MAM
Why marketing in 2026 will be led by AI agents, not campaigns: Netcore report
MUMBAI: Marketing is about to lose its comfort blanket. According to a new report from Netcore, 2026 will be the year when campaigns stop calling the shots and autonomous AI agents take over the hard work of growth.
Released today, Netcore Agentic Predictions 2026 argues that marketing is moving past flashy AI experiments and into a far more serious phase of execution. The future, it says, belongs to intelligent agents that plan, act, optimise and learn continuously, often without human nudging.
The report draws on research from Gartner, Forrester, McKinsey, HubSpot and Anthropic, along with Netcore’s own experience working with global enterprises. Its conclusion is blunt: marketing is becoming quieter, more accountable and far more automated.
From helpers to whole teams
One of the biggest shifts highlighted is the rise of multi-agent systems. Instead of a single AI assistant writing copy or suggesting audiences, brands are beginning to deploy networks of specialised agents that work together across content, targeting, decision-making and optimisation.
The results are hard to ignore. Research cited in the report shows multi-agent systems outperform single-agent setups by over 90 per cent on complex tasks. More than half of organisations using them report better scalability, while many see them as a genuine competitive edge. Interest has surged too, with Gartner logging a dramatic spike in enterprise queries around multi-agent systems in the past year.
The promise is simple: fewer dashboards, less manual coordination and marketing engines that optimise themselves in real time.
Goodbye reach, hello relevance
Perhaps the most intriguing idea in the report is the rise of brand twins. These are always-on, brand-owned AI agents designed to understand individual consumers deeply and act in their interests.
The timing is no accident. Attention is collapsing. Most people skim rather than read, and meaningful engagement is increasingly rare. Netcore argues that shouting louder is no longer the answer. Brand twins learn preferences, intent and behaviour continuously, enabling fewer but far more relevant interactions.
Marketing, in this world, becomes calmer and more contextual. Less noise, more trust.
Shopping gets smarter
If any sector feels the impact first, it will be e-commerce. The report predicts that AI agents will influence a significant share of online transactions within the decade. Soon, brand agents and consumer agents will negotiate prices, promotions and recommendations directly with each other, in real time.
This agent-to-agent commerce model promises shopping experiences that adapt instantly to context, availability and demand, without endless clicks or comparisons.
Attention is the real prize
As AI agents increasingly filter choices on our behalf, brands will find themselves addressing two audiences at once: humans and machines. Attention, already scarce, becomes the ultimate growth moat.
Winning brands, the report suggests, will be those that can appeal to human emotion while also satisfying the logic of AI gatekeepers.
Paying for results, not tools
The report also takes aim at bloated martech stacks. With most marketers unhappy about cost versus value, Netcore predicts a decisive shift towards outcome-based pricing. Instead of paying for licences and features, brands will pay for results such as conversions, revenue and lifetime value.
It is a reset many marketers may quietly welcome.
A new role for the CMO
As execution becomes increasingly autonomous, accountability moves upwards. Netcore forecasts that CMOs will evolve into leaders who orchestrate AI systems and directly own growth and profitability.
“2025 was about proving that AI works. 2026 will be about proving that it delivers,” said Netcore Cloud founder and managing director Rajesh Jain. “As agents take over execution, attention and outcomes become the real constraints. This is not a tool upgrade. It is a new operating model for marketing.”
Netcore Agentic Predictions 2026 is aimed at CMOs, CXOs and growth leaders preparing for the shift from AI-assisted marketing to agent-led execution. The report will anchor Netcore Cloud’s research and executive engagement initiatives throughout 2026.
Brands
Safex Group appoints Richa Malhotra as group chief financial officer
Former Standard Chartered executive to steer finance
NEW DELHI: Safex Chemicals has appointed Richa Malhotra as group chief financial officer, strengthening its leadership team as the company prepares for the next phase of expansion in specialty chemicals and global agrochemicals.
In her new role, Malhotra will lead the group’s financial strategy, capital architecture and governance framework as Safex scales operations across multiple verticals including branded formulations, specialty chemicals and contract manufacturing.
A chartered accountant and graduate of Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi, Malhotra brings more than two decades of experience in business finance, strategic planning, corporate banking and client management.
Before joining Safex, she served as executive director, financial markets at Standard Chartered, where she led teams across India and Sri Lanka and worked closely with large corporates, global subsidiaries and commercial banking clients. Her expertise includes capital structuring, treasury operations, risk management and financial markets led financing solutions.
Safex Group promoter director and joint managing director Piyush Jindal, said the appointment comes at a pivotal time for the company. “Safex stands at an inflection point as we build an integrated platform across branded formulations, specialty chemicals and contract manufacturing. Richa’s experience across global financial institutions will strengthen our financial discipline and help unlock value across the group,” he said.
Malhotra said she was looking forward to contributing to the company’s next chapter of growth. “Safex has built a strong reputation over 35 years with its focus on integrity, innovation and agricultural insight. I am excited to be part of the organisation as it expands its footprint in India and global markets,” she said.
The appointment comes as Safex continues to strengthen its financial foundations and scale operations internationally, positioning itself for future growth milestones.
