Earlier this month, we launched the 2026 Excessive Progress Research Govt Abstract. We’ve already previewed some insights from the research that present AI’s rising affect on {the marketplace}. On this challenge, nonetheless, I wish to discover a unique pattern that we seen as we dig into the info.
Under are two charts. Each signify high-growth corporations, the elite section of research contributors that grew at a compound fee of 20% or extra for the previous three years. The primary chart reveals the 5 advertising and marketing strategies that high-growth corporations use most frequently. The second reveals the 5 strategies that ship the best affect (on a 0–10 scale, the place 10 is the very best degree of affect).
Conventional Advertising and marketing Makes a Comeback
If one theme emerges from this information, it’s the dominance of conventional advertising and marketing strategies. As an illustration, in-person networking has made an enormous comeback because the pandemic. In final yr’s research, 45.6% of respondents recognized in-person networking as a method they use. That put it in a tie for third place. This yr it has jumped to the entrance, listed by 52.4% of respondents. That’s a 15% year-over-year enhance.
Let’s put this quantity in perspective. The yr earlier than the pandemic (2019), networking at stay occasions was listed by 56.5% of survey contributors—the most-used advertising and marketing approach that yr. Right now, adoption of this system is approaching pre-Covid ranges.
However we seen different issues as nicely. As an illustration, networking at occasions isn’t solely the most typical approach utilized by the top-performing organizations, it’s additionally tied for the simplest.
Once we requested which strategies produced the best affect, internet hosting a convention or occasion tied for the lead, the primary time this tactic has made the top-five—and even top-ten—checklist. Apparently, occasions are usually not solely widespread, they’re producing leads and enterprise alternatives for right this moment’s most profitable corporations.
We additionally noticed that of the 5 best advertising and marketing strategies high-growth corporations use, solely two are digital (selling thought management on social media and advertising and marketing video). However what actually caught our eye was the center merchandise on the checklist. For quite a lot of causes, conventional (non-digital) promoting isn’t used a lot today—it’s not even within the prime 25 strategies—however when it’s used, it apparently works very nicely. It’s in a tie for second place on the affect score checklist. We didn’t see that coming!
How the Pandemic Modified Skilled Providers Advertising and marketing
You keep in mind it nicely. The pandemic compelled virtually each agency to embrace digital advertising and marketing instruments and strategies. And usually, as soon as a corporation will get used to a brand new method of doing issues, they keep it up. On the identical time, the way in which relationships had been developed and companies had been delivered modified. Even right this moment, many relationships that had been as soon as dealt with in particular person are actually performed remotely.
What’s Taking place Right now
So why this snap-back to conventional strategies?
Probably, this pattern is propelled by at the least two forces:
- A robust want to construct relationships face-to-face once more. With the specter of the pandemic behind us, corporations crave a return to “normalcy.”
- Digital advertising and marketing is in a interval of radical transformation. Conventional website positioning is stumbling, web site site visitors is in regular decline and the rise of AI produced a basket filled with partially baked new merchandise. Entrepreneurs are both cautiously testing these merchandise or ready for one thing they’ll belief to emerge.
However this isn’t the entire story.
Digital Advertising and marketing Is Alive and Nicely
Digital advertising and marketing could also be a-changing, however it’s no much less essential. Once we look deeper into the info, we see that high-growth corporations are nonetheless utilizing a balanced mixture of conventional and digital strategies of their advertising and marketing applications. As an illustration, social media, search optimization (website positioning & GEO), internet advertising and e mail advertising and marketing are outstanding options of many corporations’ methods.
With out this digital advertising and marketing spine, these corporations’ face-to-face alternatives could be significantly restricted. Digital supplies the attain and model consciousness that make interpersonal relationships simpler to domesticate and new enterprise sooner to shut.
What Do You Do with this Data?
So do you have to be doing extra in-person and on-line networking and fewer webinars? Not so quick. Each agency, consumer base and trade is totally different. So what works for a typical high-growth agency will not be best for you. However if you’re conscious of what these top-performers are doing, you should have a deeper understanding of {the marketplace}, so you can also make higher selections.
Obtain the 2026 Excessive Progress Research (it’s free!) and discover the info and recommendation, particularly what high-growth corporations are doing. Then examine what they do to your individual program. You might be more likely to come away with at the least a couple of thrilling concepts or initiatives for the approaching yr.
