I know it’s only January, but how content are you with your 2026 plan?
I always think that planning sessions can tempt us into a false sense of certainty.
We map the year out, assign and agree the budget, define the numbers, and for a few weeks, everything feels under control.
But, I hate to say it, 2026 won’t reward control.
Yet, it will reward adaptability.
A common mistake many marketing teams make is treating planning as the pursuit of accuracy.
When really, planning is the pursuit of readiness.
Readiness to respond to shifts in buyer behaviour.
Readiness to reallocate spend when priorities change.
Readiness to adjust messaging when the market moves.
Readiness to collaborate when partners bring new pressures and challenges to the table.
In our experience the most impactful marketing plans don’t assume stability; they assume volatility.
As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, they give contingency, for decisions you can’t see yet.
And the teams who will genuinely thrive this year won’t be the ones who “got the plan right.”
They’ll be the ones who created a system around the plan:
- fast feedback loops
- shared dashboards with finance and partners
- monthly alignment instead of annual check-ins
- budgets that bend without breaking
- teams trained to adapt, not defend
Remember… Prediction comforts us. Adaptation protects us.
This year belongs to the marketers who are brave enough to build for the reality we’re actually in, not the one we wish we were.