As the new year begins, we spoke to industry leaders to reflect on the changes that shaped 2025 and the forces that are expected to define 2026.
To CEO and co-founder Harikrishnan Pillai, small big ideasCreative has been completely reset in 2025.
According to him, one of the key trends that will define 2025 is:
AI creator revolution: From discovery to normalization
“There is no doubt that 2025 is the year that AI in content creation came full circle. We witnessed its discovery, explosive adoption, public shock, and eventual normalization all within 12 months. The industry eagerly experimented with AI-generated content, but faced significant recognition. AI is great at creating, but it often lacks relevance and authenticity. Even AI creations require compelling storytelling to truly come to life.”
What can we expect in 2026?
Looking to the future, Pillai believes three trends shaping how brands use content and platforms will shift the focus from experimentation to intent.
Storytelling reclaims the throne of AI content
The normalization of AI-generated content will accelerate, but with important changes. It’s about storytelling reaffirming its status as a hero. Brands will move beyond the novelty of AI creation and focus on the depth and emotional resonance of the story. AI will be treated as a production tool rather than a creative solution, and human storytelling sensibilities will guide every decision.
Turn your brand page into an entertainment platform
Social media brand pages evolve from corporate message boards to dynamic content engines. Brand IP and characters take center stage, storytelling drives engagement, and products subtly fade into the background. Brands act like individual content creators, building universes, developing stories, and fostering authentic communities.
Rise of the social media content programmer
The role of a social media page manager fundamentally changes to that of a content programmer. Experts approach platform strategy with data science rigor, treating content as testable hypotheses. Every post is an experiment. “If this is my input, what kind of engagement rating would I get?” Based on performance data, systematically continue content formats that are successful and retire content formats that are underperforming.
(As told by Ruchika Jha)
