🌟 Editor’s Note
We’re officially back - and Week 1 of 2026 has been loud.
Across nearly every client conversation, there’s one thing in common: brands aren’t easing into the year. They’re locking in annual targets, pushing for aggressive growth, and asking the same question:
“How do we scale without chaos?”
Below are three trends we’re seeing right now (from paid media, email, and operations perspectives) that we think every founder and operator should be thinking about as the year starts.
1) January is splitting brands into two realities: “peak” vs “pause” - but the goals are the same
One of the most interesting things we’ve noticed this week is how divided January looks across categories.
Some brands are entering a peak season. Others are stepping into a slower seasonal moment. The result? A ton of mixed opinions on what the “right” January playbook should be.
But the shared driver is clear:
Most companies are locking into yearly growth goals, and those goals are massive. We’ve heard targets ranging from 200% to 500% YoY growth in just the first few days back.
That means many teams aren’t waiting for February to “start scaling.” They’re scaling immediately.
2) 2026 growth will come from predictable systems
If there’s one theme shaping how brands are approaching this year, it’s this:
Growth is no longer about chasing spikes, gimmicks, or one-off wins.
It’s about building systems that can scale without breaking your business.
That’s showing up in a few consistent ways:
Teams are separating acquisition from retention instead of blending strategies
Brands are leaning into education-led creative that builds trust and increases conversion reliability
Operations, creative, and media are being treated like connected infrastructure - not isolated tactics
Expansion is happening more thoughtfully (market nuance, inventory reality, compliance, etc.)
Measurement is becoming a bigger focus than ever: knowing what works, why it works, and how to repeat it
This is the shift from growth as adrenaline → to growth as a machine.
✅ Takeaway: If you want to scale this year, don’t ask, “What’s the next tactic?”
Ask, “What system do we need to build so performance becomes repeatable?”
3) When spend goes up, you can’t rely on ROAS alone - you need deeper funnel signals
As budgets ramp back up, the easy trap is to watch only the scoreboard metrics:
CPA
ROAS
MER
…and assume you’ll instantly know whether scaling is “working.”
But when you increase spend, especially for businesses with longer consideration windows, your conversion metrics won’t always tell the full story immediately.
So this week, as clients scale aggressively, we’ve been watching deeper funnel indicators alongside CPAs and ROAS:
CTR (creative relevance + demand capture)
Add-to-Carts (buying intent)
Leads (mid-funnel traction)
Other engagement signals that indicate whether your increased spend is actually creating incremental consideration
Because if those indicators rise consistently, conversions often follow - even if the first few days look “messy.”
Bonus: Email is waking back up, and clicks matter more than opens right now
On the lifecycle side, we’re seeing inbox behavior normalize again as people return from the holiday break.
Many clients are using this window to make bigger strategic moves because January (for many categories) comes with lower pressure and less risk.
But the key tension right now is maintaining momentum without overwhelming subscribers as they get back online.
This week, we’re paying less attention to open rates and more attention to click rates - because they’re a more reliable indicator of true engagement in a world of inbox filtering and privacy changes.
→ Watch click behavior closely and use it to steer messaging and pacing.
Final Thought
The brands that win in 2026 will be the ones building the most disciplined systems.
Start the year with structure.
Scale with intention.
Track the signals that matter before the revenue catches up.
Because the real goal isn’t just to grow faster, it’s to grow with confidence.
P.S. Quick personal note: I’m on Day 7 of 75 Hard and documenting it on LinkedIn. If you’re doing 75 Hard too (or planning to start), reply to this email - I want to know who’s in and keep each other accountable. 🔥
Til next time,
Uri & The Growth Collective Team