few goes to master it. The wine rose really fast and crescendoed up far above my head, a volcano of grape juice covering me head to toe… three times. My initiation complete!

    I touched pretty much every blend of the 2025 vintage. My three weeks in the winery were reminiscent of the total length of the champagne harvest but here in the UK this extends to mid October in 2025. Brave are the souls who give their all to make what we thought could never be possible; make great wine in the UK. I am incredibly proud to be part of this burgeoning young industry, to make it award winning and put it on the map globally.

    My reflections on this once in a lifetime experience

    Sparkling wine is an investment of time, money and patience. The 2025 fruit we pressed will be released as still wine next year but the sparkling will spend at least 18 months in bottle for secondary fermentation to create the bubbles and develop flavour, due to be released from spring 2028. The more special and premium sparkling wines are aged for longer, it will be Christmas 2029 at the earliest for these wines, and for some it will be more than a decade! There will be some time to wait before trying my final wines.

    There’s something cathartic being so hands-on with the making of a food and beverage product. Through my actions a beautiful cuvée was made - the romanticism certainly not lost on me. In fact, it captured my imagination and I appreciate every single glass from now on knowing the sheer effort and number of hands it takes to get the fruit from the vine and into your glass, the finished product. 

    Having time for reflection and perspective away from the laptop to realise how special and warranted the work we do really is - without strong successful marketing, differentiating a food and beverage product is impossible. 

    In my first interview for the role as an Account Manager in the Brand practice, I was told “Edelman is a place full of incredibly intelligent people with entrepreneurial spirit” and they weren’t wrong. That’s to say if you want something, you can do it but you absolutely need to drive it yourself. Be motivated. Rally your stakeholders. Plan ahead in good time and you absolutely can do what I have done. These opportunities are possible. Make sure you’ve given thought to how you’ll make it work for your clients and your team. Think of the skills you’ll develop as a result of your experience you can bring back to apply to the business and your clients industries. Most importantly, have a supportive team behind you. All credit to my brand team and line manager, Ethan Tuxford - thank you.

    This was my once in a lifetime chance to live a dream, and thanks to the team at Chapel Down and Edelman I lived it, and absolutely loved it. I’ll raise a glass to that.

    Annabelle Torr is an associate director in the London Brand team, sharing her passion for wine @bellecuvee.

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