4 Trends That Will Make or Break Brands in 2026

Most leaders build strategy around data and decks — and then wonder why nobody commits.Matt Marcotte has spent 34 years watching this pattern repeat across 200+ companies, from Apple to Salesforce. His conclusion: real commitment starts with emotion, not logic. In his book Built on Belief, Matt lays out a deceptively simple mental model — heart, head, hands (feel, think, do) — that explains why culture breaks at scale, why AI-perfect content repels instead of attracts, and why the companies that invest in belief outperform everyone playing the metrics game.Key takeaways:- The brain is wired to feel first, think second, act third — leaders who reverse this order get compliance, not commitment- You cannot give what you've never received: employee experience must precede customer experience- As AI commoditizes execution, belief and human connection become the true competitive advantage- The 3 C's (Clarity, Curiosity, Connection) give leaders a practical framework for aligning teams around purpose- Metrics replace purpose when companies scale without vetting for belief — and that's when culture diesConnect with Matt Marcotte:Matt’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mamarcotte/Matt’s Book: https://a.co/d/065v7O29Website: m2collaborative.com/Email: [email protected] of Experience is hosted by Lacey Peace and made by the team at Mission.org.Chapters00:00:00 You Can't Give What You've Never Received 00:02:21 The "Rational Consumer" Myth and Becoming a Consumer Anthropologist00:08:38 Heart, Head, Hands: Why the Order Matters 00:11:05 Why Startups Lose Belief at Scale 00:16:37 The 3 C's: Clarity, Curiosity, Connection00:21:43 You Can't Give What You've Never Received00:32:22 Patagonia, Starbucks, and the Power of Alignment 00:38:11 AI and the Rebellion Against Perfection00:43:03 Outsourcing Meaning vs. Building Confidence 00:50:39 Lightning Round: Physical Spaces, Talking to Strangers, and Built on BeliefExperts of Experience is a Mission.org production. To discover more shows designed to educate, inspire, and entertain, go to mission.org. –Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if everything you thought you knew about customer experience was backwards? In this episode, JC Quintana—author, educator, and psychologist—reveals why most companies are approaching CX completely wrong. Instead of obsessing over touchpoints and metrics, JC argues we need to start with something much more fundamental: expectations. JC walks us through his Dialogue 7 framework, which identifies the seven critical conversations that must happen before you can even think about designing an experience. From defining value and understanding cultural influences to managing engagement levels and transparency expectations, these conversations form the foundation of every successful business relationship. We explore why employees are anxious about AI adoption (hint: it’s not about the technology), why ChatGPT accidentally became the world’s best communication teacher, and why saying your company is “like a family” might be doing more harm than good. If you’re tired of CX strategies that look great on paper but fail in practice, this conversation will fundamentally shift how you think about customer relationships in 2026 and beyond. Chapters (00:00) Why Technology Vendors Broke Customer Experience (03:14) What’s Really Broken: We’ve Lost the Human Component (10:00) Business Model First, Experience Second (16:35) Introducing the Dialogue 7 Framework (24:01) The Most Commonly Missed Expectations: Knowledge & Engagement (34:48) How to Actually Use the 7 Conversations in Practice (41:00) Why Employees Are Anxious About AI (And What to Do About It) (50:03) ChatGPT: The World’s Best Communication Teacher (58:21) Lightning Round: Books, Trends, and What’s Next (01:09:00) Connect with JC: Books, Resources, and Next Steps –Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if everything you thought you knew about customer experience was backwards?In this episode, JC Quintana—author, educator, and psychologist—reveals why most companies are approaching CX completely wrong. Instead of obsessing over touchpoints and metrics, JC argues we need to start with something much more fundamental: expectations.JC walks us through his Dialogue 7 framework, which identifies the seven critical conversations that must happen before you can even think about designing an experience. From defining value and understanding cultural influences to managing engagement levels and transparency expectations, these conversations form the foundation of every successful business relationship.We explore why employees are anxious about AI adoption (hint: it's not about the technology), why ChatGPT accidentally became the world's best communication teacher, and why saying your company is "like a family" might be doing more harm than good.If you're tired of CX strategies that look great on paper but fail in practice, this conversation will fundamentally shift how you think about customer relationships in 2026 and beyond.Chapters00:00:00 Why Technology Vendors Broke Customer Experience03:14 What's Really Broken: We've Lost the Human Component10:00 Business Model First, Experience Second16:35 Introducing the Dialogue 7 Framework24:01 The Most Commonly Missed Expectations: Knowledge & Engagement34:48 How to Actually Use the 7 Conversations in Practice41:00 Why Employees Are Anxious About AI (And What to Do About It)50:03 ChatGPT: The World's Best Communication Teacher58:21 Lightning Round: Books, Trends, and What's Next01:09:00 Connect with JC: Books, Resources, and Next StepsExperts of Experience is a Mission.org production. To discover more shows designed to educate, inspire, and entertain, go to mission.org. –Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if everything you thought you knew about customer experience was backwards? In this episode, JC Quintana—author, educator, and psychologist—reveals why most companies are approaching CX completely wrong. Instead of obsessing over touchpoints and metrics, JC argues we need to start with something much more fundamental: expectations. JC walks us through his Dialogue 7 framework, which identifies the seven critical conversations that must happen before you can even think about designing an experience. From defining value and understanding cultural influences to managing engagement levels and transparency expectations, these conversations form the foundation of every successful business relationship. We explore why employees are anxious about AI adoption (hint: it's not about the technology), why ChatGPT accidentally became the world's best communication teacher, and why saying your company is "like a family" might be doing more harm than good. If you're tired of CX strategies that look great on paper but fail in practice, this conversation will fundamentally shift how you think about customer relationships in 2026 and beyond. Chapters:00:00 - Introduction01:52 - What's Really Broken in Customer Experience05:12 - Redefining CX: It's All About Expectations08:19 - The Promise-Proof-Delivery Framework in Customer Journeys12:26 - Business Model First, Experience Second16:56 - Introducing the Dialogue 7 Framework21:58 - Why Culture and "Centricity" Matter More Than You Think24:43 - The Knowledge and Accountability Gap28:02 - Transparency vs Trust: The Critical Distinction29:13 - Why Experience Comes Last (Not First)33:22 - The Two Most Commonly Missed Expectations36:46 - How to Actually Use the 7 Conversations in Practice42:49 - Why Employees Are Anxious About AI48:03 - The Value-Cost Equation in Every Relationship53:53 - ChatGPT: The World's Best Communication Teacher58:21 - Lightning Round: Books, Trends, and Frameworks1:06:11 - Stop Saying Your Company Is "Like a Family"1:11:59 - Skills the Next Generation Will Need1:14:36 - Where to Find JC Quintana  –Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What separates companies succeeding with AI from those struggling to see results? The answer isn't the AI itself-it's the data foundation underneath it.In this episode, we explore why the companies winning with AI today are the ones that spent years cleaning, structuring, and curating their data. Our guest is Mike Hutchinson, Chief Operating Officer at Teradata, bringing 35 years of customer experience expertise across three software companies.Mike breaks down the critical gap between structured and unstructured data, why vector stores and context engines are game-changers, and how real AI use cases come from solving business problems-not from hackathons. He shares examples from banking, airlines, and Teradata's own operations, including their fully autonomous account planning system.We also look ahead to 2026 and Mike's bold prediction: this will be the year companies build agents at scale - autonomous systems that monitor, decide, and act without human intervention.Chapters00:00:00 Meet Mike Hutchinson, 35 Year CX Veteran00:09:22 The Unstructured Data Problem00:12:07 Marrying Structured & Unstructured Data00:16:15 Why AI Use Cases Fail00:19:32 Banking NPS Transformation Story00:25:18 Security & Hallucination Concerns00:30:32 Getting Started with Data Organization00:37:33 Predictive Analytics & Weather Patterns Example00:42:21 CX Skills for the Next Decade00:48:52 The Expertise Debate in an AI World00:56:49 2026 Prediction: The Year of AgentsWatch Next: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enBE_5PQOb4Experts of Experience is produced by the team at Mission.org. –Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What separates companies succeeding with AI from those struggling to see results? The answer isn't the AI itself-it's the data foundation underneath it. In this episode, we explore why the companies winning with AI today are the ones that spent years cleaning, structuring, and curating their data. Our guest is Mike Hutchinson, Chief Operating Officer at Teradata, bringing 35 years of customer experience expertise across three software companies. Mike breaks down the critical gap between structured and unstructured data, why vector stores and context engines are game-changers, and how real AI use cases come from solving business problems-not from hackathons. He shares examples from banking, airlines, and Teradata's own operations, including their fully autonomous account planning system. We also look ahead to 2026 and Mike's bold prediction: this will be the year companies build agents at scale - autonomous systems that monitor, decide, and act without human intervention.   Chapters/Key Moments   06:20 – The Structured vs Unstructured Data Problem 09:00 – What Companies Miss About Unstructured Data 12:00 – How AI Changes the Data Game 15:00 – Marrying Structured and Unstructured Data for Real Value 18:30 – Why Data-Ready Companies Have a Massive AI Advantage 22:00 – The Hackathon Trap: Why Most AI Use Cases Fail 26:00 – Real AI Success Story: Banking NPS Turnaround in 3 Months 28:30 – European Airline Identifies Baggage as Brand Problem 30:00 – Inside Teradata's Autonomous Account Planning System 32:00 – Preventing AI Hallucinations with Data Guardrails 35:00 – The Unsexy Work: Cleaning Data for AI 38:00 – What Companies Should Do If They're Behind on Data 40:30 – Predictive Analytics with Unlimited Parameters 44:00 – Skills That Matter in the AI Era 47:00 – Why Curiosity Beats Technical Tools 49:00 – Generational Differences in AI Adoption 52:00 – The Expertise Debate: Why Pilots Still Matter 55:00 – 2026 Prediction: The Year Autonomous Agents Go Mainstream 58:00 – What Real AI Agents Look Like (Not Just Automations) –Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How are customer expectations evolving when people are talking less, trusting less, and switching brands faster than ever?In this episode, we break down the four major shifts reshaping customer experience in 2026 and why traditional listening tactics are failing right when companies need them most.Our guest is Isabelle Zdatny, Head of Thought Leadership at the Qualtrics XM Institute and co-creator of one of the largest global CX studies in the world. With data from 20,000 consumers across 14 countries, Isabelle reveals the surprising trends leaders cannot afford to overlook and why trust has become the real driver of customer behavior.Chapters00:00:00 Meet Isabel Zdatny, Head of Thought Leadership at Qualtrics XM Institute00:04:43 The Surprising State of Customer Experience Heading Into 202600:10:44 Why AI-Powered Customer Service Is Failing Customers00:15:07 How to Use AI to Enhance Rather Than Replace Human Experience00:19:41 The Silent Customer Crisis: Why Feedback Has Dropped to All-Time Lows00:25:03 Conversational Surveys and Predictive Models: The Future of Customer Listening00:34:55 Why Value Alone Won't Keep Customers Loyal in 202600:38:18 The Trust Equation: How Economic Uncertainty Changes Customer Behavior00:42:51 The Personalization Paradox: Consumers Want It But Don't Trust It00:54:10 What Will Surprise Us Most About 2026: Two Wildly Different Predictions –Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How are customer expectations evolving when people are talking less, trusting less, and switching brands faster than ever?In this episode, we break down the four major shifts reshaping customer experience in 2026 and why traditional listening tactics are failing right when companies need them most.Our guest is Isabelle Zdatny, Head of Thought Leadership at the Qualtrics XM Institute and co-creator of one of the largest global CX studies in the world. With data from 20,000 consumers across 14 countries, Isabelle reveals the surprising trends leaders cannot afford to overlook and why trust has become the real driver of customer behavior.You will learn:Why customer satisfaction is rising even as feedback collapsesWhy AI powered customer service is the lowest rated AI use case todayHow conversational surveys uncover issues traditional surveys never captureWhy value brings customers in but service quality keeps them loyalWhat customers actually want from personalization and why most do not trust itWhat CX leaders must understand to rebuild trust in the year aheadIf you lead customer experience, insights, digital transformation, or AI adoption, this conversation will reshape how you think about listening to customers and earning loyalty in 2026. Chapters/Key Moments00:00 – When AI Becomes the First Impression for Customers03:12 – The Signals Customers Are Reacting To (Even If They Don’t Say It)06:24 – Why Customer Expectations Keep Rising Every Year09:36 – The Gap Between Better Metrics and Worse Experiences12:48 – Where Trust Starts to Erode in AI-Driven Interactions16:00 – When Efficiency Helps the Business but Hurts the Customer19:12 – How Loyalty Becomes Purely Transactional22:24 – Why Customers Are Choosing Silence Over Feedback25:36 – What Customer Silence Is Really Telling Brands28:48 – The Limits of Surveys and Traditional Listening32:00 – How Some Companies Are Rebuilding Empathy at Scale35:12 – When Technology Improves Experience and When It Gets in the Way38:24 – Rethinking Customer Experience From a Blank Slate41:36 – What Customers Will Expect From Brands Next44:48 – The Future of Trust, Transparency, and Customer Experience –Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Wondersauce CEO and Co-Founder John Sampogna breaks down what today’s customer really expects - and how brands can stand out when AI overviews and LLMs shape the journey long before anyone reaches your website.You’ll learn:How AI is rewriting customer behaviorWhy your website may no longer be the front doorThe two paths brands can take in 2026How to design digital and in-person experiences people actually wantHow to stay relevant in an AI-first era (hint: it might mean LESS AI)Watch Next: https://youtu.be/rgNCaTYkXCEChapters00:00:00 Meet John Sampogna, Wondersauce CEO and Co-Founder00:08:41 Why Brands Need an Outside Perspective to Stay Relevant00:11:27 How AI Is Changing Customer Behavior00:15:32 How to Stand Out When AI Summaries Flatten Every Brand00:20:22 The Rise of Analog Experiences (and Why They Matter)00:25:52 How to Choose Which AI Tools Are Worth Your Time00:38:12 How to Prepare Your Team for an AI-Driven Future00:43:07 The Honest Truth About “Vibe Coding”00:45:42 The Return of Cool, Personalized Digital Experiences00:48:02 What Personalization Will Look Like in 2026 –Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do brands create customers who stay for years or even decades? In this episode, we break down the model behind lifelong loyalty, emotional connection, and trust-based customer experience - the kind that drives repeat revenue, referrals, and real brand love. Our guest is John Boccuzzi, Jr., CX leader, speaker, author of The Art of Seducing Your Customers, and President of ISG Research. With 30+ years studying how companies build trust and deliver memorable customer experiences, John shares the frameworks and stories that prove: CX is not a cost center — it’s a growth engine. You’ll learn:The #1 factor that determines whether customers returnWhy customer experience is more emotional than operationalThe “Ruth Story” - how one pair of glasses changed John’s entire view on CXHow to scale empathy, trust, and personalization across big organizationsWhat brands get wrong when implementing AI in customer experienceThe future of CX and what will matter most in the next 12 months If you lead customer experience, marketing, service, brand, or product, this conversation will reshape how you think about delivering value.Watch Next: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgNCaTYkXCE&t=1864s Key Moments:0:00 Meet John Boccuzzi, Jr.3:20 What Customer Experience Really Is5:20 The “Ruth Story”: Creating Emotional Loyalty10:10 Why Having a Point of View Builds Trust15:15 Training Teams to Deliver Great CX18:55 Scaling Emotional Customer Experiences23:30 How AI Fits Into Customer Experience29:55 The Power of First Impressions33:25 How Brands Stay Relevant Today37:15 Make the Customer Journey Simple42:55 The Future of Personalization49:15 Common Misconceptions About CX50:27 A Trend to Bet On (That Isn’t AI) –Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.