Heavy industry 2026: Reflect, refocus and market for growth
As 2025 comes to a close, heavy industry leaders and B2B marketers find themselves at a critical crossroads. This past year has been one of disruption, adaptation, and, at times, remarkable innovation. Now is the moment to pause, reflect, and chart a course that balances resilience with bold, commercial growth for 2026.
Lessons from a year of change
This year, the sector faced challenges such as supply chain pressures, volatile energy prices, and increasingly stringent regulatory requirements. Global trade disruptions, talent shortages, and rising costs demanded more from every operational and sales and marketing leader. While budgets were cut, expectations for team performance remained high.
Successful companies didn’t just adapt; they transformed:
Embracing digital change. Automation and AI transitioned from “nice to have” to standard practice, powering everything from production schedules to data-driven marketing campaigns. Organisations that invested in these tools early now enjoy sharper insight and greater efficiency.
Doubling down on sustainability. Sustainability is no longer just a box to tick; it has become a competitive advantage. Brands that communicated clear commitments to sustainability and social impact built deeper, more profitable relationships with customers, employees, and shareholders.
Leveraging in-house expertise. One of the most powerful (and often underutilised) resources in heavy industry marketing is in-house expertise. When leveraged effectively, it not only showcases your team's capabilities but also creates a sense of value and pride among employees. This year, working with clients, the positive impact was clear: companies that spotlighted their technical teams through social content and thought leadership could translate deep expertise into visible market trust.
5 tactics to take into 2026
2025 forced heavy industry marketers to adapt quickly; now it’s time to turn that momentum into deliberate, measurable growth. These tactics will help your marketing and sales teams move from merely keeping up to pulling ahead in 2026.
Deploy AI and automation tools. If you haven’t brought AI into your campaign management or customer insights yet, now is the time. Use smarter segmentation, simple predictive tools, and automation to lift results without increasing workload.
Broaden and personalise your channel mix. Strong performers engage across multiple channels. Review your mix of digital ads, social media, videos, mobile, and email to ensure every touchpoint feels relevant and on-brand.
Lead with customer success and loyalty. Establish regular feedback loops and provide ongoing support to transform one-time sales into long-term relationships. Implement simple loyalty initiatives to enhance customer commitment. By shifting from transactional sales to ongoing partnerships, you can build a stronger position over time.
Invest in visual and experiential content. Invest in visual and experiential content. Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and high-quality video content are becoming standard in heavy industry. Eight years ago, while at LINX Cargo Care Group, we were already leveraging VR. Utilise these tools to create clear, practical, and memorable product explanations and virtual site tours.
Build public thought leadership. Put your executives and subject matter experts front and centre on platforms like LinkedIn, at events, and through authored content such as blogs, white papers, and case studies. A visible authority builds trust and helps attract the right talent.
A final call to reflect
Before diving into 2026, ask yourself, your operations and your sales and marketing teams:
What achievements are we most proud of this year, and how did we overcome challenges?
Where did we encounter obstacles, and why?
Which new approaches could transform next year’s results?
Real change doesn’t come from one big campaign; it emerges from leaders who continually experiment, learn, and shine a light on internal expertise. Embracing your subject matter experts and learning from them has been a key component of my success.
Here’s to a new year filled with grit, growth, and grounded boldness. Ready to plan for 2026? Book a call.