The second half of 2026 presents new challenges for CPG brands. Consumers continue to face economic pressures and make trade-offs in ways that aren’t always predictable, while marketers have access to more data, measurement tools, and consumer signals than ever before. 

Not every purchase decision, brand opinion, or loyalty shift can be traced to a single metric or moment. The second half of the year brings new considerations for how brands are discovered, evaluated, and remembered. 

How Consumers Discover CPG Brands Today 

Consumer discovery paths are becoming increasingly fragmented. Product research increasingly happens across a mix of social platforms, online communities, search engines, retailer sites, influencers, and AI-based experiences. 

Today’s consumers rarely follow a linear path from awareness to purchase. Instead, they move between multiple channels in their daily lives and consume countless sources of information before making a decision. A recommendation on Reddit, a creator review, a retailer search result, and an AI-generated answer may all contribute to the same purchase. 

This shift challenges marketers to think more broadly about measurement and influence. Instead of focusing on individual touchpoints, successful brands are showing up consistently across places consumers spend their time. Sustaining a strong omnichannel presence helps brands remain part of the consideration set, even when those touchpoints aren’t traditionally associated with lower-funnel outcomes. 

Consumers Are Choosing Carefully 

Shoppers continue to feel pressure at checkout, but that doesn’t mean they’re choosing the cheapest options. Shoppers are rethinking what value means to them, weighing attributes of convenience, quality, and familiarity before making a purchase. 

For CPG brands, that means every product is competing harder for consideration. Consumers are making trade-offs, but those decisions aren’t always predictable or driven solely by price. Brands that clearly communicate what sets them apart may have an advantage with increasingly selective shoppers. 

Brands Are Being Summarized 

Consumers are often exposed to brands well before they have a reason to buy them. Reviews, creator content, community recommendations, and retailer experiences all help guide perceptions along the way. 

The rise of AI-powered search and large language models introduces another layer to this process. As consumers increasingly rely on summarized answers, information available across reviews, articles, communities, and brand-owned content is melded together to determine how and which brands are represented. This raises the stakes for brands to present themselves consistently, as consumers may encounter a synthesized version of a brand before ever visiting its website or retailer pages directly. 

For CPG marketers, brand building is no longer limited to a single campaign. The challenge isn’t just getting consumers to a website or product page but creating a broader brand experience that aligns with how the company wants to be perceived. As more of the consumer journey takes place outside of brand-owned channels, conversations surrounding brands can become just as influential as the messaging the brand itself creates. 

Sources: 

• https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/the-state-of-the-us-consumer 
• https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/state-of-consumer 
• https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/416132/ai-discovery-is-forcing-ad-industry-to-rethink-ear.html 
• https://p2pi.com/how-brands-can-show-authentically-during-cultural-moments 

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