Digital marketing trends food and beverage brands cannot ignore in 2026
The specific 2026 digital marketing trends most relevant to food and beverage brands, prioritised for visual discovery and retail media coordination.
5 min read
The marketing skills gap in 2026 centres specifically on the combination the restructured, AI-era team roles genuinely require — AI tool proficiency combined with broad, cross-functional marketing judgement — a combination that remains scarce in the current hiring market.
Why this specific combination is genuinely scarce
Many experienced marketers have deep expertise in pre-AI execution methods but limited AI tool proficiency, while many newer, AI-native professionals lack the broader marketing judgement and experience that senior roles genuinely require — the combination of both is what remains scarce.
- Experienced marketers often have strong judgement but limited current AI tool proficiency.
- Newer, AI-native professionals often have tool proficiency but limited broader marketing judgement and experience.
- The combination of both is what current hiring managers report struggling most to find.
The genuinely scarce hire right now is not the person who knows the tools and not the person who has the judgement — it is the person who has both, and that combination takes time to develop rather than simply being found through recruiting.
Practical approaches to closing the gap
- Invest in AI tool training for experienced marketing team members with strong existing judgement.
- Pair newer, AI-native hires with experienced mentors to build broader marketing judgement over time.
- Consider fractional or consulting support, per our fractional CMO guide, to bridge gaps while internal capability develops.
Frequently asked questions
Is external hiring or internal development the faster path to closing this gap?
Internal development of existing, judgement-strong team members' AI tool proficiency is often faster and more reliable than external hiring, given how scarce the full combination remains in the broader market.
What specific AI tool skills are most valuable currently?
This depends on your specific marketing functions, but general proficiency with AI-assisted content, analysis and campaign execution tools relevant to your channels is broadly valuable.
Will this skills gap close naturally over time?
Likely gradually, as AI-native professionals gain more marketing experience and experienced marketers build AI tool proficiency, though the gap remains genuinely significant currently.
If you want help developing your marketing team's capability for this era, talk to our team.
The takeaway
Invest in developing existing team members' AI tool proficiency and cross-functional judgement rather than assuming external hiring alone will fill the current skills gap — the combination this era genuinely requires remains scarce enough in the broader market that internal development is often the faster path.
Written by Fibvo — Bengaluru and Erode, India — working with clients in other time zones. Questions, or think we have it wrong? Tell us.
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