Pundit
Josh Golden
2 receipts • Tracked since Sep 2026
CMO at Agital; former President & Publisher of Ad Age, CMO of Quad, and VP of Global Digital Marketing and Communications at Xerox. Executive in Residence at Progress Partners.
Affiliations
No firm affiliations on record.
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2 receipts
2025
1 prediction- Dec 20, 2025Too early to tell.“As we head into 2026, consumers will be asking for more in-person connections and more physical touchpoints with brands. From curated catalogs and sleek packaging to retail and real-world experiences that invite people to slow down and engage. ... Return ON Touch might just be the new ROI.”
The 2026 sequel to his (correct) 2025 "return of the physical" call. Test window is open through 2026 - recheck with year-end retail and experiential-marketing data and whether "Return On Touch" gets formalized as a metric.
2024
1 prediction- Dec 11, 2024Called it.“My Hot Take: The return of the physical! ... 2025 will also be the year of The Endowment Effect. ... So watch for a move towards more physical, experiential, in-person and collaborative marketing ‘wow’ moments, as well as things like direct mail and the return of the catalog continued.”
Called it, then built the proof. Golden turned the thesis into Quad and The Harris Poll's "Return of Touch" research (May 2025), which documented consumers craving tactile brand experiences and drew coverage from ad trades to NBC News. Direct mail and catalogs kept their comeback through 2025, and LinkedIn News put Return of Touch in its 25 Big Ideas for 2026.