TL;DR: Mastering Taste in Marketing is a Core Skill for 2026 Success
In 2026, effective marketing revolves around "taste," a skill combining discernment, empathy, and cultural awareness. With AI saturating content production, brands succeed by curating meaningful, standout experiences.
- Taste ensures campaigns feel human, intentional, and emotionally impactful.
- Develop it by studying diverse disciplines, refining relentlessly, and balancing intuition with performance tracking.
- Use taste in topic selection, design, timing, and messaging to genuinely connect with your audience.
Brands who prioritize thoughtful distinction over automation will lead the way forward. Learn how to create lasting resonance with your startup marketing strategy by referencing proven methods like crafting an exceptional marketing plan.
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In 2026, the word “taste” has evolved into a core competency for marketers. It’s no longer about personal preference or subjective appreciation, it’s a skill rooted in discernment, empathy, and cultural fluency. Marketing in the AI era has become about curating experiences and creating resonance, rather than merely producing more content. As a serial entrepreneur who leverages both creative industries and technical systems, I see taste as the ultimate differentiator in a world flooded with templated solutions and algorithm-driven outputs.
Why is taste so crucial in 2026?
Marketing today is no longer constrained by production limits. Thanks to AI, anyone can create endless variations of blogs, videos, and ads at the click of a button. As a result, the landscape is saturated with content that often feels redundant or bland. This is where taste, defined as the ability to identify what is meaningful, fresh, and relevant, becomes invaluable. It allows brands to stand out in ways that automation alone cannot.
- Brands with taste create unique narratives that resonate beyond immediate trends.
- Taste helps marketers cut through the noise by making concise, emotionally charged decisions.
- It ensures that every touchpoint, from design to messaging, feels intentional and human.
In the words of entrepreneur Anu Atluru, “In a world of abundance, we treasure taste.” When production is no longer a barrier, the real value lies in the ability to curate and connect.
How can marketers develop taste in their work?
Contrary to popular belief, taste isn’t an innate talent, it’s a skill that can be cultivated through deliberate practice, exposure to diverse perspectives, and relentless experimentation. Here’s how you can refine yours:
- Consume great content: Seek out the best examples in your field and analyze them. What choices were made? Why did they work?
- Get feedback: Share your work with trusted colleagues or communities. Others can spot what you might miss.
- Learn to edit ruthlessly: Having good taste involves knowing what not to include. A cluttered campaign or message signals indecisiveness.
- Borrow from different disciplines: Don’t limit yourself to marketing. Study architecture, music, or literature, taste transcends industries.
- Track and measure impact: Use data to understand what resonates, but don’t let it undermine your intuition. Balance metrics with bold creative decisions.
For example, when I design educational systems like Fe/male Switch, we combine cognitive psychology, game mechanics, and real-world market conditions. This cross-disciplinary approach forces us to evaluate what elements are unforgettable versus merely functional. That’s the essence of taste: intentional selection that serves a greater narrative.
What does “taste” look like in practical marketing?
Good taste informs every part of a campaign, from concept to execution. Let’s break this down into specific areas:
1. Topic Selection
Marketers with taste know when to jump on a trending topic, and when to let it pass. For instance, a well-informed brand might tap into discussions about AI ethics long after others have saturated the initial hype, offering a fresh take grounded in long-term implications.
2. Execution Style
From typography choices to storytelling angles, taste shapes how a campaign feels. The difference between mediocre design and impactful design often lies in subtle details, such as the spacing of text or the pacing of a video.
3. Timing
Delivering a message “on time” is one thing; hitting it at just the right moment is another. A tasteful marketer senses when an audience is ready to embrace a particular idea or shift.
4. Emotive Messaging
Marketers with taste understand the art of restraint. Overloading an ad with calls-to-action or flashy visuals can deter the audience. Instead, a well-placed single line or image might carry the emotional weight needed to connect.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Chasing trends blindly: Just because something is viral doesn’t mean it aligns with your brand values or audience.
- Confusing taste with elitism: Great taste isn’t about appealing to a niche few, it’s about creating something universally resonant while retaining depth.
- Allowing committees to dilute ideas: Strong creative decisions often get watered down by groupthink. Avoid “Frankenstein” campaigns built to please everyone but lacking focus.
Taste as the ultimate differentiator
At its heart, taste is about understanding your audience deeply and presenting something that cuts through their distractions. It creates experiences that linger in memory, experiences that AI-driven tools and mass automation cannot replicate.
Invest time in developing your ability to discern what truly resonates. The brands that lead in 2026 will be those that don’t just say something good enough but create marketing that truly matters.
So the next time someone tells you “taste is subjective,” smile and move on. As a marketer, knowing your audience and refining your discernment is what takes your work from average to indispensable.
FAQ on the Importance of Taste in 2026 Marketing
Why has "taste" become crucial for marketers in 2026?
In 2026, taste is a marketer’s ability to curate content that resonates with audiences. AI automates content creation, but taste differentiates brands with meaningful and fresh messaging. Authenticity and intentionality are key. Explore Vibe Marketing for Startups.
How can marketers develop better taste in their work?
Marketers can refine taste by consuming high-quality content, analyzing successful campaigns, and seeking interdisciplinary inspiration. Prioritizing empathy and experimenting with fresh ideas also cultivates discernment. Discover how to craft robust marketing plans.
What role does taste play in AI-driven content creation?
While AI generates massive content volumes, taste ensures relevance and emotional resonance. Brands using tasteful AI strategies stand out in saturated markets through unique messaging. Learn about AI SEO for Startups.
How does taste influence campaign execution?
Good taste informs design choices, storytelling, and messaging. Intentional execution reduces clutter and creates a seamless, engaging experience across touchpoints. Check out impactful startup business plans.
How can startups balance data with creative taste?
Successful startups integrate data-backed insights with bold, tasteful creative decisions, maintaining originality while addressing audience needs. Analytics guide adjustments but shouldn't override intuition. Explore Google Analytics for Startups.
Does taste differ across markets and industries?
Yes, taste varies with cultural and audience expectations. Marketers must deeply understand their audience and market dynamics to ensure tasteful, context-appropriate content. Learn more about adapting for Europe's startup ecosystem.
Can taste be a competitive advantage for startups?
Absolutely. In a world of templated solutions, brands with refined taste drive emotional connections and create memorable experiences that competitors can’t replicate. Gain insights into securing startup traction.
What are common mistakes marketers make when applying taste?
Blindly chasing trends, creating generic campaigns, or watering down ideas through groupthink are pitfalls. Taste demands intentionality and focus to avoid derivative outputs. Discover common traps for early startups.
Is taste a learnable skill, or is it innate?
Taste is learnable through deliberate practice, exposure to diverse perspectives, and constructive feedback. It requires time but can be cultivated systematically. Learn actionable strategies for startup scaling.
How can startups define their brand taste?
Startups can define taste by focusing on their mission, analyzing target audience preferences, and aligning messaging with their values. Consistency builds a recognizable brand identity. Explore LinkedIn strategies for startups.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the “gamepreneurship” methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the point of view of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
