Introducing TikTok Next 2026: Our Trend Forecast for Marketers for the Year Ahead

In 2025, we saw brands bring new levels of creativity through Brand Chem - leaning into the cultural moments that sparked impactful conversations, partnering with creators to reach new audiences, and deepening meaningful relationships with niche communities.

In the year ahead, users will demand even more as we enter a new era of brand engagement. Today, we're thrilled to unveil TikTok Next, our sixth annual trend forecast, designed to equip marketers for the year ahead through deep insights into our community's changing interests and behaviors. The forecast gives brands a roadmap to create engaging, inspiring content that also drives business results.

"2026 will usher in a shift in user behavior toward new realities, newfound curiousity, and a search for emotional ROI. To resonate with the TikTok community in the coming year, marketers must look past the days of passive consumption and actively seek opportunities to tap into culturally relevant conversations, build community, and prove their value, leveraging new AI tools and diving deep into data and insights,"said Sofia Hernandez, Global Head of Business Marketing for TikTok.

You can view the full global TikTok Next forecast here.

This year, we'll see trends rooted in our Irreplaceable Instinct, representing a shift toward the curiousity, conviction, and care that connect us. Our 2026 Trend Signals were powered by AI and grounded in human instinct - contextualized by how our community is feeling about the state of the world. We're hopeful, at times just trying to keep it together, and always excited to discover something new. We've categorized this year's Trend Signals into three groups:

1. Reali-TEA
2. Curiosity Detours
3. Emotional ROI

Reali-TEA

Fantasy is fading. In 2026, audiences will realign through the chaos to forge new realities together.

Humanizing your brand goes beyond an AI avatar or chat bot, it's listening, learning, and sharing real stories that spill the tea on what audiences actually feel. TikTok users have moved from romanticizing life to embracing #TheGreatLockIn, a focus on self-improvement and creating new communities of accountability. In 2026, we're intentional and grounded, and learning escapism isn't enough.

Brands that help audiences navigate life's chaos together are earning real loyalty. Oreo uses TikTok to read the room in real time, mirroring audience lingo and behavior. For their Reese's collaboration, the team tapped into the emerging joke about "merging with your best friend," creating a carousel where the two brands literally blended into one. It became Oreo's second top-performing post of 2025. These moments make us laugh, reflect, and feel human. Audiences crave content that celebrates the highs and finds humor, community, and connection in the lows - Jet2Holiday anyone?

Donʼt lock your content in six months out when audiences are rewriting theirs every week, creating flexbility to tap into the cultural "teaˮ before you go live, use our tools to check in on the latest conversations, and build space for humanity, humor, imperfection, and celebrating the highs. Tools like TikTok One Insight Spotlight and TikTok Market Scope track audience sentiment in real time. This allows brands to create content that reflects it with empathy and wit.

Curiosity Detours

In 2026, curiosity becomes the new currency as audiences dive deeper into new journeys of discovery.

Our communities noticed they were becoming overreliant on tech to get from A to B, and missing all the exciting discovery that can happen in between. But behavior on our own platform is evolving. Audiences come with an active intention and are met with so many more curious, trusted, and unexpected answers that lead to new discoveries.

Searching on TikTok is like an outing that starts with one simple plan but unfolds into countless surprises. You come with one intention, but along the way discover authentic tips, hacks, and stories that make the journey richer, more memorable, and way more fun than expected. Passive consumption is out while scanning the comments for answers, searching for "my makeup type", and never missing a beat on what everyone else is talking about is in. 52% continued searching on TikTok after discovering something on TikTok (1). The most exciting part? There's no one query of entry to your brand. The unexpected rabbitholes of our audience take them across traditional verticals and interests, into new discoveries.

Duracell (@duracellespanol) didn't just find fans-it found stans. By hearing from users about their TikTok search journeys, the brand uncovered an unexpected connection between its batteries and the K-pop community, who rely on Duracell to power the glowing lightsticks of their favorite idols. What started as a niche discovery has become a powerful new growth audience and a top priority for 2026.

This isnʼt about broadening your appeal, but about showing up meaningfully outside what you might think is your core category. Advertisers can leverage TikTok One Content Suite to dig deeper into organic brand mentions and see how the TikTok community really talks about and engages with your brand. Connect with creators to turn authentic content into paid campaigns, or use these insights to craft creative that speaks the audienceʼs language.

Emotional ROI

Impulse will lose to intention in 2026 as shoppers reward the brands that justify the why to buy, first.

Consumers may be cutting back on "non-essentials," but they're also expanding what counts as essential-and emotions are driving that line. It's no longer just about grabbing the cheapest shampoo or bread; it's about finding the shampoo that truly works for your hair type, or turning bread-making into a ritual that supports wellness. Purchase decisions are increasingly premeditated, with audiences weighing emotional ROI as heavily as financial cost.

Audiences are finding shopping recommendations from friends, in-store, or from AI, and are then going to TikTok to compare and validate from trusted creators before committing. As a matter of fact, 81% users say TikTok provides a view into real-life product usage. (2) The "why to buy" has never mattered more, and audiences are turning to brands and trusted TikTok voices to offer context, not just a sales pitch.

Audible (@audible) cracked the Emotional ROI code by handing the mic to the TikTok community. What started as a simple, organic post asking for five-star book recs turned into an explosion of engagement, achieving 376% higher reach than their channel average as #BookTok flooded the comments with passionate picks. By letting listeners lead the conversation, Audible transformed from the authority on stories to a brand in the story.

Shoppers are redefining whatʼs essential not by price, but by meaning, joy, and belonging. Advertisers should show their brand delivers real, everyday value-whether through cost-per-wear, emotional payoff, or community connection. With Symphony Creative Studio, you can easily adapt one idea across languages, formats, and styles-because in commerce, more content wins.

A Note on TikTok Next Methodology

Our annual trend forecast was built using TikTok's own tools that are also available to advertisers. For example, we used TikTok One Insight Spotlight and TikTok Market Scope, our first-party analytics platform that identifies audience behavior, content performance, and market trends, to uncover trends and user preferences. It unifies paid and organic data to show how people discover, talk about, and buy from brands on TikTok-helping marketers connect awareness to conversion in real time.

Check out the full TikTok next site and full 2026 forecast here.

TikTok Marketing Science References

1. Source: TikTok Marketing Science Global TikTok as a Discovery Engine Study 2023 (ID and JP results), conducted by Material
2. TikTok Marketing Science US, Commerce Landscape Study 2024, commissioned by TikTok in collaboration with Ipsos