As we begin the New Year, we spoke to industry leaders to reflect on the shifts that shaped 2025 and the forces expected to define 2026. For B. Srinivasan, Managing Director (MD), Vikatan Group, 2025 marked the year when credibility emerged as the strongest currency in an era of content abundance.
Reflecting on the most significant trend observed in the publishing and media space in 2025, Srinivasan notes:
“In 2025, content became ubiquitous, but credibility stood out as a clear differentiator. Audiences actively chose purpose-led content that delivered tangible value across life verticals such as news, finance, health, careers and culture. While digital formats expanded reach and convenience, print continued to anchor credibility, reinforcing brand confidence. For advertisers, this translated into a stronger preference for brand-safe environments and well-contextualised ideas, including on-ground concepts that extended relevance beyond the page and delivered measurable outcomes.”
Building on this foundation of trust and relevance, Srinivasan believes the coming year will further sharpen how content ecosystems are structured, consumed and monetised.
Looking ahead to the trends expected to shape 2026, he outlines: “Readers will increasingly favour publications that organise content around clear subjects and everyday needs. Depth, clarity and practical relevance will drive loyalty. For advertisers, such vertical-led environments enable sharper contextual alignment and more purposeful engagement. Influence will be shaped by peer conversations and credible influencers who align naturally with the brands’ values, rather than scale-driven endorsements. Reader participation and curated collaborations will gain prominence as trust drivers, especially when rooted in editorial context. Commerce will be influenced less by overt persuasion and more by editorial judgement and contextual recommendation. Readers are more likely to act when content and commerce intersect organically. Advertisers will therefore favour experience-led integrations within trusted publications.”
Summing up the year ahead, Srinivasan concludes: “Overall, 2026 is likely to favour content ecosystems where relevance emerges from clarity, intent-led utility, participation and credible context.”
(As told to Yash Bhatia)
