#YAS2026 over and out! What a day! 🙌
Thank you to every speaker, panelist & guest who joined us at The British Library.
Keep your eyes peeled for our social media trends report, dropping later today, and see you again next year...
#Battenhall
We're talking trend fatigue! 💤 Trend-hopping gets clicks, but at what cost to authenticity? Final takeaway: use trends with purpose.
Niantic Spatial’s @tomglover.bsky.social put it best when he said “It’s better to lean into strategic story-telling than just the meme.” ✨
#YAS2026 #Battenhall
It’s time for a panel 👀🎤
‘The End of the Trend’ featuring:
- Niantic Spatial’s @tomglover.bsky.social
- The O2's Lois Saxon
- Rhian Robinson and Elise Pearce from Battenhall
#YAS2026 #Battenhall
Wrapping up Jonny’s session with his top 3 predictions for 2026:👇
1️⃣ Deeper connections & community-led engagement
2️⃣ Longer-form storytelling returning to the mix
3️⃣ Greater personalisation & niche focus
The future of social is more human than ever. ✨
#YAS2026 #Battenhall
Next up, Jonny Atter on The Social Cycle.
Starting by talking through how what’s old becomes new again following the trend cycle...
♻️ Introduction
♻️ Growth and adoption
♻️ Peak
♻️ Decline
#YAS2026 #Battenhall
And that’s a wrap on Akilah Harper’s session...
Her key takeaway: AI can craft the face, but humans create the feeling.
The next era of influencer marketing is all about creativity, connection, and trust. ✨
#YAS2026 #Battenhall
63% of professionals plan to use AI or ML in influencer marketing 👀🤖
But where do you start?
🔍 Do your research - find voices aligned with your values.
🧩 Start small - test one partnership and learn.
⚡ Stay informed - this space is evolving fast.
#YAS2026 #Battenhall
Up next, Akilah Harper dives into the faces of the future 👀🤖
Mentions of AI influencers grew 50% in early 2025 and the conversation is only getting louder.
The AI future of influence? It’s here already. ⚡
#YAS2026 #Battenhall
Key takeaway from Georgie's talk? The rule book is gone 🔥
1. 2025 proved audiences now own the narrative - rewriting brand stories in real time
2. Heading into 2026, control is out. Collaboration is in.
3. Authenticity, agility, and participation will define who wins the crowd
#YAS2026 #Battenhall
Georgie Freeman now takes to the stage on ⚔️ The Double-Edged Sword of Virality ⚔️
Are viral moments your biggest win or your biggest flop? Georgie's here to break it down for us!
#YAS2026 #Battenhall
Saying HELLO 👋 from the British Library this morning for our 13th Year Ahead in Social breakfast briefing!
Are you ready for a morning filled with trends, insights and our predicitions for 2026?
Follow along for live highlights.
#YAS2026 #Battenhall
We’re hiring at all levels in social, I’d love to hear from anyone looking to work somewhere that strives to push boundaries, innovate and be the best.
Check www.battenhall.com/join-us
and get in touch if you work in social, Reddit, python dev, design, & PR. 👋🏼
@battenhall.com #battenhall #jobs
When you attract talented people and bring them together, brilliant things happen. Honoured to have had these colleagues and clients on our stage yesterday.
#battenhall @battenhall.com #yearaheadinsocial
Really interesting morning with @battenhall.com discussing social trends and the potential of this platform in particular. Here are the current top users as shared by Molly Redmond. How many are you following? #Battenhall @drew.battenhall.com
There we go: social media forecast for 2025 presentation DONE. 300 attendees, 37 authors, 9 presenters and 5 things to invest in for the year ahead.
To top it all off, someone came up to me from a big brand after and asked us to run their Bluesky for them. 💥💥💥
#battenhall #yearaheadinsocial
And last up our fantastic panel of clients and my colleagues Rhian and Akilah to dive into community and culture.
@akilahharper.bsky.social
@battenhall.com #battenhall #yearaheadinsocial
Very interesting that no discussion of polarisation, politicisation and business risk within and from social. Know that is the key pain and worry for C-Suite. Maybe a discussion to be hand @drew.battenhall.com #Battenhall
BE yourself
BACK yourself
Lots of takeaways form #Battenhall today. But for brands, people, communities this is key to navigate a more polarised world
George Brett was the star of the show at the @battenhall.com social trends event, on the opportunities presented by social first everything. #battenhall
Stealing the show, George Brett living and breathing the cultural movement of Social First.
@battenhall.com #battenhall
#yearaheadinsocial
Up next is @nica.bsky.social to talk to us about how to talk to your AI
@battenhall.com #battenhall
#yearaheadinsocial
Next up is Emma Hurley to explain the size and scale of dark social in 2025
@battenhall.com #battenhall
#yearaheadinsocial
Taking to the stage to present our first report chapter and topic shaping social media. Molly Redmond on Social Sorting
@mollyredmond.bsky.social @battenhall.com #battenhall
#yearaheadinsocial
@nica.bsky.social says there is a huge disconnect between the extent of AI created content and consumers’ distrust of AI. And AI is increasingly being trained on its own content 😳 #Battenhall
‘95% of content-sharing activity takes place old dark social media’ Driven by desire for privacy and exclusive communities. Expect more in 2025. #Battenhall
@bluesky.app ‘struggling for brand identity and mainstream awareness, but early adopters will be rewarded. Grab your brand handles and get your brand leaders involved.’ #battenhall
@drew.battenhall.com kicks of #Battenhall social trends event with a call out for @bsky.app which is having a bit of a moment as the X-odus kicks in.
The big Battenhall social media event is here 💥💥
Room’s filling up and almost time for the @battenhall.com team and guests to kick everything off fo the year ahead in social 2025 #battenhall
For everyone making the journey to see Battenhall's best and brightest tomorrow morning, who will be joined on stage by one of our newest and one of our oldest clients, THANK YOU and can't wait to see you there.
We're ready to kick off 2025 in social media. #battenhall @battenhall.com
