2026 Marketing Predictions from Google and Hedges & Company

 

Think With Google always has enlightening articles, and their latest marketing predictions for 2026 really hit home for us. Hedges & Company is sharing insights from 10 marketing experts with their 2026 marketing predictions, recently published on Think With Google.

But, Hedges & Company is also translating their marketing predictions into what it means for the automotive aftermarket.

2026: The year everyone gets serious about AI marketing technology

Remember 2025? Everyone tried everything AI, chasing the latest AI update of the month or press release, and trying to figure out what actually worked.

2026 is when people start to figure out what really works in AI.

Think With Google did a great job telling us what will work, what technologies will catch traction, and why. We report on this below. Then, we follow each prediction and explain how it is relevant to the parts and accessories industry.

TL;DR: Marketing predictions that connect the AI pieces for your business.

It was fun, interesting and frustrating testing all the latest AI tools in 2025, but most of us didn’t have a real plan. And that’s not a surprise, AI and other technology advancements were coming at us at an amazing pace. In this article you’ll learn about important marketing predictions, how it relates to agentic AI, and it covers a lot about optimizing your website for AI.

Agentic AI explained

The big conclusion is we’re moving toward an “agentic” internet. AI assistants will do the shopping for consumers. Here’s the difference between the AI that we all played with in 2025 and agentic AI: Traditional AI models work with predefined rules and need human intervention. On the other hand, agentic AI has more autonomy, can adapt to its environment, and uses goal-driven behavior. Think of agentic AI agents as very specialized, proactive, adaptable, and able to communicate in plain human language.

Shoppers are already embracing AI

Bain & Company reports that in the 2025 holiday shopping season, 30% of consumers planned to start shopping on Google, which uses AI Overviews.

17% of shoppers planned to start shopping on ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude or other AI platform. Think about that for a moment: A year ago that would have been very close to 0%.

In the case of consumers shopping for automotive products, agentic AI will transform the experience in monumental ways. Agentic AI agents will proactively look for products compatible with a shopper’s car or truck project. Some aftermarket shopping platforms are already embracing agentic AI, such as Shopify or MOTORMIA.

AI needs to trust you and your website

An agentic internet won’t direct shoppers to your website or products without trust. Trust is more important than ever.
If you need to brush up on Google’s E-E-A-T algorithm (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust) we have plenty of E-E-A-T articles and resources right here on this website. We’ve been talking about E-E-A-T, and its predecessor E-A-T, for years now.

Here’s what the experts say on Think With Google about changing from scattered tactics to a unified strategy that’s ready for 2026 and the AI-powered future beyond.

Marketing prediction 1: Comprehensive AI strategies across all departments

On Think With Google, Lorraine Twohill says more businesses will build a comprehensive AI strategy across all departments, not just in one department. Lorraine is Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Google, so we really pay attention to what she says!

This company-wide effort will help show real marketing results and help analyze if marketing dollars are working or not.

Businesses will need to eliminate the old habits and slow processes that prevent real change. If something gets in the way of using better tools and methods, consider giving it the boot.

What this comprehensive AI prediction means for the automotive aftermarket

Here’s our take: Parts retailers and manufacturers need to think about AI as a complete system, not just an AI chatbot on a website. This means using AI to manage inventory, recommend products to shoppers, answer customer questions, and predict the parts shoppers will need before they ask.  Think of deploying AI from the warehouse, all the way down to the shopping cart.

Aftermarket businesses that figure out how to use AI across their entire operation will pull ahead of competitors still doing things the old way. For aftermarket companies working with huge enterprise-level catalogs and complex fitment data, an end-to-end strategy makes even more sense than it does for simpler businesses. The old manual processes for updating product information and managing customer service can’t keep up anymore.

Marketing prediction 2: Companies using AI will pull ahead of the pack

David Edelman is a CMO advisor, bestselling author, Senior Lecturer at the Harvard Business School, and senior advisor at BCG. You can read David’s contributions in the Harvard Business Review.

David says 2026 will separate the companies that are truly using AI, from companies still just playing around with it. In an agentic AI environment, success depends on instantly responding to consumers’ AI agentic agents acting as shopping assistants. Your company’s data pipeline becomes your most critical asset. To compete, you need data that’s both accurate and fast enough to power these AI systems in real time.

David cautions against running old processes alongside new AI ones just to play it safe. Pick one direction and commit to it. Use AI agents to scale up your operations instead of hedging your bets.

What this AI prediction means for the automotive aftermarket

Here’s our take: When a shopper’s AI assistant searches for “heavy-duty brake rotors for a 2019 Silverado 2500,” your product data needs to show up instantly with the right fitment information, specs, and pricing. This isn’t just about having a fast website anymore. It’s about having your entire product catalog structured so AI can read it and recommend your parts in milliseconds.

Your parts fitment data, part numbers, interchange information, and inventory status all need to feed into a system that responds in real time. Aftermarket companies still manually updating spreadsheets or waiting days to sync their data across platforms will get left behind. Those dual-tracking their old processes while testing AI aren’t really committed — they’re just delaying the inevitable.

Reality check: Look at your website’s product descriptions. Do they provide usable information, or do they have 5 short, generic bullet points?

Marketing prediction 3: Everything starts with trust.

Rebecca Messina is the global Chief Marketing Officer and senior advisor at McKinsey, and has worked with the world’s most recognizable brands for nearly 3 decades.

According to Rebecca, brand trust matters more than it ever has. When shoppers and AI face too many choices, they go with brands they trust.

Brand equity drives growth, but brand equity takes time to build. The marketers who win in 2026 and beyond will be the ones willing to learn fast and try new things, not necessarily the marketers with the most experience. (Here we are, talking about E-E-A-T again.)

Rebecca says that performance marketing still matters, but it won’t be the only thing that counts. A strong brand presence is critical.

Having separate teams that don’t talk to each other absolutely won’t work. Rigid processes are too slow. You need integrated systems that can adapt quickly or you won’t survive in an AI-driven world.

What this trust prediction means for the aftermarket:

Here’s our take: Your brand reputation is the deciding factor when an AI is choosing between you and three competitors with similar products at similar prices. If you’re known for accurate fitment data, fast shipping, and helpful customer service, that reputation will show up in how often AI recommends your company. That reputation can’t just be from content on your website. It has to show up in reviews, social media, and other off-site sources.

Building trust also means breaking down any walls between your marketing team, sales team, and customer service. When someone has a bad experience with a wrong part, and your teams aren’t coordinating to fix it fast, that hurts your brand in ways that affects AI recommendations months later. Aftermarket businesses need to invest in brand-building content and customer experience, not just focus on who clicked on your ads today.

Marketing prediction 4: Agentic AI makes your purchasing decisions

Jim Lecinski is clinical professor of marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg school of management. He has over 30 years of marketing experience. He also famously wrote the influential book, “Winning the Zero Moment of Truth” and turned “ZMOT” into a marketing acronym.

According to Jim, there’s a new sales channel emerging: People shopping with their personal AI agents. These AI assistants will move beyond just explaining things and answering questions, to actually advising and completing purchases. You’ll see more voice interactions both in stores and online. Marketers need to make sure their brands show up when someone’s AI agent is making suggestions. AI platforms are becoming the new place where people discover brands.

Jim also predicts that marketing gimmicks like “limited-time drops” that create artificial scarcity will lose their power. He says shoppers are tired of these tactics, and with the current economic uncertainty, shoppers are less likely to make big impulse buys because of fake urgency. Shoppers will focus more on actual value and easy buying experiences, guided by their AI agent.

What this agentic AI prediction means for the aftermarket:

Here’s our take: Think about a shopper asking their AI agent, “What’s the best cold air intake for my 2019 Mustang GT?” or “Where can I get brake pads delivered tomorrow that actually fit my truck?” Your products need to be optimized for these AI recommendations. This means your website needs clear, conversational product descriptions that answer common questions, not just technical specs. Copying and pasting product PIES data isn’t going to separate your brand from the pack. Your website content needs to be structured and optimized for AI so AI finds the right answer. The old tactic of running flash sales with countdown timers won’t work as well when AI is evaluating whether you offer real value. Focus on having competitive pricing, accurate information, and reliable shipping instead of trying to create false urgency.

Reality check: Same as prediction #2 above, look at your website’s product descriptions. Did you copy the manufacturer’s PIES description, word-for-word? Uh oh.

Marketing prediction 5: AI agents making decisions for you

Shelly Palmer is CEO of The Palmer Group and Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He writes a weekly column for Adweek, and is a regular commentator on CNBC and CNN. He has written five books on marketing.

Shelly says to get ready for a world where AI agents make decisions. This requires building your brand so AI can understand it, and controlling how your data gets used to make sure you get value back. Marketers also need to start creating content that AI can understand and score well, not just content that looks good to humans. Measure how often AI systems mention your brand, how they rank you, and when you’re getting left out.

Shelly cautions against marketing strategies that assume only humans are making decisions.

What this marketing prediction means for the aftermarket

Here’s our take: Shelly’s prediction isn’t that far from the prediction made by Jim above. These marketers are globally-known so you can bet on this prediction.

Your product catalog needs to speak AI’s language. That means your ACES and PIES data needs to be perfect, not just “good enough.” AI assistants won’t guess at fitment or make allowances for incomplete specifications. Instead, they’ll just lead shoppers to a competitor with better data. If you are relying on PIES product descriptions to populate your website, that is not enough.

Define your brand for AI

Start thinking about brand semantics and how AI understands your brand and your products. Is your brand the budget option? The performance specialists? The reliable OEM replacement source? This positioning needs to be clear and consistent across every product description, every review response, and every piece of content you create. In the aftermarket space where Hedges & Company works with clients daily, we’re seeing that the companies with clean, structured data and clear brand positioning are already getting recommended more often by AI tools.

Marketing prediction #6: Brand and performance marketing combined

Joshua Spanier is at Google, as Vice President, Marketing: Measurement & Analytics, Partnerships, Growth, Owned & Paid Media. He’s been at Google going on 15 years and has been at the forefront of AI.

It’s no longer just brand marketing or just performance marketing for AI

Joshua says to stop choosing between brand or performance. In 2026, you need brand and performance together. Online creators are your new creative team. Creators on YouTube and other social media platforms are changing how engagement works for your brand. Don’t think of them as just another place to buy ads. If you want to stay culturally relevant, pay attention to what creators post on social platforms.

Joshua also said to stop worrying about what he terms “AI slop.” People made terrible ads long before AI came around. AI is here to kill mediocre work, not create more of it. He calls for less panic about AI. We’re all seeing how quickly technology changes, Joshua reminds us about how shoppers’ behavior changes slowly. Shoppers aren’t suddenly different.

What this marketing prediction means for the aftermarket

Here’s our take: You need both brand awareness and direct sales tactics working together in sync. Running Google Shopping ads for people ready to buy, while creating YouTube, Facebook or Instagram content that builds your reputation as experts. Partner with automotive YouTubers and social influencers who actually know your products and can show installations, reviews, and comparisons. Focus on creating genuinely helpful content to answer real questions that automotive DIYers and enthusiasts have. Video content showing how to install parts, comparing different brands, or explaining what actually matters when choosing components will always beat generic product descriptions.

Marketing prediction #7: Brand is your growth engine

Brad Jakeman is founder of Rethink Food, social-impact Venture Fund. He’s been in AdWeek’s top 5 of the “Most Indispensable Executives in Tech, Media and Marketing” and Advertising Age’s “Top 50 Marketers.”

Brad says brand is back as the growth engine, boosted by technology. The difference is the human aspect. Leading marketers will act like they’re part of the culture, and not like advertisers.

He says that companies will use AI to redesign their entire marketing operation. Your brand has to help people, enlighten them, or take the friction out of selling.

Brad cautions against using the traditional sales funnel model, where you follow a distinct path through the funnel.

How this marketing prediction on brand affects the aftermarket

Here’s our take: Focus on being part of our automotive culture, not just selling to it. Create content, and use content marketing so enthusiasts find it and share it. Show installation guides, tech tips, troubleshooting advice, dyno comparisons. Don’t spend a lot on video production, just use your iPhone and get it done. Build communities around your products through forums, social media groups, and events.

Marketing prediction #8: Having a bigger vision

Sean Downey has been at Google for over 18 years, and is currently President of the Americas and Global Partners.

Sean basically tells us to think big. Small tweaks to what you’re already doing won’t drive real growth. Embrace a bigger vision if you want to truly transform you business.

It’s not just spending more money

Don’t think in terms of just spending more money. Think about investing in growth across your entire market. Brands don’t invest enough in AI tools they need to capture this potential to think big. Combine AI-powered Search and YouTube into one strategy so you can match how modern consumers actually behave. They search, they stream, they scroll, and shop, all in the same session.

Sean cautions against scattered tactics that don’t offer value at any point where customers interact with you.

What embracing a bigger vision means in the aftermarket industry

Here’s our take: Your customers are everywhere. If they’re searching for “best Ram 1500 lift kit for daily driving,” that means they’re watching comparison videos on YouTube, scrolling through Facebook groups, shopping on Amazon and your website. Your product catalog needs to work across all these channels seamlessly. It needs to be powered by AI to keep everything synchronized. This means investing in tools that unify your product data, inventory, and messaging across platforms instead of managing each channel separately.

Marketing prediction #9: Be authentic

Tariq Hassan, has built global brands for dozens of household names. He’s now an advisor, a board member at LoopMe, having resigned recently from McDonald’s where he was US Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer.

Tariq says marketing is shifting from testing, testing, testing, to actually integrating AI into daily operations. AI workflows will be standard practice and companies will realize that optimizing for “zero-click” AI search results is increasingly important. The most important thing: being an authentic brand. Focus on small, dedicated communities, employee influencers, and in-person experiences instead of trying to reach everyone.

Tariq recommends against what he calls empty tactics, like vague value promises, trying to be on too many platforms, or paying influencers who have disengaged followers.

How to be an authentic brand in the aftermarket industry

Here’s our take: First, commit to making AI a real part of how you work, every day. Second, “Zero-click” search results means that AI might answer “What are the best coilovers for short track racing?” without anyone ever clicking to your site. That means your brand needs to be mentioned in those AI-generated citations. Third, build authenticity by focusing on automotive communities where real enthusiasts gather online or in person, instead of trying to reach every possible customer. Get employees and shop experts to create authentic content and build their personal brands as trusted voices.

Marketing prediction #10: Be fast

Marie Gulin-Merle, Google’s VP of Ads + Commerce + AI Marketing has more than two decades of brand building and digital transformation experience for major world brands including Calvin Klein and their parent company, PVH Corporation, as well as CMO for L’Oréal USA.

Marie sees 2026 as the year we break the marketing speed barrier (fitting, since this is an automotive blog). She advocates for a real-time world where creating content and improving campaigns are happening at the same speed as how consumers behave (hmmm, might be a conflict with Joshua’s prediction above). She is also focused on outcome-based measurement.

Marie warns against being precise but slow.

How we interpret this prediction for the aftermarket

Here’s our take: Well, since this is the automotive aftermarket, we can certainly appreciate “fast.” But, following Marie’s prediction, don’t take four weeks to launch a new campaign or three days to update pricing. Your product feed needs to update in real time as inventory changes, prices shift, and new products arrive. When a popular part goes out of stock, that information needs to flow instantly across your website, your marketplaces, and any AI systems that might recommend your products. Get your data infrastructure, creative production, and campaign optimization all working together at the same velocity, or competitors who figure this out will leave you behind.

What this all means

Well, to be blunt, it’s AI’s world and it’s just letting us stay here for a while longer. AI has transformed the automotive aftermarket, and the entire world, into something we couldn’t have imagined a couple of years ago.

Where this all came from

These expert market predictions all came from Think With Google by the Think With Google editorial team. Hedges & Company strongly recommends subscribing to the Think With Google email newsletter, and visiting the site at https://business.google.com/us/think/ to get the latest news. The predictions are paraphrased here, courtesy of Google.

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