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If graphic style is also a brand strategy, then, do you need to add more elements to communicate more, or remove elements so the message is clearer? Minimalist vs. maximalist graphic design: In the universe of graphic designers, there is a phrase that haunts us and terrifies us : when the client says: “Add more design.” Although it is ambiguous and sounds confusing, many times the instruction behind that chilling phrase is that they want to add more elements, more colors, more graphics, or more details; that is, they actually want a design with a more maximalist style. But does having more elements make it a better design? The counterpart to “add more design” is minimalist design. Being an opposite style, it focuses on the reduction of graphic elements and centers only on what is essential to communicate. In a world where information is unlimited and competition is increasingly extensive, the question arises: What type of design would work better for your brand, minimalist or maximalist? Table of contents The Power of the Essential_ Minimalist Design The Impact of Abundance: Maximalist Design Not Trend, but Intention: What Works Better? Advantages of Minimalist Graphic Design: Advantages of Maximalist Graphic Design: When style becomes strategy: Minimalist vs. Maximalist graphic design Know your audience Sector in which you compete Brand personality Designing better, not more (or less) The Power of the Essential Minimalist Design Minimalist design is a style that reduces what is not fundamental in order to communicate better. It is based on following a logical, functional structure based on simplicity and order, always seeking to maintain only those elements that are essential. I can give you an unorthodox example of where you have seen minimalism applied in the best way: Pocoyó (2005). Spanish kid's show: Pocoyó (2005) It sounds like a strange example, but hear me out: Pocoyó is an animated series for children where everything happens on a white background. You might say, can a white background communicate anything? The short answer is: yes. It communicates imagination: the spaces, the focus on the personalities of its characters, and the narrative of the story being told. Therefore, Pocoyó is a clear example of how a minimalist style communicates everything it needs to, keeping only the essential. Technically speaking, much of Western minimalist design can be explained starting from the Bauhaus, a school of architecture and design born in 1919 in Weimar, Germany, where its main focus was to unify art with industry in a practical and functional way. The Bauhaus artists understood that what was created had to fulfill a useful function before being decorative; therefore, only the essential was prioritized, reducing, ordering, and synthesizing designs. Silla Wassily de Marcel Breuer. A clear example is the Wassily Chair (1925–1926) by Marcel Breuer. Inspired by a bicycle tube, it uses bent nickel-plated tubular steel and materials like leather or canvas, achieving a structure that is light, resistant, and visually simple. It is a piece that reflects the principles of minimalism very well. Beyond being just an aesthetic, it is often considered a timeless design, meaning it can remain current for many generations. Furthermore, in a context where everything is consumed quickly, communicating clearly and directly can represent an advantage. However, it is important to clarify: minimalism is not synonymous with speed, at least not in its creative process. And it is precisely here that the contrast begins to emerge: if minimalism seeks to reduce, order and synthesize, what happens when the intention is completely opposite? The Impact of Abundance: Maximalist Design If minimalist design defended the phrase: “less is more,” subsequent currents began to respond with a completely different vision: “more is more.” This idea does not seek to eliminate elements or maintain only the fundamental, but to add to and intensify the visual experience. Maximalism favors the mix of shapes and sizes with very few restrictions. "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt. A recognized work that serves as a clear example is The Kiss (1907-1908) by Gustav Klimt. In its composition, we can observe a great visual variety: different textures in the background, a constant play of patterns, and a contrast between the two characters shown. In the male character, we can see he is covered in dark vertical rectangles, while in the female character, softer shapes predominate, with circles of different sizes and floral elements. Each detail contributes to the narrative of the work, reflecting both the visual intention and the author's style. Here, the abundance is not meaningless excess, but an essential part of the communication. This approach is not limited to classical art. A more contemporary example applicable to a personal brand is content creator Berenice Castro, better known as Benulus. The style of @benulus (Berenice Castro). Her style is built from the accumulation of elements in her way of dressing: layers, accessories, garments of different colors and textures, where visual excess continues to function as a resource to express personality. There are many examples in our daily lives that follow this logic: proposals that embrace excess in every detail as a resource to generate impact, without limitation, but seeking a more intense visual experience Not Trend, but Intention: What Works Better? Trying to choose between minimalism and maximalism is not simple, as it is not just an aesthetic matter; it goes further. The choice of these graphic design styles depends heavily on the message we want to convey. Minimalist vs. maximalist graphic design: Advantages of Minimalist Graphic Design: Minimalist design offers a variety of advantages that can enhance our project, such as: Clarity and simplicity: By reducing unnecessary elements, there are no distractions, only elements that serve a purpose. Timelessness: Because it does not depend on fleeting trends, it stays current over time. Versatility: It is simpler to adapt to different formats, whether on web pages, social media posts, business cards, etc. Advantages of Maximalist Graphic Design: On the other hand, the maximalist style allows for a very memorable experience due to its great freedom of expression; some of its advantages are: Greater expressiveness: Every detail supports the final message of the work, making each element part of the project's narrative. Inspires creativity: Not being limited invites experimentation with styles, textures, colors, etc. Differentiation: Being more loaded allows for greater expression of brand personality, playing more with elements, and generating a connection with the consumer. Now that we know how each style communicates, the question that interests us all arises: Minimalist vs. maximalist graphic design, which works better? Should you fill your brand with shapes, textures, and colors? Or should you leave it clean, keeping only what is essential? The correct answer depends on your project’s personality. We often think that just because something is trending, it is what will work for us; however, as I mentioned before, we must look beyond what is "trendy" to try to communicate your brand's messages assertively. And this is precisely where graphic design ceases to be an aesthetic decision and becomes a strategic one. When style becomes strategy: Minimalist vs. Maximalist graphic design Although each style has a very clear visual projection, deciding between minimalist vs. maximalist graphic design becomes a strategy that will dictate your project's personality. Therefore, it cannot rely solely on the personal preferences we have regarding these styles, but rather we must consider the communication objectives that will determine the visual identity. Minimalist vs. maximalist graphic design, how do you do it? Consider: Know your audience Before you begin creating your project's graphic style, you need to know many details about who your consumers are or will be. Here, it is useful to return to the "questioning stage" of a two-year-old and ask yourself a thousand questions, such as: Who is our audience? What are their needs, goals, and preferences? What emotions do we want to generate in them? What actions are we looking to awaken in the consumer? How do they consume us? What do they want from a product/service like ours? Etc. All these questions will be necessary, because the more you know your audience, the more context you will have to choose the type of design that will help you go directly to those you want to reach. Sector in which you compete Although you don't want to do the same thing as your competitors, it is important to know the styles in which they project themselves, as each sector has its own visual codes; the way a technology sector expresses itself is not the same as the fashion sector. Also, consider that if everyone is doing the same thing, how could you stand out? And if you do stand out, will your audience still understand what you are? Find a balance between differentiation and communicating your field. Brand personality You have to see brand personality as the personality of a person. A brand must express that personality visually; is your brand fun, elegant, or serious? A brand with an adventurous personality is not the same as one that is much more sober and reserved; there are many nuances of its personality that will tell us how it expresses itself. Choosing between these two styles, whether maximalism or minimalism, is not just a matter of personal taste, but of the direction you want to give your project. It is about understanding what you need to communicate and, from there, making visual decisions that truly support it. Designing better, not more (or less) Throughout the history of design, both minimalism and maximalism have proven to be equally effective. They are tools that communicate certain signals to the consumer (if they are used with mastery and intention). The difference is not how many elements we add or remove from a design, but rather that those elements fulfill a purpose in our communication. There will always be trends, and it is fine to think about whether we should use them or not, but instead of making it an obligation to use them to follow the "fad," ask yourself: what is most applicable to your brand? The minimalist vs. maximalist graphic design style you choose will speak for itself before anyone gets closer to getting to know it better. About the author Claudia Cruz Digital Media Designer at Werko Marketing Solutions and audiovisual producer with a passion for photography and graphic design. Her experience in image development for social media and advertising allows her to combine creativity with functionality.

Trying to please everyone is the fastest way to become invisible to the people who are actually your customers. In marketing, there is a lot of talk about authenticity: showing the behind-the-scenes of the company, putting collaborators and/or the CEO on camera, showing vulnerability, and connecting with the consumer on an emotional level. This strategy of showing the brand beyond its practical functionality and creating content that honestly reveals who is behind it responds to the shifting perspectives of consumers. Currently, the greatest purchasing power is distributed between Generation X and Millennials, so it is better to appeal to what they value in the products and services they consume; but what if I told you that the following generations don’t care about the brand you are building and have a completely different mindset? Mr. Beast (Photo credit: BBC) I was talking to my 8-year-old nephew, and he told me he wanted to be like Mr. Beast when he grew up. At first, I was alarmed because I consider him a problematic, or at the very least, controversial figure in the digital world. "Helping other people?" I asked, recalling the influencer's philanthropic work. "No, I want to make money making videos on the Internet." His answer, far from being the innocent and idealized gaze of a child toward a public figure, left me thinking about the rather raw understanding he had regarding content monetization. And my nephew is not the only one; Ayo Ogunde (2026), relates in her article “Gen Alpha already knows the friendship is the funnel. They just don't care”, that she observed how a 9-year-old explained to his mom that the reason his favorite YouTuber mentioned a certain snack brand was because they where paid to do it (not because they liked it). The mother was stunned. The child, bored. Ogunde says that this disparity between the mother's surprise and the child's indifference is the most important brief that marketers must understand right now, and one that, unfortunately, almost no one is paying attention to. So, below I will attempt to concisely explain the generational differences of consumers so that, starting now, you can begin to prepare your brand for what is coming: Table of contents: Generational Marketing: First, get to know and understand the ever-changing consumer Generational differences in consumer behavior Generation Alpha Generation Z Millennials (Generation Y) Generation X Baby Boomers The solution for generational marketing: Goodbye to the universal message Who is your true customer Your unique brand essence and voice Segmentation by Channel / Generation Generational Marketing: First, get to know and understand the ever-changing consumer I already know what you're thinking: “Am I going to have to redo my brand every time a new generation comes along?” No, I’ll tell you upfront that it IS possible to have a solid brand that doesn’t have to resort to changing its personality every 5 years to remain relevant. But before we go into the details of how to do that, I think it’s important that we first understand why you must build a solid consistent brand with a unique voice to survive the passage of time. Generation: Born between the years: Ages in 2026: Baby Boomers 1947 - 1960 Between 66 y 79 years old Generation X 1961 - 1980 Between 46 y 65 years old Millennials 1981 - 1999 Between 27 y 45 years old Generation Z 2000 - 2010 Between 16 y 26 years old Generation Alpha 2011 - 2020 Between 6 y 15 years old It is not enough (and never has been) to know how old your customers and prospects are and where they shop. It is increasingly relevant to understand what their perception of brands is, what they value (beyond the practical benefits of the product), and what their parasocial relationship with entertainment media and social networks is. Parasocial relationship: A parasocial relationship is a one-sided emotional bond where a person feels an intimate connection, friendship, or familiarity with a public figure, fictional character, or influencer who does not know them or reciprocate that feeling. These relationships, developed through media, social networks, or entertainment, create an "illusion of intimacy". (Psychology Today). If your brand continues to try to appeal to everyone equally, having a universal message for all types of audiences, it is necessary that you understand the following generational marketing insights: Generational differences in consumer behavior Let's start with the youngest, who—not in the future, but now—are influencing and making purchasing decisions in their homes: Generation Alpha Born between: 2011 - 2020 Age in 2026: Between 6 and 15 years old Main platforms they use (currently): YouTube, video game platforms (Roblox, and video game consoles), Streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+), and TikTok. Consumer characteristics: Accordin to a report by PwC (2026), Generation Alpha is characterized by being consumers who have clearly identified their favorite brands. Furthermore, they feel empowered to decide on some of the purchases in their home: they add products to their parents' digital cart, use food delivery apps to order food, buy digital objects for video games with their mother’s credit card, etc. Relevant data & statistics: 89% of children between 13 and 14 years old have their own smartphone. PwC (2026) 57% say that social media makes them want to buy things. PwC (2026) 8% use AI tools just for fun. PwC (2026) 33% say they feel their favorite streamer feels “like a friend.” KPMG (2025) They are almost twice as likely to buy directly from a brand than the general population. KPMG (2025) Insights: As explained by Ogunde (2026), Generation Alpha has never known a version of the internet where their favorite creator was not also a commercial entity. The transactional side is not hidden from them; it is not a revelation, it is simply how the world works. Their favorite “friend” sells them things, their other favorite “friend” also sells them things; they have it completely normalized. There really is no capacity for disillusionment with brands, because they understand the mechanics behind them. They cannot be surprised. They do not form the intimate parasocial relationships that brands currently aim for. It is a generation for which business strategies were not prepared. It is the “post-authenticity” generation. "They didn’t “betray” the system; they simply never believed in it in the first place." (Ogunde, 2026). What do they value? In her article, Ogunde (2026) explains that Generation Alpha is still in constant change, but there are some things we can be clear about: Novelty over narrative: They interact with what is surprising, interesting, or genuinely funny; not necessarily what is “authentic.” Participation over observation: The brands that are capturing the attention of Generation Alpha are those made for interaction: games, challenges, worlds. The “relationship” is not the gateway, but the product itself. Consistency over vulnerability: They prefer brands that are recognizable and constantly present. They aren’t looking for the brand to be their friend, but for the brand to offer reliable solutions: that it is always there, always the same, and always does what it does. The million-dollar question: If your brand is based on emotional connection and authenticity, what will you have to do to prepare when Gen Alpha becomes your buyer? Generación Z Born between: 2000 - 2010 Age in 2026: Between 16 and 26 years old Main platforms they use (currently): TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube Consumer characteristics: They are the first generation that does not know a world without the Internet. Social media is their “lens” by default to explore and know their surroundings, and it is their main source for discovering information. Unlike older generations, when they find an influencer they feel they can trust, they see them as a more reliable source of information than traditional media (including internet searches). They are a generation that seeks to express their individual truth; they are extremely communicative about their ideas, and they mobilize (digitally) behind the causes they believe in. They are a somewhat contradictory generation, since they are careful with their money, but are quick to spend it when the purchase has emotional weight, such as with micro-luxuries (PwC, 2025). And they also use AI tools to find discounted products, asking, for example: “What is the best mascara in terms of price-quality ratio?” But they hate it when a brand uses AI images to advertise itself. Relevant data & statistics: 79% of Gen Z wait for a product to be on sale to make their purchase. (PwC, 2025) Only 59% prefer to buy known brands, while 41% are willing to buy the cheaper version of an alternative brand. (PwC, 2025) According to a 2025 PwC holiday survey, 82% of Gen Z said they planned to buy cheaper versions of the gifts they wanted to acquire, including pirated products. Insights: As Ogunde (2026) explains, Generation Z industrialized influencer culture; they know it is a transactional relationship, but they interact with it anyway with a certain ironic distance. They invented cancel culture, and just as they can advocate for a brand on Monday, they can “cancel” it on Wednesday. They feel disappointed by a parasocial “betrayal,” but they “kind of expected it.” They have a certain cynical mentality about it. Therefore, they are not loyal to brands. What do they value? According to PwC (2025): Discounts: They are a generation that values discounts highly. They want to spend less, but expect better products and higher quality. Practicality: They value the relevance of the product over brand recognition. Experiences: More than half of Gen Z prefer to discover new products directly in stores. They turn shopping into a sporadic event (for example, Christmas), where they can touch and see the products directly, and be immersed in the atmosphere. The million-dollar question: How can your brand build loyalty among a generation of “infidels”? Millennials (Generation Y) Born between: 1981 - 1999 Age in 2026: Between 27 and 45 years old Main platforms they use (currently): Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, X Consumer characteristics: They are avid users of social media, and their main reason for using it is to form their identity—that is, to curate their digital presence to shape how they are perceived. They don’t just form their identity through their social media profile, but also through the things they buy and consume. They feel deep nostalgia for “the old Internet”, and prefer human creativity over self-generated content. They place great importance on activism and social causes. Relevant data & statistics: They spend an average of 2.5 hours a day on social media. (Target Internet, 2026) 44% of Millennials admit to having unfollowed or blocked brands that share “AI slop” content (SproutSocial, 2026) 27% of Millennials expect brands to take public stances on political or social issues. (SproutSocial, 2026) 33% of Millennials report that they would stop buying a product if the brand’s values did not match their own. (SproutSocial, 2026) Insights: Millennials are the generation beaten up by everyone, accused of feeling entitled to a thousand things, and being “cringe.” However, they are the last generation to remember the world without the Internet; they were the pioneers. They lived through the transition from the analog world to the digital one, and many of the things that are today standards of the online world were invented by Millennials. According to Ogunde (2026) article, Millennials invented influencer culture and created an economy based on naively genuine parasocial relationships. That is, for the Millennial, these relationships felt real. Being a fan of something meant investing emotionally in it, but when they managed to see behind the curtain (for example: it became clear to them that the “genuine” recommendations of a brand were nothing more than economic deals between parties), they felt deeply betrayed. What do they value? Humanization: Millennials value brands being human, from showing the human side of companies to content generated by humans (not by AI). Values: If a brand clashes with their personal values, they stop consuming it. Consistency: They expect brands to be consistent between what they say and what they do. The million-dollar question: How to build a brand that does not disillusion a generation with such high expectations? Generation X Born between: 1961 - 1980 Age in 2026: Between 46 and 65 years old Main platforms they use (currently): Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn Consumer characteristics: They grew up with traditional media (including cable TV and MTV) and had to adopt digital media later in life. According to SproutSocial (2026), they use a wide variety of social networks in addition to those mentioned above, such as Reddit, Threads, Substack, and WhatsApp; but not only that, they are willing to try new platforms, such as TikTok. According to GWI (2026), they are consumers with great purchasing power, who know what they want and desire it at a fair price, they investigate products before buying them, discover new products using both digital and traditional media, are brand-loyal consumers, are interested in health and wellness issues, and are more likely to adopt new technologies (including smart home products). Relevant data & statistics: 80% of Gen X say the main factor in choosing a brand is price. GWI (2026) They are 13% more likely to use loyalty programs than the average consumer. GWI (2026) 50% of Gen X say they prefer to pay more for a brand they already know than to risk it with a cheaper one they don’t know. GWI (2026) 45% say they are excited about advances in AI. GWI (2026) On average, they spend 1.5 hours a day on social media. SproutSocial (2026) 31% of Gen X say social media does not influence their purchases. SproutSocial (2026) Insights: They are perhaps the “middle child” generation, the most ignored of all (and watch out here, because they are the ones who currently have the greatest purchasing power). They stand out for their realism, pragmatism, and independence, often attributed to the fact that they had childhoods with very little adult supervision, also leading them to have an ironic and sarcastic sense of humor. They are characterized by having a certain cynicism and being skeptical, since in their youth they witnessed strong institutional failures (Britannica, 2026), for example in the United States: high divorce rates, Watergate, the loss of the Vietnam War, the Iran hostage crisis, etc. And in Mexico, events such as: the Tlatelolco massacre, the television monopoly, the period of a single political party for practical purposes, the severe economic crisis of '76 and '82, the “Halconazo,” state repression, and the Dirty War, among others. What do they value? Work-life balance: Unlike Baby Boomers, Gen X prioritizes boundaries between work life and personal life. Authenticity over style: They value authenticity, and generally distrust overly polished corporate messages. Autonomy: They dislike “micromanagement,” as they value their own autonomy and are suspicious if messages tell them too much about “what to do.” Being competent over being a protagonist: They are a quiet, hardworking generation that focuses on getting things done without seeking recognition.reconocimiento. The million-dollar question: What can my brand do to capture value from such an ignored generation? Baby Boomers Born between: 1947 - 1960 Age in 2026: Between 66 and 79 years old Main platforms they use (currently): Facebook and WhatsApp Consumer characteristics: According to Target Internet (2024), Boomers are a generation with very positive attitudes toward Facebook and WhatsApp, using the platforms with pleasure and optimism, with the main goal of connecting with family and friends, but also for news and customer support. However, they also use, to a lesser extent, other platforms that have earned their trust: YouTube and Instagram. On the other hand, GWI (2024), reports that advertisements do not resonate with Baby Boomers, and they are the generation that feels the least identified or represented in ads; therefore, only 17% tend to buy from brands they have seen advertised (versus the 25% average of the rest of the generations). Furthermore, they want authentic, traditional, and reliable brands. Relevant data & statistics: 88% of Baby Boomers use Facebook regularly. (SproutSocial, 2025) 47% use YouTube. (SproutSocial, 2025) 39% also useInstagram. (SproutSocial, 2025) 79% of Baby Boomers also use Facebook to report complaints to businesses about the products they consume. (SproutSocial, 2025) They spend an average of 2 hours a day on social media. Target Internet (2024) Insights: They were the largest and most influential generation in the history of modern consumption. They created huge social movements and were the first to question trust in advertisers. According to GWI (2024), they were born in the right place at the right time, making them the wealthiest generation on the planet. What do they value? Contact with loved ones: They value family unity, their friendships, and communities. Work: They are (because 4 out of 10 are still working) “workaholics.” They are hyper-dedicated to their careers, and their professional achievements define them. Goal-oriented: They are competitive and place great value on wealth, property ownership, and monetary personal growth. Their independence: They value their independence and self-actualization, taking great pride in being able to do things for themselves. The million-dollar question: What are the channels and messages your brand should have to reach Baby Boomers? The solution for generational marketing: Goodbye to the universal message At this point, you might be asking yourself: How do I reach all these audiences if they are so different from each other? And the answer is: No, you don’t reach absolutely everyone. You need to have an intersectional approach, where you have complete clarity of who your priority buyer personas are. I recommend that you apply a Brand Strategy Map exercise and Channel Mix definition so that you have clarity regarding: Who is your true customer NOT everyone is your target audience. To identify who your target audience is, you must know: Age and generation they belong to: What characteristics does that population have? Their purchasing power: How much do they earn and how much can/do they want to pay for brands like yours? Social characteristics: Are they a parent? Do they have friends? What kind of communities do they frequent? What are their values? Opportunities: What do they value about brands like yours? Path to purchase: What are their consumption habits? How do they decide what to buy? Where do they shop? Your unique brand essence and voice You shouldn’t appeal to everyone in the same way; your brand must have a unique essence, voice, and personality. But even so, it must speak differently to different segments. To exemplify this, let’s put you at the center of this exercise: You are a unique person, with your own personality, values, and way of seeing the world. Even though you are who you are, I am sure that you don’t talk or act the same way when you are in front of your grandmother, your friends, or your dog. For each of these “segments,” you modulate your way of being. It doesn’t mean that you completely change your personality; you simply show nuances of your personality in different degrees; allowing you to be more playful and speak in a baby voice when you are alone with your dog, bring out your most social and irreverent side with your friends, and be more attentive and reserved when you are with your grandmother, but with all 3 groups, conserving your same personal essence. The same thing happens with your brand; so if you identify that, for example, your product is aimed at both Gen Z and Boomers, you will know that you cannot speak to both in the same way. Segmentation by Channel / Generation Furthermore, you must understand that every media outlet and social network has a different nature, and that people consume these channels with different objectives. Therefore, adapt and segment your message considering: Channel: Are you on a social network, a digital search channel, traditional media, or something else? Generation: Which of the generations do I want to appeal to? Is it 1, are there 2, are there more? Message: How should I adapt the different messages, depending on the generation I am going to, and the channel it will appear on? What I am presenting to you here is only the tip of the iceberg. There is much more to talk about regarding generational marketing and how to build a brand that survives the passage of time. Part of what is important is that you never leave your consumer aside; knowing them in depth will open many doors for you. Furthermore, have an intersectional strategic vision; segmentation must be accurate so that you can get the right messages to the right people. Stop trying to have a universal brand, and start being visible to those who are actually going to become your customers. Additional sources: Target Internet (2026) How different Age Groups Are Using Social Media 2026. McKinsey (2018) True Gen: Generation Z and its implications for companies. Sprout Social (2026) How Gen Z uses social media and what that means for brands. About the author Carolina Trevizo Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions with extensive and varied experience of over 18 years in B2B companies, specializing in strategic marketing, project management, data analysis for advertising management, audiovisual production, and graphic design.

How can you ensure your marketing is successful in 2026? Discover the 9 key questions every professional should answer to design an effective strategy adapted to the new challenges. We've already turned the page on 2025. It's behind us. It's time to look ahead and take those early steps that will make 2026 THE YEAR for your brand and project . That's why I want to share 9 questions that I think you should analyze and be sure of which answers apply to your context, your target audience, your channels, and your strategy. Don't let January pass without having clear answers and courses of action for each of them. What worked and what didn't work in your strategy last year? And related to this, what did you learn from the past year that you can apply to the current one? I know the temptation to consign 2025 to a distant memory is strong. For many, it was a complex, unpredictable, and at times even irrational year. However, for better or for worse, you got away with it. You're here and you're ready for another round... and it would be a waste not to take a moment to do an honest and thorough analysis of everything you implemented or sought to implement in favor of your project. Did you try things you hadn't initially planned as part of your strategy? Are you clear on whether they worked or not? Looking back at what you did last year, it's worth running the simple exercise of indexing it in three columns: "What we need to do MORE of," "What we need to do differently," and "What we need to stop doing ." This is an excellent starting point for setting your sights on a promising future. Do you have a clear understanding of the business objectives for this year and how your marketing efforts contribute to these objectives? Marketing strategy shouldn't exist in isolation. It must be directly linked to business objectives and understand its role in achieving them . If the goal is to grow one of the business's verticals disproportionately compared to the others, how should you adjust the focus of your marketing strategy to reflect that strategic direction? And it's not just about a percentage distribution of time and resources in your budget, but about knowing exactly, based on what you already know works for each component of the business and your understanding of the stage of the Product-Life Cycle in which those components are, what you are going to do in favor of which campaign, product, promotion, pricing strategy, etc. Product Life Cycle If the company's goal is to serve a particular industry more, what market understanding efforts, knowledge of that industry's buyer personas, recognition of pain points and needs, competitor mapping, etc., can your marketing team bring to the strategy table? It seeks to provide those insights that will ensure marketing continues to assume a highly strategic role … not only because it is a discipline that is our passion, but because there are no arguments against it: today more than ever, well-executed marketing is THE differentiator between a successful project and a resounding failure. Who is your target audience TODAY? Not yesterday, not the day before. Do you recognize recent changes in their profiles? What does this mean for your strategy? In the 1980s, defining your core consumers and understanding what motivates them to buy, how they relate to certain brands, and so on, was an exercise that had a fairly long shelf life. Today, things have changed, and people change at a much faster pace. What was crucial yesterday for the emotional connection between a brand and its target consumer can become irrelevant in a matter of days, motivated by something as random as the viral spread of an Instagram reel. Encuentra las verdades sobre tu consumidor actual. Therefore, it is important that you take this transitional time between years to challenge your understanding and predispositions regarding what moves, motivates, and connects with your target audience… because the things you knew to be true a few months ago may be radically different today. How well do you know your current consumers? How much have they changed recently, from what starting point, and in what direction? With this in mind, can you anticipate where they are most likely to evolve as buyers? Can you anticipate the types of messages and actions that will make your brand connect with them? If the answer is YES, it's time to get to work and start designing for what consumers WILL BE, not just what they aren't. If your answer, on the other hand, is NO, it's time to invest significant time and resources to better understand those who, at the end of the day, give you the benefit of their preference. What data do I have? What data am I missing? How am I leveraging it to my advantage? Do I have a clear understanding of how I'm going to balance data-driven marketing with the magic that comes from emotion and authentic connections? It's no longer justifiable to base your marketing decisions solely on instinct and gut feeling. In reality, it never was , but at least in the past you had the excuse that gathering market intelligence was a time-consuming and expensive process. Today, the problem is different. Today, you're very likely to have TOO MUCH data . Therefore, it's crucial that you first and foremost clearly define WHAT of all the available data is truly valuable to analyze in order to gain a reliable and relevant understanding for your brand, product, or service. I will make a hypothetical analogy with sports , which is a space where data is definitely overused to reach conclusions that confuse chance with causality: A soccer match between the Mexican and US national teams is coming up, and it's going to take place in Moscow. Weeks before the match, analysts on a television network are discussing the upcoming game, and one of them starts saying things like: Keep in mind that you may have access to more data than you actually need. “ Historically, in the 19 matches between these two countries since 1974, the United States has won 37.4% of the time, Mexico 54.9%, and 17.7% have ended in a draw. Furthermore, in every instance where they have played in countries that were part of the Soviet bloc, Mexico has won by a two-goal margin. Additionally, when the US goalkeeper has a Germanic surname, as is the case this time, the first goal has always been scored within the first 15 minutes. ” Another analyst replies: “ I did an analysis of the physical performance of the players on both teams, measuring their speed, shooting accuracy, and dribbling ability. The average score for the Mexican team is 46/100, while the US team's score is 88/100 . I also just found out that the Mexican team's star striker is having problems at home due to infidelity and has been very unmotivated and hasn't been showing up for the friendly matches. In fact, it's likely he won't even travel with the team to Russia for that reason. ” If you had to bet on who will win this match based on the available data, which contribution from the two commentators would you consider most useful in making your decision? Someone who only goes by emotion would probably say, "We're going to win 5-0 because we're awesome and the gringos don't know anything about football!" The person who goes by the useless data presented by the first analyst would bet that Mexico will win the game by a two-goal difference and score the first goal in the first 15 minutes of the game... and won't even notice that if you add up the percentages of games won or drawn presented by the analyst, they exceed 100% (did you notice that?). I'm not saying it's certain in this hypothetical scenario that the United States would win the game, but anyone using the correct and most valuable data available would surely conclude that this scenario is the most likely. Message: Use and exploit the data that's there for your benefit... the data that doesn't serve your purposes could be generating unnecessary noise . Having said this, and reiterating the importance of not improvising but rather exploiting the available information, I also want to acknowledge that an approach that ONLY takes into account an analysis of the data that you have readily available and that focuses on the track record of your brand/product, can be limiting . Returning to the sports analogies: if your football team has played 30 games and hasn't won a single one, it would be very easy to conclude that they will lose the next one, and the next one, and the next one. The data tells us so… but that's where your creativity, changing the rules of the game, daring, and taking risks can make all the difference . Old data can be confusing If a brand has had a historical sales growth of 5% annually for the last 10 years, it would be very easy to think that the most you can aspire to in the following year is a similar growth... because relying only on data can make it tempting not to change anything and just follow the trend. But under this logic, it's highly unlikely that your efforts and tactics will be designed to amaze, exceed expectations, and inspire wonder. If you're not careful and let internal data drive your project, your efforts will tend toward inertia… and inertia is predictable . It's equally important to look outward, to see what signs and opportunities might arise or what you can predict within the current context. You have to listen to your customers and those who aren't yet your customers. You have to look at your competitors, and the most difficult thing of all: you have to see the gaps and understand their potential . You have to find those spaces where there's no data yet because no one has thought to be there, but where you can see signs of the potential for greatness that exists. In this sense, listening to your customers' feedback is important and valuable… but I must tell you that it can also be limiting . Because while my intention is by no means to minimize the incredible value of incorporating feedback from the most precious components of your value chain—your customers—into your strategy, it is worth inviting you to reflect on the following: Image credit: OnBeing.org The renowned music producer Rick Rubin, in an interview on 60 Minutes, said, “The audience doesn't know what they want. They only know what's come before.” Following the same line of reasoning, the following quote is commonly attributed to comic book and novel author Alan Moore: “It is not the artist’s job to give the public what it asks for. If the public knew what it needed, it wouldn’t be the public. It would be the artist.” What data regarding the acceptance of the MacBook laptop might have given Steve Jobs the insights to create the first iPod and thus start a revolution in the use of and dependence on mobile devices? Famously, Jobs created the need for a product and amazed the public with a response no one expected… but make no mistake, it wasn't just a stroke of luck. What was admirable about this example was Jobs' ability to see beyond what his customers were telling him . It was understanding the context and the trend toward mobile devices; it was seeing what the emergence of formats like MP3 and platforms like Napster and LimeWire told us about the future of music consumption and other formats. Just as Henry Ford famously said , “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said they wanted faster horses ,” Jobs’ genius and inventiveness lay in knowing how to read the signals that were not as direct and obvious as customer feedback and product performance data. Here's another example: "Te hace falta ver más bax" - Sylvester Stallone Tecate campaign (2015). The Tecate brand was filming a commercial with Sylvester Stallone, built on insights into how masculinity is traditionally associated with certain behaviors easily attributable to the movie star. And yes, all the situations they presented were funny, they were in line with the brief, and they conveyed the intended message. They were comical… nothing out of the ordinary. And suddenly the actor kept failing to pronounce the word "BOX" correctly. They tried recording it over and over, but they just couldn't get the actor to pronounce it right. They finished filming, and to resolve the situation, they even considered doing a voiceover with someone else saying the word "BOX" correctly (I heard that version; it was terrible). But Franco María Maggi was in the room and he said, "That's how we're going to get him out, by saying BAX." What data could have motivated one of my mentors to give the green light to this campaign? It was a fortuitous moment that almost didn't air because the original creatives hadn't planned it and considered it a very poor execution. There were no justifications or market acceptance data for Franco to give the green light, but his understanding of authenticity and emotional connections led to the most memorable and successful campaign for that beer brand. He wasn't sure. He didn't have hard data that said, "This is a low-risk bet," but he had a great understanding of Mexican culture and its target consumers, and he felt the risk would be worth it. He was not wrong. What data will you include in your decision-making process? Which data will you not even look at because it will cloud your vision? How much will you listen to and trust your feelings, and how much will you trust your understanding of the audience? How many and which of your decisions will you make with a cool head versus those you will risk out of motivation to impress? Which channels will be used for my brand, what priority should they have, and what are my objectives? Do I have a useful channel mix map? Previously, you could count the available channels for your brand on one hand, and your budget allocation across channels was very easy to determine. Today, it's not just a mix of channels, but a mix of efforts for each channel. If you're still creating a budget that's divided into ATL, BTL, and DIGITAL only, you have a lot of work to do... and not just because you have to double-click on traditional media, but because there are endless possibilities in the digital realm. Do you have your 2026 marketing mix clearly defined? Which platforms will you use? Within each of the platforms: what efforts? organic? paid? of what type? Will you only use your own accounts or will you do any kind of collaboration and/or earned digital media? Will you use content creators on your channels? Influencers? Only your own channels with efforts 100% linked to your brand? How will you drive traffic from one point to another and how will you manage it from the top of your funnel, all the way to purchase and repurchase? Which channels will you invest the most in for each stage of the funnel? What messages resonate more on your own social network, whatever it may be, than on a website and/or on the channel of an authoritative third party? At the end of the day, I haven't met a single brand with an infinite budget, so it's important to clearly establish where you will focus your resources in order to achieve what objectives, with what type of campaigns, returns, and expected results. What will my key metrics be and how will I use them in my decision-making processes? Returning to the topic of the importance of knowing what data you will use and value in your decision-making, it is important to be very clear regarding specific objectives, with specific tactics and therefore, evaluated with specific metrics. If you are clear about the need to implement an Awareness campaign, for example, it would be counterproductive to take the number of leads converted into qualified leads as the acid test of the success of that effort. Every business is different, every product is different, and every moment in the business pursues different objectives. Marketing efforts have different lead times and imperfect attribution rules… knowing this makes it much more relevant to understand that not all efforts can be measured as successful or unsuccessful with the same variable (for example, Cost Per Conversion). Having clarity on what is important to measure in what instance and documenting it will also equip you to justify and value each of the efforts in a fair, planned, pre-agreed and premeditated manner. And also, be careful with vanity metrics. What is my level of preparedness to adapt to change and to respond to uncertainty or possible periods of crisis? If 2025 caused you anxiety and made you revisit your deepest beliefs only to realize that even the most fixed ideas are prone to obsolescence , I have bad news for you: there is no sign that the speed of change and its related uncertainty will speed up in 2026. Lightning-fast innovations are coming that will take even the most knowledgeable member of the industry by surprise. The well-worn phrase “change is the only constant” will continue to be overshadowed by the speed of that constant… and that is why it is important that you take some time to reflect on the installed capacity to operate in times of uncertainty, adapt the team and its functions decisively and quickly, and even have the capabilities to handle moments of crisis efficiently and effectively. Your company needs to instill in its DNA the ability to quickly adapt to change … and reflect this in all the documents, manuals, and procedures that govern its daily operations. I was recently at a quarterly meeting of a multinational company that honors me by giving me a seat on its Board of Directors, and we were talking about the purpose and reason for being of the company. Without giving away too much information due to its confidential nature, the way the value proposition was constructed had a planned obsolescence embedded within it and sent the wrong message to customers and collaborators. As a Board, we pointed this out and requested that the company's key strategic documents be modified to broaden its scope of action and not limit its reason for being to something that sooner or later will cease to be relevant. By making this change, which might seem merely cosmetic at first glance, we triggered a portfolio reorganization, a focus on organizational transformation, and a series of decisions that are now preparing the company for the future… because they had the ability to prepare their adaptation to change. The concept of adapting to change is also often linked to the ability to face and address a crisis, and it is my responsibility to invite you to ensure your ability to respond and prepare to deal with the most likely ones . And it's not just about softening an inevitable blow, but about developing the ability to capture those moments of crisis to turn the most loyal customers, the best served customers, and those you turn into your brand ambassadors... all because you were prepared to capture the opportunity component of a crisis. How will I differentiate myself from my competitors? Do I have a clear understanding of my differentiated value proposition? Related to the previous point where I briefly discussed the value proposition, I want to tell you that it never ceases to amaze me how supposedly strategic documents in many companies are nothing more than a pretty poster in the reception area . It is a shame that elements such as mission, vision, values, purpose and value proposition are treated with such disdain that they are nothing more than lines that sound very nice and that an intern made to tick off a pending task. The companies and projects that will stand out in 2026 are those that have a clear understanding of how they will compete and present themselves as a more attractive solution or alternative than the rest. Don't let the foundational documents for your success become mere decorative elements in a lobby. Your strategy must be well-established and presented. The organization behind it will have to champion those components of the value proposition that are most relevant to it… and move forward. How can I have more fun? You have a LOT of work ahead of you. 2026 has only just begun, and your challenges are immense. You'd better find ways to keep your work and your daily life fun... because if all goes well, you'll be doing it for a long time. Success in itself is not enough to be rewarding. With a bit of luck, the right strategy, and a touch of talent, you'll succeed. But the important thing is: HOW did you experience that adventure towards success? Did it fill you with pride for a job well done? Did it satisfy your achievement needs? Did it make you smile or maybe laugh? They say that if you love your work and are passionate about it, you'll never work a day in your life. I think that's an idea we should all strive for. Seek to have fun, to nourish yourself, to achieve fulfillment… because the business result is important, but it's not everything. Your physical and mental well-being deserves to be enjoyed. Are there any other key marketing questions? With these 9 key marketing questions, I believe you can start 2026 well on track toward developing and implementing successful marketing efforts. Are these the only 9 questions you'll have to answer? I'm sure you know the answer is a resounding NO… but my intention is to give you a solid foundation to build upon. 2026 could be a great year for your project, and if we can do anything to help it succeed, we'd be happy to. If our content serves this purpose, subscribing to our newsletter is a great way to stay up-to-date. Or perhaps you'd like to follow our podcast ? Or if you'd like us to join you and get to work on your project, get in touch. We're here to help .

Transform your digital presence in 2026: build community and generate lasting trust with this 10-step guide to a good content strategy. Organic content is what makes up most of what we see online. It's the "meat"; the reason we're addicted to our phones . And, of course, algorithms favor content that keeps people on the social network as long as possible. If you know this, you're already one step closer to creating a good content strategy. But what should you consider? Where should you start? How deep or shallow should you go with your branding? How do you know what content your audience wants to see? How do you increase sales? Without further ado, here are 10 steps to follow to have a plan that truly contributes to your business goals and helps create loyal customers for your brand . 1. Understand the Organic Content Let's say you open Instagram. The first thing you see is a meme that makes you laugh, and you decide to share it. Then, you scroll further and come across a carousel of photos from your friend's wedding, which you like and comment on. Next, a news story relevant to your city pops up, and you start reading it. At that moment, you receive an email notification about your subscription to a daily poetry newsletter. You click on it, and it takes you to the sender's blog post. After reading it, you put on your favorite podcast about '80s movies. Everything I mentioned that you consumed was organic content. Organic content is content created to inform, entertain, or foster a sense of community. It lacks paid advertising to promote a commercial objective and is NEVER, obviously, intended to sell you something. [And I say obviously, because many times that intention is there, but it's very well disguised.] This is the main difference with paid content, which clearly has the objective of making you take an action regarding a brand: buy, follow, subscribe, etc. So don't make the mistake of trying to [obviously] sell your products and services through your organic content. And you might say: But then why would I want to create organic content if I'm not going to sell it? And I'll tell you: You're not going to sell immediately, but you DO want to create organic content because it directly supports building your brand and the Brand Awareness stage of the funnel . People rarely buy from brands they don't trust or don't know. If they don't even know you exist, how are they going to buy from you? Remember that the consumer has a "buyer journey" represented in the Marketing Funnel, which runs parallel to the stages of the Sales Funnel. Your prospects must first be aware of your existence, then have some interest in what you sell, consider you, have the intention to buy, evaluate, and finally, make the purchase. So, let's say you introduce yourself and invite your prospect for coffee before trying to sell them anything. That's organic content. At least buy me some coffee first... Organic content is the space where your brand comes to life in the digital world . It's where people can get to know your voice, your personality, interact with you, share opinions, build community, and connect with you. It's called organic not because it's hormone-free and free-range (🥁 haha! How funny of me!), but because the interactions your brand will have with your audience, and the lasting impact and recall of those interactions, will happen naturally , without advertising pushes or paying to be seen. These interactions are much deeper and more lasting than any advertisement. “Brands with high levels of 'intimacy' (deep emotional connection) outperform S&P 500 and Fortune 500 companies in revenue and profit growth . Furthermore, 40% of customers feel 'very connected' or 'identified' with their favorite brands.” — MBLM - Brand Intimacy Study (2025). 2. Know Your Real Customer Returning to the analogy of inviting him for coffee: You'd be more likely to fall in love with someone who listens to you, has good conversations, talks about interesting topics, and has a charming personality, than with someone who only talks about themselves and tries to sell you a timeshare. Or am I wrong? Understand your client Have a clear understanding of who your real customer is. Not just their age range and socioeconomic level, but truly understand what kind of content they look for on social media , what kind of podcasts they listen to, what searches they perform, what they like and dislike. First of all, it is known that consumers do not like to see advertising on their social networks : “ 91% of social media users simply ignore or scroll over ads without paying attention to them.” — (Source: HEC Montréal 2025). And that's because he thinks: What is the intention behind a person entering Instagram? Is that the same reason you join TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest? [Pst! The answer is NO.] Why do you listen to a podcast? What blogs do you like to read? What kind of videos do you like to watch? As I mentioned at the beginning, people consume content that adds educational, recreational, and/or entertainment value. Think about the intention behind your target audience's activity on each social network and represent it in a diagram [we'll use it later 😉]. 3. Define Your Business Objectives Now, at the end of the day, we have a business that needs to sell and generate revenue to survive. I'm sure your business goals are: Sell more. But beyond that, I also know that it's important for you to define HOW you're going to sell more . Make strengthening your brand one of the critical battles you prioritize in your business. Don't focus solely on the short term; business objectives should also have a medium- and long-term perspective. They should include things like strengthening your brand , increasing recognition, and establishing yourself as a leader in your industry or field, among other things. Therefore, you should consider what kind of messages you should convey to support these "critical battles" and achieve your overall goal. If you already understand this, all that remains is to cross-reference these with the many marketing actions that support and reinforce that business objective. As Arjan already mentioned in his previous article : “Marketing strategy should not exist in a vacuum. It must be directly linked to business objectives and understand its role in achieving them.” This is particularly important, as having clarity will help you know what direction your communication will take in your content efforts. For example : If your goal is to grow your pizza business unit, it makes sense that much of your content should be focused on talking about pizzas and not so much about hot dogs. 4. Define Your Brand's Personality and Voice If you haven't yet defined your Brand Personality and Voice, it's crucial that you do so as soon as possible. Brand personality and voice are the ways in which a brand will consistently express itself across all its channels. Defining this depends on factors such as the industry it belongs to, its target audience, its added value and differentiators, its core values, and above all, the role it plays between the customer and the value proposition. I recommend defining your Brand Personality in a Brand Strategy Map exercise , since within the methodology the Brand is defined as a person who has personality attributes based on Jung's Archetypes. Jungian archetypes applied to marketing. For example , the Werko Marketing Solutions brand has predominantly Magician (seeks to contribute transformative ideas) and Sage (offers knowledge in service to others) patterns, but also has a background touch of Creator (restless and imaginative). The Brand Voice is the way this personality expresses itself. Therefore, Werko has a voice that speaks to his audience informally (not out of disrespect, but out of closeness). He's a young, professional, yet fun-loving adult, fashionable, and unafraid to try new things. ¿Qué personalidad y voz tiene tu marca? It's important to define your brand's personality and voice so you know how it should behave in different environments. Think of it this way: Even though you have a defining personality, you don't act the same way with your friends as you do with your grandmother. And a word of caution: It's crucial that you don't entrust this task to ChatGPT. Because one thing it (still) can't do is mimic human personality and essence. People don't like feeling like they're interacting with a robot. Several AI agents promise to be able to assume your brand's voice, but in my opinion, they still fall short and continue to project a lack of authenticity that ultimately becomes noticeable. 5. Define your Communication Channels At this point, you'll be ready to define your Communication Lines. You'll do this by taking into account: The target audience intent diagram for each social network [remember when I told you we were going to use it again? 😉] Your Business Objectives Brand Personality and Voice ¿Cuáles son los "carriles" de comunicación de tu marca en canales digitales? Communication Lines are, so to speak, the channels of “ideas” that your brand will follow in different spaces. It's a short list of general ideas that your brand will always be talking about, based on what you defined in points 2, 3, and 4. Ask yourself: If my brand were a person, what would they talk about all the time? Some things might be: Areas of expertise My clients and projects Who we are / Our values My industry Promotions This list will look different depending on each company, but I'm using it as an example so you can see that a brand (just like a person) isn't well-received if it only talks about its prices and promotions (and only wants to sell you timeshares). Once you define the communication guidelines, keep in mind that: Hubspot recommends that no more than 20% of your content be sales-oriented and self-promotional. In other words, the bulk of your messages, 80%, should be focused on content of interest to your audience, things that provide them with value (as we already discussed). So calculate the percentages you should speak in across your different communication channels to ensure you don't bore your audience by only talking about yourself. 6. Establish your Communication Mix The Communication Mix refers to: Where should and can your brand be? Where should it publish and where should it interact and join current conversations? To find that out, you will rely on, that's right: The Target Audience Intent Diagram you made for each Social Network and on what you researched about your audience. Choose the social networks that allow you to be closer to your audience , where your presence makes sense, and cross-reference your messages according to your Communication Guidelines . For example , imagine you're Home Depot . Taking into account your customers' social media consumption habits and the things that interest them, it makes sense for your digital mix to consist of: Pinterest - Home decor content, interior design trends YouTube - Home Installation and Repair Tutorial Videos TikTok - Short home hack videos Blog - Detailed step-by-step tutorials Instagram and Facebook - Amplification of video content, TikTok and Blog posts I'm 100% sure I'm understating the issue. But to further illustrate my point, now imagine you're a law firm . Would it make sense to do the same thing as Home Depot and also be on Pinterest? No. Your digital channel mix needs to be tailored to you and your audience. 7. Plan Your Content Plan your content months in advance using a Content Calendar where you keep track of important dates (e.g., your business anniversary, participation in events, etc.) as well as seasonal events that have an impact (e.g., Black Friday, Christmas, Summer, etc.) so that you have time to really organize and structure your content . Additionally, there's plenty of content you can anticipate that will generate value if you publish it today or at a future date . There are messages you can plan for specific dates because it will be relevant to tell those stories on those dates. But remember that much content is evergreen , and not all value comes from immediacy. This calendar should be cross-referenced with your Communication Lines so you can calculate the percentage of messages for each line and have clarity on the volume you will be handling for each one, and avoid falling into the trap of only talking about yourself and your products (and losing the interest of your audience). Additionally, it must include things like: publication date, format, aspect ratio, channel on which it appears, among others. 8. Create High-Impact Content The next step is to get to work and create high-impact content, taking into account the social network where you will publish and keeping in mind which formats and types of content work best for each social network . In 2026, based on our experience at the agency and what we've seen in the industry, the best formats and content for each social network are : TikTok: Short, vertically formatted videos for useful entertainment. Facebook: Long-form (3 to 5 minutes) vertical video reels that encourage interaction. Instagram: Reels in vertical video format, carousels, and Stories. LinkedIn: Documents (PDF carousels) and video with subtitles, featuring long opinion pieces to spark conversations. YouTube: Shorts (short videos in vertical format) and long videos of more than 10 minutes of tutorials. So experiment with different formats (video, reels, tutorials, carousels, downloadable PDFs, photo styles, innovative designs, and much more) but always make sure that what you do is in line with the essence of your brand. At the same time, don't be afraid to make mistakes at the beginning. The first few months are for seeing what resonates with your audience and what doesn't, and for learning what types of content the algorithms favor in your industry. 9. Stay Updated Now, you may have done everything right up to this point, but you will still need to keep up to date with the changing context and discourse that exists in digital channels. Make sure you stay up to date with online "slang," understand what kind of new content your audience consumes, what makes them laugh, what causes controversy, what their general feelings are about various topics (not just about your industry), and consider all of this when planning your content and executing your schedule . Not to promote ourselves, BUT I honestly recommend you follow our podcast , which is released every Friday. We not only talk about marketing trends, news, hot topics, and more, but everything is also accompanied by insights from your trusted marketing agency with practical applications for your business. [Disclaimer: Sorry! It's only available in spanish for the moment.] Also, remember that it's very important not to just schedule, publish, and leave. You must be very attentive to your community , to the comments they leave, respond to them, and generate conversations. Interaction with your community is VERY important to keep it active. Another recommendation is to identify accounts relevant to your business or industry to interact with and tag. Remember, these are the spaces where your brand comes to life . By commenting on someone else's posts on behalf of your brand, you'll be giving it visibility on alternative channels with similar audiences and, at the same time, strengthening your online community. 10. Measure and Adjust Your Strategy Finally, the next step is to monitor your strategy. It's crucial to measure results and focus on the metrics that truly matter to your business. Be careful not to focus on vanity metrics , but rather on those that genuinely contribute to your brand strategy. Make the necessary adjustments based on your community's response, keep experimenting, and above all, have fun in the process! A good content strategy in 2026 that truly transcends A good content strategy is one that allows you to contribute to the customer journey we discussed at the beginning. With it, you'll see your brand come to life in digital spaces, stay close to your customers, and simultaneously build a community. To achieve this successfully in 2026, remember that the key lies in balance: 80% genuine value versus 20% commercial intent. It's not about shouting louder than the competition with ads that 91% of users will ignore, but about whispering messages in your audience's ear that educate, entertain, and resonate with their real needs . At the end of the day, brands that achieve deep intimacy with their audience not only survive the algorithm but also far outperform the growth of the largest companies in the market. Sources: MBLM (2025) Brand Intimacy 2025. HEC Montreal (2025) Social Media Advertising: Why 91% of Users Ignore Your Ads.

The quality of online content is plummeting and spreading rapidly. Furthermore, artificial intelligence models are trained on this poor-quality input, resulting in even worse outcomes that contribute to the ever-increasing volume of low-quality content… but there is good news (I promise). Believe me, I understand: it's very tempting to tell ChatGPT to write your next report, your next financial analysis, or even ask them to help you write an opinion essay, an expert article, or even the entire deliverable of your consulting project. In the following lines I will explain why: Large language models (LLMs) have amazed us and even generated a false sense of credibility through their use of statistical probability to predict error-free grammatical constructions. And the speed with which they provide answers to our questions, often quite accurate ones, has led many users to confuse "artificial intelligence" with "truth." We must also accept that many of us have fallen into the trap of surrendering our creativity and authorship responsibility, based on ease and speed. There's no reason to be ashamed; all these AI qualities are attainable, and it would be arrogant to think that humans have the mechanical and mental capacity to process and produce texts in response to a prompt with the eloquence and speed of an LLM agent that consumes an average of 0.24 watt-hours and 0.26 liters of water to agree with you. Dumbification of the AI models. The problem is that as long as we continue down this path, there's a high risk that, collectively, we'll be charting a very unpromising course for artificial intelligence models themselves . In other words, the indiscriminate use of these tools to generate content will lead to a spiral of their dumbing down , a technical process that many experts call AI model collapse . And why should you care? Because if you understand this premise and recognize the likelihood of heading in this direction, many possibilities open up for you, your brand, and your project. Let me explain, let's go step by step: The generosity of the term “ artificial intelligence ” “Artificial intelligence told me so…” is a phrase I’ve been hearing more and more over the past few months. It reflects how, just like when your grandpa swore something was true because “they sent it to me on WhatsApp,” more and more users are blindly trusting the responses they get from Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, and (holy shit) even Grok! There’s a tremendous humility in trusting the medium because of our own limitations. As a student, I had the privilege of being trained in critical thinking. Teachers whom I hold in the highest esteem taught me how to evaluate, validate, and question sources of information. Later, I learned about echo chambers and confirmation bias… and finally, out of simple professional curiosity, and despite not being an expert in computer science or computer systems, I set out to understand HOW an LLM model is trained and what processes it uses to generate an eloquent response . “Intelligence”, as defined by the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy), is the ability to understand, comprehend, and solve problems by adapting effectively to the environment through cognitive skills such as Learning, memory, and reasoning . And it is under this definition that I want to challenge our understanding and confidence in the outputs of artificial intelligence, acknowledging that human intelligence also has multiple flaws, but seeking to make us understand the fundamental difference. While LLMs do utilize what we might call learning and can DEFINITELY boast greater memory capabilities than humans, to date their inability to reason and the non-clonable human quality of creativity , This makes them far more prone to error than expert opinions . LLMs have the capacity to generate outputs, but they haven't progressed in terms of being able to question their own validity or certainty. They assume that what they've generated is correct … and if you question them, they immediately abandon that assumption and offer a different answer. I don't want to sound like a broken record, so I'll just say to my article in which I talk about the content diminished by error and hallucination to which we are exposed today with LLMs. Credit: Level Up Coding. LLMs are trained to process a user prompt and, based on a series of carefully designed instructions and steps, utilize immense amounts of data they have received from various digital channels. Using mathematical models and statistical probability , they aim to generate a coherently constructed response and resolution. To arrive at their answer, they use an impressive volume of content, breaking it down, structuring it, and presenting it. And often they are right… but have you ever challenged the answer they give you? Have you ever told ChatGPT, “No, your answer is wrong, and you are being extremely conservative in your calculation”? As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, the behavior this will trigger is that the LLM will immediately recalibrate its response, admitting it was wrong and generating new values. Because it lacks the capacity to reason and trust its own reasoning. My point in bringing up the limitations of LLMs again this time is to make sure you understand why, when someone says "Artificial intelligence told me so," they are over-relying on predictive models rather than truth-generating ones. Next point: Dead internet or dumber internet? The collapse of the AI model We cannot assign full blame for the concept of the “dead internet” to LLMs exclusively… but we can blame their accelerated growth rate. If you're not familiar with the concept of the "dead internet ," it's a term that began to gain traction in the mid-2010s and generally refers to three key concepts: The proliferation of bots makes it seem as though most interactions on digital channels and traffic to websites are not generated by real humans. Algorithmic and AI-generated content, primarily through images and video, deepfakes, and automated articles. The erosion of human connections due to a lack of authenticity in digital media. Follower farms existed long before LLMs were introduced to society, and that's why I say they're not the only perpetrators in the murder of the internet. BUT below I'll tell you why I insist that AI is indeed responsible for accelerating the pace of its impending demise. “Thought leadership” articles that claim expertise—but are actually generated by AI. Evidence #1: Opinion and expertise articles requested from LLMs Every time someone decides to ask their preferred artificial intelligence agent to write their report, blog post, essay, or similar document, the volume of generic content across the internet grows. Consequently, the proportion of authentic, differentiated, valuable content that offers unique perspectives decreases. According to a A recent study by data scientists from Graphite, just 12 months after ChatGPT launched, found that articles generated by artificial intelligence already represented 39% of articles published online, and by the beginning of last year, they had surpassed 50%... and the upward trend has continued. Wix recently integrated an AI agent into its web hosting services that, without any specific prompts and based solely on the industry in which your site operates, can automate the publication of relevant articles on your blog. In other words, it now takes just a couple of clicks for someone who succumbs to temptation to automatically become partly responsible for contributing generic, low-value content to the vastness of the internet. Evidence #2: Parallelism of self-translated content In January 2024, a A study published at Cornell University revealed the long-term dangers of paralleling automatically translated content with the use of AI . I highly recommend reading the full study, but here I'll share the main findings and what they mean sequentially for my premise of intelligence loss: In order to reach wider audiences, and thanks to the convenience of these tools, we are currently experiencing exponential growth in digital content being automatically replicated into different languages . From entire websites to even video reels on YouTube and Instagram, we are asking automated agents to create clones of our original content in various languages. These translations are useful, BUT they are definitely far from perfect . They are riddled with contextual errors, literal translations, and sometimes, due to incorrect input encoding, even generate nonsensical constructions in other languages . The study reveals that the use of auto-generated translations for the sake of multiparallelism, despite advancements, produces erroneous content with elements of "hallucination" and poor grammatical constructions. The next point is key: for the sake of convenience, we have decided to accept these imperfections. The result is that instead of having a single point of reference for this content, we now have the original and its flawed clones , which add up as additional points of reference for the same piece. In other words, the same message is repeated multiple times in different languages, but now with lower quality. Data QUALITY is crucial for effectively training an LLM model . When the first version of ChatGPT was launched, it was trained on a HUGE but finite volume of data (remember that it couldn't refer to current information because its databases only went up to a certain cutoff date?). However, as competitors and new versions emerged, the models have been fed and trained in real time on ALL available content, indiscriminately. A spiral of low-value content that ultimately leads to the collapse of the AI model. These pieces of evidence, combined, lead me to the following conclusion: If there is an increasing volume of low-value content due to auto-generated content, and this volume is automatically replicated indiscriminately into different languages, resulting in imperfect copies, LLMs end up with MORE poor-quality content feeding their training processes and reference databases. This generates the phenomenon known as "AI model collapse," resulting in a worrying spiral of lower-value content... and the cycle repeats itself endlessly. Now for the good news for you , your brand, and your voice: You can use it to your advantage. Companies at the forefront of artificial intelligence expansion know EVERYTHING I just mentioned and are internally taking steps to, ironically, become their own worst enemy. Let me explain with a couple of examples: While Google invests resources in encouraging you to use its Gemini AI more and more, the results it returns after a prompt favor content NOT generated by artificial intelligence , as I explain in This article in which I talk about honesty in the age of artificial intelligence or This other one explains why you shouldn't use ChatGPT to generate your blog content. In an effort to capture that authentic, human content, a recent study by SEMRUSH revealed that the two domains most cited by ChatGPT, Google AI, and Perplexity were Reddit and LinkedIn, characterized as spaces where much more content is generated by humans. The E-E-A-T model for evaluating content quality. While the EEAT content rating model remains valid (and it should be because it responds to a logic of better quality expected by the end consumer), the proliferation of "dumber internet" opens up enormous doors of possibilities for those who have the real (not artificial) intelligence to identify and even catalyze them . If you ensure your content marketing strategy avoids the trap of self-generated content and instead prioritizes valuable, authentic content, and you also use artificial intelligence intelligently, your outputs will be registered by the same tools as more appealing to the end user. Not only that, but your messages themselves will be of greater value to your audiences and potential customers. In other words, you'll have better content that converts more and ranks higher in search engines and other traffic sources. This, especially when handled by experts, will also mean you have better data to fuel your inbound marketing efforts, such as a Google Ads Search campaign or a continuous SEO and GEO optimization process for your website. Additionally, as the proportion of authentic, real, and human content continues to decline, scarcity will further enhance the value of your strategy that prioritizes the usefulness and value of your output. And I'm not just saying this as an unproven hypothesis. At Werko Marketing Solutions, we've seen the rollout of this strategy firsthand. We use artificial intelligence in MANY of our services and deliverables: We leverage the benefits of Machine Learning to optimize performance and content scheduling on social media; We have SEO audit engines that utilize LLMs to build reports of real metrics presented in a very attractive way, and of course we have used Google in AI mode or LLMs as search engines… We have also used Adobe AI on more than one occasion to perform photo correction or retouching. And the AI tools in our email marketing platform are largely responsible for our high open rates, which far exceed the market average. BUT artificial intelligence is not the author of 1% of our content in articles, social media copy, or website content . Our website receives daily visits from AI bots that reference our content because it meets high E-E-A-T standards and is not generated by LLMs. Furthermore, we've ensured that our website and backend design are geared towards helping LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and others visit our site and use our content as a source for their responses to user prompts. And this strategy is yielding impressive results . Month after month, we're seeing (because we constantly monitor and track it) double-digit percentage increases in traffic from AI agents to the website, BUT also in human traffic. Our rankings with the various LLMs are rising, and the metrics from Google Search Console show that we're increasingly appearing as a landing page for real searches by real people seeking real services. Similarly, this strategy is helping us attract new potential clients. Last month, two different accounts told me they came to Werko Marketing Solutions by "asking ChatGPT," and while I see our competitors (because we're constantly keeping an eye on them too) succumbing to the temptation of filling their channels with AI slop, I celebrate our promising future ... and I'd love to celebrate yours. We can discuss it sometime.

What were the best commercials shown during the 2026 Super Bowl? Our marketing agency shares its ranking (including the worst). We just watched the 60th Super Bowl, where Bad Bunny celebrated all the nations of the Americas with a message of unity, and the Seahawks defeated the Patriots 29-13… but beyond the gridiron, there was a battle to capture your attention in the advertising space, with brands investing record amounts to launch their new commercials and campaigns. And as I recently mentioned in an episode of our podcast , Cierre de Semana , at least for me, it's a much more interesting phenomenon than the emerging talent of the Patriots' quarterback, Drake Maye (who was clearly overwhelmed by the role), or the explosiveness of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks' wide receiver. That's why I took on the task of studying more than 40 commercials released during and before the Super Bowl, and today I want to share my rating of some of the most outstanding commercials . If you want the downloadable file with all the ratings for more than 40 spots, with links to them, I'll share it with you below: Methodology for rating advertising spots Beyond simply offering an opinion or echoing what others are saying, I've developed a framework to evaluate what I consider most relevant in an advertisement. My goal is to measure all advertisements by the same standard and calibrate them based on various relevant variables, eliminating assessments that go beyond the marketing intent. Each spot is rated based on 10 categories, which include: Hook and attention (15%): how well they capture attention from the beginning and retain it throughout the commercial Creative idea and originality (15%) : freshness and intelligence behind creativity, something that has not been seen on hundreds of occasions. Quality and production (10%): cinematography, sound, editing, production itself. Brand integration (15%): the brand is logically integrated into the commercial and generates connection and recall. Clarity of message (10%): what it seeks to say is understood without requiring too much effort from the audience and/or decoding. Emotional Impact and/or Humor (10%): correct use of these resources to land the piece in a way that breaks functional boundaries and reaches an emotional plane. Shareability (10%): Are people likely to share it, talk about it, or use it as a reference in different spaces, make it a meme, etc.? Audience compatibility (5%): Is this message appropriate for the brand's and Super Bowl's audience? Rewatch (5%): Is it a piece that you enjoy watching again, or even that improves upon viewing it a second time? Current cultural relevance (5%): Does it connect with the current moment without feeling forced? The overall score is a value from 0 to 10, taking into account the weighting of each category. Subsequently, I assign an alphabetical ranking where: A+ = 9.5 - 10 Instant Classic A = 9.0 - 9.4 Elite B = 8.0 - 8.9 Strong C = 7.0 - 7.9 Mixed D = 6.0 - 6.9 Weak E < 6.0 Bad These are the best commercials from Super Bowl 2026 Uber Eats – Football sells food (Rating B - 8.6) McConaughey does it again Leading up to the Super Bowl, Uber Eats had already released a series of teasers to begin building the creative storytelling that culminated during Sunday's game. In these clips, the renowned actor stars in a series of situations where he exposes his conspiracy theory about the origins of American football. Using humor and absurdity in a very clever way, in a time and context where we are inundated with conspiracy theories, Uber Eats reveals that American football was invented to promote food sales. In addition to generating brand recall through impeccable delivery by actors of the caliber of McConaughey and Bradley Cooper, this campaign remains true to the essence and raison d'être of Uber Eats, its brand personality, and the connection between the brand and the asset it's associating with (in this case, American football). The rating is awarded to the entire campaign, which successfully builds anticipation and delivers its centerpiece in an commendable manner. Rating: B (8.6) Hook and attention:9 Creative idea and originality: 9 Quality and production: 9 Brand integration: 9 Message clarity: 9 Emotional Impact and/or Humor: 8 Shareability:7 Audience compatibility: 9 Rewatch: 7 Current cultural relevance: 9 Xfinity – Jurassic Park Works (Grade B - 8.65) The "what if…?" scenario we all wanted to see Reviving a cinematic classic, high-speed internet provider Xfinity uses nostalgia with a creative twist that would have changed history and wouldn't have spared us from years of fearing velociraptors. The music, the recreation of iconic scenes, and the message allow us to revisit one of the most astonishing moments on the big screen. For the generation that saw Jurassic Park as children, it's a delight. Furthermore, Xfinity cleverly and seamlessly integrates its product into the story, portraying it as the hero and preventing disaster by keeping the dinosaurs from escaping the maximum-security areas. The technology used to make the actors, especially Sam Neill, look younger leaves something to be desired, but it's forgivable because they made us laugh and reminisce about their performances. Definitely one of the best commercials of Super Bowl 2026. Rating: B (8.65) Hook and attention:9 Creative idea and originality: 8 Quality and production: 8 Brand integration: 10 Message clarity: 10 Emotional Impact and/or Humor: 9 Shareability:6 Audience compatibility: 10 Rewatch: 8 Current cultural relevance: 8 Kellogg's Raisin Bran – Will Shat (Rating B - 8.75) Eschatologically funny I admit it, I have a certain bias in my assessment of this commercial because I've historically enjoyed William Shatner's comedic role-playing in recent years (several of them for Priceline). Even with my personal bias, I applaud the humor behind the piece and the way the creatives managed to take the actor's last name and use it to their advantage, presenting one of the product's functional benefits in a very funny way. They handled what could have been an extremely vulgar portrayal with impeccable fluidity (wink, wink). It's definitely not easy to use defecation as a positive and funny concept, but Raisin Bran pulls it off. The wordplay with Duty/doodie, Shitzu, and the different ways the actor's last name is used in contexts related to going to the bathroom deserve applause. Rating: B (8.75) Hook and attention: 8 Creative idea and originality: 9 Quality and production: 8 Brand integration: 10 Clarity of message: 9 Emotional Impact and/or Humor: 10 Shareability: 9 Audience compatibility: 7 Rewatch: 8 Current cultural relevance: 7 Pepsi – The Choice (Rating A - 9.15) A bold move refreshing a classic rivalry and a recent viral moment For those of us who remember the original "Pepsi Challenge," this piece takes us back to one of the most iconic moments and memorable rivalries of all time... but this time, Pepsi goes even further and "borrows" a character that has been presented as an ally of Coca-Cola for years: the polar bear. At the beginning of the commercial, we see this character blindfolded, tasting cans of both sodas and clearly preferring the can of Pepsi Zero Sugar. When the blindfold is removed, the bear appears confused and astonished that he chose Pepsi over his usual drink. So much so, that he ends up in front of a psychologist who tries to comfort him by saying, "You're not the only one," implying that, however unlikely it may seem, many are realizing that Pepsi is the better option. We hear the background music of Queen's "I Want to Break Free," an obvious reference to the bear facing the dilemma of breaking free from his loyalty to Coca-Cola. The bear remains confused and wanders the streets, passing by a restaurant where he sees people drinking Pepsi, and then runs into his partner, who is also holding a Pepsi. Cut to a nod to the moment Andy Byron's infidelity with his HR director was exposed at a Coldplay concert: We see the two bears at a concert and on a circular screen (a feature of Coldplay's 2025 tour) with Pepsi in hand. Exposed to the masses, unlike Byron and Cabot who try to hide, the bears embrace their newfound loyalty to Pepsi and celebrate it. The spot ends by displaying the tagline "You deserve Taste. You deserve Pepsi." Incredible. Pepsi's audacity must be acknowledged, and within that audacity, we can identify a 100% alignment with its brand values, which it has maintained for many years. In countless campaigns and commercials, Pepsi has adopted the competitive stance of the "challenger mindset," with a rebellious attitude and by pushing boundaries far more than Coca-Cola, which tends to be much more institutional, family-oriented, and "safe." With humor, the ad challenges and questions consumer loyalties at their very core. Its musical choice is spot-on and iconic. Using a song like Queen's is a very effective way to communicate a message quickly by leveraging the song's inherent qualities and messages, and it also helps to create a memorable experience. The use of the viral moment featuring Byron and Cabot brings it into the present with a relevant reference that, if you catch it, is funny, but if you don't, it doesn't detract from the overall impact. The message attacking Coca-Cola is clear and forceful: even your favorite consumers prefer Pepsi. For all these reasons, I consider "The Choice" to be one of the best commercials of the 2026 Super Bowl. Rating: A (9.15) Hook and attention: 10 Creative idea and originality: 9 Quality and production: 8 Brand integration: 10 Message clarity: 10 Emotional Impact and/or Humor: 8 Shareability: 8 Audience compatibility: 10 Rewatch: 9 Current cultural relevance: 9 Coca-Cola – You can buy the Talent (Rating A+ - 9.5) Returning the blow, like a champion. This wasn't a Super Bowl commercial per se , but rather a digital response to the attack Pepsi launched, which I just described. And if the initial attack was brilliant, the response was majestic. Just 10 hours after Pepsi reportedly launched "The Choice" with a pre-release on digital channels, Coca-Cola "apparently" delivered this classy slap in the face in return... and it didn't cost them the millions of dollars it did Pepsi. And I say apparently launched because there's no official record of the piece having been created by Coca-Cola; rather, it seems to be the result of the creative and playful work of Ahmed Saad, a digital content creator. And of course, it doesn't steal the spotlight from Pepsi because it doesn't have Pepsi's reach, but if it did, and if it HAD been Coca-Cola's official response, it would be worthy of several Cannes Lions in my opinion, and that's why I rate it the way I do and why I'm sharing it with you here… Because I also believe it has much greater viral potential than the Pepsi campaign and was done in minutes at a minimal fraction of the cost. The opening frame is the same as Pepsi's. We see the blindfolded polar bear about to make his choice… but he gravitates toward Coca-Cola, and we hear the commercial's director angrily shout, “Cut! What are you doing? Let's do it again!” The camera zooms in on the bear's eyes, and we hear his inner monologue: “This is the moment of truth. Your integrity or a huge wad of cash?”… Then we see a series of scenes in which the bear is taking shameful and arduous jobs, and even with all that effort, we see his mate begging because they don't have enough money (a plea for us to empathize with their lack of scruples). We return to the studio where the commercial is being filmed, and it's clear the bear decided to compromise his principles just to get paid. The director instructs him: "Choose the Pepsi can, remove the blindfold, and act amazed." The bear does as instructed, and the director ends by saying, "Cut. Pay the bear." The screen fades to black, we see the Coca-Cola logo, and below it, the tagline: "You can buy the actor, but you can't buy the taste." WOW. We'll probably never know if any Coca-Cola executive "encouraged" Ahmed Saad's creativity to generate this content, but regardless, the piece and the response are incredible. The speed with which Saad came up with this opens our eyes to a new era of marketing where we can act and create masterpieces in a matter of hours if we have the creativity and the generative tools used correctly. It's not hard to imagine that this piece could have been created in The Coca-Cola Co.'s offices in just a few hours if they had wanted to. TODAY, this is possible. With the use of AI to generate videos, we've entered an era where Brand Wars are being fought with new weapons, without exclusivity contracts or time constraints for the actors, in arenas that extend far beyond the battlefields of traditional channels. The use of influencer accounts, content creators, and so on is a phenomenon that every marketing enthusiast should be studying. Furthermore, Saad's response to Pepsi is a blend of classy humor and marketing savvy. If Pepsi "stole" the polar bear, instead of reacting with anger or furious outbursts, Saad highlights that Pepsi simply bought off someone willing to compromise their principles. Pepsi emerges as the villain, and the bear as a victim of its circumstances. While Pepsi – The Choice was memorable, Saad's response was an immediate knockout, further cementing his status as a brilliant creative. If I were Coca-Cola's CMO, I'd already be calling him to invite him to join my team, and that's why, even though it was just a digital response, I consider it one of the best commercials of the 2026 Super Bowl. Rating: A+ (9.5) Hook and attention: 10 Creative idea and originality: 10 Quality and production: 8 Brand integration: 10 Message clarity: 10 Emotional Impact and/or Humor: 9 Shareability:9 Audience compatibility: 10 Rewatch: 9 Current cultural relevance: 9 Is one of your favorites not in the top 5? You can see how I rated it in the following downloadable file (Instacart, Hellman's, Levi's, Amazon Alexa, Pringles, Novartis and much more): And what about the worst-rated commercials? Check out the worst commercials of Super Bowl 2026 I've already shown you what I consider to be the best commercials of Super Bowl 2026. But I also know you're here for what's next. These are the ones that didn't make the cut... LALA Mexico – Cola Wars (Rating E - 5.5) Quick strike, poor execution, and creativity NOTE: This isn't a Super Bowl ad; it's just a digital execution, but I still thought it was worth mentioning. LALA's creative team piggybacked on the Pepsi-Coca-Cola rivalry, which was very well received by their Instagram followers, aiming to capitalize on the attention generated by the two soft drink giants. With a slightly more critical eye than the LALA employees who left comments on their feed, I find the execution to be off-brand and opportunistic, not in a good way. LALA usually distinguishes itself with higher-quality work, and on this occasion, I think they succumbed to the temptation of a quick and cheap solution with a poorly applied use of AI. The execution falls short of its intended purpose (the basic illustration, the lack of lighting and shadows, the lack of perspective and depth, and many other details are what generated that "AI cringe" feeling you felt while watching it). Applause for the proactivity, but a big thumbs down for forcing it with a production quality that a high school kid could have put together playing with an AI agent in its freemium version. It feels like a crasher who showed up to a formal party in Crocs and completely drunk. We even felt a little embarrassed for them. The good thing is that the piece probably cost them an intern's salary... Rating: E (5.5) Hook and attention: 9 Creative idea and originality: 2 Quality and production: 2 Brand integration: 9 Clarity of message: 6 Emotional Impact and/or Humor: 7 Shareability: 2 Audience compatibility: 8 Rewatch: 0 Current cultural relevance: 8 Rippling – The Mastermind (Rating E - 5.15) You ask too much of your audience Does anyone know what Rippling is? We're off to a bad start there because, in order to introduce a little-known product, the piece leaves you with the same lack of knowledge you started with, and even a little confused. We see Tim Robinson in a boardroom of some kind of corporation whose purpose is unclear. Robinson is apparently plotting a sinister plan that no one understands, involving unleashing a monster on the city to do who knows what, who knows when, and who knows why. The discussion turns to a thwarted plan… because apparently the monster hasn't yet gone through its onboarding process at the company? And the message is that you should have better HR software for your business so that processes flow more quickly and don't get bogged down in corporate bureaucracy. All of this happens in 30 seconds that no one understands. It's worth mentioning that I arrived at this interpretation after having to watch the spot three times to decode the message. In its debut as a Super Bowl advertiser, I think Rippling is signing its farewell. Rating: E (5.15) Hook and attention:9 Creative idea and originality: 3 Quality and production: 7 Brand integration: 5 Message clarity: 3 Emotional Impact and/or Humor: 4 Shareability:4 Audience compatibility: 5 Rewatch: 4 Current cultural relevance: 7 RO – Healthier on Ro (Rating E - 4.9) They paid for an athlete... and that's it. This is a classic example of "we need to talk about what the product does" rather than why that should matter to the audience. It's a display of functional attributes where Serena Williams (who isn't necessarily a good actress) appears to be reading the product specifications directly from a teleprompter. There's absolutely no creativity in terms of storytelling or production. The graphics look like the work of a video editor who randomly selected "random" from a transition menu. Rating: E (4.9) Hook and attention: 5 Creative idea and originality: 0 Quality and production: 6 Brand integration: 9 Clarity of message: 8 Emotional Impact and/or Humor: 0 Shareability: 4 Audience compatibility: 9 Rewatch: 3 Current cultural relevance: 8 NERDS - Juicy Gummy Clusters (Rating E - 4.75) Decent production, emotionally hollow The ad features TV host Andy Cohen fraternizing with a candy-themed character as they prepare to walk the red carpet, alluding to the candy's market debut. Cohen's performance is cringeworthy, the attempt at humor falls flat, and the result is a forgettable spot. The candy's bright colors do help grab attention, but there's not much else to it. Considering the platform and investment that Super Bowl airtime represents, this feels like a missed opportunity. Rating: E (4.75) Hook and attention: 3 Creative idea and originality: 4 Quality and production: 9 Brand integration: 9 Clarity of message: 8 Emotional Impact and/or Humor: 0 Shareability: 0 Audience compatibility: 9 Rewatch: 2 Current cultural relevance: 2 Do you agree with my ranking of the best Super Bowl 2026 commercials? This event always gives us plenty to talk about, both on and off the field. What are your thoughts on the best Super Bowl 2026 commercials? I'd love to hear your opinion!

Choosing between an e-commerce site and a marketplace is more of a strategic decision than a technical one. Understanding their differences and what each is used for is key to making the right choice. When I was in high school, some of my friends started buying what was then the most advanced video game console: the Sony PlayStation 3. Those who were more Team Xbox bought the Xbox 360. And of course, there were those who, in addition to a monstrous console, also had a handheld like the Nintendo 3DS or the PSP. And how could I forget those who, even back then, were already dedicated to playing on a computer: the PC Master Race. I'm getting sidetracked from my main point. To keep up and be able to play with my friends, I started looking for ways to make money. I began working weekends at wedding venues and… decided to start selling products on Mercado Libre. That's how I was able to save enough money to buy my PS3 and eventually my first gaming desktop computer. The truth is, Mercado Libre isn't the same platform it was 15-20 years ago. Now it's a much more regulated marketplace , which provides security and trust for both buyers and sellers , but it also creates more obstacles and charges higher fees, so I'm not sure I could have achieved the same things in today's world as I did back in high school. I know you're probably facing the same dilemma, so let's get right into it. Is it better for your business to launch its own e-commerce site, or is it better to rely on a marketplace like Mercado Libre or Amazon? Table of contents Advantages and disadvantages of ecommerce Advantages of having your own ecommerce Disadvantages of having your own ecommerce Advantages and disadvantages of the marketplace Three marketplace models Dropshipping Fulfillment by marketplace Retail Which option is better: ecommerce vs marketplace? Advantages and disadvantages of ecommerce Having your own e-commerce business has become a relatively simple goal to achieve, as it does not require the large web developments that a couple of decades ago it could still involve. Advantages of having your own ecommerce Tú tienes el poder con tu propio ecommerce. Currently, there are platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and many others that allow you to set up an online store, from uploading products to establishing logistics channels for shipping merchandise, in visually appealing templates. The best part is that you have control and management of your online store. Just like the owner of the corner store decides what products to sell, on which shelves, at what price, and other decisions, you have that power on platforms like Shopify. Furthermore, thanks to the multiple integrations that these builders have with other applications - let's say PayPal - it's even easier to have a fairly robust online store. So far, so good. If setting up an e-commerce store on Shopify is that simple and seamless , there shouldn't be any problems, right? Disadvantages of having your own ecommerce The reality that many merchants encounter during the construction or even after the launch of their online store can be summarized in the following points: Complex scalability: If your product offering is small (say, fewer than 25-50 SKUs initially), adding these products with their photos, descriptions, prices, etc., isn't much of a problem. However, if you eventually manage a larger number of products with multiple variations in color, size, material, and so on, you can quickly end up with a store with more than 1,000 SKUs. This, in turn, can not only slow down product uploads but also overall management, and can even increase the cost that platforms like Shopify charge you (such as a commission) for having your online store. Traffic doesn't just happen: Unlike a marketplace, which we'll discuss later, having your own online store requires a greater effort to attract users. And that effort is entirely your responsibility. To achieve this, you'll need to use a comprehensive marketing strategy that allows you to generate attraction, retention, sales, and repeat purchases. This includes SEO, social media content, paid advertising, email marketing, and more. Otherwise, you're unlikely to achieve the desired success. Technical dependency: As I mentioned, setting up an e-commerce site on these platforms is relatively simple, especially with a good, customizable template. The problem is that the more features and customization you add, the more complex the construction becomes, and when a problem arises (and I guarantee there will be problems), diagnosing and resolving it will be equally difficult. This is especially true considering that these problems will require technical support from the platform or, in the case of templates and plugins, from their developers. Learning curves: Assuming that you, the reader of this article (thank you very much, by the way), are the one who built the e-commerce platform, you likely have a better understanding of it than others in your organization. Therefore, it will be up to you, or whoever set up the store, to properly train those who will have a role in its management. At Werko Marketing Solutions, when we carry out an e-commerce project (like the one for Euro Water Technologies ), we make sure to train the client and provide them with manuals and tutorial sessions so they can operate their store immediately upon delivery. Brand trust: Unless your brand is already well-positioned in the market and your target audiences know you, you'll have to climb an uphill battle (as every brand does at the beginning) to achieve top-of-mind awareness . We already discussed this in point two, but it's not just about generating traffic; over time, through sales and after-sales service, you need to build a sense of security and trust in your brand. Without having yet gone into the details of a marketplace, is the second option better? Advantages and disadvantages of the marketplace While there are many marketplaces that connect sellers and buyers, such as Amazon Mexico, Mercado Libre Mexico, Liverpool, Coppel, and many others, their inner workings are very similar. For the purposes of this section, I will use Amazon Mexico as an example . The first thing to understand is that there are three main marketplace models on Amazon and other platforms , each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Secondly, whichever model you choose from the three I'll describe now—and understanding that some of these may not apply to marketplaces other than Amazon— one of the key aspects of these platforms is understanding how users search for products . Yes, it's true. Having your products on Amazon or Mercado Libre can help users find them more easily by leveraging the traffic and trust these platforms already have. However, your competitors on the marketplace will also benefit from this. To outrank the competition, you need to understand how users search for products. In other words, you need to know which keywords to include in your product listings that match user searches. This concept is very similar to the well-known keywords used in Google Ads. The topic of keywords could easily be an entire article in itself, but I just wanted to mention it briefly here so you understand that even within a marketplace, traffic to your products won't be automatic. Now, let's move on to... Three different marketplace models: Dropshipping In this first model, the marketplace (Amazon Mexico in our case) is simply an intermediary between the seller and the buyer. That is, Amazon doesn't buy merchandise from you (the seller), doesn't store inventory, and doesn't handle shipping logistics. In short, you are responsible for running your business . This includes things like inventory management, warehousing, shipping and returns logistics, generating product-related content (images, specifications, descriptions, etc.), and more. To keep it brief, I've included a table outlining the main advantages and disadvantages of this model. Don't worry, I'll do the same for the other two models. Advantages Disadvantages Simple entry model Not eligible for Amazon Prime It does not require inventory in marketplace warehouses Lower conversion rate Lower initial investment The seller handles almost the entire operation Useful for testing demand and commercial viability before scaling to other models Post-sales experience conditioned by marketplace policies (arbitration) This model may sound very similar to having your own e-commerce site, at least in terms of daily operations. This is because the seller will handle most of the day-to-day work. The key difference is that this operation takes place under the marketplace's oversight and rules. Are there other models where the marketplace assumes logistical responsibility? The answer is a resounding "yes." Fulfillment by Marketplace (FBM) In this model, known on Amazon as FBA, the seller retains ownership of the product. That is, they are not selling their merchandise to Amazon. The main difference from the previous model is that you are transferring the logistics to the marketplace. This includes inventory storage, shipping, and returns. Furthermore, FBA offers attractive benefits in terms of the shopping experience, such as the popular Prime program. In fact, having your products appear with the "Prime" label will generate greater trust among users and increase the likelihood of a purchase. Advantages Disadvantages You are eligible for Amazon Prime High dependence on marketplace policies and fees Greater perceived buyer confidence Capital tied up in inventory sent to marketplace warehouses Better conversion rate Additional costs for returns Reduced logistical burden for the seller Less operational and logistical control Easy scalability due to logistical advantages Recurring costs of storage in marketplace warehouses The Fulfilled by Marketplace model can be considered a middle ground between Dropshipping and Retail . The seller maintains commercial control—the products are theirs—but delegates logistics to the marketplace to increase the conversion rate. If the goal is to stop operating the channel and start selling a large volume of merchandise, the marketplace model you should consider is Retail. Retail Advantages Disadvantages Direct sale to the marketplace Significantly smaller margins Marketplace handles inventory, logistics, and returns No control over final prices No daily channel operation Without control over the brand-customer experience Predictable sales flow, as per agreement with the marketplace High dependence on the marketplace as the sole buyer Ideal for businesses with high production capacity Negotiating power concentrated in the marketplace In short, the Retail model represents operational simplification within a marketplace: the seller no longer manages this channel and their only concern is supplying the marketplace with products. Understanding each of the three models allows us to see that selling on a marketplace isn't a decision based on a single factor, but rather on a combination of elements such as logistics, profit margin, and channel control . With this understanding, we have more tools to answer the question of which option is better: e-commerce or marketplace. Which option is better: ecommerce vs marketplace? The reality is that thinking it's a black-and-white issue would be a mistake. In practice, it's very difficult (or impossible) to say that one option is universally better than the other. What matters are your business objectives and the different stages your business is going through. Each channel has its strengths that help solve different problems and provide different benefits. Simply put, the key is to define which one makes the most sense given your business situation. Marketplaces are often effective and used to quickly access existing demand, leveraging the platforms' native traffic to increase exposure and conversion rates. Furthermore, their infrastructure and logistical capacity help lower barriers to entry. In return, sellers must relinquish some control over pricing, aspects of after-sales service (such as customer relations and returns processes), and, in many cases, profit margin . E -commerce , on the other hand, is a seller-owned channel that prioritizes logistical and operational control. Moreover, one of the main objectives of e-commerce is brand building. A well-implemented online store allows you to provide a differentiated customer experience. Of course, this is true if it was built correctly on Shopify, WooCommerce, and other platforms. Taking a more strategic approach, and thinking about the medium and long term, this channel provides a direct relationship with the customer and the collection of data that becomes invaluable for remarketing efforts, loyalty programs, promotions, and more. Ultimately, you're more likely to ensure your business's profitability if you manage to incentivize the acquisition of new customers and repeat purchases from existing ones. However, this total control you have over your e-commerce platform means you must assume greater responsibilities in terms of logistics, operations, and marketing, and growth may be more gradual and not as rapid as in a marketplace. I return to the point: one or the other? Not necessarily. There are many cases where businesses choose both options together , understanding the role each plays within a business strategy. The marketplace becomes a channel focused on volume, while ecommerce transforms into a channel for brand consolidation, customer loyalty, and a greater focus on profit margin. Rather than asking whether it's better to sell through your own online store or a marketplace, the right decision is based on defining the role of each channel, measuring its performance (considering metrics such as net profit, volume, operating costs, control, and scalability), and adjusting the strategy based on the results. It's not so much about "where you sell" but "why you sell" on each channel. In short: make informed decisions that are aligned with your business objectives. About the author David Santos Digital Marketing Specialist at Werko Marketing Solutions. She has 9 years of experience in digital marketing. Her main focus is data monitoring and analysis for the management and optimization of digital advertising campaigns, websites, and online stores.

To ensure your brand and business appear in AI-generated search results, you'll need to implement a Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategy on your website. This optimization helps LLMs understand what you offer and consider you as a potential answer to relevant questions. It's undeniable that the use of Extended Language Models (LLMs) like Gemini, Perplexity, or ChatGPT is becoming increasingly popular. The trend indicates that more and more people, especially younger generations, are using AI to search for questions they previously would have asked on Google or Bing . But beware, don't be fooled into thinking Google Search is dead; in fact, it's still the king of internet searches. By the end of 2025, Google was registering over 15 billion daily searches , holding approximately 90% of the search market ; while ChatGPT (the most popular LLM) was registering only between 3 and 8% of daily search queries (Goodwin, D. 2025). Although Google still dominates today, the forecast is that sooner rather than later, Artificial Intelligence will increasingly gain ground in searches for products, services, and brands. That's precisely why it 's vitally important to get ahead of the curve and ensure that TODAY your website not only has SEO optimization (Search Engine Optimization, to be found by Google and Bing bots) but also GEO optimization (to be found and suggested by AI). Table of Contents How to appear in Artificial Intelligence responses? Structure your content for "machines" Strengthen your EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Confidence) Optimized for Natural Language Differences between GEO and SEO Where to start optimizing your site for GEO? How to appear in Artificial Intelligence responses? To appear in the answers of LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity, you'll need to implement a GEO strategy in addition to your SEO strategy . Therefore, you'll need a well-structured website, generate and publish original, highly relevant content (both about your products/services and content that reflects your authority in your field), and keep it updated so that crawlers (the AI bots that search the internet for information) consider it a site of sufficient authority to be cited in searches and queries. Doing this sooner rather than later presents a huge opportunity for you. In the near future, many more people will realize how important it is for a website to be discoverable by search engines and LLMs, but today, very few have optimized it for this purpose. This gives you an advantage over your competitors who haven't yet implemented SEO and GEO on their sites. So don't wait any longer and check out the following series of recommendations that will help you implement it on your website: Structure your content for “machines” Ejemplo del tipo de campos que debe contener un Schema Markup de Producto. LLMs do not have the ability to abstract the content of web pages just by reading the text on them (they are not intelligent and do not reason), so you have to help them understand what is on your site through formats that are more "friendly" to them. A website with good SEO: You must ensure your site has proper SEO , including optimized HTML titles, well-structured H1-H6 headings, a keyword strategy, meta descriptions and alt attributes, correct language tags, optimized images, backlinks, and up-to-date security protocols. Geo-optimization (GEO) is not meant to replace SEO; it's meant to expand it. Question-Answer Format: In your website content, use headings (H2 and H3) in the form of questions, for example, “What is the scope of solution X?”, followed by a clear and concise answer in paragraph format. Provide specific answers to niche questions in your content. Use lists and tables: LLM crawlers read content that is listed or bulleted, as well as structured in tables of contents, better. Use Schema Markup structured data: Include code on your site's pages in JSON-LD format to tell AI and search engines exactly what's on the page they're viewing, so they can differentiate between an FAQ, a blog post, a product, etc. Add an LLMs.txt file to your backend if your website's hosting platform allows it. This is a relatively new tactic, and due to its current low adoption rate (mostly on websites that existed before LLMs.txt files emerged and haven't been updated due to neglect), it offers a clear advantage to those who implement it. Strengthen your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Confidence) Modelo E-E-A-T As my partner Arjan has explained in past articles , EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is a series of “rules” that search engines (and now LLMs as well) use to rank whether content on a website is valuable or not. When you rank well in EEAT, search engines and LLMs determine that your site is perceived as authoritative in its field, and therefore, it is much more likely to appear as an answer to user queries. In addition to this: External mentions: It's important that your site not only has backlinks from trusted, industry-leading sites (links to your site from pages like rankings, blogs, news sites, forums, etc.) but also that there's a generally positive digital consensus around your brand, since AI uses these kinds of reliable sources to train its models. That's why this is one of the most important factors that LLM crawlers consider when citing your website. Citations and references: Support your arguments and claims with reliable sources and hard data, and give credit to them by including references. This helps build credibility in what you say and establishes you as a reference yourself. Created by humans: Search engines and LLMs can detect if your site contains AI-generated content, and if they find that it was indeed generated by Artificial Intelligence, they will penalize you by lowering your EEAT ranking. That's why we urge our clients not to fall into the temptation of generating their content with AI. Optimize for Natural Language People no longer search for things like “cheap restaurant Monterrey.” Now they ask: “What’s the best restaurant to go to in Monterrey to celebrate a birthday that isn’t expensive?” Don't use short keywords: Use "long-tail keywords", that is, long or compound keywords and use conversational language. Update your content: LLMs prioritize current information, so don't build your website and then abandon it. You must provide constant maintenance and generate high-value content regularly to keep boosting your ranking. Having said that, I want to give you a brief summary (which will also help me rank this article for GEO 😉): Differences between GEO and SEO SEO GEO It helps browser bots like Google and Bing find your website when someone asks a question. It helps LLM crawlers like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity find and refer your website when someone searches. It focuses more on keywords or key words Short keywords matter less, and it's better to use long-tail keywords and natural language. Backlinks are important, as is the quality or authority of that backlink. In addition to backlinks, being mentioned on relevant external sites is more important (being mentioned on other sites of high relevance and authority). It is guided by open consultations. It is guided by very specific questions. Search for ranking and traffic to the site Seek authority, mentions, and visibility of answers You must have your title structure, meta descriptions, etc. correctly configured. In addition to having your structure correctly configured for SEO, you should also include Schema Markups and FAQs. Where to start optimizing your site for GEO? As a partner in a marketing agency, I believe the starting point is understanding the enormous value of having a well-structured website that includes SEO and GEO, versus a cheap website that doesn't include any of this. There are many agencies that offer websites without SEO or GEO, claiming, " because the client didn't ask for it ," " because the client doesn't know what that is ," or " because I only know how to design pretty, not optimized, websites ." But let me tell you, delivering a website like that is like buying a car without an engine. It's much cheaper, yes, but it won't run. So my recommendation is that you approach a good marketing agency that offers both SEO and GEO optimization from the start, and that knows what they're talking about. And listen, I'm not telling you to "come join us." If this information helps you better understand what you need, I'll be happy. What I'd like is for this to give you more tools so you don't get taken in by unsolicited offers. Now, if you'd like to chat and review how your site is doing in terms of SEO and GEO, we'd be happy to diagnose your page to ensure you're taking advantage of these new technologies. Sources: Google is still 210x bigger than ChatGPT in search How do you make your product show up in AI answers, not just Google search? Schema.org Structured data markup language that supports Google Search About the author Carolina Trevizo Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions with extensive and varied experience of over 18 years in B2B companies with strategic marketing, Project Management, data analysis for advertising management, audiovisual production and graphic design.

We don't have to wait until the end of 2026 ; I can tell you right now that traffic to informational websites will fall, the generic content bubble will burst, brands will become more content-generating, SEO will be more strategic and continuous, charlatan agencies will be exposed, websites will have to become conversion machines, and your most valuable asset will be consumer trust. Let's get ahead of ourselves. In 2027, we'll have some very important milestones that you can start preparing for NOW. And I'm not just talking about how you'll have to do MORE things… I'll also tell you about the strategies you should stop using because they'll become obsolete. This shouldn't surprise you: digital marketing is changing at an unprecedented pace… and I'm not just referring to how the proliferation of artificial intelligence, primarily through LLMs (known to most as “artificial intelligences”), is disrupting everyone's online experience. The transformation goes far beyond that, and saying the word “AI” without understanding the context and its implications is just scratching the surface. Here are seven predictions you should consider when revisiting your digital strategy : Table of contents: Digital marketing predictions for 2027 Drop in traffic to websites with informational user-intent The generic content bubble is going to burst And why is that relevant for you to know? Brands will be reconceptualized as media Successful brands will have things like... SEO will become increasingly strategic and continuous, and less technical and occasional. Marketing charlatans will be exposed Websites will have to be conversion machines. The most valuable asset in marketing in 2027 will be trust 1. Drop in traffic to websites with informational user-intent Google SGE (Search Generative Experience), ChatGPT and similar services will significantly reduce traffic originating from search engines with an informational user intent, especially for short-form responses. Am I speaking Chinese to you? Previously, if your website had the best answer to a question a user asked Google, they would invariably end up navigating to your page to satisfy their need, and this opened up conversion possibilities. Increasingly, we'll see that if users' intention is simply to resolve a doubt, they'll do so within the same search environment, and that's where the user journey ends . What does this mean for you? Should you stop adding informative content to your website? The immediate, emphatic, and resounding answer is NO. To begin with, because many times what starts as an informative intention ends up becoming commercial. “What is plantar fasciitis?” In just a couple of clicks, you might consider buying running shoes that correct overpronation. What you should definitely consider when prioritizing the content that feeds your website is optimizing it for generative responses . How does that work? Fortunately, my partner Carolina Trevizo recently shared some tips in an article… not all of them, because we keep the secret recipe for our clients who request SEO and GEO optimization projects, but there are many relevant ones. Read the article here . 2. The generic content bubble is going to burst. AI , in the inexperienced hands of humans (or even automated), will be its own worst enemy . I go into much more detail about why I make this prediction in the article “ The Collapse of the AI Model: How the Abuse of LLMs Contributes to the Dead Internet Theory, ” but in short: Eventualmente la burbuja va a tronar. As a result of an overexploitation of AI-generated content, with inexperienced prompts, amateur automation, and generic results (because that's how LLMs work), the internet is now saturated with mediocre content . Search engines (AI and traditional) are increasingly finding it challenging to address the concept of EEAT and find relevant content for users in a sea of AI slop. The trend towards automating content generation By giving full accountability to an entity that by its nature has no accountability , you are quickly seeing signs of rejection because relevant errors are emerging every day "because artificial intelligence told me to." The realization that the generic content bubble is going to burst is starting in AI companies, but it's only a matter of time before users react and begin rejecting a medium polluted with junk. Therefore, thinking that the internet will survive an era in which all its content is self-generated would be a grave mistake . If the internet doesn't "fix" itself, we users will go elsewhere. I know it's hard to imagine, but it's the natural course of things, and that's why I anticipate that while we've been approaching that scenario by 2026, it will be an asymptote we won't cross. And why is that relevant for you to know? The value of real experience : it's already happening, but by 2027 it will be even more so: search engines will prioritize content that reflects the genuine experience of YOUR brand/company and will dismiss generic content. And that's why I insist that you resist the temptation to hand over your creative ability and accountability to a bot. Documentation of websites with success stories, analyses, and real testimonials . In the mainstream world, anything you can do to differentiate yourself will make you extremely valuable. It's important to populate your digital footprint with all the elements of social proof and uniqueness that will make search engines (both traditional and AI-powered) recognize your channels as authoritative sources. Because if the search engine recognizes you, the user will follow, engage with your content, and convert. 3. Brands will be reconceptualized as media This not only responds to changes in the way users are consuming advertising, blurring all the boundaries between what is a TV spot and what is content. The reconceptualization of a brand as a medium also responds to an increasing demand from consumers towards the brands they favor, shouting that to achieve loyalty and an emotional bond, functional benefits are insufficient . Creating engaging content for your brand As consumers continue to expect products or brands to have ideological stances, care about certain social causes, and constantly interact with them, companies will realize that they are no longer just competing with other companies , but in the same digital space, they are fighting for attention versus content creators . This, in addition to forcing brands to revisit, rethink, and adjust their relationships with influencer marketing and collaborations with content creators, will make it more cost-efficient for them to decide to become media generators themselves . My prediction is that successful brands will have things like: Strong blogs , with relevant, frequent, incisive and unique content; with topics determined not only by the will of the authors, but by the SEO and GEO insights that the site data yields to those who know how to exploit it. Newsletters that leverage the content of these blogs to amplify the return on investment in existing blog content. And by newsletters, I don't just mean those distributed by email, but also highly relevant channels like LinkedIn newsletters and specialized, subscription-based channels such as those already available on Instagram and WhatsApp. Podcasts and video podcasts that lead to discussions and in-depth analysis, generating spaces of authority and the dissemination of educational content related to the brand or the sector in which it operates. Want an example? Welcome to this Werko Marketing Solutions blog , which you can also subscribe to through our newsletter … and if podcasts and video podcasts are your thing, have you heard of “ Cierre de Semana ”? 😊 And if you want an example of a client who is preparing precisely in response to this forecast, you have to know about the Decidir y Transformar project , by Angel Tejada Higuera . 4. SEO will become increasingly strategic and continuous, and less and less technical and occasional. My fourth prediction for 2027 has to do with the fact that, given the increased rate of content generation, the window of validity of a specific SEO optimization project will become shorter . Strategies for Continuous SEO Optimization: A focus on backlinks, content analysis, site architecture, and keyword indexing to improve rankings and drive traffic. In other words, while previously an SEO optimization project had a lifespan of six months and you could "leave it as is" for that time, the near future suggests that maintenance of SEO and GEO It will become an ongoing and constant issue , with periodic iterations of auditing, identifying areas of opportunity, and adjusting. Additionally, back-end and on-page SEO adjustments will necessarily need to be complemented with content strategies . That's why all the quotes we provide to our clients for optimization projects now include a second phase focused on SEO and geo- driven content marketing . This approach involves capturing the real value behind generating subject matter authority, effective branding, reputation, and trust for a brand transformed into a medium (prediction 3). 5. Marketing charlatans will be exposed Have you received ads on any of your social media from marketing agencies promising to crack the algorithm and capitalize on all the advantages of AI for their clients by generating 100 variations of posts, stories, and reels? Yes… those “ miracle workers ” improvised marketers who are only putting the intellectual property of the brands they represent at risk by generating assets that are impossible to register and therefore in the public domain, implementing strategies that flood the ether with generic content and are therefore punished by search engines. Charlatans will be unmasked Those who are selling snake oil today will soon be paying for their deceptions , because the end consumer is becoming increasingly educated about the "whats and whats not" of using AI. And as I've said before, the agencies and companies that will win won't be those that USE (or misuse) AI, but those that know which parts of their processes are best suited for integrating it as part of their strategy and which ones to leave out. I have more confidence in few things than in the fact that those of us who do serious marketing will prevail . Our foundation, experience, dedication, and strategic consistency will ensure that the results speak louder than the shouting voices peddling empty promises. And why should you care? Well, as I've said repeatedly, many times the client doesn't know what they don't know. Do you have any doubts about the seriousness, expertise, or strategic thinking of the agency you're currently working with? Write to me , and I'd be happy to tell you about some of the signs that might confirm your suspicions. 6. Websites will have to be conversion machines If my prediction #1 comes true (and I'm very sure it will), this change will force website developers to think about web design approaches that I invited them to consider in an article I wrote in 2024, titled “ Conversion Funnel Websites: How to Design Them to Generate More Sales .” Without going into too much detail (because that's what the article I just shared with you is for), prediction #1 will force websites to consider the different customer journeys of the different buyer personas that are anticipated to visit the spaces, from the Home page to the different internal pages, the different widgets and other elements. The site architecture will need to consider everything from its structure to its sitemap How the different sections address the phases of a conversion funnel . The content will need to be strategic, responding to this design, and where possible, all viable and engaging experience personalization should be considered. A website without a strategy will be nothing more than a digital business card. 7. The most valuable asset in marketing in 2027 will be trust With so many variables, so many facets, so many channels, and so much dynamism (have you counted how many times Instagram has changed its main features this year alone?), it will be impossible for you to be an expert in everything related to marketing . Time will only get shorter, and your focus will almost certainly have to be on the core of your product, brand, or service. El activo más valioso será la confianza. And that's why you'll be facing critical decisions about who to entrust with the strategy and implementation of your marketing plan. Will you relinquish control to an AI bot that lacks the capacity to evaluate errors or take responsibility for its outputs? Will you turn to a sporadic and trendy group that lacks strategy, proven experience, or authority? One of the things I'm most proud of about the agency we've created at Werko Marketing Solutions is that (as I've shared in other articles) we prefer to deny you a service rather than sell you smoke and mirrors, in order to address what you're expressing as a need, but which we know is unaffordable. Letting our clients down through design just to collect an invoice is NOT in this agency's DNA. At the end of the day, all that remains is your professional reputation and the trust you have built with your clients, based on the honor and responsibility they place on you by allowing you to represent their companies, brands, products, and services. Digital marketing predictions for 2027 According to our digital marketing predictions for 2027, the industry will not only be about technology, algorithms, or artificial intelligence. Concepts such as trust, strategy, experience, authenticity, and expertise will become increasingly important . The tools will continue to evolve, and hopefully, like us every day, you will have fun facing this transformative adventure that is and will be digital marketing. About the author Arjan Shahani Managing Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions and co-founder of Shahani Initiatives . He has over 20 years of experience in consumer and B2B marketing, as well as business consulting. His primary focus is business profitability through strategic marketing.

The more AI-generated content there is, the higher the value of human creativity. If I sound like a broken record, it’s because I keep seeing people who, without understanding the deeper context, have given in to temptation. They’ve delegated purely human creativity processes to tools that are being misused , and the results are laughable. Yes, AI can generate text, images, videos, and campaigns. It’s also very useful for helping you plan a vacation—even when it recommends hotels that don’t exist or gives bad advice on immigration requirements (we’ve all seen the videos of people whose trips were ruined because they trusted ChatGPT when it told them they didn't need a visa). It’s indisputable that tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Perplexity, and Meta AI have democratized and amplified anyone's ability to generate more content than ever . But paradoxically, this reality of exponential volume is exactly what makes human creativity an incredibly valuable asset . I’ll prove it to you: Table of Contents: AI produces content through imitation; Humans produce ideas that inspire. Big Data serves many purposes... so far, inspiring great creatives isn’t one of them. The exponential volume of generic "slop" makes human ideas worth much more. Doing what has worked before vs. risking it all to amaze the world. The Future of Marketing: Human Creativity vs. AI as a tool, not a replacement. AI produces content through imitative and predictive processes. Creativity produces ideas and inspires others to ideate. I get it, there are moments when it seems like ChatGPT just handed you a brilliant idea, fresh copy, or a great graphic. But it’s vital to understand what is actually happening behind the scenes. The reality is that the copy feels "novel" to you simply because you personally haven't been exposed to it yet… but the AI we have access to today does not create ideas. LLM models simply regurgitate and combine information based on predictive exercises and grammatical pattern recognition . To put it bluntly, AI doesn’t know if what it’s saying makes sense or not … it has no real capacity to value it, contrast it with your intentions and expectations, or define what is true. It cannot, and does not try to, defend its proposals or stances because it has zero commitment to them. Big Data serves many purposes… so far, inspiring the world's greatest creatives isn’t one of them. We’ve already seen several agencies develop advertising campaigns by surrendering the creative process to AI… and I bet you don’t remember a single one of them . Do you know why? Because, at best, the result was just " meh... " as my kids would say. At the 2026 Winter Olympics, organizers used AI slop in their welcome video for the games. The ones you do  remember are the instances where "naively bold" agencies (and I truly recognize their audacity, because not everyone has the guts to do it) asked AI to manufacture their art, only for the resulting "AI slop" to cause total backlash and public embarrassment. On our podcast, Cierre de Semana , we’ve mentioned several of these catastrophic examples, including a McDonald’s Christmas spot and content from the recent Winter Olympics that couldn't even get the colors of the Olympic rings right. Think about the advertising campaigns you still remember today, even though they aired years ago. What prompt could have possibly generated those? Can you even imagine one? It is undeniable that the most memorable campaigns have relied on elements of: Intuition Opportunistic cultural observation An understanding of human emotions The exacerbation of social contradictions Personal experiences Or the use of the absurd. A creative has the capacity to observe something mundane and find the inspiration to create magic , build powerful ideas, and leave their mark on the world with a level of care and dedication that no algorithm could ever aspire to achieve (if algorithms even had the capacity to aspire to something, which they don’t). That's why human creativity vs AI will always win. The exponential volume of generic trash makes human ideas worth much more. Without getting into too much detail, since I wrote an in-depth piece on the subject here , the more the internet fills up with AI Slop, the more valuable human creation becomes. Human generated content is 8x more likely to rank numer 1 in Google. There is no better proof of this than the fact that the sites recognized by the search algorithms themselves are the ones that consistently achieve the best SERP (Search Engine Result Pages) results, because they are the ones that best match search intent. ( Visit Search Engine Land's article about this topic ). With very, very few exceptions, we perform searches because we want to know what everyone else is saying, whether because we need a standard piece of information or a general consensus. In almost every other scenario, we prefer what is original and different . For this reason, the content that truly has value and stands out is that which has a human essence behind it, as people prefer the specificity and differentiation that an algorithm simply cannot replicate. In a world where competing via volume is useless because machines can generate practically infinite content, the new competitive advantage lies in the ability to generate UNIQUE content . It’s about having your own perspectives, truly understanding people, their psychology, and their emotions, it’s about identifying cultural tensions and changes… and telling unique, memorable stories that truly connect. Doing what has already worked or risking it all to amaze the world. Creative processes are daring, they throw us into the unknown. They allow us to think in terms of “ what if I did… ” versus “ let’s do the obvious ”. AI has a predilection for the expected, what has already been done and what once worked for someone. When someone came up with the idea of putting a gorilla playing the drums to Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” to sell chocolates, it wasn't because they thought, “ I’m going to do what everyone else is doing ”. It was a leap of faith to try something they knew NOBODY had ever done .   If you don’t know the one I mean, you can see it here. The result is a TV spot that, for me, personifies the use of the absurd in the most creative way possible to achieve the highest possible recall. The future of marketing: Human creativity vs. AI as a tool, not a substitute. If your starting point is AI Slop and you ask for more, the result will be AI slop to the Nth power . But if you start with a human BIG IDEA, with a complete understanding of what makes that idea incredible and unique, THEN YES, you can get a lot of value out of AI to accelerate replication, variations, and extensions of that idea. I want to be clear: In my opinion, AI’s role should be assistive, a catalyst for human creativity, but NEVER its substitute. Strategy, vision, and the core idea are incredible when they are born from people. They are predictable and mediocre when they come from a prompt. At our agency, we use AI EVERY day. It has served us well for many things, including the automation of repetitive, low-value tasks . It’s also been great for processing high volumes of data to extract insights—for example, monitoring real-time traffic on our clients' social networks to analyze behavior and predict critical traffic spikes. But I promise you, I will NEVER surrender my creative capacity or the accountability I dedicate to our clients to a bot. We want Werko to keep doing humanly incredible things… and to be remembered for them. About the author Arjan Shahani Managing Partner at Werko Marketing Solutions and co-founder of Shahani Initiatives . He has over 20 years of experience in consumer and B2B marketing, as well as business consulting. His primary focus is business profitability through strategic marketing.

No tenemos que esperar al final de 2026 ; desde hoy puedo decirte que el tráfico a sitios web informativos caerá, la burbuja del contenido genérico va a explotar, las marcas serán más generadoras de contenido, el SEO será más estratégico y contínuo, las agencias charlatanas serán desenmascaradas, los sitios web tendrán que volverse máquinas de conversión y tu asset más valioso será la confianza del consumidor. Vamos a adelantarnos. En el 2027 tendremos hitos muy importantes para los cuales puedes irte preparando desde YA. Y no sólo estoy hablando de cómo tendrás que hacer MÁS cosas… también te platicaré de las estrategias que te convendrá ir dejando se hacer porque serán obsoletas.  Esto no debería sorprenderte: el marketing digital está cambiando a ritmos nunca antes vistos… y no sólo me refiero a la manera en que la proliferación de la inteligencia artificial, principalmente a través de LLMs (conocidos por la mayoría como “inteligencias artificiales”), está trastocando la experiencia online de todos. La transformación va mucho más allá que eso y decir la palabra “IA” sin entender el contexto y sus implicaciones, es hablar tan solo de la punta del iceberg. A continuación te comparto siete predicciones que deberías considerar al estar revisitando tu estrategia digital : Tabla de contenidos: Predicciones de marketing digital para 2027 Caída del tráfico a sitios web con user-intent informativo La burbuja del contenido genérico va a explotar ¿Y eso por qué es relevante que lo sepas? Las marcas se reconceptualizarán como medios Las marcas exitosas tendrás cosas como... El SEO se volverá cada vez más estratégico y continuo, y menos técnico y eventual Los charlatanes de marketing serán desenmascarados Los sitios web tendrán que ser máquinas de conversión El activo más valioso en el marketing en 2027 será la confianza 1. Caída del tráfico a sitios web con user-intent informativo Google SGE (Search Generative Experience), ChatGPT y sus similares harán que el tráfico originario de motores de búsqueda con una intención de usuario informativa, se reduzca considerablemente , sobre todo para respuestas de formato corto.  ¿Te estoy hablando en chino? Antes, si tu sitio web tenía la mejor respuesta a una pregunta que un usuario le hacía a Google, invariablemente acababa navegando a tu página para saciar su necesidad y esto abría posibilidades de conversión. Cada vez más veremos que si la intención de los usuarios es solamente resolver una duda, lo harán dentro del mismo ambiente de búsqueda y ahí terminará el user journey . ¿Qué significa esto para ti? ¿Deberías dejar de incorporar contenido informativo a tu sitio web? La respuesta inmediata, contundente y rotunda, es NO.   Para empezar, porque muchas veces lo que empieza como una intención informativa, termina volviéndose comercial. “¿Qué es la fascitis plantar?” en cuestión de un par de clics puede resultar en la consideración de compra de unos tennis para corredor que corrigen la sobrepronación de la pisada.  Lo que sí vale la pena que consideres al estar priorizando el contenido que alimenta a tu sitio web, es la optimización del mismo para respuestas generativas . ¿Y eso cómo se come? Afortunadamente, mi socia Carolina Trevizo acaba de compartirnos en un artículo reciente algunas formas… no son todas porque la receta secreta nos la guardamos para nuestros clientes que solicitan proyectos de Optimización SEO y GEO, pero sí hay muchos tips muy relevantes. Conoce el artículo aquí .  2. La burbuja del contenido genérico va a explotar.   La IA , en las manos inexpertas de los humanos (o incluso automatizada), será el peor enemigo de la IA . Entro bastante al detalle del por qué de esta predicción en el artículo “ El colapso del modelo de IA: Cómo el abuso de LLMs contribuye a la Teoría del Internet Muerto ” pero en resumen: Eventualmente la burbuja va a tronar. A raíz de una sobreexplotación de contenidos generados por la IA, con prompts inexpertos, automatizaciones amateur y resultados genéricos (porque así funcionan los LLMs), hoy el internet está saturado de contenido mediocre . Los motores de búsqueda (IA y tradicional) están cada vez viendo más retador atender al concepto de E-E-A-T  y encontrar contenidos relevantes para los usuarios en un mar de AI slop.  La tendencia a automatizar la generación de contenido cediendo completo accountability  a un ente que por su naturaleza no tiene accountability , rápidamente está viendo señales de rechazo porque todos los días están surgiendo errores relevantes “porque la inteligencia artificial me dijo.” La comprensión de que la burbuja del contenido genérico va a explotar , empieza en las compañías especializadas en IA pero es cuestión de tiempo para que los usuarios reaccionen y empiecen a rechazar ellos mismos un medio contaminado por basura. Por lo mismo, pensar que el internet sobrevivirá una era en la que todo su contenido sea autogenerado, sería un grave error . Si el internet no se “arregla”, los usuarios nos iremos a otra parte. Sé que es difícil de imaginar, pero es el curso natural de las cosas y es por eso que yo anticipo que si bien en el 2026 nos hemos ido acercando a ese escenario, será una asíntota que no llegaremos a cruzar. ¿Y eso por qué es relevante que lo sepas? Valor de la experiencia real : ya lo están haciendo pero en el 2027 lo harán mucho más: los motores de búsqueda priorizarán contenidos que reflejen experiencia de verdad de TU marca/empresa y desestimarán contenidos genéricos. Y por esto te insisto en que tienes  que resistir a la tentación de cederle tu capacidad creativa y accountability  a un bot.  Documentación de sitios con Casos de éxito, Análisis y Opiniones Reales . En el mundo genérico, todo lo que puedas hacer para generar diferenciación, te hará sumamente valioso. Es importante que vayas poblando tu footprint digital con todos los elementos de social proof  y uniqueness que harán que los buscadores (tradicionales y de IA) volteen a tus canales como fuentes de autoridad. Porque si el buscador te reconoce, el usuario le seguirá, te consumirá y convertirá.  3. Las marcas se reconceptualizarán como medios Esto no solo responde a los cambios en la manera en que los usuarios estamos consumiendo publicidad, desvaneciendo todas las fronteras entre lo que es un TV spot y lo que es contenido.  La reconceptualización de una marca como medio también responde a una exigencia cada vez mayor de los consumidores hacia las marcas que favorecen, gritándoles que para lograr lealtad y un vínculo emocional, los beneficios funcionales son insuficientes .   Genera contenido para tu marca. Como los consumidores continúan esperando que el producto o marca tenga posturas ideológicas, le importen ciertas causas sociales y esté constantemente interactuando con ellos, las empresas se darán cuenta de que ya no compiten sólo con otras empresas sino que en el mismo espacio digital, están peleando por la atención versus creadores de contenido . Esto, además de forzar a las marcas a estar revisitando, repensando y ajustando sus relaciones con el influencer marketing y las colaboraciones con creadores de contenido, harán más costo-eficiente que decidan volverse medios generadores ellas mismas . Mi predicción es que las marcas exitosas tendrán cosas como: Blogs fuertes , con contenidos relevantes, frecuentes, incisivos e únicos; con temas determinados no sólo por la voluntad de los autores, sino por los insights de SEO y GEO  que la data del sitio arroje a quienes la sepan explotar.  Newsletters que aprovechen el contenido de dichos blogs para amplificar la inversión en contenido ya existente en el blog. Y por newsletters no sólo me refiero a los que se distribuyen por email, sino a canales muy relevantes como los newsletters de LinkedIn y los canales especializados y accedidos por suscripción como ya existen en Instagram y en Whatsapp. Podcasts y Videopodcasts  que lleven a discusiones y análisis profundo, generando espacios de autoridad y la difusión de contenido educativo relacionado a la marca o al sector en el que opera.  ¿Quieres un ejemplo? Bienvenido a este blog de Werko Marketing Solutions , al que también puedes suscribirte a través de nuestro newsletter … y si los podcasts y videopodcast son lo tuyo, ¿haaaaave you met “ Cierre de Semana ”? 😊  Y si quieres un ejemplo de un cliente que está preparándose precisamente atendiendo a este pronóstico, tienes que conocer el proyecto de Decidir y Transformar , de Angel Tejada Higuera . 4. El SEO se volverá cada vez más estratégico y continuo, cada vez menos técnico y eventual Mi cuarta predicción para el 2027 tiene que ver con el hecho de que ante el incremento en ritmo de generación de contenido, la ventana de vigencia de un proyecto puntual de optimización de SEO, se hará más corta . Optimización SEO contínua. Es decir, si antes un proyecto de optimización de SEO tenía una vida útil de medio año y podías “dejarlo así” por ese tiempo, el futuro próximo arroja que el mantenimiento de SEO y GEO   se volverá en un tema continuo y constante , con iteraciones periódicas de auditoría, identificación de áreas de oportunidad y ajuste. Adicionalmente, los ajustes en back end y OnPage SEO forzosamente tendrán que complementarse con estrategias de contenido . Es por eso que hoy en día todas las cotizaciones que estamos entregando a nuestros clientes para proyectos de optimización, incluyen una fase 2 enfocada en SEO+GEO driven content marketing .  Este enfoque involucra capturar el valor real detrás de generar autoridad temática, branding efectivo, reputación y confianza para una marca transformada en un medio (predicción 3). 5. Los charlatanes de marketing serán desenmascarados ¿Has recibido en alguna de tus redes sociales anuncios de agencias de marketing que te prometen que han crakeado el algoritmo y que están capitalizando para sus clientes todas las ventajas de la IA generándoles 100 variantes de publicaciones para sus posts, stories y reels? Sí… esos “ miracle workers ” marketeros improvisados que lo único que están haciendo es poner en riesgo la propiedad intelectual de las marcas que representan al generarles assets  imposibles de registrar y por ende de dominio público, implementando estrategias que inundan el éter de contenido genérico y por ende son castigadas por los motores de búsqueda. Se les caerá la máscara. Esos que hoy venden espejitos, muy pronto estarán pagando por sus engaños , porque el consumidor final cada vez más se está educando respecto a los “para qué sí” y “para qué no” del uso de la IA.  Y como lo he dicho anteriormente, las agencias y empresas que ganarán no serán las que USEN (o mal usen) IA, sino las que sepan en qué partes de sus procesos es conveniente integrarla como parte de su estrategia y de cuáles dejarla fuera.  En pocas cosas tengo tanta confianza como en el hecho de que quienes hacemos marketing serio, prevaleceremos . El fundamento, la experiencia, la dedicación y consistencia estratégica harán que los resultados hablen por encima de las voces gritonas que venden paja.  ¿Y por qué debería importarte? Pues porque como lo he dicho repetidamente, muchas veces el cliente no sabe lo que no sabe. ¿Tienes alguna duda respecto a la seriedad, expertise o pensamiento estratégico de la agencia con la que actualmente estás trabajando? Escríbeme  y con gusto te puedo platicar de cuáles son algunas de las señales que podrían evidenciar tus sospechas.  6. Los sitios web tendrán que ser máquinas de conversión Si mi predicción #1 se vuelve realidad (y estoy segurísimo de ella), este cambio forzará a los desarrolladores de sitios web a pensar en formas de diseño web a las que invité a considerar en un artículo que escribí en el 2024, titulado “ Sitios web con embudo de conversión: Cómo diseñarlos para generar más ventas ”. Sin meterme mucho al detalle (porque para eso está el artículo que te acabo de compartir) pero la predicción #1 forzará a los sitios web a considerar los diferentes customer journeys  de los distintos buyer personas  que se anticipe visitarán los espacios, desde el Home a las distintas páginas interiores, los diferentes widgets y otros elementos.  La arquitectura del sitio tendrá que considerar desde su estructura y sitemap cómo las diferentes secciones atienden a las fases de un embudo de conversión . El contenido tendrá que ser estratégico respondiendo a este diseño y en medida de lo posible, se tendrá que considerar toda la personalización de experiencias que sea viable y atractiva. Un sitio web sin estrategia, no será más que una tarjeta de presentación digital. 7. El activo más valioso en el marketing del 2027 será la confianza Con tantas variables, tantas aristas, tantos canales y tanto dinamismo (¿ya contaste la cantidad de veces que Instagram ha hecho cambios a sus características principales en lo que va del año?), será imposible que tú seas un experto en todo lo relacionado al marketing .  Los tiempos cada vez se acortarán más y tu enfoque tendrá que estar seguramente en lo que es el núcleo de tu producto, marca o servicio.  El activo más valioso será la confianza. Y por eso estarás enfrentando decisiones críticas en torno a quien confiarle la estrategia e implementación de tu plan de marketing.  ¿Cederás tu control a un bot de inteligencia artificial que no cuenta con capacidad de evaluar errores o asumir responsabilidad por sus outputs? ¿Recurrirás a un colectivo esporádico y trendy  pero sin estrategia, experiencia probada o autoridad? Una de las cosas que más me enorgullece de la agencia que hemos creado en Werko Marketing Solutions, es que (ya lo he compartido en otros artículos) preferimos negarte un servicio que venderte humo con tal de atender lo que estás expresando como una necesidad pero que sabemos que es inasequible.  Quedarles mal a nuestros clientes por diseño con tal de cobrar una factura, es algo que NO está en el ADN de esta agencia. Al final del día, lo único que se queda es tu reputación profesional y la confianza que lograste sembrar en tus clientes ante el honor y responsabilidad que te dan al permitirte interceder en sus empresas, marcas, productos y servicios.  Predicciones de marketing digital para 2027 Según nuestras predicciones de marketing digital para 2027, la industria no sólo será sobre tecnología, algoritmos o inteligencia artificial. Cobrarán bastante relevancia conceptos como confianza, estrategia, experiencia, autenticidad y expertise .  Las herramientas seguirán evolucionando y ojalá como nosotros todos los días, tú te diviertas enfrentando esta aventura transformativa que es y será, el marketing digital. Sobre el autor Arjan Shahani Socio Director en Werko Marketing Solutions y co-fundador de Shahani Initiatives . Cuenta con más de 20 años de experiencia en marketing de consumo y B2B, así como consultoría de negocios. Su enfoque principal es la rentabilidad de los negocios a través de mercadotecnia estratégica.

Elegir entre un ecommerce vs marketplace es una decisión más estratégica que técnica. Entender sus diferencias y para qué sirve cada uno es clave para tomar la decisión correcta. Cuando era estudiante de preparatoria, algunos de mis amigos empezaron a comprarse lo que en su momento fue la consola de videojuegos más avanzada: Sony Playstation 3. Los que eran más Team Xbox se compraban la Xbox 360. No podían faltar los que, además de una consola monstruosa, también tenían una portátil como el Nintendo 3DS o el PSP. Y cómo olvidarme de quienes desde aquel entonces ya eran fieles a jugar en una computadora: los PC Master Race. Me estoy desviando del punto al que quiero llegar. Para no quedarme atrás y poder jugar con mis amigos, empecé a buscar formas de hacer dinero. Comencé a trabajar los fines de semana en salones de eventos para bodas y… decidí empezar a vender productos en Mercado Libre. Fue así que pude ahorrar suficiente dinero para comprarme mi PS3 y eventualmente mi primera computadora de escritorio gamer. La realidad es que Mercado Libre actualmente no es la misma plataforma que era hace 15-20 años. Ahora es un marketplace mucho más regulado , lo que proporciona seguridad y confianza tanto a compradores y vendedores pero también pone más trabas y cobra más comisiones, así que ya no estoy seguro de que en tiempos actuales hubiera podido lograr lo mismo que pude lograr cuando estaba en prepa. Sé que seguramente estás en la misma disyuntiva, así que entremos de lleno al tema. ¿Le conviene a tu negocio poner un ecommerce propio o es mejor depender de un marketplace como Mercado Libre y Amazon? Tabla de contenidos Ventajas y desventajas del ecommerce Ventajas de tener tu propio ecommerce Desventajas de tener tu propio ecommerce Ventajas y desventajas del marketplace Tres modelos del marketplace Dropshipping Fulfillment by marketplace Retail ¿Qué opción es mejor: ecommerce vs marketplace? Ventajas y desventajas del ecommerce Tener tu propio comercio electrónico se ha vuelto un objetivo relativamente sencillo de llevar a cabo, ya que no requiere los grandes desarrollos web que hace un par de décadas todavía podían implicar. Ventajas de tener tu propio ecommerce Tú tienes el poder con tu propio ecommerce. Actualmente, existen plataformas como Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento y muchas otras que te permiten montar un comercio en línea, desde la carga de productos hasta establecer canales logísticos de envío de mercancía, en plantillas visuales atractivas. Lo mejor de todo es que tú tienes el control y la gestión de tu tienda en línea.  Así como el dueño de la tiendita de la esquina decide qué productos vender, en qué anaqueles, a qué precio y demás decisiones, tú tienes ese poder en plataformas como Shopify. Además, gracias a las múltiples integraciones que estos constructores tienen con otras aplicaciones - digamos PayPal - es todavía más fácil tener un comercio en línea bastante robusto. Hasta ahí todo suena muy bien. Si tan sencillo y seamless es montar un ecommerce en Shopify, no debe haber ningún inconveniente, ¿verdad? Desventajas de tener tu propio ecommerce La realidad con la que se topan muchos comerciantes durante la construcción o inclusive después del lanzamiento de su tienda en línea se puede resumir en los siguiente puntos: Escalabilidad compleja:  Si la oferta de productos es pequeña (digamos menos de 25-50 SKU) inicialmente, dar de alta estos productos con sus fotos, descripciones, precios, etc., no es mucho problema. Sin embargo, si eventualmente vas a manejar una mayor cantidad de productos con múltiples variantes de color, tamaño, material y demás, rápidamente puedes terminar con una tienda con más de 1,000 SKU. Esto, a su vez, no solo puede hacer más tardada la carga de productos sino la gestión misma, e inclusive puede aumentar el costo que plataformas como Shopify te cobran (digamos una comisión) por tener tu comercio en línea. El tráfico no llega solo:  A diferencia de un marketplace, el cual discutiremos más adelante, tener tu propia tienda online requiere un esfuerzo mayor para atraer usuarios al mismo. Y ese esfuerzo es 100% tu responsabilidad. Para ellos tendrás que hacer uso de una estrategia de marketing integral que te permita generar atracción, retención, compra y recompra.  Esto es: SEO, contenidos en redes sociales, publicidad pagada, email marketing y más. De lo contrario, es muy probable que no logres el éxito deseado. Dependencia técnica:  Como dije, montar un ecommerce en estas plataformas es relativamente sencillo, especialmente con la utilización de una buena plantilla que puedes personalizar. El problema es que mientras más funcionalidades y personalización le añadas, vas haciendo más compleja la construcción misma y, cuando ocurra un problema (te garantizo que los habrá), será igualmente complicado diagnosticar y resolver el problema. Más aún si consideramos que estos problemas requerirán de asistencia técnica de la plataforma o, en caso de las plantillas y plugins, de quienes los desarrollaron. Curvas de aprendizaje:  Asumiendo que tú, quien está leyendo mi artículo (muchas gracias, por cierto), eres quien construyó el ecommerce, posiblemente tengas un mayor entendimiento del mismo que otras personas en tu organización. Por lo tanto, te corresponderá a ti, o a quien sea que haya armado la tienda, en capacitar debidamente a quienes tendrán un rol en la gestión. En Werko Marketing Solutions, cuando realizamos un proyecto de ecommerce (como el de Euro Water Technologies ) nos aseguramos de capacitar al cliente y entregarle manuales y sesiones tutoriales para que pueda operar su tienda al entregársela. Confianza de la marca:  A menos que tu marca ya esté bien posicionada en el mercado y tus audiencias target te conozcan, tendrás que escalar cuesta arriba (como toda marca lo hace al inicio) para generar ese posicionamiento top of mind . Esto ya lo platicamos en el punto dos, pero no es solo generar tráfico, sino que con el tiempo, con las ventas y con el servicio postventa se pueda generar un sentido de seguridad y confianza hacia tu marca. Sin haber entrado todavía a los detalles de un marketplace, ¿será que la segunda opción es mejor? Ventajas y desventajas del marketplace Si bien existen múltiples marketplaces que ofrecen intermediación entre vendedores y compradores, como lo son Amazon México, Mercado Libre México, Liverpool, Coppel, entre muchos otros, las entrañas son muy similares una de otra. Para fines de esta sección, utilizaré Amazon México como ejemplo . Lo primero que hay que entender es que existen tres modelos principales de marketplace en Amazon y otras plataformas , cada una con sus ventajas y desventajas. Lo segundo es que, sea el modelo que elijas de los tres que te platicaré ahora y, entendiendo que quizás alguno de estos no aplica para otros marketplaces más que a Amazon, uno de los puntos focales de estas plataformas es entender cómo los usuarios buscan los productos . Sí, es cierto. Tener tus productos en Amazon o Mercado Libre te puede ayudar a que los usuarios encuentren tus productos más fácilmente al “colgarte” del tráfico y confianza que tienen estos. Sin embargo, este beneficio también lo tendrán tus competidores que estén en el marketplace. Para posicionarte mejor que la competencia, necesitas entender cómo los usuarios hacen las búsquedas de productos.  En otras palabras, cuáles son las keywords (palabras clave) que debes incluir en tus productos que hagan match con las búsquedas de los usuarios. Este concepto es muy similar a las famosas keywords de Google Ads. El tema de keywords bien podría ser todo un artículo por sí mismo pero solo quería mencionarlo brevemente aquí para que entiendan que inclusive dentro de un marketplace, el tráfico a tus productos no será automático. Ahora sí, pasemos a los... Tres modelos distintos de marketplace: Dropshipping En este primer modelo, el marketplace (Amazon México en nuestro caso) es tan solo un intermediario entre el vendedor y el comprador.  Es decir, Amazon no te compra mercancía (al vendedor), no almacena inventario y no se hace cargo de la logística de envío. En pocas palabras, tú eres responsable de hacer que tu negocio opere . Esto incluye elementos como el manejo de inventarios, almacenamiento, logística de envíos y devoluciones, generación de contenido relacionado a los productos (imágenes, fichas técnicas, descripciones, etc.) y más. Para no extenderme mucho, te comparto en una tabla las principales ventajas y desventajas de este modelo. No te preocupes, haré lo mismo para los otros dos modelos. Ventajas Desventajas Modelo sencillo de entrada No elegible para Amazon Prime No requiere inventario en bodegas del marketplace Menor tasa de conversión Menor inversión inicial El vendedor se encarga de casi toda la operación Útil para probar demanda y viabilidad comercial antes de escalar a otros modelos Experiencia postventa condicionada por las políticas del marketplace (arbitraje) Este modelo puede sonar muy parecido a tener un ecommerce propio, al menos en cuanto a la operación diaria se refiere. Lo anterior debido a que es el vendedor quien en el día a día asumirá la mayor parte del trabajo. La diferencia clave es que esta operación ocurre bajo el resguardo y las reglas del marketplace. ¿Será acaso que existen otros modelos en los que el marketplace asume la responsabilidad logística? La respuesta es un rotundo “sí”. Fulfillment by Marketplace (FBM) En este modelo, conocido en Amazon como FBA, el vendedor sigue siendo el dueño del producto. Es decir, no le está vendiendo su mercancía a Amazon. La gran diferencia con el modelo anterior es que le estarás pasando la chamba logística al marketplace.  Esto incluye almacenamiento de inventario, envíos y devoluciones. Además, el FBA ofrece beneficios interesantes en cuanto a experiencia de compra se refiere como el famoso Prime. De hecho, que tus productos aparezcan con la leyenda “Prime” generará mayor confianza en el usuario y aumentará las probabilidades de que compren. Ventajas Desventajas Eres elegible para Amazon Prime Alta dependencia de las políticas y tarifas (fees) del marketplace Mayor confianza percibida del comprador Capital inmovilizado en inventario enviado a bodegas del marketplace Mejor tasa de conversión Costos adicionales por devoluciones Menor carga logística para el vendedor Menor control operativo y logístico Escalabilidad sencilla por facilidades logísticas Costos recurrentes de almacenamiento en bodegas de marketplace El modelo Fulfilled by Marketplace se puede considerar una especie de punto medio entre el Dropshipping y Retail . El vendedor mantiene el control comercial, sus productos son suyos, pero delega la logística al marketplace para aumentar la tasa de conversión. Si el objetivo es dejar de operar el canal y pasar a colocar volumen de mercancía, el modelo en los marketplaces que debes considerar es el de Retail. Retail Ventajas Desventajas Venta directa al marketplace Márgenes significativamente menores Marketplace asume inventario, logística y devoluciones Control nulo sobre precios finales Sin operación diaria del canal Sin control sobre la experiencia marca-cliente Flujo de venta predecible, según acuerdo con el marketplace Alta dependencia del marketplace como comprador único Ideal para negocios con alta capacidad de producción Poder de negociación concentrado en el marketplace En resumidas cuentas, el modelo Retail representa la simplificación operativa dentro de un marketplace: el vendedor deja de gestionar este canal y su única preocupación es abastecer al marketplace de productos. Entendiendo cada uno de los tres modelos, nos podemos dar cuenta que vender en un marketplace no es una decisión que se toma por un solo factor, sino considerando una serie de elementos como operación logística, margen y control del canal . Con este entendimiento, tenemos más herramientas para poder responder la pregunta sobre qué opción es mejor: ecommerce o marketplace. ¿Qué opción es mejor: ecommerce vs marketplace? La realidad es que pensar que es entre blanco y negro sería caer en un error. En la práctica, es muy difícil (o imposible) decir que una opción es universalmente mejor que la otra. Lo que existen son los objetivos de tu negocio y los momentos distintos que el negocio está viviendo. Cada canal tiene sus fortalezas que ayudan a resolver problemas distintos y brindan beneficios diferentes. En pocas palabras, la clave es definir cuál es el que más hace sentido según la situación de tu negocio. Los marketplaces  suelen ser efectivos y utilizados para acceder de manera rápida  a una demanda existente y aprovechando el tráfico nativo de estas plataformas para aumentar la exposición y las probabilidades de convertir. Además, su infraestructura y capacidad logística ayudan a reducir las barreras de entrada. A cambio, el vendedor tiene que ceder cierto control sobre los precios, parte del servicio postventa (como la relación con clientes y procesos de devolución) y, en muchos casos, margen de ganancia. El ecommerce , en cambio, es un canal propio del vendedor que prioriza el control logístico y operativo. No solo eso, uno de los principales objetivos que el ecommerce busca alcanzar es la construcción de marca.   Una tienda en línea bien implementada permite brindar una experiencia diferenciada al cliente. Claro está, si se construyó de manera correcta en Shopify, WooCommerce y demás. Siendo todavía más estratégicos y pensando en el mediano y largo plazo, este canal provee una relación directa con el cliente y la recopilación de datos que se convierten en oro puro para esfuerzos de remarketing, programas de lealtad, promociones, etc.  Al final de cuentas, es más probable que asegures la rentabilidad de tu negocio si logras incentivar la captación de clientes nuevos Y la recompra de clientes actuales. Sin embargo, este control total que tienes sobre tu ecommerce implica que debes asumir mayores responsabilidades  en términos de logística, operación, marketing y, el crecimiento es posible que sea más gradual y no tan acelerado como en un marketplace. Vuelvo al punto: ¿uno u otro? No necesariamente.  Existen múltiples casos en los que los negocios optan por ambas opciones de manera conjunta , entendiendo el rol que cada uno cumple dentro de una estrategia comercial. El marketplace se convierte en un canal enfocado en volumen, mientras que el ecommerce se transforma en un canal de consolidación de marca, fidelización del cliente y se procura más el margen de ganancia. Más que preguntarse si es mejor vender en una tienda en línea propia o en un marketplace, la decisión correcta se toma con base en definir el rol de cada canal, medir su desempeño (pensando en métricas como rentabilidad neta, volumen, costos operativos, control y capacidad de escalar) y ajustar la estrategia con base en resultados. No es tanto de “en dónde se vende” sino en “por qué se vende” en cada canal. En pocas palabras: toma decisiones informadas y alineadas con los objetivos de tu negocio. Sobre el autor David Santos Especialista en Marketing Digital en Werko Marketing Solutions. Cuenta con 9 años de experiencia en marketing digital. Su enfoque principal es el monitoreo y análisis de data  para la gestión y optimización de campañas publicitarias digitales, sitios web y comercios en línea.