Guy Bibi's Predictions 2026

Guy Bibi’s message to brands and print teams is blunt: personalisation does not earn a premium on its own. In this Predictions 2026 interview, he argues that digital print wins when it reduces friction — faster launches, fewer errors, repeatable workflows and clearer operational proof in budget meetings.

At a glance

1. Brands do not pay more for variation by itself.
2. They pay for confidence: speed, fewer errors and predictable execution.
3. Connected packaging is print’s strongest bridge to digital platforms.
4. The biggest blocker is organisational silos, not technology.
5. Variable data works when it becomes infrastructure, not a showcase.
6. AI can scale controlled variation, but workflow discipline decides results.

Q. What comforting myth does digital print still tell itself going in 2026 about what brands will actually pay for?

The most comforting myth going into 2026 is that brands will pay more simply because something is personalised or variable.

In reality, brands don’t buy variation for its own sake. They buy confidence and are willing to pay for the ability to launch campaigns faster, with fewer errors, less manual work, and predictable results.

If personalisation or customisation introduces risk, complexity, or operational friction, it becomes a cost, not a premium.

Uniqueness only has value when it fits cleanly into an existing marketing and production machine. I can tell you that we are putting a lot of focus on this in the Creativity Power Pack workflow.

Q. Where can print work be more tightly integrated with digital platforms in 2026  — and what’s the biggest blocker?

Print can integrate most tightly with digital platforms through connected packaging, where a printed identifier becomes a stable bridge between the physical product and digital systems.

A unique code on a package can link to a CRM record, trigger a digital experience, and generate measurable feedback without changing the physical supply chain every time.

What holds this back most is not data or creativity, but organisational silos. Packaging, IT, legal, marketing, and operations often work on different timelines with different ownership models.

Even when the technology is available, integration stalls because no one owns the full lifecycle of the printed identifier and its digital behaviour.

Q. Variable data has been “the next big thing” for years. In 2026, what makes it finally commercially compelling — and what still turns it into a gimmick?

Variable data becomes commercially compelling when it stops behaving like a special project and starts behaving like infrastructure.

When a team can reuse the same design logic, datasets, and workflows to launch the next campaign with small adjustments instead of starting from scratch, variable data becomes efficient rather than exotic.

It turns into a gimmick when every campaign requires heroic effort, custom logic, and constant supervision. If it can’t be repeated easily, scaled safely, or explained clearly in a budget discussion, it doesn’t survive beyond the first few showcases.

I also think generative art and generative AI are becoming genuinely important for variable data, not because they create novelty, but because they expand what can be varied in a controlled way.

Code-driven logic, generative graphics, security patterns, and AI-assisted image creation allow variation to move beyond swapping text or images and into structured visual systems that still respect brand rules and production constraints.

When these capabilities are embedded in repeatable workflows, they raise the ceiling of what variable data can do without turning it into chaos.

Q. In your day-to-day, where will AI genuinely change creative production in 2026 — and what’s mostly hype?

In day-to-day creative production, AI will matter most where it turns variable data into something designers, design agencies, PSPs and converters can actually use at scale.

It will increasingly assist with generating structured visual variations, assembling layouts based on rules and datasets, and producing image content that is safe to use commercially.

Instead of manually designing hundreds of versions, teams will define the logic and boundaries once, and let systems generate controlled variation that remains consistent with brand rules and production constraints across platforms.

AI will also reduce friction around versioning and quality assurance, helping teams catch issues earlier and adapt designs faster across formats, languages, and regions.

In that role, AI becomes an accelerator of existing workflows rather than a replacement for creative intent.

What is mostly hype is the idea that AI alone can replace strategy, creative direction, or production discipline. Without clear rules, governance, and integration into real print workflows, AI-generated content quickly becomes unmanageable, risky, and disconnected from how print is actually produced.

Q. In 2026, what are the most common mistakes brands make when they design print as if it were a screen — and what should they do differently to use print properly?

In 2026, one of the biggest mistakes brands make is designing print as if it lives in the same emotional environment as digital media.

Digital channels today are defined by saturation, anxiety, distrust, and constant scrutiny. Consumers are overwhelmed by messages, wary of intent, and quick to disengage.

When brands carry that same mindset into print, they overload designs, push aggressive calls to action, and treat packaging or printed materials as just another advertising surface.

Print works best when it does the opposite. It has the unique ability to cut through saturation by turning everyday packaging into a communication channel; to reduce anxiety by delivering messages that feel considered and relevant rather than reactive; and to rebuild trust through authenticity, craftsmanship, and secure, traceable elements. Print can also stand up to scrutiny by proving value without changing the product itself, using personalisation and customisation to drive engagement in a way that feels transparent and intentional.

To use print properly, brands need to stop asking it to behave like a screen and start using it as a physical, credible, and human touchpoint.

When designed with this mindset, print becomes a powerful counterbalance to digital fatigue and a meaningful part of a modern marketing strategy rather than a leftover channel from the past.

Q. What’s the most credible proof-point for digital print in 2026 that stands up in a budget meeting — beyond “it looks great”?

This is where digital print offers the most defensible proof in a budget conversation.

The value shows up in execution, not aesthetics. Campaigns that move faster from idea to press, require fewer manual handoffs, generate less waste, and can be repeated or adjusted with minimal effort demonstrate tangible business impact. In those moments, digital print is no longer justified by how it looks, but by how efficiently it operates and how many options it creates.