By 2026, artificial intelligence will be able to influence any video, and that is precisely why authentic, well-crafted moving images will once again make all the difference. Video marketing remains the most powerful channel for conveying complex messages in an understandable way. In Switzerland, about 89% of 15- to 75-year-olds use social media, and anyone who isn’t planning to use video in 2026 will lose reach. The good news: You don’t have to jump on every bandwagon—just focus on the few trends that truly drive reach, trust, and conversions. Here they are, brief and to the point.
Trend 1: AI Is Everywhere, but People Make the Difference
According to estimates, by 2026, about three out of four marketing videos will be AI-generated or AI-assisted. Swiss companies that use AI in content production publish several times as much content with the same amount of effort. The catch: If everyone uses the same tools, everything ends up looking the same. The key differentiator in 2026 won’t be “made with AI,” but rather “has something to say.” This aligns with the Swiss market, which values substance and credibility over loud marketing. Use AI for the grunt work in the background and focus on concept, story, and a distinctive style that no template can provide. That’s exactly where the value of a hand-drawn explainer video lies: it’s unique, brand-specific, and unmistakable.
Trend 2: Short, vertical, mobile: Short-form is the norm
The average video length has been shrinking for years; anything under 60 seconds has long been the norm. Vertical videos designed for thumb-scrolling are winning out, even in the Swiss B2B sector: LinkedIn (around 2.7 million users in Switzerland) and Instagram Reels are the fastest-growing video channels. “Snackable” doesn’t mean superficial. A 30-second clip that gets one point across beats a three-minute explanatory video that no one watches all the way through. Think in terms of series of short, focused videos rather than a single long one. Learn more about this in the section on vertical videos.
Trend 3: Soundless by Design. Videos that work without sound
A large portion of videos are watched with the sound off—on the train, in an open-plan office, or in a social media feed. In 2026, you’ll plan for this from the very beginning: permanently embedded, easy-to-read subtitles (not automatic browser captions) and visual storytelling that holds up even without audio. In Switzerland, there’s also a legal aspect to consider. The Disability Equality Act (BehiG) requires public bodies to ensure accessible communication: subtitles, good contrast, and, in some cases, sign language. Accessibility is therefore not just a “nice-to-have”—it truly reaches all target audiences.
Trend 4: Real beats glossy. Authenticity is on the rise
People trust people. Unscripted insights, real employees, founders, and experts on camera are more effective than overproduced advertising visuals, especially in the Swiss B2B sector, where trust and a certain degree of reserve are the currency. That doesn’t mean “cheap”—it means approachable, honest, and human. Today, a promotional video featuring a real team makes a stronger impression than any stock footage.
Trend 5: Interactive & Shoppable
Videos become interactive experiences. Surveys, quizzes, branching storylines, and clickable hotspots pull viewers out of their passive role. On Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, you can tag products directly in the video and sell them with a single click, without any detours. For offers that require an explanation, this means explaining and converting within the same clip.
Trend 6: Thinking Multilingually
For Switzerland, multilingualism isn’t a trend—it’s part of everyday life. A video that works in German, French, and Italian reaches the entire country, rather than just one linguistic region. Plan for language versions from the very beginning—whether as professional voice-overs or subtitles—rather than adding them later at great expense. This way, you can address each region in its own language and maximize the reach of your concept.
Trend 7: Connected TV
Streaming has surpassed traditional television; a large proportion of households now watch content on internet-enabled TVs. This opens up a new channel for advertisers that combines the reach of TV with the targeting capabilities of digital media. By 2026, your video should work not only on mobile devices but also on the big screen.
Trend 8: Video SEO & AI Search
Even the best video is useless if no one can find it. In 2026, that means optimizing videos for YouTube and Google—and, increasingly, for AI-powered search engines that summarize content. In Switzerland, too, more and more people are turning to ChatGPT and similar tools for their initial searches. Clear titles, transcripts, structured data, and a clean thumbnail remain essential. Our guide to Video SEO 2026 shows you how to do it.
Conclusion: In the flood of AI, those who have something to say come out on top
The Swiss social media market is mature. Growth no longer comes from more posts, but from better ones. Digital detox is a real need, and attention is in short supply. What remains is the idea behind it: a clear message, a story that sticks, designed to be multilingual and accessible to everyone. Concise, suitable for audio-only formats, honest, and easy to find—and with a concept that no off-the-shelf algorithm can deliver.
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