We asked Luxid experts what they’re watching and prioritizing as they kick
off the year. These perspectives show where the opportunities lie and why they matter.
In the first blog post of the What to watch in 2026 series, Chris Eifert,
Managing Director of Luxid US, shares what’s top of mind for the year ahead — from talent and transparency to martech growth and authentic storytelling.
What’s your top priority for Luxid in the US market as 2026 begins?
Our number one priority is to be the absolute best employer we can be for our team. We have undergone a lot of changes as a business in the past year, starting with the Luxid acquisition and then reimagining how our teams and capabilities should evolve to meet changing client needs. More than anything, we need to be listening to our team and making sure we’re providing an environment in which they can thrive professionally and emotionally.
On the revenue side, one of our key focus areas for 2026 is building out competencies in marketing and sales technology optimization, as well as seeking projects involving customer data platforms. Our colleagues in Europe have tremendous capabilities in those areas; our goal in 2026 is to replicate some of that expertise in the US to expand our offerings. We’ve already begun the processes of resourcing and training our client-facing teams in these areas, and we’re excited to see how quickly we can turn these investments into business opportunities.
Which market shifts or cultural trends are you monitoring most closely?
From a market perspective, every business is keeping a close eye on the impacts of elevated tariffs, ongoing trade negotiations, and interest rates, and the extent to which these factors might lead to economic resurgence in certain sectors due to reshoring and increased investments. There are signs of momentum here, but there are also lingering concerns around inflation and plenty of geopolitical uncertainty. So, the overall economic outlook in the US is still murky. More certainty about trade agreements and the potential for lower interest rates has some of our clients predicting more momentum toward the second half of 2026.
Culturally, the ubiquity of AI in everyday life — both professionally and personally — is having major impacts on how we think as marketers and the expectations of customers and consumers. But maybe not in ways one might expect. The emergence of synthetic, AI-generated content is creating opportunities for brands to use authenticity as a differentiator. Transparency. Human-centric storytelling. Empathy. Human touchpoints. These will be the key currencies for effective communication in 2026 (and I hope beyond).
How are you approaching change management in a year of rapid transformation?
It’s tempting for business leaders to imagine business transformation as a step change that is achieved quickly and definitively, because that’s what it looks like on paper when you document change strategies. I think it’s important to be pragmatic and realistic when attempting to achieve change, even when the desired shift is quite significant. For me, that means three things:
- Prioritizing talent: We’re a people-driven, professional services business. The changes we want to achieve as a US business unit — meaningful AI adoption, martech and saletech competency development, cross-BU client engagements, an evolved and integrated approach to media — all start with talent and capability building.
- Urgency and early wins: Rather than focusing on ideal, large-scale demonstrations of success, we need to act urgently toward achieving smaller-scale, proof-of-concept wins. There’s no better way to create change than to experience it through real-world implementation.
- Transparency: We can’t ignore the seemingly endless amount of information and change our business absorbs daily, and the confusion and uncertainty this can potentially cause within our team. We need to be at our best in terms of honest, transparent communication to keep teams aligned and enthusiastic about the opportunities ahead.
What’s the biggest opportunity you see for US-based clients right now?
Clients who embrace the prominence of Millennial and Gen Z decision makers in B2B and these younger audience’s tendencies toward zero-/low-touch, frictionless sales experiences will be well-positioned to earn market share from competitors. Over the past year, we have discussed this trend with almost all our client stakeholders. The gap between established, traditional B2B marketing approaches and what’s truly needed to engage the digitally fluent B2B buyer is still wide in many cases. For Luxid and our clients, it’s critical that we identify opportunities to create the content and seamless digital experiences that drive decision making with little to no human interaction. This includes embracing brand marketing that builds trust by demonstrating authenticity and social responsibility.
What leadership principle will guide your decisions this year?
Our US leadership team is very consistent in terms of leadership style and the principles we adhere to, and those don’t change year-to-year. In summary:
- Modeling the behaviors we expect. Our leaders are not necessarily big, vocal personalities, and I think that works really well in our business. We’re focused on setting the standard through action.
- Balancing empathy with accountability. We do our best to listen well and be attentive to how the team is doing, but at the same time making sure team members are holding up their ends of the bargain. We thrive as a business when everyone is thinking in terms of, “Am I performing and delivering in a way that makes things better for other members of my team?”
More insights coming soon
This is just the beginning of our What to watch in 2026 series. Next up, Milla Ikonen, Strategic Marketing and Sales Consultant, will share her thoughts on tightening differentiation as AI becomes standard, balancing short-term wins with long-term growth, and why data-driven orchestration is becoming the new competitive advantage. Expect practical strategies and fresh perspectives to help you make smarter decisions in 2026.
