Brand Marketing Statistics for 2026: Consumer Trust, Visual Identity, and ROI Impact

In 2026, brand building has become inseparable from business survival. Consumers are more selective than ever, with 81% refusing to purchase from brands they don’t trust and 84% making purchase decisions based on authenticity alone. The stakes are higher because the competition is fiercer - and the data shows that brands investing in consistency, visual identity, and human connection are pulling ahead.

What’s changed is where and how brands build trust. Social media platforms now account for over 60% of product discovery, surpassing traditional search engines. Video content delivers measurable ROI, influencer partnerships outperform traditional advertising by 2x to 3x, and human-generated content has become the top priority for consumers. Meanwhile, brand consistency directly correlates with revenue growth, with companies reporting 10–20% increases when they maintain cohesive messaging across channels.

This article compiles over 60 brand marketing statistics from the latest research published within the last two years. These figures cover consumer behavior, visual branding effectiveness, social media impact, influencer marketing performance, brand trust metrics, revenue correlation, and channel-specific insights. Use this data to understand where consumers discover brands, what drives purchase decisions, and how brand investment translates to measurable business outcomes in 2026.

Scope and Methodology

Includes only publicly available brand marketing statistics relevant for 2026.
Based on the latest figures published within the last two years.
Sources include primary research, first-party platform data, institutional studies, and industry reports.
Each statistic is listed separately with its original source and study context.
No estimates, forecasts, interpretations, or recommendations are included.

Key Brand Marketing Statistics for 2026

81% of consumers need to trust a brand before making a purchase decision, based on recent research cited by Dash.app.
55% of a brand’s first impression comes from visuals alone, according to branding research compiled by Dash.app.
84% of consumers say authenticity impacts their purchase decisions, based on data from Dash.app.
68% of companies report that brand consistency adds 10–20% to revenue growth, according to Warc research cited by Dash.app.
77% of consumers prefer shopping with brands they follow on social media, based on data from Exploding Topics cited by Dash.app.
A signature color boosts brand recognition by up to 80%, according to branding research compiled by Dash.app.
64% of consumers have tagged a brand or used a branded hashtag on social media, based on data from Exploding Topics cited by Dash.app.
73% of customers feel brands treat them as unique individuals, a dramatic increase from 39% in 2023, according to Salesforce’s State of the Connected Customer report.
94% of organizations say influencer marketing outperforms traditional digital advertising, often delivering 2x–3x returns, based on data from Sprout Social.
Social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube collectively account for over 60% of product discovery, surpassing Google, according to Sprout Social.
92% of marketers plan to spend the same or more on video marketing in 2026, based on data from Sprout Social.
Total spend on social media advertising is projected to reach $317.33 billion in 2026, according to Sprout Social.

Trust and Authenticity Statistics

81% of consumers need to trust a brand before buying, based on recent research cited by Dash.app.
84% of consumers say authenticity impacts purchase decisions, according to Dash.app.
73% of customers feel brands treat them as unique individuals, up from 39% in 2023, based on Salesforce’s State of the Connected Customer report.
Only 49% of customers think companies use their data beneficially, down from 60% in 2022, according to Salesforce’s State of the Connected Customer report.
73% of consumers say they’ll switch to a competitor if a brand doesn’t respond on social media, based on data from Sprout Social.
74% of shoppers will abandon a brand after three or fewer bad experiences, according to Salesforce’s Connected Shoppers Report 6th Edition.
More than half of Gen Z (63%) and Millennials (57%) are more likely to buy from companies that speak out about specific causes or topics in the news, based on data from Sprout Social.
63% of consumers have tagged a brand or used a branded hashtag on social media, showing active participation in brand communities, according to data cited by Dash.app.

Visual Identity and Brand Recognition Statistics

55% of a brand’s first impression comes from visuals alone, according to branding research compiled by Dash.app.
A signature color boosts brand recognition by up to 80%, based on branding research cited by Dash.app.
68% of companies say brand consistency adds 10–20% to revenue growth, according to Warc research cited by Dash.app.
37% of UK advertisers are increasing branding spend, compared to only 14% who intend to focus more on performance marketing, based on Warc research cited by Dash.app.
In the US, only 1 in 5 buyers increased branding spend in 2025, while more than half increased their performance advertising, according to IAB data cited by Dash.app.

Social Media and Brand Discovery Statistics

77% of consumers prefer shopping with brands they follow on social media, based on data from Exploding Topics cited by Dash.app.
Social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube collectively account for over 60% of product discovery, surpassing Google, according to Sprout Social.
53% of shoppers discover products on social platforms, up from 46% in 2023, based on Salesforce’s Connected Shoppers Report 6th Edition.
76% of Gen Z use social platforms for product discovery, according to Salesforce’s Connected Shoppers Report 6th Edition.
70% of Millennials use social platforms for product discovery, based on Salesforce’s Connected Shoppers Report 6th Edition.
36% of Baby boomers use social platforms for product discovery, according to Salesforce’s Connected Shoppers Report 6th Edition.
64% of consumers have tagged a brand or used a branded hashtag on social media, based on data from Exploding Topics cited by Dash.app.
Social media ads are the leading source of brand awareness among internet users aged 16 to 34, according to Sprout Social.
In 2025, Instagram’s engagement rate was 0.48%, down from 0.50% in 2024, but still more than three times higher than Facebook’s 0.15%, based on data from Sprout Social.

Influencer Marketing and Creator Content Statistics

94% of organizations say influencer marketing outperforms traditional digital advertising, often delivering 2x–3x returns, based on data from Sprout Social.
90% of marketers believe sponsored influencer content outperforms brand content in terms of reach and engagement, according to Sprout Social.
83% of marketers say sponsored influencer content converts better than brand content, based on data from Sprout Social.
In 2026, 61% of marketers plan to increase their investment in creator content, according to Sprout Social.
Short-form video delivers the highest ROI among video formats at 41%, based on data from Sprout Social.
Human-generated content is the #1 priority for consumers on social media in 2026, followed by personalized customer service and social commerce, according to Sprout Social.

Video Marketing and Content Statistics

92% of marketers plan to spend the same or more on video marketing in 2026, based on data from Sprout Social.
Marketers say video has helped them improve user understanding of products or services (93%), according to Sprout Social.
93% of marketers report that video has increased brand awareness, based on data from Sprout Social.
85% of marketers say video has helped them generate leads, according to Sprout Social.
83% of marketers report that video has increased sales, based on data from Sprout Social.
82% of marketers say video has boosted website traffic, according to Sprout Social.
The global digital video advertising market is expected to grow from $140.28 billion in 2025 to $188.76 billion in 2026, based on data from Sprout Social.
66% of social media marketers report that funny content is the most effective for their brand, followed by relatable content (63%) and trendy content (59%), according to HubSpot.

Social Media Advertising and Budget Statistics

Total spend on social media advertising is projected to reach $317.33 billion in 2026, according to Sprout Social.
Ad spending on social media is expected to grow by 10.90% each year from 2026 to 2030, based on data from Sprout Social.
Social media ads account for $3 in every $10 spent on digital advertising, according to Sprout Social.
82.9% of total social media ad spending will be generated through mobile by 2030, based on projections from Sprout Social.
Around 80% of marketing leaders plan to shift budget from other channels to social, according to Sprout Social.
87% of marketing leaders expect their paid social spend to increase, based on data from Sprout Social.

Revenue Impact and Brand ROI Statistics

68% of companies say brand consistency adds 10–20% to revenue growth, according to Warc research cited by Dash.app.
71% of sales leaders report overall budget increases, based on Salesforce’s State of Sales report.
94% of organizations say influencer marketing delivers stronger ROI than traditional digital advertising, with a majority reporting at least 2x returns, according to Sprout Social.
Up to 30% of marketing budgets are wasted, according to most marketers surveyed in the 2026 Digital Advertising Trends Report by Smartly.

AI and Marketing Technology Statistics

46% of marketers now use AI to scale creative, based on the 2026 Digital Advertising Trends Report by Smartly.
33% of marketers run AI across creative, media, and measurement, according to the 2026 Digital Advertising Trends Report by Smartly.
45% of B2B marketers plan to increase investment in AI-powered marketing tools in 2026, based on data from the Content Marketing Institute cited in Content Marketing Statistics for 2026.

Paid Search and Digital Advertising Statistics

US paid search spending is projected to reach $124.59 billion in 2024, showing an 11.1% year-over-year increase, according to eMarketer data cited by Salesforce.
The average click-through rate for Google search ads is 3.17% across multiple industries, based on WordStream data cited by Salesforce.
The reported average conversion rate for paid search campaigns is 2.55%, according to Contentsquare data cited by Salesforce.

References

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