Life Trends 2026: Why Life-Centricity is the New Differentiator in a Saturated World, with Accenture Song and Virgin Media O2

In a world of relentless choice and technological acceleration, the brands that win are not the ones with the most features or the lowest price. They are the ones that make people feel alive.

In this podcast, Sophie Devonshire, Chief Executive of The Marketing Society, is joined by Katie Burke, Global Lead for Life Trends at Accenture Song, and Lisa Johnstone, Director of Priority, Loyalty and Rewards at Virgin Media O2, to explore three of the most compelling trends from the Life Trends 2026 report, Accenture Song's global study of human behaviour in a rapidly changing world.

This year's trends are anchored in the hero's journey: challenge, change, and transformation. And for marketing leaders, the implications are significant.

We explore Human Journeys, and how AI is reshaping the moments of discovery and decision-making that matter most to customers, including what zero-click experiences mean for brand visibility and relevance. We look at Good Vibrations, and why joy, play, and real-world connection are becoming serious commercial differentiators, and how the most effective brands enable culture rather than chase it. And we examine Coming of Age, and why age is no longer the right organising principle for marketers, and what to reach for instead.

With 77% of people expecting brands to help them feel joy and wellbeing, the pressure on marketing leaders to make the case for emotional brand-building has never been greater. This episode explores what life-centricity really means in practice, and how to take that argument into the boardroom.

Read the full Life Trends 2026 report: https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/song/accenture-life-trends-2026