2026 market signals – part two: Activating through events, AI & performance

In part one of this series, we explored what’s changing inside life science companies, and how internal issues like brand blur, misaligned teams and shallow insight loops are affecting marketing performance.

If you missed it, you’ll want to catch up:

Part one – 2026 market signals: Aligning teams, strategy & brand

Now we’re looking outward.

From events to AI to the commercial function, marketing’s external world is evolving fast – and expectations are high. In this second half of our 2026 trends round-up, Chief Commercial Officer Yasmin Davoodi and Head of Strategy Lara Lovenbury unpack how to show up with clarity, avoid the noise and align more directly to revenue.

4. Events are strategic stages, not tactics

YD
Events should be seen as far more than just lead-generation tools. For many businesses, presence itself has become a signal: of confidence, credibility, and intent.
What’s changed is expectation. Simply showing up isn’t enough. The brands making an impact are the ones using events to say something meaningful about who they are and where they’re going.

Too often, events sit in isolation – disconnected from campaigns, content, and sales follow-up. That’s where opportunity is being lost.

LL
When fully integrated, events become catalysts for momentum. They align sales and marketing around shared objectives, anchor wider campaigns, and create emotional resonance that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.

Because audiences are fully immersed at events, these moments shape memory. The strongest brands treat events as part of a holistic plan – building narrative before, during and after – ensuring the energy translates into commercial impact, not just footfall.

5. AI can accelerate thinking – not replace it

YD
AI is everywhere, and while it’s accelerating execution, it’s also accelerating sameness. We’re seeing more content produced faster, but with less distinction.

The risk is that AI becomes a shortcut for thinking rather than a support for it. When strategy is weak, AI doesn’t fix it – it amplifies it.

LL
Our view is simple: AI can help you synthesise and start, but it can’t help you decide.

It’s incredibly effective at processing information, identifying patterns, and getting teams to a clearer starting point faster. But the decisions that change the direction of a business – positioning, prioritisation, focus – must remain human-led.

AI can enable higher-value thinking, but it cannot replace it. Strategy requires judgement, context and insight. Especially when the stakes are commercial, reputational or long-term.

6. Marketing must be closer to revenue

YD
Marketing teams are now being asked to prove direct impact on revenue – often without the systems, processes or foundations in place to do so.
CRM gaps, underdeveloped ABM strategies and unclear funnel ownership are colliding with increasing pressure from commercial leadership. The result is frustration on both sides.

The expectation isn’t wrong, but the groundwork is often missing.

LL
When foundations are in place, revenue alignment can empower the entire marketing and sales funnel.

Clear understanding of addressable markets, conversion pathways and channel performance allows teams to make informed decisions – not just about what to do, but what not to do. That focus is what most strategies lack.

Without this, there is a risk that marketing becomes scattergun. With it, marketing becomes precise – reinforcing positioning, supporting sales, and driving growth in a way that’s measurable and sustainable.

Final response: Think sharper, not louder

YD
The instinct in a pressured market is to do more. More campaigns. More events. More output. But volume doesn’t equal impact.

The businesses that will win in 2026 are the ones willing to slow down just enough to get clarity, and then move with purpose.

LL
That clarity comes from identifying your anchor insight – the one thing you can own that your audience genuinely cares about and your competitors can’t easily replicate.

Build around that. Go deep, not wide. Let it guide prioritization, strategy and execution. In a high-stakes market, focus isn’t a limitation, but a multiplier.

📥 Didn’t start with part one? Head there next for the internal shifts shaping success behind the scenes.