It is officially “Trend Report Season,” that time of year when the social media giants look down from their ivory towers and tell us exactly how we should be acting for the next twelve months. If your plan was to just post funny videos and hope for the best, it’s maybe time to rethink and regroup because it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
TikTok has come out with its "TikTok Next" report for 2026. It is formulated to assist marketers in "tapping into key shifts," which is code for "please increase ad spend." They figured that the theme for the year is "Irreplaceable Instinct."
I have no idea what that means. It sounds like a perfume you buy in a duty-free store. But it seems it symbolizes a movement towards curiosity and conviction, according to TikTok. Sure.
The Big Three (According to the Algorithm)
To make this more digestible, they have identified three specific trends. They have also given these catchy names because evidently, marketing managers cannot grasp a concept unless it is branded.
1. Reali-TEA
I wish I were joking about this name. I am not. This trend is all about showing "real experiences" instead of "curated perfection." Essentially, people are tired of your studio lighting and your scripts. They want the tea. They want the mess.
But here’s the catch. You can’t actually be real. You have to be strategically real. You have to look like you just rolled out of bed, but with perfect lighting. Brands that can fake this level of casual authenticity are going to make it. If your content looks like a TV commercial, you’re already dead in the water.
2. Curiosity Detours
This one is actually kind of fun. TikTok explains that users are playing with “niche trends” and taking random interests down rabbit holes.
For marketers, this means you can stop trying to appeal to everyone. If your product is weird, own the weird. Did you go down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about medieval cheese-making? Great. Make a video about it. The point here is to tap into specific, obsessive consumer interests rather than trying to cast a wide, boring net.
3. Emotional ROI
This is my favorite. "Emotional ROI" has to be the most cynical use of words that I have ever heard. Essentially, it means that brands have to be able to explain their existence by making people feel something.
You can’t just sell a toaster anymore. You have to sell the warmth of a family breakfast and the security of perfectly browned bread. You need to provide clarity on the “value” of your product, but that value has to hit them right in the feels.
How to Cheat the System
The full report is available if you are willing to give them your email address in exchange for a PDF. Or you could check out their "mini-site" if you like bright colors and scrolling.
The most helpful thing is that they have included lists of hashtags that they think will pop off this year. Consider this your cheat sheet. Instead of losing your sanity over figuring out what people are interested in, you can just look at the list and work your way in.
They also included case studies of brands that are already doing this stuff. So if your creativity zeroed out after the holidays, you can just imitate what they did. No judgement and I won't tell anyone.
Before I Log Off
Is this report scientific? Probably not. It is a series of predictions made from data that TikTok owns and interprets for their own benefit. However, since they hold the key to whether your business lives or dies, you should probably listen to them.
So, go forth and be "irreplaceable." Or at least, try to be slightly less boring than you were in 2025.
