Is 2026 really the new 2016?

Psst! If you haven’t noticed, it’s 2016 again…or is it? 

If social media is to be believed then the internet has quietly rewound a decade. Old playlists are back, familiar memes are resurfacing and suddenly everyone is reflecting on a time when life was simpler and a lot less fraught. 

The phrase “2026 is the new 2016” has well and truly taken hold. On TikTok alone, interest in “2016” content has surged, with millions of videos created using throwback filters and audio.  

At Pitch, it’s a trip down memory lane that’s worth paying attention to. Not because we want to return to 2016, but because it reminds us just how much the communications landscape and the way we work has changed in a decade. 

In 2016, PR still operated within relatively stable structures. Daily newspapers, particularly regional titles, were powerful tools when it came to setting the agenda. Media lists were predictable, earned coverage followed clearer pathways, and social media supported storytelling – but didn’t dominate. 

Content creation was slower and more centralised too. Design required designers. Video required production. Audiences largely consumed rather than co-created. 

Fast forward to 2026, and almost every one of those norms has been dismantled. 

Over the past decade, regional and local newspapers have disappeared or significantly contracted, taking with them local reporters, community storytelling and consistent coverage. Where one masthead once reached an entire region, communicators now navigate fractured audiences spread across platforms, formats and algorithms. 

At the same time, the accessibility of content creation has reshaped expectations. Tools such as Canva turned design into a baseline skill. Every organisation became a publisher. Every spokesperson became a content creator and visual storytelling moved from “nice to have” to non-negotiable. 

And then came AI. 

In 2016, automation meant scheduling posts. In 2026, AI drafts copy, analyses sentiment, predicts angles and accelerates production at scale. Output is no longer the challenge – discernment is. 

In 2026, the role of PR has shifted from not only producing content to providing judgement and strategy in an environment where trust is fragile. 

It’s against this backdrop that the renewed fascination with 2016 makes sense; not as a desire to go backwards, but as a reflection of what audiences feel is missing today. 

For communicators, the takeaway is clear. Nostalgia may have started the conversation, but the opportunity lies ahead. The brands that succeed won’t recreate the past, they’ll understand why it still resonates. 

In a landscape at risk of being dominated by AI-generated content, authenticity, connection and clarity aren’t throwbacks, they’re the fundamentals of effective communication. 

At Pitch, we recognise that while platforms, media and technology have changed dramatically over the past 10 years, the fundamentals of good communication haven’t. People still want to feel seen. They still want storytelling over spin and credibility over reach. 

So does this mean 2026 really is the new 2016? Not quite, but nostalgia points us firmly in the right direction, and that’s not a bad road to travel.