Marketing Wins of 2025 and What to Learn for 2026
- Ivonna Young
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
TL;DR
2025 was a year that rewarded clarity, cultural fluency, and strategic discipline. The brands that grew weren’t reacting to trends. They were shaping the moment, reading consumer behavior in real time, and building worlds people wanted to live in.
Your 2026 success depends on how well you study what worked this year and turn those patterns into a strategy you can trust.
Consumer behavior changed in meaningful ways this year. Shoppers became more selective. They moved toward brands that felt intentional. They gravitated to experiences, communities, and cultural moments that reflected their values.
And in an economic climate where every purchase required justification, the brands that rose to the top delivered clarity, consistency, and relevance across every touchpoint.
This is the lens founders need to bring into 2026. Because next year won’t reward guesswork. It will reward strategy.
Why 2025’s wins matter
Culture shaped demand more than any other channel
The brands that won didn’t wait for virality. They created it. They understood what people were talking about, what they cared about, and what they were craving. Then they responded with intention.
Scarcity, world-building, and community became growth engines
This year proved that emotional connection, narrative, and belonging drive measurable outcomes. A strong brand world outperformed isolated campaigns. Community outperformed traditional influence.
Category expansion only worked when backed by leadership
The most successful expansions came from brands that invested in operators, not guesses. Expansion without strategy stalled. Expansion with expertise scaled.
Creative direction became a business strategy
It wasn’t about aesthetics. It was about consistency. The brands with a defined point of view outperformed those who tried to be everything to everyone.
A quick look at the standouts
These four brands illustrate the patterns shaping the next era of growth. Their full breakdowns are coming in separate posts, but here’s what matters at a high level:
Erewhon
Redefined grocery as a luxury experience through elevated curation, community building, and precise scarcity.
Labubu / Pop Mart
Built a global phenomenon by mastering fandom, emotional value, and engineered hype.
Skims
Turned cultural moments into commercial outcomes with leadership, operational strength, and smart timing.
Miu Miu
Owned the fashion conversation with creative consistency, cultural intelligence, and a strong brand universe.
Each win looks different, but the strategy behind them is the same: clarity, conviction, and an ecosystem that supports growth.
What founders should carry into 2026
1. Strategy comes first
You need a roadmap built around real behavior, real goals, and real constraints. Growth is not a mood. It’s a plan.
2. Your brand world matters more than any single campaign
People buy into meaning, not messages. Into identity, not categories. Your brand world is what turns customers into loyalists.
3. Bold moves only work when the fundamentals are solid
It’s not about being provocative. It’s about being prepared. When your foundation is strong, your marketing has room to be creative and ambitious.
4. Culture is a business opportunity
Trends fade. Culture evolves. And when you understand that evolution, you make decisions that hold value long after the moment passes.
The digital reality
Digital marketing in 2026 needs to be intentional. More aligned. More narrative-driven. More cohesive.
You need:
Messaging that reflects your customer’s mindset.
Email flows that build anticipation and loyalty.
Content that reinforces who you are, not who the algorithm wants you to be.
A journey that feels seamless and strategic from the first click to the repeat purchase.
This is what reduces churn and increases momentum.
Final thought
2025 made it clear: growth happens when brands lead with strategy, act with intention, and understand culture better than anyone else.
At The Lavender Agency, I help founders remove the guesswork and build marketing strategies rooted in insight, structure, and clear goals. If you want to enter 2026 with confidence, clarity, and a plan you can actually execute, now is the time to build it.
Ready to set the tone for your next stage of growth? Book a discovery call today.
This blog is part of our series “Marketing Wins of 2025 and What to Learn for 2026.” Coming up next:
How Erewhon Turned Grocery Shopping Into a Luxury Status Symbol
Inside Labubu’s Global Takeover
Skims’ Playbook for Culture-Driven Growth
How Miu Miu Became Fashion’s Most Influential Trendsetter
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