As 2025 draws to a close, many businesses will use the final quarter of the year to push towards their targets and prepare for a strong start to 2026. Yet too often, this period becomes a race to get through immediate priorities, rather than a moment to look back and understand what has driven performance.
Taking time to review the successes and challenges of 2025 provides a foundation for future growth. It helps you understand which activities generated genuine results, which campaigns or bid submissions delivered the best return, and where time and resources may have been stretched too thinly. This level of honest insight gives you a clear advantage for the year ahead.
Reviewing and updating your marketing strategy for 2026
Marketing continues to evolve rapidly. Traditional marketing channels are developing due to AI, buyer behaviours are changing, and expectations around brand experience are higher than ever. A clear, relevant and well-executed marketing strategy for 2026 must be based on both your internal performance and market trends.
Start with a simple but focused review of your 2025 activity.
- Which marketing channels drove the most enquiries and new clients/projects?
- Which campaigns delivered commercial outcomes, not just impressions?
- Where did you spend time and money that produced little impact?
Understanding these points will show you where to prioritise budget and resource.
Next, look externally. Competitors are a useful benchmark, and their activity can offer valuable insight. Are they repositioning their brand, investing in thought leadership, strengthening their social media presence, or using video more effectively? This type of analysis is not about copying others, it is about protecting your position and identifying opportunities to stand out.
Industry trends should also inform your plans. For example, the continued rise of short form content, the increased importance of communicating your commitment to social value, and the expectation for more personalised communications all shape what existing and potential clients are looking for. Aligning your marketing activity with the way your audience now consumes information will help you remain visible and relevant.
Ultimately, your marketing strategy for 2026 should take your business plan and translate it into a practical and realistic set of actions. Having the right plan will allow you to communicate clearly, build confidence in your brand and generate new enquiries. Read our article on the importance of structure and consistency in marketing.
Reviewing and strengthening your bid strategy
Alongside your marketing, your bidding approach is another area to review and refine ahead of 2026.
An effective bid strategy starts with opportunity selection. Winning work does not come from chasing every tender opportunity, it comes from understanding where your offer genuinely fits and where you can add real value. Reviewing your 2025 pipeline and conversion rates will show you whether you focused on the right opportunities or spent too much time on opportunities that were not aligned to your strategy.
2025 was also a year shaped by the continued roll out of the Procurement Act. With its focus on transparency, stronger feedback and the shift towards valuing the most advantageous tender, it is important to review how well your submissions are reflecting your track record, approach to innovation, ESG commitments and social value, not just your price.
Your approach to bidding may also need refreshing. Ask yourself:
- Does our bid process support our teams to deliver high quality submissions?
- Did we have processes for facilitating internal reviews in place?
- Do we understand the issues are clients are facing?
- Did we begin work early enough or were we consistently reactive?
- Were our win themes clear and evidenced?
- Do we have the right case studies, policies and social value strategy for 2026?
Taking time now to analyse client feedback from both successful and unsuccessful bids, review your library, rebuild your opportunity pipeline and define a clear go or no-go process will help you begin 2026 with stronger structure and more confidence. Read our article on are you really answering the question in a bid?
How Stephen Alexander can help you prepare for 2026
Preparing for your next financial year requires honest review, skilled planning and practical insight. At Stephen Alexander, we support businesses of all sizes to build marketing and bid strategies that help them win new work. With over 40 years of combined experience and a proven track record across multiple sectors, we bring clear thinking, creativity and hands on support that aligns with your goals.
Whether you need help reviewing your performance, refreshing your bid or marketing strategy, or strengthening your positioning for the year ahead, our team can guide you every step of the way. Speak to a member of the team to find out more.