When we asked our members about trends for 2026, two core themes emerged. The first was unsurprisingly the evolution of AI and trust within the insights industry, which we dived into in as part one of this special Global WINdow issue…
But that’s not the whole picture.
When talking about trends, it is crucial to remember that different cultures, context, and people may be experiencing things differently.
New global trends, such as the rise of AI, may appear to be taking centre stage, but underlying these new trends, one truth remains: people are focused on getting by.
Drawing on insights from WIN members across the globe, the second part of this story explores how people are navigating ongoing economic uncertainty. What’s emerging for 2026 goes beyond the buzz around AI, revealing something much more layered than a single defining trend. The learning being that looking at trends at a global level only gets you so far, the real story appears when you zoom in.
For emerging markets, especially in middle and upper-middle-income countries, this means that rising costs, political turbulence, and social fragmentation are bigger trends shaping people’s behaviour and business decisions than AI, new technology, and its ethical concerns.
The economics of surviving
In Pakistan, Bilal Gilani explains that consumers are recalibrating their priorities: “people will prioritize survival and substitution rather than sustainability – adapting through cost-efficient goods, local alternatives, and informal financial safety nets.” While sustainability slips down the agenda, youth activism is taking a different shape too. Rather than a global narrative of Gen Z centred on climate and identity, Pakistani youth are rallying around livelihood and dignity.
In Spain, Carlos Rello, General Manager at Instituto DYM, notes that young people are most concerned about access to housing, against a backdrop of political dissatisfaction and the potential rise of populist parties as we head into 2026.
A similar shift is taking place in Turkey, where consumers are becoming increasingly emotionally value-oriented. They are “seeking not only affordability but also authenticity, trust, and relevance from brands that reflect their lived realities amidst economic hardship”. The price-value dynamic is now emotionally driven, says Yavuz Karaca, Data Analysis Manager at BAREM.
Laura Ruvalcaba, CEO of BRAIN Research in Mexico, echoes this trend, noting that consumers are increasingly focused on “hard discounts” and “low-cost format stores”,
spending more selectively. Brands and retailers must therefore justify clearly why shoppers should choose them.
Economic and geopolitical uncertainty doesn’t just influence spending – it reshapes identities, lifestyles, and behaviours. Nabil Kukali, Founder and Director of the Palestine Center for Public Opinion, explains that rising polarization and evolving social values are redefining people’s trust in governing bodies. Opinions and actions are now increasingly driven “not only by ideology but by survival”.
Kati Limapichat adds that, “managing the political conflicts between superpowers is challenging. Whatever the outcome, the market [in Thailand] will be fragmented.” Urpi Torrado highlights the need for “new segmentation models” that reflect this evolving landscape of combined work, home, and social identities.
Across many markets, these pressures are building into something heavier: a collective sense of exhaustion, loneliness, and stress. In Argentina, Constanza Cilley observes that emotional burnout is widespread, with youth suicide rates rising at an alarming pace. And while “the feeling of exhaustion is collective,” she notes that open conversations about mental well-being are only just beginning to take hold, but access is still limited, and stigma is high.
Moving forward
Looking ahead, 2026 will be defined not just by technological innovation but by the complex realities shaping people’s daily lives. For researchers and brands, this means balancing the excitement of AI and automation with a deep understanding of people’s economic pressures and societal challenges. Success will come from insights that go beyond topline global trends to capture the real lived human experiences, acknowledging the nuanced ways people are adapting to survive and navigate uncertainty.
As WIN members have shown, the future of insights lies in connecting technology with empathy, data with context, and trends with the lived realities of people around the world.