Where CRM Is Headed in 2026
In our latest report, we delve into how CRM is evolving into a more connected system for growth.
CRM is stepping into a bigger role.
As customer experiences stretch across platforms, channels, and moments, CRM is evolving beyond its original remit. What began as a system for managing relationships is becoming the connective layer that links data, identity, intelligence, and action across the customer journey.
Our latest Publicis report explores how leading brands are shaping this next chapter, and what CRM looks like when it’s designed to power growth.
What’s taking shape:
- CRM as connective infrastructure.
Advanced strategies treat CRM less as a channel and more as a system, one that carries intelligence across paid, owned, and real-world experiences as customers move between them. - A shift from audiences to understanding.
Brands are moving beyond static segmentation toward CRM strategies grounded in real behaviors, contexts, and motivations, prioritizing relevance over reach. - Identity built for trust and scale.
Responsible identity frameworks are emerging as a differentiator, enabling personalization while reinforcing transparency, consent, and long-term value exchange. - Growth, clearly connected.
With smarter measurement and connected identity, CRM is increasingly tied to outcomes that matter beyond marketing, including customer lifetime value, efficiency, and sustained growth.
Together, these patterns point to CRM taking on a more central role in how brands connect, learn, and grow.
Download the full report to learn more about the CRM resolutions revolutions shaping 2026.
