Omnichannel in 2026: how to attract and retain consumers?

For years, the speech was clear: the more presence, the better. Being on Instagram, WhatsApp, e-commerce, app and the physical was synonymous with modernity. In 2026, however, this discourse may not make more sense and even be very dangerous for businesses that want to stand out. A good omnichannel strategy is no longer about mass presence, and has become about relevance in strategic media for each target audience. 

We live in a thriving, fast-paced and extremely volatile technological environment. Every year, new tools, interaction formats and communication possibilities arise between companies and consumers & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & that makes many businesses believe that success is directly related to being present on all available channels. 

The market has come to assume that modern and digital companies need to be available to their customers across all channels, and this narrative has created an internal pressure on companies to conform to this vision and never have their communication labeled as “outdated”, this view, in addition to being misguided, pushes companies towards decisions that generate serious dangers, such as unnecessary investments in technologies that their customers do not use; and hasty implementations without integration with the consumer journey. 

What are the consequences of all this? Disconnected experiences, where channels even exist, but do not talk to each other; leading to customers forgotten about their real need, when the operational structure does not follow the promise of service. In the end, the excess of channels turns into cost, noise and bad experience.   

The new era in which we live demands more mature choices. Instead of responding to market pressures, companies must prioritize the real needs of their consumers. The best strategy in this regard is one that serves the customer efficiently and fluidly, keeps the operational cost low, understands the role and particularities of each channel, and connects journeys in a continuous and resolute way. 

Omnichannel is not about breadth, but about strategy, coherence and integration. Those who truly understand this relationship tend to reap ripe fruit.A Capital One Shopping report finds that omnichannel consumers provide a higher return on 30% investment over the lifetime of the product, compared to those who only use one purchase channel. 

Among the fronts that tend to gain strength this year, capable of opening great possibilities for companies that want to evolve their communication, RCS is a great opportunity & EVEN more, with its official arrival to IOS, expanding its global capillarity.The channel has been consolidating itself as a robust alternative to enriched conversational experiences, with ideal resources for acquisition, guidance, sending multimedia content, even fast and secure transactions. 

With call authentication through Stir/Shaken, which allows the consumer device to display the brand of the company issuing the call, the channel regains credibility, taking it from the category of suspicious calls to faster, direct and extremely resolutive contacts. A powerful opportunity to rehabilitate the use of voice safely and reliably.   

And, keeping its pace with innovative technological solutions, WhatsApp is still the most used by Brazilians. Today, in addition to traditional interactions with messages, buttons and automated flows, it brings a relevant advance: the possibility of making voice calls within the service journey itself & that allows an attendant to raise the conversation when necessary; that the customer receives support in real time, without leaving the channel; and that service gains speed and resoluteness at critical moments. 

Companies that want to lead not only follow the transformation of communication in 2026, must understand that the customer no longer wants a brand “em everywhere”, but that solves their problem without friction, repetition or frustration. Those who insist on the old narrative of excessive presence in the available media, will remain in a lethal paradox to the survival of any business: we have never been so available and it has never been so difficult to deliver a good experience. 

Carlos Feist's he is Director of Innovation at Pontaltech.