Research Report · 2026

CleverTap Elevate

What's Next in
Customer
Engagement

Top trends shaping how brands win, retain, and grow in 2026.

AI is no longer the differentiator — it's the default. This 28-page CleverTap Elevate report maps the 6 macro trends and 3 contra-trends every marketer needs to navigate the AI-first engagement era.

88 ^%

Orgs using AI in 2025

Macro trends covered

2K ⁺

Brands on CleverTap

Free Download

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About the Report

AI Is the Headline.
Every Trend Draws Strength From It.

Based on CleverTap's data from 2,000+ global brands, this report identifies the defining shifts in customer engagement for 2026 — where agentic AI, emotional intelligence, and behaviour-first metrics are rewriting the marketer's playbook.

What's Inside

The 6 Trends Defining Customer Engagement

Six forward-looking signals — with real examples, strategic implications, and what each means for your marketing stack.

TREND 01

Interact to Act

Agentic AI can now reason, plan, decide, and act with minimal supervision — transforming passive interaction into seamless execution.

TREND 02

1:1 AI-Powered Individualization

Beyond segments. Agentic AI orchestrates millions of permutations of offers, messages, channels, and timing to treat every customer as a segment of one.

TREND 03

The Empathy Shift

Emotional AI recognises and emulates human emotion. Empathy, tone, and resonance now matter as much as accuracy and speed in every customer interaction.

TREND 04

New-Age Behavioural KPIs

Move beyond CTR and open rates. Engagement velocity, journey fluidity, and emotional NPS capture how customers actually experience your brand.

TREND 05

The AI Upskilling Imperative

AI isn't replacing marketers — it's redefining them. Prompt engineering, behavioural analytics, and AI orchestration are the new core competencies.

TREND 06

AI Guardrails & Governance

As AI acts autonomously, trust and governance move to the forefront. Privacy-by-design, zero-trust architecture, and explainable AI are now table stakes.

Contra-Trends

3 Forces Pushing Back

Not every trend points forward. These three contra-trends challenge the mainstream — understanding them is just as important as embracing the shifts above.

CONTRA 01

The Self-Service Backlash

60% of service agents fail to promote self-service options — some actively discourage it. Automation is accelerating but human frontlines aren't always aligned.

CONTRA 02

The Paradox of Personalization

Over-optimised journeys feel inauthentic and fatiguing. 53% of customers report a negative experience with AI-driven personalisation — more isn't always better.

CONTRA 03

Irresponsible AI

Unchecked autonomy creates real risk. The human-in-the-loop (HITL) approach isn't optional — it's the safeguard that ensures ethical alignment and factual accuracy.

Who This Is For

Built for
Growth Marketers

CMOs & Marketing Leaders
CX & Retention Teams
Growth & Performance Managers
E-Commerce & D2C Brands
Mobile App & Product Teams
Fintech, BFSI & Consumer Tech

What You'll Walk Away With

A Playbook Built
for 2026

A clear map of the 6 trends reshaping customer engagement — with implications for every marketing team
Real examples from eBay, Revolut, Workday, Infosys and more on how AI is being operationalised today
The 3 contra-trends that could undermine your AI strategy — and how to guard against them
A framework for responsible AI adoption: guardrails, governance, and human oversight in practice
Actionable upskilling priorities so your team transitions from executors to AI-enabled strategists

The Future of Engagement
Starts Here

Don't wait for the trends to hit your industry. Download CleverTap's 2026 report and get ahead of the AI-first engagement shift before your competitors do.

Download the Free eBook

What's Next inCustomerEngagement

AI Is the Headline.Every Trend Draws Strength From It.