WPP Media Unveils Future of Media 2026: A Connected Ecosystem Influencing Humans and Machines
New Australian trends report reveals a fundamental shift in how influence is created, discovered and converted, as AI becomes a key participant in consumer decision-making
WPP Media Australia today launched its Future of Media 2026 report, revealing a fundamental shift in how brands build influence as artificial intelligence increasingly shapes discovery, recommendations and purchase decisions.
In a world where more than half of internet activity is now non-human[1], 83% of purchases are influenced before consumers reach the point of decision (WPP Media - How Humans Decide, 2025), and AI is increasingly shaping those decisions behind the scenes (WPP Media - Hidden Pathway, 2026), media’s influence on decision making is changing.
The industry has entered a new era where brands must influence machines as well as humans.
Presented to senior marketers and business leaders as part of WPP Media's Futures Series, the report outlines that marketers are entering a new era where influence is no longer a linear journey from awareness to purchase.
Traditional distinctions between media, content, PR, search, commerce and customer experience are blurring as AI increasingly draws on all of these signals to inform recommendations and buying decisions.
Together, they represent a new connected ecosystem for marketing: System of Influence – where content influences machines, machines influence humans and humans influence each other.
The report identifies five major shifts reshaping how brands build influence and grow:
Creators as the Main Event – Creators are evolving from paid talent into entertainment ecosystems spanning content, community, IP and commerce.
Fandom in Motion – AI is enabling brands to move from sponsoring communities to participating in culture at the speed of fandom.
Local Media's New Leverage – In a world of AI-generated content and misinformation concerns, trusted local journalism and community voices are becoming increasingly valuable for humans and the machines that serve them.
AI as Your PA – AI is moving from a better version of search to becoming a personal assistant for Australians, with agents acting for consumers to make their lives easier.
The Rise of AI Shoppers – As consumers increasingly delegate purchasing decisions to AI agents, brands will need to optimise not only for human persuasion but machine selection.
Matt Scotton, Chief Innovation Officer, WPP Media Australia, said:
”For decades, marketers have focused on influencing people. The reality today is that we have two audiences: humans and machines. AI is rapidly becoming the layer that sits between consumers and brands, influencing what gets discovered, recommended and ultimately purchased."
"What remains vital is brand building, priming consumers to make sure the agents that act for them start with the brands we market. How brands get built now is changing, as Australians turn to creators, leaning into passions and look for local voices that shape their perspective. The future belongs to brands that build a system of influence, because every machine recommendation ultimately begins with human influence.”
Aimee Buchanan, CEO, WPP Media Australia & New Zealand, said:
"Technology is changing how decisions are made, but it doesn't change what makes brands valuable. Trust, relevance, culture and community are still the foundations of growth. What's changing is that those signals now need to be visible not only to people, but also to the machines they increasingly rely on for advice, discovery and decision-making."
"The opportunity for marketers we’ve identified in our Future of Media report is to drive future growth by building both human and machine influence at the same time."
The report concludes that while the mechanics of marketing are changing dramatically, the core principles of brand building remain the same. The challenge for marketers is no longer simply creating influence. It is ensuring the signals that build trust, relevance and demand are visible to both the people making decisions and the machines shaping them.
About Future of Media 2026
Future of Media 2026 is WPP Media Australia's annual outlook on the forces reshaping media, marketing and consumer decision-making. The report explores the convergence of human behaviour, content, creators, commerce and artificial intelligence, and the implications for brands navigating an increasingly agentic future.
Led by Matt Scotton and EssenceMediacom Chief Strategy officer Sophie Price, it was written in collaboration between WPP Media’s specialist capabilities, including Managing Director, Commerce, Marc Lomas; Chief Creator Officer, Shivani Maharaj; Managing Director, Digital Solutions, Dan Benton; Group Strategy Director, Summer Treseder, Group I&A Director, Pat Fakiye; Poorani Adewole, Chief Data, Technology and Analytics Officer; Chris Hitchcock, Chief of Sport & Entertainment and Melissa Hey, Chief Media & Investment Officer.
[1] Bad Bot Report 2026: Bots in the Agentic Age | Imperva
