MANILA, PHILIPPINES — As brands prepare for 2026 amid rapid technological change, cultural shifts, and digital saturation, creative studio for social impact Lennon Group has released its latest thought leadership report, The Humanity Behind the Trend 2026, offering a human centered interpretation of how Filipinos are navigating the year ahead.
Rather than publishing another forecast of emerging platforms or behaviors, the report examines the emotional and value driven tensions shaping Filipino life today. From the internet as both comfort and threat, to AI as a source of hope and anxiety, the study explores what Filipinos are holding beneath the data.
“Every January, brands are flooded with trend reports,” said Angela Thakur, COO & Head of Strategy for Lennon Group. “What often gets lost is the human context behind those insights. This work is our attempt to slow things down and ask what these shifts mean for people, not just for performance metrics.”
The report draws from national data, digital behavior studies, cultural observation, and qualitative analysis to surface nine key tensions shaping Filipino decision making. These include the push and pull between convenience and fairness in e-commerce, hyper connection and digital fatigue, and speed driven consumption versus a growing desire for intention and alignment.
According to Lennon Group, Filipino audiences are not rejecting technology, platforms, or progress. In fact, Filipinos are early and active adopters of new technologies. Many are already using AI powered tools for work, learning, and daily tasks. At the same time, questions around relevance, skills, and long-term security are becoming more pronounced.
This coexistence of optimism and unease is not unique to AI. It mirrors how Filipinos relate to digital life more broadly, craving connection, but feeling stretched thin by their connectivity, and by everything that is at their fingertips.
When it comes to conveniences, and progress, Filipinos are discerning. They want ease in commerce without the exploitation of local businesses, or laborers. They want improvements in their quality of life without causing harm to others, or the environment. Values matter to Filipinos as much as the Peso does.
The release of The Humanity Behind the Trend 2026 comes at a time when many organizations are reassessing how they connect with Filipino audiences in a landscape marked by information overload and shifting expectations.
“This is not a report about what Filipinos are clicking on,” the CEO of Lennon Group, Raymund Sison added. “It is about what they are protecting. Their time, their values, their sense of self. Brands that understand this will build authentic connections. Those that do not will struggle to be trusted.”
Lennon Group is offering private presentations and facilitated discussions based on the report for brands, organizations, NGOs, and institutions seeking to translate these insights into strategy, communication, and innovation for 2026.
The full report preview is now available upon request.
