As we head into 2026, most food, beverage, and alcohol (FBA) leaders aren’t facing a demand boom – they’re facing a demand reset.
Over the last five years, compounded inflation has pushed U.S. retail food and beverage prices up roughly 34%. Consumers have effectively hit their breaking point on price, and they’re rewriting the rules on what, where, and how they eat and drink. Additionally, the impact of tariffs on costs (even if they’re eventually rolled back) cannot be ignored.
At the same time, extreme weather is also creating real supply risk. From the doubling of cocoa and coffee prices in 2025 (it’s never great when people’s coffee and chocolate take a hit) to growing volatility in key commodities – nearly one in five restaurants report monetary losses tied directly to extreme weather, as reported by The Guardian and the National Restaurant Association earlier this year.
In that environment, communications can’t be treated as packaging for decisions made elsewhere. It must be a core tool for securing volume, steering stakeholders through disruption, and protecting permission to lead through reputation.
Here are the three macro trends I believe CEOs in FBA must watch in 2026 – and the communications moves that go with them:
1. The Great Value Reset
Consumers are still spending more than they did pre-inflation, but they’re increasingly doing it through trade-downs and trade-offs. NIQ estimates shoppers spent 6% more in 2025 than in 2023, and many are at their limit.
2026 Outlook: What Leaders Should Do
Expect aggressive price promotions and retailers demanding more support while consumers demand more justification for every premium. To stay ahead, leaders should:
- Make value explicit, not implied. Move beyond “quality” language to specific proof points: cost-per-serving, durability, functional benefits, and trade-up math that feels honest in a tight economy.
- Segment your value story. The same SKU may be a “treat” for one segment and a “staple” for another. Use data to tailor messaging by channel, basket, and occasion.
- Explain your pricing logic. When you can’t avoid increases, communicate early and clearly: what’s driving the change, what you’re doing to offset it, and how you’re protecting everyday affordability. Silence invites suspicion.
2. Health, GLP-1s, and the New Moderation Economy
Drug-fueled weight-management and broader wellness trends are shifting consumption patterns faster than most brand portfolios. Data tied to GLP-1 use shows significant reductions in caloric intake and grocery spend – one study cites a 21% drop in calories and a 31% drop in monthly grocery spend among users.
2026 Outlook: What Leaders Should Do
Portfolios designed for “more” – more indulgence, more occasions, more ABV – are being evaluated sharply by consumers who are choosing less or different. In this environment, leaders should:
- Reframe indulgence around control and choice. Position full-strength, “better-for-you,” and no/low options as a unified system of choice, not a zero-sum trade-off. Your brand architecture and storytelling should make it easy to “dial up” or “dial down,” not feel guilty.
- Bring science and empathy together. When talking about GLP-1s or health, avoid fear-based narratives. Anchor in credible data, then show how you’re innovating to support healthier routines without moralizing consumer choices.
- Re-segment occasions. Communications planning should reflect that many traditional “drinking” occasions are now “social” occasions first. Design campaigns, partnerships, and experiential programs that welcome both drinkers and non-drinkers without stigma.
3. Climate Volatility and Supply-Chain Fragility
Extreme weather is now a top supply-chain risk. Research on agrifood supply chains underscores how droughts, storms, and heat disrupt yields and logistics, rippling through the U.S. food system to amplify regional shortages.
2026 Outlook: What Leaders Should Do
Ingredients, packaging, transportation, and labor will all see more frequent and less predictable disruption. You can’t promise “no disruptions,” but you can build trust in how you respond. To strengthen resilience, leaders should:
- Build a recurring “resilience narrative.” Don’t only talk supply chain when something breaks. Regularly explain how you’re diversifying sourcing, investing in local partners, and designing for redundancy.
- Create ready-to-deploy playbooks. Before the next storm, drought, or geopolitical shock, align comms, operations, and legal on clear protocols: who you notify, what you say to retailers, what you promise consumers and employees – and what data you’ll share.
- Lean into transparency, not perfection. Share what you know and what you’re still assessing. Messages like, “We’re seeing delays on X due to Y; here’s how we’re adjusting, and when we’ll update you,” maintain credibility even when the news is bad.
A 2026 Communications Checklist for FBA CEOs
As you pressure-test your 2026 plans, we suggest using these five pivotal questions to gauge whether your communications strategy is built for the year ahead:
- Have we articulated a clear “value promise” for each major brand and pack? Can every stakeholder – from the board to buyers to frontline teams – explain it in one or two sentences?
- Do we have a proactive narrative on health and moderation? One that acknowledges GLP-1s and changing attitudes toward alcohol and sugar without panicking or preaching?
- Are our supply–chain and climate stories built before the next crisis? Including message frameworks, spokespeople, and a transparent cadence for updates when disruption occurs.
- Is communications plugged into risk, strategy, and innovation – not just marketing? Your communications leaders should be in the room when you make portfolio, pricing, and sourcing decisions, not simply handed them after the fact.
- Can we move at the speed of disruption? That means social listening, rapid insight loops with customers and employees, and content engines that can shift tone and focus in days, not quarters.
The companies that will win in 2026 are not the ones that experience the least disruption – they’re the ones that communicate fastest, most honestly, and most consistently through it.
If you’d like to talk about how to navigate the shifting landscape of food, beverage, and alcohol through effective communication strategies, reach out here. We’re helping some of the world’s leading brands navigate these shifts every day and welcome a conversation.