2026 in focus: How SG agencies are driving growth

As Singapore’s media agencies look toward 2026, the focus is on balancing speed, scale, and impact in a landscape transformed by AI, data, and technology. Leaders foresee a dual approach: algorithmically powered content will drive efficiency and conversion at scale, while fewer, culturally resonant campaigns will deepen human connection and cut through the noise. Growth will come not from adding tools, but from integration - connecting talent, data, technology, and creativity into a single engine that delivers sharper insights, smarter strategies, and measurable business outcomes. Budgeting and planning are evolving too, shifting from fixed annual cycles to flexible, performance-based models that allow agencies and clients to respond rapidly to emerging platforms, behaviours, and opportunities.

At the heart of this transformation is people. Agencies are investing in hybrid talent capable of weaving insight, technology, and empathy into campaigns that perform harder and travel further. AI and agentic workflows will collapse silos, speed decision-making, and strengthen collaborative models, but human judgement remains essential to deliver culturally relevant and meaningful experiences.

Moreover, Singapore agencies are gearing up for a year defined by tighter integration, smarter systems, and teams empowered to act at the speed of culture, positioning themselves to unlock growth through connected intelligence, outcome-driven strategies, and a renewed focus on creativity and human-centred marketing.

Below, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke with media agency leaders to explore how they're shaping capability, talent and technology to unlock growth in 2026. 

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Prakash Kamdar, CEO, clients and solutions, SEA, and CEO, Singapore, dentsu

As the use of AI becomes table stakes across the industry, the next big wave will manifest itself in two extremes. On one hand, with agencies and marketers having the ability to create, personalise, activate and optimise algorithmically powered content and media at scale within minutes rather than weeks, there will be an abundance of mid to lower funnel content being generated and optimised for conversion in an almost infinite loop. On the other hand, at the top of the funnel, we will see a greater shift towards fewer but more impactful content that achieves cultural relevance through greater human intervention and authenticity. In this instance, it is the very ability to generate abundance that will ironically lead brand marketers to go in the opposite direction in order to build deeper and longer lasting connection with humans and to rise above a sea of sameness.

Our focus in Singapore in 2026 is two-fold. On one hand, we are continuing to invest in technology by scaling our AI-powered media planning, activation and optimisation engine so we can be a true ‘Outcomes not Outputs’ partner to our clients. On the other, we are investing in the brightest strategists and marketing science professionals to enable us to deliver sharper thinking and greater marketing effectiveness for our clients.

Pankaj Nayak, CEO, Havas Media Group, Singapore and president, Havas Media, SEA

Everyone is adopting agentic solutions to improve internal processes and deliver improved operational efficiencies. The world of media and marketing is changing at a pace we’ve never seen before. Behaviours are evolving rapidly, technology is accelerating, and AI is reshaping how people interact with content, brands, and commerce. New platforms that once took years to reach scale now do it in weeks. Even within familiar platforms, behavioural norms are being rewritten. How people search, share on social, discover brands, and even what defines a media brand are all changing fast. Creators of all sizes can now become media brands in their own right. Shopping is no longer confined to retail; it’s embedded into media experiences. With AI capabilities like logical reasoning and emotional sensing next on the horizon, the pace of change will only accelerate faster. Media is no longer something we just consume – it’s something we also shape.

At Havas Media Network, we help clients navigate this evolution and complexity. We’ve built Converged.AI , our operating system and integrated process that connects data, tech, and talent to deliver measurable outcomes. While budgeting for 2026, we have continued to invest in agility and capability through a combination of tech and talent.

Key focus in 2026 will be to continue to deliver on our promise to clients: Converged for growth and Wired for transformation. Converged for growth refers to the deeper integration of talent, data, and technology, guided by clients’ customer behaviours and business needs. Wired for transformation focuses on client partnerships designed for agility and future readiness, constantly learning, iterating, and adapting to new media behaviours, customer needs, and sales levers.

Chloe Neo, CEO, Omnicom Media Singapore

The convergence of data, technology, and consumer insight — accelerated by AI-powered personalisation and privacy-first data ecosystems—is redefining media and advertising. Generative AI and predictive analytics are enabling hyper-relevant, emotionally resonant brand experiences delivered at scale yet tailored to the individual.

The industry is evolving from audience segmentation to dynamic, moment-based marketing, where context, intent, and cultural signals shape every interaction. Powered by advanced AI and IoT, ambient intelligence will allow brands to engage consumers in real-time, delivering context-aware experiences precisely when and where they matter most.

In 2026, we’ll remain focused on helping clients maximise investments through agile, outcome-driven strategies. Budgeting will shift from fixed annual cycles to flexible, performance-based models, allowing brands to capitalise on emerging opportunities and optimise for measurable impact. Omni, Omnicom’s advanced intelligence platform, will continue to power these capabilities, driving co-created pilots, uncovering new growth areas, and uniting creativity with data and technology to deliver business performance.

As marketing investment becomes more sophisticated, accountability is key. With advanced measurement tools, data clean rooms, cross-channel attribution, and predictive analytics, we at OMG are ensuring every dollar spent delivers tangible business outcomes and meaningful, consumer-centric growth.

Sapna Nemani, chief solutions officer, Publicis Groupe APAC

For years, the industry has focused on fixing the pipes: connecting the dots, breaking silos, integrating platforms, and building ideas that work across channels. All of that needed to happen. But the next wave isn’t more plumbing; it’s finally turning on the water. AI is moving from an added feature to the foundation that underpins marketing. We’re shifting from experimentation to enterprise adoption, which means we need to move faster and build at a scale that makes marketing genuinely more effective and efficient.

What comes next is a return to fundamentals we’ve believed in for years: data, creative, media, influence, production and measurement operating as one model, not separate tracks. We’re not trying to add more technology but making the existing ecosystem work together. The effect is better decisions, better creativity, better performance and a step-change in consumer experiences.

The next phase of growth isn’t another tool or integration. It’s connected intelligence. Agentic workflows will collapse silos and speed decision-making, but the real unlock lies in strengthening what sets us apart: our Power of One model and aligned teams. Connected Identity becomes a game-changer, ensuring AI drives purposeful growth rather than commoditisation.

We’re shifting from budgeting by channel to jobs-to-be-done, reviewing every 90 days to stay agile. And our biggest focus will always be on people: equipping them to thrive in an AI-enabled, integrated model with training, clearer tools, and space to grow.

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