2026 Outlook: The rise of intentional influence

The old macro-influencer playbook is being retired. Journalists are ditching mastheads for Substack and LinkedIn, and in the process, are cultivating audiences who trust them more than traditional outlets.

Havas Red has released its annual predictions report and it captures just how fast the communications industry is evolving. From the return of specialisation in an oversaturated media landscape to the rise of intentional influence, Redsters across all 24 HAVAS Red markets look to the year ahead.

The rise of intentional influence

According to Havas Red, in the coming year, By 2026, news and influence will be crafted by podcasters, Substack writers and niche creators who will sit shoulder to shoulder with legacy media. This new breed of influencers known as ‘newsfluencers’ will blend journalistic integrity with the reach and relatability of social media, offering raw, unfiltered perspectives that can challenge official narratives and mainstream bias.  

In 2026, influence will be more about resonance than reach. For communicators, that shifts the game. Partnerships should feel more like co-design than paid placements, and building authentic relationships with nichefluencers and newsfluencers will be essential to ensure credible storytelling and brand relevance in a fragmented landscape.

Another trend that will emerge, as a result, is the evolution of newsrooms. The future of journalism won’t hinge on covering everything—but on covering something deeply, credibly and consistently. To stay competitive in the subscription era, some media companies have already begun introducing premium memberships that offer exclusive newsletters, events, and insider reporting.

Communicators have moved from crisis managers to strategic advisors

Pandemic, war, climate disasters, technological disruption and misinformation have created an era of permanent turbulence, which Havas Red terms ‘permacrisis’. In today’s world, crisis management is no longer a specialist skill; it’s a baseline expectation across PR and marketing teams. And with stakeholders demanding greater accountability from leadership, the C-Suite is stepping directly into the arena. Media training has evolved accordingly — today, it’s inseparable from crisis preparedness.

Looking ahead, communicators will serve as strategic advisors who not only manage turbulence but harness it. The brands that succeed will be those that turn crisis into a catalyst for trust, adaptability and new forms of public engagement.

Part of crisis management is addressing the steady wave of disinformation. For example, the recent GEO Benchmark Index 2025 found that 90% of AI-generated summaries for consumer brands exhibited an overweighted negative sentiment bias.

For brands, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Consumers are increasingly assessing companies not just on what they say, but how they substantiate it. PR teams must evolve from storytellers to stewards of truth — prioritising verification, clear sourcing and transparent motives.

Brands that communicate openly, admit imperfections and show their work will stand apart from those who obscure or over-claim, Havas Red said.

Use AI as a testing ground

One way to get ahead of the curve is to stress-test potential conflicts and the brand’s responses, such as through synthetic audiences.

Synthetic audiences — AI-built simulations of hyper-specific demographics — will move from fringe experiments to standard practice, embedded in campaign planning, crisis playbooks and trust measurement across global comms teams.

Havas Red cited how British news publication The Times used AI-generated audience clones—based on synthetic research created by taking a reader panel from its database of 642,000 subscribers and the broader British newsreading population--to determine new ways to engage readers.

Through synthetic audiences, comms teams can pressure-test messaging in minutes, stress-check crisis response or float sensitive ideas without NDAs or focus groups.

Every comment, conversation and fan counts

Redsters also spotlighted the growing importance of the comment section. No longer just a reactionary space, the comment sections has become social media’s go-to place for driving community growth and supercharging brand engagement. The smartest brands have pro-active community engagement strategies and systems in place, treating comments as microcontent opportunities. Many brands, with the help of AI-powered social intelligence tools, are seeing stronger engagement and follower growth from witty, timely and brand-aligned replies over owned social content.

Brand content itself in undergoing a reckoning. The proliferation of ‘AI slop’ has given way to a craving for bold, human storytelling that’s raw and resonant. Communicators should prioritise lo-fi, personal, creator-led storytelling over polished brand assets. Embrace conversational SEO, community-led narratives and UGC as the new drivers of discoverability, the report said.

Additionally, as mass posting grows increasingly performative, brands that gain ‘entry’ into fandoms will see stronger engagement. It’s a good idea for brands to invest in strategies that earn entry into closed micro-communities such as on Discord, Telegram or other private groups, where fandoms are passionate, highly engaged and built on shared meaning, emotion and ritual. When brands enter these spaces as authentic participants, not as outsiders looking to sell, they earn trust and long-term relevance.

The full report can be read here.