Happy New Year! And The Deep Reset: What Unfound believes About 2026

4 minute read…

Looking back to look ahead

As the calendar turns to 2026, there is a familiar pressure to arrive with answers. Predictions. Hot takes. A sense that, as leaders, we should already know what is coming next, and be able to say it clearly, confidently, and on cue.

If I’m honest, I feel that pressure too.

There is something in the air at the start of every year that suggests certainty is required. That if you pause for too long, if you hesitate or admit you are still figuring things out, you risk falling behind. So we talk about momentum. We talk about growth. We talk about what’s next, often before we have properly processed what’s just been.

But if the last year taught us anything, it is this: real insight does not come from looking higher first. It comes from looking deeper.

For us, 2025 was not a year of easy wins or neat narratives. It was a year of hard-won lessons. Tight markets. Near-miss pitches. Missed pitches. Honest conversations between co-founders after calls. The kind of moments that quietly make you question what you are building, how you are building it, and whether it still makes sense to keep going in the same way.

Not everything worked.

Some things are still unfolding. And some things simply did not land, no matter how much effort went into them. Yet somewhere in that friction, something clearer began to take shape. Behind the reels, beyond our content, the wins big and small, and the constant sense of momentum, the true drivers of progress revealed themselves. They were far less glamorous. Perseverance. Purpose. And the willingness to debrief when it would have been easier to move on.

We learned to celebrate the creative highs without inflating them. And to confront the setbacks without pretending they were something else. Those conversations sharpened us. They slowed us down in the right way. They reminded us what actually matters. And they are the reason we are stepping into 2026 differently.

What worked

We doubled down on relationships.

When the local market began to feel saturated and familiar, we did not retreat. We reached out. We got on planes. We sat in rooms we had not sat in before, from London to New York, not to chase quick wins, but to be present. To listen. To learn. That decision changed something in us.

It reminded us that the real currency of this industry is not creativity or capital. It is connection. Being in the right conversations. Showing up properly. Allowing relationships to develop without forcing them.

We also leaned into work that felt true to who we are. We published cultural insight through Newwave™. We shared more of our own journey through our documentary series, including the less polished, more human reality of building a studio. Not to perform transparency, but to articulate what we care about and how we see the world. Those choices led to better conversations with clients and partners. Fewer transactions. More alignment.

Andre, our favourite chats in the office

What did not

Anything hollow struggled. We saw familiar marketing tactics lose their edge. Content for content’s sake. Activity without conviction. The sense that if we just did more, something would break through.

It rarely did.

Audiences are not short on information. They are short on patience. They can spot noise quickly and they tune it out. We heard it clearly in our research. People are tired of being sold to. They want story, substance, and clarity. We also learned the cost of saying yes when we should have said no. Work that did not fit. Work that diluted focus. Work that drained energy and margin. Most agencies have been there. We have too.

2025 taught us resilience. It also taught us restraint. We are carrying forward what genuinely resonated, and letting go of what did not. That discipline is the foundation of our year ahead.

What truly matters in 2026

If we had to reduce our belief about 2026 to one word, it would be meaning.

Not as a shiny idea or a marketing phrase, but as a practical lens. Meaning helps answer hard questions. What is worth doing. What is worth saying. And what is simply adding noise. In a year where everything is competing for attention, meaning becomes the differentiator.

Here is what we believe will actually matter this year.

Depth over noise
People do not want more content. They want better content. The era of volume for volume’s sake is fading. What cuts through now is work with voice, texture, and intent. Every message should earn its place. Depth is no longer a creative preference. It is a strategic requirement.

Human connection
Technology has accelerated everything. It has not replaced the need for human presence. I’m spending more time asking people when I can see them. Sitting across a table. Taking time. It is old-fashioned, but it’s how I want to work this year. At the end of every decision is a person. Brands that remember this will build trust faster than those that rely on scale alone.

Clarity of purpose
Virality is unpredictable. Organic reach is fragile. Chasing tactics without a clear centre is exhausting and ineffective. Brands that know who they are, what they stand for, and why they exist will move with more confidence. Purpose creates consistency, and consistency builds trust.

Brave adaptability
2026 will reward those willing to move first, not recklessly, but deliberately. New tools, new behaviours, new expectations are already here. Leadership now means setting direction, not waiting for proof. Calculated risk, grounded in cultural understanding, will separate leaders from followers.

Sustainable pace
Burnout is no longer something that only affects individuals. It shapes teams, culture, and long-term performance. People are stepping back from constant optimisation and choosing longevity. Brands and teams that respect attention, energy, and wellbeing will outperform those that extract until nothing is left. Quality over quantity is not just healthier. It is smarter.

In short, what will stand out in 2026 is work that is aligned, human, and intentional.

The road ahead

With that in mind, our focus this year is simple: do more of what matters, and less of what does not. We are committing to deeper storytelling, grounded in cultural insight rather than surface trends. We are staying curious, asking harder questions, and resisting the pull toward easy answers. We are continuing to build a studio that values thought, care, and long-term impact over short-term noise. We are optimistic, but not naive.

We know this year will bring uncertainty as well as opportunity. But we enter it with greater clarity about who we are and how we want to show up. The old formulas are losing their grip. That is not a threat. It is an invitation.

So here is to the unfound opportunities of the year ahead. The ones that appear when we slow down, look honestly at where we are, and choose to build with intention.

If any of this resonates, if you are rethinking how your brand shows up, or simply want a sharper conversation about what matters next, reach out to me. I’d love to hang.

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